Two days had passed since the rebellion had retaken Ponyville and things seemed to be peaceful but in truth, everyone was on edge as the floating fortress of Cloudsdale loomed on the horizon like a shadow yet the city had not moved for some time and there was no sign of enemy activity.

Many of the refugees and civilians had begun to grow concerned as they looked on towards the floating fortress while trying to continue their daily routine but the rebels were anything but relaxed. Scouts from every faction had been circling the city for days and reported no signs of enemy activity and this made the leaders feel uneasy, most especially Shining Armor who was down by the riverside fishing with Wulfric and Crafty Dodger.

"It makes no sense." The prince said as he stared at the floating city with his rod held tight in his hands.

"We're well within range of the forts artillery, why not attack?"

"Maybe they're waiting for us to make the first move." Wulfric replied while twitching his rod a few times in hopes of getting a bite when Dodgers line suddenly went taught and the water began to churn as a fish began to thrash around on the hook.

"War is a game of patience my friends." The orochi said as he slowly pulled the fish towards him.

"It's all a matter of moving your enemy to where you want him to be."

As the changeling hauled the fish onto shore, the two friends simply nodded in agreement and continued to fish for the rest of the morning until it was time for the war council where they received some long awaited news.

"Our scouts spotted a small army of enemy soldiers beyond the dragons camp lead by Wind Riders best officers and thanks to some intel from Princess Luna's spy, we know where they are going to attack."

"Who is this spy?" Shining Armor inquired when Luna gestured for her guards to open the tent and allow Soarin to enter the council. His welcoming was less than pleasant as soldiers from each faction began to draw their weapons on him.

"You got some nerve showing your face traitor!" Said one of Shining Armors guards with his spear just inches away from Soarins neck.

"Stand down! All of you!!" The prince shouted after seeing the outrageous display his soldiers made.

"You heard the man! Weapons down!" Shouted Wulfric as they began to back off when Rainbow Dash stormed through the crowd to deliver a solid right hook straight to Soarins muzzle causing a small amount of blood to drip down.

"How dare you show your face here..." She hissed with a hateful glare in her eyes as Soarin shook of the pain and pulled out a handkerchief for his bleeding nose.

"I guess I deserved that."

"You deserve more than that!"

"Rainbow Dash. enough." Wulfric said sternly before the mare finally stormed out of the tent and allowing the council to continue. Princess Luna began to briefings as she stood from her seat so that all could hear her.

"I understand you all are hesitant to trust him but Soarin has been my best spy within the kingdom since Canterlot fell, he is also the reason why we've been able to strike major blows against the slave traders."

"So he's the spy that's been helping us." Shining Armor stated while she continued.

"Yes and thanks to him we know what our enemy plans to do. If you'll hear him out."

The other council members were not sure what to make of this since none of them trusted someone under the kings employ, especially a high ranking officer such as Soarin.

"I say we hear him out." Wulfric said aloud while keeping his eyes on the pegasus.

"If Luna trusts him then we should trust him. Wouldn't you agree Princess Twilight?"

"I suppose." Twilight said cautiously with her brother holding her hand.

After having his nose treated, Soarin stood before the faction leaders to give them details of Wind Riders battle plans as well as the fortifications surrounding Cloudsdale. When he finished, the council members began to talk among themselves with the elements of harmony.

"So what do you think?" Twilight asked her friends who gave a quick exchange of looks.

"We can't trust him!" Rainbow Dash whispered angrily.

"He was the one who sold me as a slave in the first place!"

Rainbow could never forget the day Soarin turned her in to the slavers and sold her off like a piece of livestock on a farm, she could also never forget the humiliation she suffered that day when the auctioneers allowed the bidders to feel and grope her body as they called out bids before finally being sold off.

"For your protection Rainbow Dash." Princess Luna replied with an explanation.

"Wind Rider was gonna have you thrown to his soldiers...they are known to be brutal when breaking in new female slaves."

