---

The only noise that could be heard was the faint buzzing of the lightbulb above me. It was what snapped me out of my storytelling trance and back into reality. Bon Bon and the other… I guess “agents”, had gathered around the table with grim looks on their faces - save for the two that were standing at the doorway. I couldn’t tell if they were displeased with something I had said, or if they were just reluctant to believe what was being told. Or maybe it was something else entirely? Either way, I had no way of knowing for certain what they were thinking; Even though Bon Bon looked continuously more perplexed at my story so far, I could not tell what she was thinking or assuming of me unless she told me directly.

Bon Bon spent some time rummaging through the pages scattered across the tabletop, trying to find… something. Many of the documents looked bland and generic, seemingly unimportant, and I couldn’t lean in closer to get a better look due to my hooves being tied still. It was starting to become painful with how long they were bound there.

Bon Bon eventually found what she was looking for, and pulled a paper closer to her with a hoof. Reading it carefully, she inquired to me again without even trading a glance in my direction. “Your Squad Leader admitted to the existence of the nuclear bomb to the deer, even after you said that only a few select ponies knew about it? It sounds to me like you lied to me.”

“I didn’t.” I rebutted. “Brass didn’t specifically admit to anything. All she said was that we were looking for a weapon capable of mass destruction. And that could mean a lot of things. In any case, no Pony or Deer ever mentioned anything about a bomb. Only a weapon.”

Bon Bon did not respond to this. She took a moment to finish reading whatever was on the document. Darting her eyes back and forth, she opened her mouth again. “It says here that several reconnaissance Pegasi teams were sent to Olenia for scouting, and have found no signs of any Olenian life. The Olenians were said to not be capable of such an organized resistance. What you are admitting about these Deer would imply that they were, in fact, capable of such resistance all this time”

“They hid in the sewers from the moment the Occupation of their country began. They have been fighting since day one, and they did not stop since. We just so happened to have waltz right into their hooves from the moment we escaped that Panzer group.”

“... and you said they escorted your squad back to their… what was it, Bastion?”

“Yes. We followed them to their Bastion, and they led us to their ‘council room’, as I’ve already mentioned.”

“And you also said that you and the Deer made an impromptu agreement with one another?”

“Correct.”

“What was this agreement?”

“It essentially boiled down to ‘we help you find a weapon so you can leave, and you help us fight Changelings’. It’s a bit more complicated than that, and it’s been years since then so the details are hazy. All I remember was that they agreed to help us find the weapon.”

“You mean the bomb?” Bon Bon reiterated.

“Whatever, you know what I mean.”

“So... they trusted you enough to fight alongside you and your squad?”

“I guess so. Though it’s more to it than that.”

“Like…?”

“Well, they didn’t exactly ‘trust’ us; more like they tolerated us. We had a common enemy and it was pointless to try to fight amongst each other. But at the same time, I can tell they were viewing us with suspicion and intrigue on a level that didn’t allow them to trust us until they saw it for themselves.”

“I could care less about interspecies relations at the moment. I only want information regarding the Nuke, Sunshine.”

Her comment only made me more disdainful of her. She seemed utterly uninterested in everything and anything, except for that damned nuke. I was starting to fume on the inside, but I kept an even face.

“Anyways, you said they made a Deal with you of some kind. Then what?” Bon Bon changed the subject.

“The agreement was more than just a makeshift tag team against the Bugs. It was also a deal. The Olenians wished to make a deal with us.”

That got Bon Bon to raise an eyebrow. “A deal? Wha- What do you mean a ‘deal?'”

“The only reason that the Olenians spared our lives when we first encountered them was because of one lucky coincidence.” I stopped for a moment to fidget in my seat, struggling to find any sort of position that made me comfortable. “Which was the fact that Syringe knew New Changeling. The Olenians had stolen documents from the Changelings that were still waiting to be translated, and Syringe was the only one who could read it as fluently as she did when she spoke it.”

“Syringe - you’ve mentioned her about that rare feat of hers numerous times. How fluent is she exactly?” Bon Bon interrupted.

“Well, she wasn’t perfect per se, but she could read almost every word that was written well enough, so long as she understood it. She could speak better than she could read, weirdly enough.”

“Not uncommon to see. Some linguists are more auditory learners than visual. They can focus keenly on the pronunciation of a word and it’s syntax by hearing others speak it rather than reading it. I’m sure she was no exception.”

Thinking back on that now with Bon Bon’s logic… that made sense.

“I digress. You were saying?” She pressed me.

