My combat boots pounded against the desert sands, my backpack slung over my shoulders while my rifle was held in a loose grip against my chest. The trucks moved along the main road in single file, with several machine gun turrets locked and loaded in case of trouble. My squad and I were marching along the left flank to protect the convoy from the looming hills on that side of the road, and I was hoping to God that we would make it to the next town by nightfall. Being caught in the open at night was almost a death sentence out here, when the Taliban loved nothing more than to take unsuspecting sentries hostage before attacking the main group.

For hours we walked the same beaten road, stopping only for water and food twice as the sun made its way across the sky. Then, out of nowhere, something happened that would change my life forever.

A thunderous explosion shook the convoy as I was impacted by a concussive wave. I could feel myself flying through the air before landing flat on the hard ground. My ears were ringing with the shock wave and I could vaguely hear the sounds of my squad yelling my name as my sight began to clear.

What my sight met as I opened my eyes was out of my worst nightmares. Robed men were charging from the hills as my fellow soldiers returned fire from the truck turrets and with their small arms. Yet that wasn't what grabbed my attention as my mind began to clear. Lying off to one side, about ten feet from my hip, was the bottom half of a leg, severed above the knee and dripping blood from the shredded flesh of the foot and shin. The combat boot was little more than slivers of leather with a bent hunk of metal where the steel toe used to be, and I wondered for a moment whose leg it was that I was looking at.

Then, from behind me and to the left, a soldier wearing a red cross ran up and knelt down next to me, shaking my shoulder with one hand as he messed around with my pants with the other.

"Can you hear me Captain?" He yelled over the blistering gunfire, "Nod if you understand me."

Not really sure what was going on, I nodded my understanding, only taking in the surroundings with a haze in my eyes as my left leg throbbed. I lifted my head to look down my body as the medic began working on me, and in that instant my world shattered.

My left leg, was gone. All that remained was a bloody stump that gushed rivers of red as the medic frantically tied a tourniquet around it to stop the bleeding. My eyes widened in horror at what I was seeing, but I wasn't left any time to think about it as a screaming man in white robes came thundering towards me and the medic, automatic rifle swinging wildly as he charged the line.

Acting on instinct, I lifted my rifle and sighted in on his chest, pulling the trigger and pumping his center mass with a trio of bullets as he toppled to the ground. The medic nodded his thanks without even looking over his shoulder at the fallen Taliban, tying off the tourniquet with a final flourish as he stood up.

"We need to get you of the line of fire," he said as he walked around me and slipped his hands under my shoulders, "This is going to hurt like hell, but it'll be better than getting a bullet to the head."

Just as he started to pull my body back towards the road, something strange happened. My mind seemed to separate from the memory as my consciousness cleared. I turned around and saw myself being dragged behind one of the Humvees, leaving a trail of blood in my wake as my other self tried to pick off more enemy soldiers with her rifle.

"It would seem that you were not kidding when you told my sister and I about your combat experience." A familiar voice said from behind me.

I spun around, expecting to face another Taliban, only to be met with the solemn expression of Princess Luna. The Princess of the Night was looking around the battlefield with a sorrowful light in her gaze, her eyes coming to rest on my severed leg for a few moments before turning back to me.

"What, how, why," I sputtered, trying to make sense of what I was seeing, "How are you here? Am I imagining all this?"

Luna shook her head, "Nay, this may be a dream, but as the ruler of the night it is my duty to monitor the dreams of my subjects and to soothe the fears that might fester in their sleep." She looked around us and frowned, "Yet I can tell that this is no ordinary dream. It is a memory, one filled with pain and suffering the likes of which I have not seen since before my banishment." She turned her gaze back to me and asked, "Would you be willing to share this memory with me, if only to help me understand what is going on?"

I sighed, knowing full well that I wasn't going to get out of this without some emotional baggage. Maybe talking about it with Luna might help to make the memory less painful, for however long it lasted.

"Alright," I relented, "I'll tell you what happened here, but I warn you, it's not a happy story."

Luna nodded, "I assumed as much from the blood and death that surrounds us. Please," she indicated my dream self with a hoof, "explain the situation."