When Rainbow Dash heard those words she became silent and confused for a moment as she looked at Soarin who sat alone silently and seemed to have a look of shame upon him.

"We vikings can tell when a person is lying by the look in their eyes." Said Wulfric as they all turned back to the stallion for a moment.

"I saw no treachery in his. Only shame and regret."

"If you say so sugarcube but I still have my doubts." Applejack stated before they returned to their seats and continued the meeting.

"Soarin, you will accompany our troops to the battlefield and if what you told us is true then we will gladly welcome you into our ranks." Shining Armor said with serious expression when Wulfric stepped forward with a murderous glare in his eyes.

"But if this does turn out to be a trick then by all the gods of Asgard...I will personally send you to the frozen depths of Helheim."

Soarin saw the bloodlust in the vikings eyes and simply nodded in acknowledgement of his threat before being escorted out of the tent.

"Well now that, that's out of the way. What should we do about the battle?" Marshall asked while inspecting his sword when Ember began to grin and quickly made her way to the map.

"I got a few ideas."

Day of The Battle

As the sun began to rise over the hills, the encampment laid quiet and peaceful unaware that a battalion of Royal Guards waiting in ambush.

"ATTACK!" A stonehoof officer shouted as he lead the charge laying waste to the camp. The tents were torn down and set ablaze as the enemy began to tear the place apart yet something was wrong.

"....They're not here." a guard said to himself as he looked around to see nobody running out of the tents or guards rushing to defend the camp. Everything was empty.

"There's no one here!!"

Then without warning, Ember and a squad of her dragons swooped down from the clouds above and began trapping the enemy in a circle of fire as they tried to reform their ranks.

"AMBUSH!!"

The soldier soon found themselves surrounded by flames before being showered with arrows as they desperately tried to cover themselves and when the flames finally died down they found themselves surrounded by two armies on both sides. On one side stood Wulfric and his vikings all decorated in warpaint and on the other stood Marshall and his knights dressed in newly forged armor.

"All units forward!"

"VALHALLAAAAA!!!!"

Charging in perfect unison, the rebels caught their enemy in a pincer attack that split their army in two as the first of their lines were instantly smashed apart before they finally gained a foothold and began pushing them back. Wave after wave, soldiers clashed into one another as each side tried to push the other back and the fighting seemed to be at a stalemate.

"Shield wall!!" Wulfric shouted to his troops as they began to form a defensive line with Marshall doing the same.

"What's the matter? You Equestrian dogs too afraid to fight?!?" Yelled an enemy officer as he tried to push past the wall.

"Try saying that to my face when I cut your head off! RELEASE!!" Marshall shouted back before ordering his troops to break formation as they began to hack down a few more royal guards.

"Reform!!" The warden shouted as his troops instantly reformed their lines while holding back the enemy.

"Wulfric you traitor! How could you side with these weaklings?!?" Shouted another officer to the chieftain.

"That's rich coming from a coward who abandoned his clan! OPEN!!"

At their chiefs command, the vikings made a small opening in the shield wall that allowed a small number of troops to break through before they were hacked to pieces by the numerous weapons that came crashing down on them before they could escape. The fighting dragged on like this for some time when Marshall spotted a smoke stack in the distance and ordered his troops to go on the offensive with Wulfric following close behind.

The two warriors met each other in the middle of the battlefield as the fighting continued and both fought back to back while cutting down as many soldiers as they could.

"I take it our diversion worked?" Wulfric asked as the space around them began to widen.

"Yes. Princess Twilight and her friends should have made it inside the city by now." Marshall replied before cutting down a soldier that tried to stab him from behind.

"Well let's hope they don't finish their mission too soon. I'm having too much fun!!" Wulfric boasted with a hearty laugh before hoisting another soldier above his head and breaking his spine upon his knee.

With the enemy now distracted, Princess Twilight and her friends snuck their way into the city on a small air balloon with Rainbow Dash leading the way.

"Alright girls, remember the plan. We get in, rescue as many slaves as we can find and get out. Let's do this!"

End.