“Yes - The Olenians didn’t know of this at the time and were still indecisive on what to do with us by the time the council agreed to at least tolerate us. If Syringe hadn't stepped in, I do not know what would’ve happened.”

“What do you mean ‘step in?' What happened?”

“Well… she kind of… revealed her gift by accident.”

---

“The council has permitted you ponies to be trusted. Now, for the sake of us being useful to one another, we count that you will follow through with your word.”

Nopony replied, but we all nodded in agreement.

“Excellent.” Marja accoladed, as she trotted towards the table near an empty seat. She did not sit down, and instead shuffled together several pieces of paper together with her hooves. Marja grabbed a small stack of papers and a large chart that dominated a good portion of the table. Spreading the map out with her hooves, she also managed to grab a stapler to pin the several stacks of paper together. “Come closer, ponies,” Marja asked of us. Each of us gingerly and slowly made our way towards the table of the Council.

As we got closer, Marja moved some stapled paper stacks aside. ”Feel free to peer at the map.” She spoke. Some of the papers looked like recorded documents, written in an objective and well-thought-out manner. Neither of us paid mind to it at all initially and instead gazed at the table. The large chart that dominated the tabletop contained a very detailed topography map, along with an atlas of the many different streets, roads, and alleyways in a specific province of the city.

The Atlas was marked by drawings that contained very precise and detailed symbols etched all across the map, all of which in various colors; a red circle with an ‘X’ striking across the center of what looked like a supermarket; a green circle marked with a ‘+’ was marked atop of a clocktower; Several intersections marked with a red exclamation mark; Many different blocks of buildings were just crossed out in red diagonal lines, indicating their destruction - there was so much to look at, it was impossible to Interpret it all at once.

But the main Focal Point of the Atlas lies just in the center of the map: A large rectangular building that had an even larger foundation. It took up at least a whole block’s worth of space where its foundation stood. It was surrounded by a large red circle, with a drawing of a castle tower that was appended with a red skull in the center. Many arrows outside of the red circle were pointing toward it from all directions.

“That large building - is that the Royal Palace?” Brass asked Marja, who of which nodded. “That looks… ominous.”

“More like impregnable.” Marja corrected. “Had you not wandered into our domain and continued your journey toward there, all of you would’ve surely died,” Marja spoke plainly. A cold shiver traveled from my tail up to my spine. “That is the main stronghold of the Changeling occupation in Hjortland. They’ve established that building as their FOB - their Forward Operating Base. It would’ve been suicide, even for Pegasi, to try and attack that place.”

I watched as Brass took a long moment to carefully study the chart, analyzing every detail that was seen on that chart. “Why do you have it all doodled up then like you’re planning on storming the place soon?”

“How droll of you to notice that.” Marja chuckled lightly. “That’s because we are planning on storming the place.”

“Oh…” Brass uttered. “Well… Since you apparently trust us with that sort of information, mind on elaborating us on what that’s got to do with us?”

“Gladly,” Marja answered as she paced over to the side of the table where most of the stacks of documents were located. Marja grabbed a stack of them and passed it on to Brass. “Tell me what you see,” she asked. Brass took only a second to read it.

“It’s… Written in New Changeling.” She observed blankly.

“Correct.” she simply replied. “This was transcribed to the best of our ability in an attempt to find out what was going on. Most of it is procedural chit chat about ensuring the safety of the cargo and the success of an important delivery. A delivery that was scheduled to take place with a lull period of a week - this week. This means that whatever it is they’re shipping, they want to keep it safe.”

I peered over Brass’s shoulder and glanced at the documents. It was annotated all along the outer edges of the papers with various excerpts and paragraphs of the lengthy document being underlined and boxed. It stretched on for multiple pages.

There were also these weird black boxes that covered some lines of the document, hiding their redaction. The various lines that were boxed, underlined, or otherwise annotated had Olenian writing off to the side or sometimes underneath it.

The detail in the calligraphy of their annotations was impressive for a creature without magic. Even if they did mouth-write it, it must’ve taken years of constant practice.

Ultimately though, it was useless for us to read it since neither of us knew Olenian.

“In many of the underlined segments of the first page, it states that the important logistics operation was to be conducted within the Hjortland limits by late May. It never specified a singular date or a timespan of when it would be completed, just a rough estimate. Keep in mind, we acquired these reports after a raid operation was well underway. It got ugly. Our scouts had also noticed an increased military presence revolving around the Hjortland city limits, primarily around the Royal Palace since then.

“At first, we had assumed they sent them to Hjortland to try and snuff us out after the failed raid. We had been a very annoying thorn in their side since the beginning, and we thought now was their time to try and finally finish us off.