I nodded, turning to face my past self as she slammed another clip into her rifle, sighting in on a Taliban soldier that was trying to sneak up on Smokey. Freeze was manning one of the turrets on the back of the lead Humvee, although he had to abandon his post and jump behind the armored vehicle as bullets peppered the plating and ground from enemy fire.

"The War on Terror started when I was just a little girl," I said slowly as my other self shot a duo of Taliban, only to watch in horror as another got in a lucky hit and blasted Freeze in the leg. I winced as the memory of his pain-filled yell echoed in my ears, "A group of terrorists began a campaign against my native country in the hopes of breaking our way of life through fear and intimidation. They set off bombs in major cities and crashed vehicles into important government buildings just to watch the people scream. Naturally my people weren't going to take that lying down, so we sent troops overseas to fight the Taliban in their homeland." I indicated the battlefield around us with a sweep of my arm, "This was a very common scene that played out over and over again during the war. The Taliban were never an organized military, but rather a group of fanatics that used any means necessary to kill American soldiers and civilians alike in any way possible."

I winced as my past self reached for another clip, only to come up empty. We watched as another bullet, this time coming from the opposite side, slammed into Smokey's back and knocked him to the ground. Had it not been for the rapidly growing pool of blood beneath his body, one could almost say he was simply taking a break to regain is breath. My past and present self knew better, though. Smokey was dead, and it wouldn't be the last life lost that day.

"This battle was the one that cost me everything," I continued as Luna walked up and rested a wing across my back, "An IED took my leg, and the ensuing ambush killed the rest of my squad as I was helpless to save them." I reached up and wiped my eyes as tears ran down my cheeks, "I was supposed to be there through anything with them, taking out the enemy and come home to base to laugh about Smokey's bad jokes and Freeze's sarcastic quips about how Echo can't shoot straight."

I felt a sob rake my body as Echo's head was nearly severed from his body as a sniper bullet tore through his neck, and I fell to my knees as I buried my face in my hands. I heard and felt Luna lay down next to me, hearing the soft chime of magic as a wave of warmth washed over me. I slowly lifted my eyes, trying to see through the tears as I relived the horror of that day in my head. Yet instead of the blood-stained sands of my memory, my eyes were met with a comforting room lit by candles and stuffed to the brim with plush pillows.

I turned to Luna for an explanation, and she smiled softly as she rested a hoof on my thigh, "I changed the dreamscape so that we could talk in a more soothing setting. I believe this is a much better place for a conversation then that terrible memory."

I nodded, not trusting my voice as my throat choked up with emotion, and I buried my head in Luna's neck as my hands wrapped around her shoulders, my tears soaking her fur as I sobbed my eyes out. Luna stiffened at first, but quickly relaxed as she ran a hoof through my hair, wrapping her wings around me as we sat in that little room. No words were spoken between us, and none were needed. It was a time for me to let go of all the pain of my past, at least for a little while. Yet I knew that the suffering in my life was nowhere near centered on that memory, although it was a great source of pain none the less. I just hoped that Luna and the others never found out about my darkest secret, because I knew for certain that they would hate me for what I had done.

After some time, I finally got myself under control, wiping my eyes with the back of a hand as I pulled away from Luna, "I'm sorry, I know it's not exactly proper for me to hug a princess, but thank you anyway for that."

Luna shook her head, pulling me into another hug as she rested her chin on my shoulder, "No apologies are needed, dear Sarah, you were a being in suffering, and even though you are not originally from this world, you are still one of my subjects, and therefore deserve my protection." She pulled back and smiled slightly as she wiped a stray tear from my cheek with a feather, "Do not fear those around you. You are a strong and willful being, Sarah Lovegood, trust your friends to help you when you need them, and share your pain with those you care for." She gently placed a hoof over my heart, and I felt a soft pulse of warmth move through me as the room around us started to fade, "It will do much to lessen the burden you carry within, and you will become stronger for doing so as time heals your wounds." She too, began to fade from my sight as her final words echoed in the darkness, "Trust your friends, and let your sorrow hold you down no longer."

