“It’s not true,” Princess Luna declared, for perhaps the hundredth time in five minutes. It was just the three of them in the Icefalls planning room, her and Hayden and Nightbreeze. Well, them and the guards waiting by the door.

The charts were still here, the model updated to reflect recent changes. Only the secret drydock for the Excellus was missing. “They’re trying to trick us into letting them into the city before Celestia arrives. They want to fight us from behind our own fortifications.”

Nightbreeze stood some distance away from the princess, as though she were afraid that a stray comment from her might get her blasted with magic. She kept glancing meaningfully at Hayden, as though she expected her to say something.

But what the hell was Hayden supposed to say? She had already warned Luna about this possibility back in Seaddle. “Princess,” Hayden finally said. Maybe she could dare a reply. “Whether or not the Stonebeaks were lying, I don’t think it changes what we do now. We’ve got ourselves here. One way or another we have to get ourselves out.”

“I don’t understand.” Luna stopped, ears flattening. “Shouldn’t you be telling me how right you were? Gloating about how obvious this was, and how foolish I was for…” She whimpered, turning away. “For trusting my sister.”

“No,” Hayden went on. “Because they might be lying. You’re right about that. They… I think they guessed what we were planning, or maybe they have a spy. Either way, they chose to attack anyway. That means they think they can take the city before the fleet gets here, right? Maybe they expect us to surrender—maybe they’ll flee back to Vanhoover now that they know we aren’t going to give up. Maybe they’ll be gone by morning.”

Nightbreeze stepped up beside her. “Or maybe they’ll throw everything they can at the city, and try to take us over before the fleet gets here. Then they can turn around and face the Solar Fleet from behind our fortifications, same as us letting them in.”

Luna seemed to relax. “Yes, of course. That makes sense. We can’t let their lies distract us.”

But she did seem bothered by news about her sister. Some part of her believes that Celestia could betray us. She’s not stupid.

“We haven’t told the troops,” Hayden said. “We won’t let their lies hurt morale.” This room had no windows, no balcony for her to look out from. But at last report, the enemy was assembling some distance away—keeping far out of range. They had hugely overestimated Icefalls’s abilities. So much the better. That would mean time getting to speed. “We don’t really have much of a choice now. We fight as though no help is coming, and we win. I… already planned on it. Icefalls will endure.”

“Of course you did.” Princess Luna looked down, staring at her hooves. “Sometimes I wonder if I might’ve concentrated all my courage into you, Hayden. If my memories of life before I summoned you were more confident. Maybe I should return you to your realm when this war is over.”

Nightbreeze spoke before Hayden could, her voice suddenly frightened. “Princess, no! I mean… you aren’t misremembering anything. Hayden’s creation didn’t change your personality. You’re the same pony I’ve always served. And I think Equestria can ill afford to lose her, even if we survive.”

Luna stomped one hoof in frustration, but she didn’t argue. “It was… it was worth hoping. But this entire disaster began with my desire for a simple cure to a difficult problem. If I’d never resorted to this magic—there would have been no bats, no perception of weakness, no invasion from the Stonebeaks.”

Hayden shrugged. Months ago, she would’ve said in a heartbeat that she wished none of this had happened. But now? She’d made friends here in Equestria. She’d had so much taken from her… but she wouldn’t want to take it away.

I still want to go home, one day. When Luna’s secure in her position and Equestria is safe. Then I can go back to Earth. I can be myself again. Mostly it was the latter that bothered her. She probably didn’t have much to go back to other than her proper body and proper sex. If she could have those in Equestria, she might never leave.

I’m an idiot. I might not survive to see sunrise, and I’m thinking about years from now when I get to go home. Fucking stupid.

“I have already attempted to send a message to my sister,” Luna said, her voice more timid than it had been during the entire conversation so far. “It was… not received. I can’t ask her about the griffons’ plan. I can’t tell her that the bats of Icefalls will soon be cured of their corruption. I will keep trying, however. Perhaps… perhaps she will hear me in time.” She looked back up, to Hayden. “What are the chances of Icefalls surviving this siege?”

Hayden glanced briefly at the guards standing at the door. These weren’t her Blackwings, and couldn’t be trusted not to repeat what they heard. She moved closer to the princess, speaking in a whisper. “Depends for how long. After seeing the size of that fleet… I’ve got some idea.”

“Well?”

“I was hoping the Grand Fleet’s 1000 ships was an exaggeration. We were… expecting a hundred. Maybe we could’ve survived more. But that?” She stared down at the dark part of the map that was only a solid rectangle of wood. They hadn’t bothered trying to represent every enemy ship. “We will die here.”

Luna winced. “R-really? I thought… you told my sister—”

“That we could survive for a few days,” Hayden interrupted. “We can do that. But if Equestria doesn’t come, that won’t be enough. We don’t have enough cannonballs to take down their fleet. We don’t have any more of the magical rounds that Star Swirl made.” Hayden slumped sideways, resting briefly against Nightbreeze.

Hayden winced, realizing too late she had just acted the way her old self did, months and months ago, back when this pony had been Luna’s humble steward and nothing more.

She expected a shout, or at least an extremely polite bit of maneuvering so the bat could escape. But Nightbreeze did neither.

“If we had a year, we could’ve been prepared. If we had a decade, I could deliver on my promise to retake the north. But we didn’t have that. I don’t think we will.”