"But then... we had intercepted these documents, and realized that there was much more to it than that.”

Marja flipped to the second page of the stapled stack, revealing more annotations and redactions. “The details are hazy, and the Changelings emphasized that their secrecy was a top priority. And while we have some Deer here who could read New Changeling, none of them are fluent. What we could read from this though, we made sure we captured everything we could find. One day, during decryption, we found something interesting.”

Marja planted a hoof at the bottom of the second page, where a whole paragraph was underlined, save for a single sentence that was redacted. “This whole paragraph states that the motivation behind this operation was because of an unprecedented failure that had occurred within one of their new ‘experiments’ that their R&D Department was trying to develop. Whatever they said was being sent there and for what purpose was redacted, and we know nothing more than that. But what we do know was that since then, we’ve noticed a heightened presence of Changeling activity. The two dates correlate exactly.”

Marja then pointed the Northern sector of the map, toward the Royal Palace. “From where we are standing, the Palace is only about 600 meters away - not counting the elevation distance for us being underground.” Her hoof then trailed along with the paper and stopped by the southern coastline. “Your ponies have captured the attention of just about every single Changeling here. They truly think an invasion is coming, and the Bugs are in a bit of disarray. However, that is surely not going to last long; the Jaegers will almost certainly regain their organization and rout out your Ponies with armored support, once they arrive.”

“Jaegers? They’re here in the city?” Brass asked.

“Yes, and they were not here before. Although, I am not surprised by their sudden existence due to what has happened as of late. If this ‘weapon’ of yours turns out to be true, would you want to safeguard it at all costs if you were in their hooves?”

A fair rebuttal. I most certainly wouldn’t want to lose it willy-nilly at any given time. And judging from Brass’s calculating expression, I imagine she wouldn’t too.

“Thought so - anyways, these Jaegers I’ve mentioned earlier are now heading south due to your brethren causing such an inconvenience to their operation. You’ve managed to grab the attention of one small group to come after you. Thankfully, they thought you were killed and they moved on. You ponies are very lucky today.” Marja casually commended.

I felt a knot twist in my stomach at the fact that I could’ve possibly died three separate times today. It felt as though I was in a dance with death, and I’ve managed to pirouette my way out of his grasp without even realizing it.

“For quite some time now, the Royal Palace has always been an obstacle we couldn't overcome. Since they’ve converted the Broadcast Room inside to a propaganda station, it has always sowed discontent amongst the deer population - or what’s left of it.”

That got my attention. “Yeah, about that.” I piped up, hoping I wasn’t in the wrong for doing so. Marja gazed at me, measuring me with her stern gaze. “Every city that was occupied by the Changelings so far is almost always empty. Nopony, no creature, is there for miles unless they’re in deep hiding or being harvested. I don’t understand it. What happened in these cities?”

My only answer was a sudden change of expression from Marja’s features. It looked blank and hollow. “Changelings are shapeshifters that rely on our life force as their energy by sucking it out of us. They’re willing to go through with the extremities of war and slaughter just to get what they so desperately need - do you really need my help to put two-and-two together to figure out what happened?”

“In Vanhoover,” I continued, “there was a tall spire that extended toward the sky, storing everypony they’ve harvested there. I don’t see that in your city.”

My rebuttal must’ve struck a nerve, or perhaps I may have been annoying her with these questions. Either way, she frowned scornfully. “Not every creature has as much ‘love’ in their energy like you ponies do.” She sneers with contempt. “Sometimes, they don’t need harvesting from Deerfolk. And if that’s the case, what do you think happens to them?”

I did not answer. I could only cringe as I backpedaled away from her. I already knew the answer all too well. She resumed her lecture as soon as I was finished. I felt even sicker now.

“As I was saying - for the past month now we were trying to set up some sort of offensive operation to recapture the Palace. We’ve planned extensively for quite some time now to try and retake the broadcast station for our use, and try to spread the word of our incursion to inspire any remaining freedom fighters in the country.”

“But then the whole logistical operation came to be, and it sullied those plans because of the reinforcements - correct?” Brass quickly asked.

“Correct - suspicious, is it not?”

“Yeah. It certainly is.” Brass contemplated with a hoof under her chin.

“From what we can tell, the Changelings are almost concluded with their ‘operation’. And now that more of your kind are here stirring up trouble, it looks like a full-blown invasion to them. We need to capitalize on that.” Marja trotted slowly to the edge of the table and pointed at a very wide rectangular area of space that was in front of the Palace.