With that, Luna and the room faded completely to black, and my mind fell into the bliss of slumber as the pain in my heart was soothed by the warmth Luna had shared.

Sometime later, I awoke to the soft songs of birds as the morning light of dawn streamed through the curtains. A soft breeze wafted through the open window and I sighed to myself as I recalled what had happened in my dream.

"Thank you, Luna," I whispered to myself, "You don't know how much that meant to me."

I glanced down and saw that Lyra and Bon-Bon were still pressed up against my sides, and I smiled as I remembered the fun we had the previous night.

"Huh, what a wild ride," I muttered to myself as I extracted my body from between the two mares, "might want to check myself before I get too carried away with them next time."

I froze as those final words rang through my head, next time.

Did I really just consider having sex with them again?! My mind screamed at itself as my eyes locked onto the sleeping mares, What in the Holy Hell am I thinking?! I can't do that, they're not human! I can't believe I let myself get caught up in the moment when I knew for a fact that I shouldn't get involved with the locals!

I turned and made a hasty exit from the room, stumbling down the steps in the nude until I could sit down on a chair in the kitchen. For the moment I ignored the fact that I was naked and tried to get my head to stop racing a mile a minute.

"Okay, deep breaths Sarah, no need to get all worked up over nothing." I sucked in a lungful of air and held it until my ears began to ring, then let it out in a long gust as my heart began to slow down.

"Alright, let's get the facts straight." I slapped myself on the cheeks to wake myself up fully and rested my elbows on the table. I listed off what I knew on my fingers as I worked over the situation in my head, and what I was coming up with wasn't looking good.

"Well, first off," I ticked my first finger, "I apparently caught the attention of two of the local mares, so much so that they asked me out on a date." I ticked off another finger, "Second, the date goes well enough that they ask me to join their herd. Like a desperate hormonal teenager I said yes and they invited me back to their place." I ticked off a third finger, "Third, once we got back here, they ambushed me and seduced me by dragging me up into the bedroom and having sex until all three of us passed out." I ignored the little part of my brain that screamed at me that I had loved the sex as much as they had. I ticked off another finger, "Fourth, I have no clothes to change into other than the dress that I had on for the date and no way of getting more unless I ask the girls or Swift to get them for me."

I groaned and slammed my head against the tabletop, "I really need to talk to Twilight about how this whole herd thing works. I'm pretty sure having hot lesbian sex after the first date isn't how things work back home, but for all I know I could have just been formally inducted into the herd because of some local social norm that I had no idea about." I growled under my breath as I pushed myself up and glanced over my shoulder at the front door, "I sure hope Swift is still there, or else I'm going to have to wake up Bon-Bon to go get me a change of clothes from the castle."

I carefully made my way over to the door, making sure to avoid stepping in front of any windows as I stepped up to the slab of wood. I gripped the knob in my hand and opened it just a crack, poking my head out through the opening in the hopes of spying Swift nearby. I let out a sigh of relief as I spotted her standing at parade rest to my left, and I cleared my throat in the hopes of getting her attention.

She glanced at me over her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow, "Have fun last night?"

I felt a vibrant blush forming on my cheeks as I tried and failed to contain my embarrassment, "You heard all that, didn't you?"

Swift rolled her eyes, "Not exactly hard to tell what's going on when all three of you sounded like Timberwolves howling to the moon." Her lips pulled back into a wide grin as she narrowed her eyes at me with a devilish expression, "So how was your first time with a pony? I'm just dying to hear about it."

I growled as I slid a hand down my face, "Not the time Swift. Look, I know you've been guarding my ass all night, but could you do me a small favor? I don't have any clothes to change into and all my stuff is back at the castle. I can't go out in the nude and my dress is a little, um, messed up. It would really make my day if you would go get a change of clothes for me." When Swift made no move to answer, I sighed and added my secret weapon, "Please?"

