The rain didn't stop all day.

A river of water flowed constantly below, the irrigation ditch doing it's job funneling the water away.

While I was expecting another surprise from Pegasopolis, I took the opportunity to walk around the lake, keeping to the trenches. Ponies bustled around, getting used to living in the suddenly cramped space. After the Pegasi pulled back, the army had remained alert for an hour.

But after that the soldiers began to do their chores and assignments. A few occasionally climbed out of the trench to finish what they had abandoned. Several Ponies were posted where they could have a good veiw of the city. A few of those enterprising individuals had taken some of the old roof materials and constructed small overhangs that protected against the rain. Most however busied themselves tidying up and making their barracks more hospitable, but never more than a armlength away from their weapons.

As I walked, I kept an eye on the city above.

What were they planning? What was their next move?

I suspected, that they were starting to grapple with the reality that they would not be able to sweep us away.

Which left two options.

Try one final time to break us, or to simply move the city.

I would anticipate both.

As I passed by,the batteries of trebuchet, which were becoming more and more entrenched, I passed the word to ready the boulders, and aim high. Higher than they thought.

If the city tried to flee, we needed to be ready to keep it pinned. And that meant keeping the city in a "safe space" where the trebuchets 'couldn't' reach. If the city began to move, a furious enough barrage could convince the Pegasi that the safest place, was the area over the lake.

I got my answer midafternoon.

ZzRACK!

A bolt of lightning hit a trebuchet in the next section over.

BOOOOOOOM!

"Trebuchets fire at will!" I exclaimed over the sudden din. "Pegasi keep on the ground! Earth Ponies get your spears ready! Unicorns, focus fire on where the lightning is coming from!"

My warnings through out the day paid off, as the trebuchet emplacements all around the lake creaked and groaned as boulders were hurled upward.

ZzRACK!

BOOOOOOOOM!

A bolt impacted the far shore, making the arm of a trebuchet explode into splinters.

A speck of light formed on one of Pegasopolis' battlements.

"Unicorns! Hit that light!" I exclaimed, sending a ray of magic upwards.

FREEEEEEEEEM!

ZzRACK!

The bolt of lightning hit the spool of a trebuchet off to my left.

The sudden loss of tension caused the boulder it was throwing to launch backwards, and limply fell to the ground.

BOOOOOOOOM!

My ears rang.

Trebuchets around me wobbled and flung their missiles. Ponies reared and screamed as splinters from broken timber splashed over us all.

And I could hear none of it.

For the second time in as many days... I wondered why I was here.

I could only come up with the same answer as yesterday.

A mare off to my right flinched as a bolt of lightning crashed into the dirt in front of the trench.

Eternal Winter must be stopped.

I realized I had fallen onto my rear, and was no longer casting a spell.

I stood up.

"Keep together!" My own voice sounding like it was far away. "Unicorns! Focus your fire on where the lightning's coming from!"

I shot another ray at the spot the lightning had come from.

FREEEEEEEEEM!

Something exploded up on Pegasopolis' battlements.

"Hooray!" Ponies around me cheered.

"Don't give them an inch!" I screamed as loudly as I could, sweeping my spell across the distant battlements.

Spears of light lanced upward from Unicorn horns all across the lake shore, impacting the city and causing the clouds it was made of to glow with spellfire.

The trebuchets also did work, although the boulders were much harder to see compared to the flashes of lightning and Unicorn magic. But occasionally, you could see light reflect off the surface of one as it flew.

They were much easier to see as they got near the city. While most impacted the outer ring of reinforced cloud, several did fall short and fly underneath. But I did see a few flying over the city.

Debris fell from Pegasopolis in a macabre parody of rain.

My hearing started to sound normal again.

"Keep firing!" I exclaimed, letting loose another spell. "They can't fight forever!"

ZzRACK!

BOOOOOOOOM!

Something on a battlement facing another part of the lake exploded.

ZzRACK!

Another trebuchet off to my right exploded as it no longer could contain it's own tension.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The ringing in my ears returned.

I responded by launching another spell towards where the lightning had come from.

FREEEEEEEEEM!

At the very least I would force the Pegasi to take cover.

My world descended into a continuous blur, as I did nothing but direct the spellfire from the Unicorns near me, before joining in with my own power.

And just as suddenly as the lightning started. It stopped.

It took me a moment to realize that fire wasn't being returned.

"Cease fire!" I called out.

While the Unicorns almost instantly stopped, it took a little longer for the trebuchets to stop creaking. Even longer as the command filtered to the other sections.

Pegasopolis loomed above, ominous and silent.

What were they doing?

I was under no delusion that we had somehow slain everypony up there.

So why had they stopped?

"Reload! I don't think we're done yet!" I commanded, shouting towards the nearby trebuchets.

I saw a mare who looked in charge nod in my direction, turn and begin bellowing orders to her crew.

I looked back at the city above.

I could see no colorful dots of color above the city that would betray the presence of airborne Pegasi.

What were they doing?

What were they planning?

It slowly dawned on me, as I noticed that the terrain of the distant mountain slipped behind the city.

Pegasopolis was on the move.

"Open fire! Quick on the double! Keep that city in place!"

The vibe! https://youtu.be/mb2odFoqDOg?si=ATbkgewhS7sOv55v