“There is a Garden here, ruptured and ruined. But it is the least fortified area of the entire Palace Grounds. There will still be fortifications, no doubt, but the Changeling resistance is least concentrated in that particular area - especially during the fighting down south. In this said park are several Sewer Grates that litter the Sidewalks within that park. It allows us passage for our Kin to infiltrate.”

“Hold on, are you saying you want us to invade the Palace?” Brass carefully asked, which earned a genuine smile from Marja.

“With the way your kin had distracted some of the Changeling security there, you bet your flank I do.”

Brass was visually stunned, yet also intrigued. I looked at my squad around me, each of them noticeably hesitant. “What do you ponies think? Think it might be there?” Brass asked aloud.

“Best chance I’ve seen so far.” Rain answered.

“But what if it’s a trap?” Morning stepped forward.

All of us turned to Marja. “Well, we’ve considered the thought. If we were to emerge from the Park - or any area on the surface really - there is a chance they could be waiting for us to finally eradicate the remnants of our Attacking Force...

"... But if a Pegasus could get a good view from the sky, however…” Marja gestured slowly toward us. “And if they could give us reliable information on what we’re dealing with before we begin our operation, then we can plan our attack more appropriately.”

“So… you want us to scout out the Palace then?” Brass asked conjunctively.

“Precisely.” Marja quickly gestured a hoof toward us as she spoke. “I only request one of you to go out and scout the area. Stay within a certain range and watch for patterns from afar. Because you are Pegasi, you can fly up to the clouds and remain hidden.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds.” Rain piped up, sounding apprehensive. “I’d say the possibility of being shot at while flying upward is a pretty fucking good deterrent.”

“Have you ever heard of a thing called subtlety?” Marja asked condescendingly.

“There’s nothing subtle about flying upward toward the sky, in the middle of a warzone!” Rain hovered gently to express himself with his hooves, which were mostly expanded outward to prove his point.

“Not with that attitude… and that eyesore of a Coat you got there.” Marja rebutted, Rain looking down at his Teal coat - which was bright and vibrant enough to be seen from a distance. “I see that the two of you are at least-”

“Hey… wait a second.” I suddenly hear Syringe call out to my left, closer to the table. Everypony had stepped aside to turn and look, as I saw Syringe peeking her head over her shoulder. Her hoof was firmly planted atop of several stacks of papers. “Uh… you said your name was Marja?”

“Correct,” she said.

“Well, uh, you might wanna listen to this - all of you.” Syringe ducked her head back down toward the table.

“What are you-” Marja attempted to ask but was cut off by Syringe’s blank, and slow voice.

“In… an effort to maintain Technological Supremacy, the R&D Department has... requested High Command - and inevitably our Queen herself - to grant them access for... unrestricted measures to... ensure... our addi- advantage, in the upcoming Research." Syringe slowly spoke in Ponish, loud and blankly as she translated the document for us.

“After stating to the Queen that the... renovations... from the last test sessions would be a... significant upgrade from its predecessors... The Queen has finally agreed to approve of this restriction removal. And as such, the R&D Department has stated that the older models of this project must be renovated and repaired.

“The R&D Department has… re-re… reiterated, that the repairs should be… con...cluded… within the span of the designated… date and time. Should any form of... failure occur, it will result in harsh punishment … for all of you...”

The room was stunned silent. The council remained idle in their seats, their features unmoving. Marja was also quiet and blank in the face.

But my Squad? All of us were left with our jaws hanging… Except for Pumpkin Patch. He stood there with his brows raised.

“Its… I think… I think it really is here…” Syringe softly muttered.

Marja was the first to step up and speak. “You know how to read New Changeling?”

“I can speak it too.”

Marja was stunned. I assumed that her entourages that annotated the documents were nowhere near as knowledgeable as she was.

“What else does it say?” Brass eagerly asked.

“Quite a bit of this was redacted, so not much else. Let’s see, uh…” Syringe continued to peer through the Document. “Uh… To… ensure the success of... the operation, a small Di… Di- Division of… Ya-... Yaëgers? They spell it with a ‘Y’?” Syringe sounded slightly baffled.

“Focus.” Brass reiterated.

“Right…” Syringe muttered. “The… The division will consist of about… 3,000 Troops being transferred to your location. Use them Well… This sounds like something a commander would want to see.”

“Unbelievable…” Marja muttered. I turned to look, some of the color from her coat was drained from her cheeks - giving a Paley Ghoul appearance. “You… Do you actually know how to speak it?”