She let out a long-suffering sigh and rolled her eyes, "Fine, but you owe me big for this one." She turned around and started to walk away, throwing her parting words over her shoulder as she left, "Don't leave the house until I get back, or else I'm going to tie you up and leave you back at Princess Twilight's castle for a week so you learn to follow orders."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at her, "Sure thing mom, I'll be a good little girl and stay put." I scoffed as I closed the door and walked back into the living room, "The nerve, thinking I would leave when I just told her I had no means of going anywhere without a change of clothes."

Realizing that I was still naked, I quickly made my way back up the stairs and back to the bedroom, hoping that I could at least hide under the covers until Swift got back. Luckily, Lyra and Bon-Bon were still out cold as I reentered the room, although they had cuddled up against each other in my absence. I smiled at the two mares, feeling a rush of warmth in my chest as I climbed into the bed with them, fitting my back up against Lyra's as I pulled the covers over us once more. My eyes narrowed as I recalled the list of items I had to go talk to Twilight about, and slid my body a few inches away from the mares as I tried to keep my mind away from the images and feelings from the night before.

"Focus Sarah," I whispered to myself, "you need to get answers from Twilight before you can worry about what happened between you and the girls. Until then you need to play it cool and don't let yourself get pulled into any more crazy situations."

I put a mental clamp on the freak-out that was threatening to shake my flimsy resolve, and I tried my hardest to ignore the warmth coming off of the mares just a few inches away. I admitted to myself that I did have a great time with them last night, as much as I wanted to argue otherwise, but with all the crazy stuff going on I just had too much on my plate to really think about relationships of that magnitude. I curled my knees up to my chest and did my best to think of nothing at all, only to be interrupted by a trio of knocks from downstairs.

I growled to myself as I climbed out of the bed once more, "That had better by Swift with my clothes or else I'm going to have some choice words for whoever is calling this early in the morning."

I was just coming off the bottom of the staircase when the door swung open all the way, revealing the familiar form of Vinyl Scratch as the DJ walked into the house like she owned the place.

"Yo, Lyra, ya got the spare key I lent you?" She called out, "I locked myself out of the house again and Octi is out like a light."

I froze in place as the alabaster mare turned toward me, her own gaze locking onto me so fast that her shades fell off her muzzle and landed on the floor. Her pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks and her cheeks were rapidly coloring as she looked me up and down. Her lips curled into a grin as she took in my nude form, and she cat called as she held a hoof to her brow.

"Damn girl, you look like a tall glass of cider that I'm just dying to get a taste of." Her eyes had narrowed into a lustful glare as she stalked towards me, and I felt myself backing up as the mare pressed me further into the house.

It was all too much, the stress of fighting an undead army at any moment, the crazy mix-up that my love life had become, not having clothes to walk around in when I really needed them, and now I get seen naked by a mare that was looking to get in my metaphorical pants just like Lyra and Bon-Bon had.

I had just enough time to make a blind reach for something, anything to keep me from falling flat on my face, but my hand grabbed nothing but air as my frazzled mind simply gave in. My eyes rolled up in my head as my legs fell limp, and I vaguely remembered the sound of someone calling my name as my body slumped to the floor.

Fan-fucking-tastic, a small part of my mind managed to mutter as my consciousness faded away, just what I needed on a Saturday morning.

I came back to the waking world on my back. My body was resting on a soft surface and I could feel something warm covering my body from my knees up to my neck. I grumbled under my breath as I pushed myself into a sitting position, opening my eyes as I heard someone walk into the room. A gasp was my only warning before I was enveloped in a tight hug, my vision being overtaken by a wall of aquamarine fur as the sheet that had been covering me slid into my lap.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright," Lyra said rapidly as she hugged me around my neck, "when Bon-Bon and I came down and saw you faint we thought you were sick or something." She pulled back just far enough to look me in the eyes, "Please tell me you're not sick or dying."

I rolled my eyes as I gently removed her from my body, although she refused to get off my lap as she met my gaze with a concerned glint in her eyes, "I'm not sick, Lyra, just stood up too fast and got light headed. I'll be fine in just a bit if I don't push it too hard."