Princess Luna turned back towards the many clipboards and plans, studying them with a critical eye. “We don’t need cannonballs for some of this. I like what you did with the… bunkers, you call them? I have never seen weather magic used in this way. It might destroy their fleet all on its own. We might not need Equestria’s help.”

Hayden followed her eyes to the last board. It was marked “FINAL CONTINGENCIES.” It also didn’t mention the true final contingency, the one she still hadn’t explained to the princess. And wouldn’t, unless Luna asked. “It is possible,” Hayden muttered. “But it would require the Grand Fleet to be over our heads. And when it was over, there might not be an Icefalls left standing.”

“Still, you have my approval, so long as the day of Equestria’s scheduled arrival has come and gone. We won’t destroy ourselves before that. My sister probably expects to receive it back into Equestria, not the pile of rubble where it used to be.”

Hayden nodded her agreement. Though were it not for the ponies who lived here, she probably would’ve damaged the city on purpose if that was what it took to annoy Celestia.

There was the sound of running hooves in the distance, and a few seconds later the door banged open. It was a messenger, a filly so young she wasn’t old enough for her cutie mark yet. But Hayden had taken every volunteer she could use. “S-Stonebeaks! They’ve… they’re advancing! They aren’t waiting for morning!”

Princess Luna’s expression grew grave. “Thank you, child. Return to your duty station.” She looked up, meeting Hayden’s eyes again. “We will command from the Tower, yes?”

Hayden nodded. “The birds are doing us a favor by attacking now.” She reached up for a second, resting a hoof gently beside one of her slitted eyes. “Icefalls has treated night as day for months. I guess their spies didn’t tell them that.”

Luna smiled, though there was something sad in her expression too. “I would’ve liked to see a city like that before it was invaded. Perhaps the ponies here would’ve appreciated all the hard work I put into the sky.” Her horn began to glow. Hayden had no way of sensing what it was for, though she could guess it was a teleport. Princess Luna could move them about the city without effort, after all.

“You know where to go,” Hayden muttered, glancing back at Nightbreeze. “Stay alive.”

“I’m not going to hide in a whole while this city fights,” Nightbreeze whispered, stopping only a few inches from Hayden. “You put me here. You don’t get to brush me aside now.” Then something happened Hayden hadn’t expected. Nightbreeze kissed her.

It didn’t last long, or go nearly as deep as their brief trist had been.

Luna cleared her throat. “Hayden. Are you too distracted to fight?”

“No.” She broke apart.

They vanished in a flash of magic.

The Tower appeared around her, far more gracefully than when Star Swirl did it. There was no cold on her skin, no ripping at her lungs. Despite its name, the Tower wasn’t much taller than the other buildings around it, lest it stand out as an obvious target. It had no huge windows to make it seem like it contained something worth stealing, but thin slits that might’ve been used for firing arrows. Except that they were filled with glass instead.

Similar boards were arranged around the outside of the room, with the same flowchart that was represented in the general’s office. Except that here the shapes contained writing in English. Hayden could use it to remind herself of what they planned, but if this tower was lost the enemy would not learn their plans. None of her aids could read it either, but she didn’t need them to. Every pony here knew their place.

Out of the shelter of the castle, Hayden could feel the beating of war-drums from over half the city. She couldn’t count specifically—their beats all blurred together. Maybe every southern cannon emplacement.

The room contained only a handful of tiny candles for light, along with the windows. This was the plan for night—it meant they would be able to see the war clearly, and not lose their night vision to flames. Hayden could see that the few non-bats she had up here were struggling. Nothing for it. A good half her army were bats now, through sheer force of demographics. There were whole units made of bats who carried no lights at all, with uniforms of black cloth instead of light blue.

But they weren’t here.

“They’re coming from all sides,” Lodestone said, as though Hayden needed him to explain it. “Looks like… the whole fleet is moving at once.”

“Spread a little thin, aren’t they?” somepony asked from behind her.

“They would be,” Lodestone responded. “Except they know we don’t have a fleet. They know we can’t do much to harry them.”

“Advancing together!” called somepony else. “Range marker for three miles!”

“Signal concussive to all guns!” Hayden snapped, mostly by rote. She’d prepared for this moment. “Hold until they come into range. We won’t waste powder.”

One of her bats rushed up to the roof to relay her signal—at night, that would come from a flashing light, instead of a flag.

Princess Luna sat down in the back of the room, her back to the diagram. “Watch for a section of the defenses that are faltering,” she commanded. “I will fly out to reinforce it.”

“Yes, Princess.” Lodestone said, even faster than Hayden could respond.

As he did, Hayden leaned back, nodding slightly to Slipstream by the wall. Her commander would understand her instruction without words. If Luna went out, he was to make sure she came back alive. He returned the nod, then looked away. The princess didn’t seem to notice.

THUM THUM! The beats of Icefalls’s war drums shook the Tower, seemed to shake the whole mountain. Two beats, meant two miles distance. Meant that the enemy fleet had finally come into range.

Hayden could see them through every tiny window. The griffons had done them all the favor of lighting enormous fires on many of their ships. There was an ocean of soldiers flying alongside, all carrying torches. Her bat eyes could make them out easily, even in the far distance.

The nightmare she had prepared for was finally here.

“Signal fire to all guns,” Hayden said. “Time to keep a promise.”