I glanced over the mare's shoulder and saw Swift standing next to a cowed Vinyl as Bon-Bon walked into the living room from the kitchen. Upon seeing me up and about, Bon-Bon gasped and leaped onto me in a mirror to the hug her marefriend had given me just moments before, and I let out a sigh as she settled into my lap as Lyra scooted back and onto my shins.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" She cried as she held onto me like her life depended on it. "When we saw you pass out we assumed the worst." She placed a hoof on my left cheek as she looked me in the eyes, "You're not going to pass out again, are you?"

I shook my head, "As I told Lyra, I just stood up too fast. I guess I just lost the blood to my brain and passed out before I could realize what was going on."

"Oh, don't give me that tripe," Swift said as she stepped up with a subdued Vinyl at her side, "I've asked this one what happened and she says that you passed out from fright when she stumbled upon you here in the living room." She cast a narrowed glare at the DJ, "Apparently you fainted when out resident musician started making advances that were not welcome."

In an instant, Lyra and Bon-Bon rounded on the other mare, their gazes brimming with fury as they climbed off the couch and formed a living wall between me and Vinyl.

"What was that?" Bon-Bon's voice was a cold edge and I felt a shiver run up my spine as she and Lyra stared the other mare into submission.

Vinyl ducked her head and folded her ears as her eyes took great interest in the floor, "Well, you see, I," she paused for a moment before clenching her teeth and lifting her head, "oh buck it all, I'm just going to say it. I'm in heat. I just wanted to get away from Octi for a while so I wouldn't jump her while she was sleeping, only when I saw Sarah standing there in the buff I just couldn't help myself." Her gaze turned towards me and she bowed her head, "I'm sorry for scaring you. It wasn't right of me to do so even if I'm in heat. I knew the risks of going out and I did so anyway, so for that I'm sorry." She lifted her gaze while keeping her head lowered, "Can you forgive me?"

Heat? Was that like when animals back home went into estrus? I took a moment to think over everything that had happened over the last two days, and all at once thing started to fall into place. It was common back on my family's farm for the horses to get crazy during certain times of the year. I learned later out that it was because the females were going into estrus and were giving off pheromones that told the stallions that they were ready to breed. I glanced over at the mares who were waiting for my answer, and I came to the realization that it might have been the same here, at least in part.

"Tell me," I finally said as I searched the gazes of all four mares, "When a pony goes into heat, does that come with increased libido and a strong urge to mate with those one finds attractive?"

That was enough to make even Swift blush, although it was Lyra who answered, "Well, yes and no. You see, when a mare goes into heat, it's not like she goes sex crazy or anything like that. It just makes us very horny for several days so that we are more receptive to being bred. It's something that carried over from our ancestors or something like that, when we didn't have civilization to help us prosper as we do now." She paused for a moment and looked me up and down with a critical eye, "Why do you ask?"

I turned my full attention to Lyra and Bon-Bon, narrowing my gaze in suspicion as I pulled the sheet up over my chest again, "Answer me this. Are you and Bon-Bon in heat right now?"

The blush that covered their cheeks was all the answer I needed, and I scoffed as I stood up and folded the sheet around my body, "Just as I thought. I knew something was up when you two jumped me last night, only I couldn't figure out why you would have sex with me after only the first date. Now it all makes sense. You were drunk off your heats and took advantage of me while I was feeling good about our date. You just wanted a quick lay with the hot alien while your heats were driving you up a wall."

Both mares stiffened, along with Swift Blade and Vinyl, although the indignant fury that was present on Lyra and Bon-Bon's faces was centered on me while Swift was glaring at the duo. Vinyl was looking between me and all three of the mares with confusion evident in every aspect of her expression, although it quickly turned into a raging blush as she took several steps back.

"Y-You know what," she managed to sputter out, "I-I think I'm going to see if Octi is done sleeping or s-something." She cleared her throat and beat a hasty retreat, leaving the four of us in the living room as a tense silence fell over us.

For a moment no one said anything, then Lyra growled in the back of her throat, "You would dare say those things, even after what we all did together?" She took a step forward, only for Swift to step in the way. Lyra ignored the guard and continued to stare at my face with a furious expression, "We took you on that date because we wanted to see if you were right to join our herd. I know I speak for both of us when I say that we loved hanging out with you on that date, meat diet or not. Yes, we are in heat, and yes we had sex with you, but that doesn't mean we did so simply because we were horny." She scoffed as she tried to step around Swift, only to be cut off by the earth pony, "We care about you, even if we jumped a few steps in our relationship. We knew that we wanted you to be a part of our lives as a herd member, not just some hot flank for us to bounce and then ditch."

She tried one more time to step around Swift, only to be cut off again. Lyra growled and turned her attention to Swift as she spoke, "Would you let me pass? I'm not going to hurt her."

"Seems like you've already done that." Swift replied in a cold tone, "I'm simply protecting my charge from further threats, physical or otherwise."

Lyra opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off as Bon-Bon spoke up behind her, "Let it go, Lyra. If Sarah thinks we aren't worth her time and that we took advantage of her for some quick sex, then she obviously wasn't what we thought she was. If she wants to leave our herd then she is welcome to do so. We can't force her to stay if she doesn't want to."

Lyra spun around to gape at Bon-Bon, "B-But what about finding another member for our herd? I thought Sarah was the one!"

Bon-Bon turned her cold gaze to me, and I felt a shiver run up my spine at the raw anger that smoldered in her eyes, "Nopony, and I mean nopony, tells my marefriend that she was acting like some two-bit whorse when I know that isn't true. If she wants to think of us like that then she has no place in our herd." She spun around and walked into the kitchen, casting her final words over her shoulder, "If you can find a heart inside that little ball of distrust you call a soul, then you are welcome to come back, but be sure to have an apology ready if you do, because I'm not going to forget what you said about me and Lyra."

With that she was gone, and it only took a moment for Lyra to snort in disgust before following her marefriend into the kitchen. Swift turned towards me and simply nodded her head to the right, indicating a pile of folded clothing that had been left on the coffee table in all the commotion. Nodding my thanks, I picked up my stuff and walked into the hall bathroom, changing into fresh clothing before returning to the living room. The jeans didn't exactly go well with the purple shirt and light blue jacket, but it would do for now while I got my head screwed on straight.

"Come on Swift," I said as I opened the front door and held it for her, "let's go home."

She followed me out without a word, and fell in on my left side as we walked through the streets of Ponyville. It only took a minute of walking before I stopped in my tracks, Swift taking a few more before halting in surprise.

"Is something wrong, Sarah?" She asked when I made no movement to keep walking.

I didn't answer her at first. My mind was going a mile a minute, thinking about what had just happened in the house behind us. I glanced over my shoulder at the dark windows and felt a sinking feeling in my gut as I remembered the hurt that had been plain to see in Lyra and Bon-Bon's eyes. Sure, they had been mad, but that didn't excuse my own behavior or what I had insinuated when I had told them I wasn't just an easy lay.

I facepalmed and groaned under my breath, "I'm an idiot."

Swift looked up at me and tilted her head in confusion, "I'm not sure I understand. How are you an idiot?"

"Because I just told the only mares to show any interest in me that they were taking advantage of me for my looks because they couldn't control themselves in heat." I slid my hand down my face and continued my walk towards Twilight's castle, "I've got some apologizing to do once we get things situated back at the castle."

"Shouldn't you go back and do that now?" Swift asked, catching up with me and falling in at my side, "I mean, wouldn't it be easier to get it over with fast, like a bandage?"

I shook my head, "They're too upset with me right now to listen. I'll have to come back once they've cooled off to talk with them about what we're going to do with this whole herd thing. Until then, I think we've been slacking off with my training for too long. It's time we got back to my Auramancy."

Swift muttered under her breath but didn't offer any true reply, leaving the topic hanging as we came up to the entrance to the castle. However, instead of getting some time to relax before getting back to training, we were waylaid as soon as we got inside by one very frantic Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, thank Celestia you're here." She spat out as she enveloped both of us in her magic and carried us through the halls at a full gallop, "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna just showed up this morning and need to speak with you right now."

Swift and I shared a nervous look, knowing full well that it had to be important if Celestia and Luna were here instead of calling us to the capital. Twilight carried us into the Cutie Map room and set us down in two of the thrones, Swift taking Rarity's usual spot while I got Applejack's. Celestia and Luna were sitting in Fluttershy and RD's thrones respectively, and Spike was already in his seat next to Twilight's throne.

Said purple alicorn teleported into her chair and turned to Celestia with a nervous expression, "Alright, Captain Sarah and Major Swift Blade are present and accounted for. Shall we begin?"

Celestia nodded, "We shall." She turned her gaze to me and I felt like the temperature of the room dropped several degrees as she spoke, "What I am about to tell you must remain in complete confidence. If anypony were to get word of what has happened, the resulting panic would tear Equestria apart before Luna or I could do anything to stop it."

Swift and I shared a look before turning back to Celestia, "Whatever you say, Princess. It's your kingdom after all." I managed to speak clearly to the diarch of the day, even though tension hung in the air like a fog as I met her gaze, "We won't speak a word of this to anyone."

A simple nod was my only answer before her horn ignited. A bubble of yellow magic spread out until it covered the entire outer boundary of the room, sealing us in and anyone else not present out.

Celestia's horn died down as she finally spoke, "Last night, under the cover of darkness, every graveyard in Equestria was simultaneously targeted and ransacked."

Gasps erupted for everyone present except for Luna, although it was Twilight who broke the silence that followed Celestia's revelation, "So you think it was the necromancers that have been hiding in the Everfree?"

Celestia nodded, "I know for a fact it was them. They raised the dead of thousands of ponies from across the generations, leaving no grave unturned before using blood magic to create teleportation circles to an unknown location." Celestia held her wings close to her body as she shivered, "I tremble to think of the number of undead now under their control, not to mention the followers that are sure to be there as well."

"Followers?" I asked, "Who said anything about followers?"

Luna spoke for the first time, turning her attention to me and Swift, "Ponies in this day and age are mostly content with a life of peace. In fact, most know nothing else and would be next to useless in actual combat. Yet there are families that have been around since before my banishment, ponies who trained in the art of killing and combat strategy for centuries to hone their craft. These families have been kept in the background in case armed conflict should once again be necessary, but over time several of the older families have grown dissatisfied with the way things are. They believe that their skills are being wasted as tin soldiers with no real purpose other than to sit still and look pretty."

"So, we have been keeping an eye on them," Celestia added, "in case anything were to happen to them because the necromancers perceived them to be a threat. Yet it turned out we were looking in the wrong places. Instead of looking outward for the enemy, we should have been looking to our own."

"I'm not sure I understand," Swift said in confusion, "what exactly do you mean by that? Did something happen to the old families?"

"I think I know what happened," I said slowly as I sat back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. "Some of the old families decided that they liked the thought of an open war more than their loyalty to the crown, and deserted you in favor of the necromancers. They've probably gotten some kind of death magic boost like when Moon Song tried to corrupt me, and have been turned into generals in the enemy's army in order to better squash us under foot."

Celestia nodded, "We fear the same thing, although we lack any true proof that such a thing has occurred. All we know for sure is that we've lost contact with several of the old families, and with nopony else to turn to, we must find another to lead our troops into the coming conflict." She turned her attention directly to me, and I sat up straight under her scrutiny as she spoke in careful and measured words, "Captain Sarah Lovegood, you are not a native to this world, yet you have served in armed conflict many times in the past. You stated yourself that you have taken hundreds of lives in the line of duty and would kill again if it meant protecting those you cared for."

I was shocked when she stood up and bowed her head over the table, going so far as to lower her gaze to me as she finished, "I am asking you now, to lead my ponies in the coming war, and to do everything in your power to protect them from this evil force. I don't expect you to save every life, but I ask you, no, beg you, to help us in our time of need."

I was completely floored at what was happening. Celestia, Princess Celestia, was bowing her head to me in complete submission. I turned to look at Luna and found her to be in the same position, and she was quickly followed by Twilight and Swift Blade as they all bowed to me.

I wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, I was training to fight against the necromancers in the coming battles, but to command an entire army? I'd never even been in command of my own squad, let alone hundreds of soldiers. I knew basic combat tactics, but I never had the training to lead that many people in a large-scale war. This was way too much for me, and I said as much as I replied to her.

"I can't Your Highness." I managed to force out, "I'm not trained to command that many people at one time, and I have no experience with working an entire war from the logistical side of things. I wouldn't have a clue where to start."

Celestia lifted her head and smiled at me, "You are assuming I would make you do it all on your own. I would never do that, not even to my own generals. All I am asking is for you to act as a liaison to my chain of command and to lend your expertise to the cause in any way you can. You would be given your current rank within Equestria's military chain of command, and I would assign the appropriate number of ponies to your direct command as your rank would require. I am not asking you to lead the army alone, just to help us prepare and to give us help in training the new generation for warfare."

Luna snorted in contempt, "Likely that nopony will have a clue what to do other than to retreat when the enemy shows their faces. I've seen the state of the guard since my return, and frankly, I'm shocked it's taken this long for somepony to come up with a fighting force large enough to take us over." She leveled a flat look on her sister, "A thousand years is a long time for ponies to go without knowing how to fight. Are you truly certain we can get the army ready for war in what little time we have?"

When Celestia's expression took on one of worry, I raised my hand and waved it once to get their attention, "I think I can help you with that."

The princesses turned their gazes back to me, their eyes alight with interest, "What do you mean, Sarah?" Celestia asked.

"Well," I said, "I might not know about this whole commanding the army thing, but I yelled at enough soldiers in basic training to know how to get someone in the right mindset and physical levels to fight a war. I could take on a secondary position as an instructor if you think that might help with getting these wimpy guards of your up to snuff in how to actually fight."

Luna and Celestia shared a look, "It's not going to be easy, but I think it's possible," Celestia replied, "We will see what we can do, but for the time being you must focus on your training. Now that the enemy is making more bold moves, we must be all the more ready for when the final battle comes to call."

I stood up and snapped a salute, "Rest assure ma'am, I won't let up my training for anything short of a hurricane."

Luna chuckled, "Now if only we could get the Guard to think the same way." The royal sisters stood up and raised their wings wide as they stepped up to me, "Steady winds and restful sleep, Captain Lovegood," Luna said as her horn began to glow along with her sister's, "We shall be watching over your dreams so you can focus on your training in the day. May the Maker guide your path, and safe tidings to you all."

With that they vanished in a flash of magic, leaving the rest of us alone as a silence fell over the room once again.

Finally, it was Swift who broke it as she cleared her throat, "Well then, I guess we should get back to training. Don't want to disappoint the princesses by getting soft, now can we?"

I chuckled as I followed her out of the throne room, leaving Twilight and Spike as the alicorn began writing scroll after scroll at breakneck pace, "I don't think we need to worry about it too much. I'm certain we can have things set by the time those damn necromancers come to call again." I slammed my fist into my palm for emphasis, "And next time I see that Moon Song I'm going to pound her muzzle in for tricking me like that."

Swift chuckled as we exited the castle and made our way to the training fields out back, "Same some for me too. I need to repay her for making a fool out of the guard by snatching all those bodies from under our noses."

I smiled as I ruffled her mane with one, her head jerking in reaction good for a laugh as we started stretching out our muscles. One way or another, things were starting to pick up steam, and like it or not, we were going to need every second to prepare for the war that was looming ever closer on the horizon.

Author's Notes:

Yay, I'm not dead! Phew, haven't updated this thing in over a month! I bet you were all starting to wonder where I was. Well, I was up to my ears in school work, so I had no time to write other than to come up with basic concepts for my books. Also, new book for all of you to enjoy!! It's called Destiny Beyond the Stars and is piloted by our intrepid trio, the CMC!! Anyway, check it out if you like space adventures, and tell me what you think.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy the book so far, and keep an eye out. The next chapter is the next Interlude, so you all get to see Carpet Sense again!!

Hope you all are loving the story as much as I am, and I'll see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.