“I… I read many books back in my training days way back when. I uh… got good at it over the years.” Syringe answered.

“Well… I’d say it’s legit then.” Rain then piped up behind me. “If they’re willing to send 3,000 Bugs to defend a city from so far away, why else would they go there besides protecting a potential superweapon? - No offense to you Marja.” he quickly amended, to which she simply responded with a cough in her throat.

“Well, Ponies; I’d say this changes everything,” Marja announced. “The council and I need to speak for just a brief moment if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Brass answered solemnly. Marja quickly trotted towards Vilhelm, who had been watching the whole ordeal emotionless from his chair. Marja leaned in toward Vilhelm to whisper into his ear. After a few seconds, his expression changes drastically. He then suddenly listens intently, and nods along with her conversation, occasionally whispering a few replies back at her. Finally, the conversation stopped, as Vilhelm quietly ordered one of the other deer from the table to get up from their seat and leave the room. Marja then quickly walked towards us.

“Ponies, The hour of reckoning for the Changelings will soon be at hoof. The Council and I need to speak alone with each other alone for some time.” Marja quickly spoke. “Vilhelm had just sent one of the Senior Officers to inform everyone in the Bastion that you are guests, and should be treated accordingly. You are to wait there until I come back to speak to, uh… Brass? - Yes, Brass again. Understand?”

“Um… So we’re just supposed to wait for you, is that it?” Rain asked.

“Don’t try to push our luck, Rain. We just have to do what they say.” Brass immediately replied, simultaneously answering Marja’s order.

“What about Storm?” Syringe then asked.

“Vilhelm has also taken care of that. His accomplice will check up on him to see how he is healing. Any more questions?” Marja asked, to which none of us replied. “Excellent. I will be seeing you soon then.” Marja said as she gestured a hoof toward the door.

---

Brass was seen pacing around amidst the center of a platform over the main cistern of the Bastion, where each of us had chosen to rest. Many Deer eyes were on us as we sat there, though none of them seemed hostile. They just looked… confused, if not a tad suspicious.

Brass had not stopped pacing in place for about 10 minutes now. The others were sitting there looking at her, me included. Each of us (except Brass) was sitting on our haunches in a makeshift and deformed circle around her as she paced within the area inside the Circle.

“Are you… alright?” I asked aloud timidly, aiming toward Brass.

“I’m just… thinking.” She answered back quickly.

“About?” I pressed her, curiosity getting the better of me.

“About… about this situation we’re in.”

“Yeah,” Rain piped up soon after. “I’d say it is a pretty shit scenario we’ve got ourselves.”

“Rain, I don’t want to hear your Nihilistic and Wry sense of humor right now - I need to think!” Brass spoke in a soft volume, yet her tone was anything but. She spoke with a hard frown. Syringe to my left spoke up next.

“I uh… I don’t think this is a good time to be like that, Rain.”

“Every living moment I have on this squad is a good time for this - with all due respect.” Rain replied, bitter and grumpy. “Maybe if Syringe hadn’t revealed her linguistic side-talent, we wouldn’t be an errand pony for these Deer.”

“They haven’t even done anything to us yet. They’ve just talked to us.” I rebutted.

“And berated us, and threatened, and ordered us,” Rain added on. “Face it - if it weren’t for the fact Brass-”

“Shut it!” Brass spontaneously snapped at Rain, silencing him. Rain suddenly realized his error, as some of the Deer had stopped whatever they were doing to stare at us. As we noticed their presence, they simply just resumed whatever they were doing.

“May I remind you that we’re alive right now. That little ‘stunt’ I pulled there - in the sewers and in that council room - were all acts to keep us alive!” Brass harshly whispered toward Rain. “And right now, I have put us in a situation where we have to play ‘nice-pony’ to keep us alive even longer! And I am trying to figure out how to get us out of this fucking mess, and I don’t need your fucking ‘I hate life’ attitude distracting me right now - Am I clear?” She finished, her face leaning into Rain. I could tell that Rain wanted so badly to say something back. Yet as he just sat there unwavering, I could tell he knew the impracticality of that decision.

“... Crystal.” Rain muttered back, still and quiet.

“I just wish we could hear back what’s going on from Storm anytime now.” Syringe worriedly spoke. “His leg did not look good when he dropped down from the sewer. Combat stress didn’t help it none either.”

“That doe said she would have someone check up on him and report back.” Morning reminded her.

“Can we trust Marja though?” Rain wondered aloud. “I mean, she didn’t hesitate to kill us before Brass spoke up to her. What if we were to get on her bad side?”

Rain had a solid thesis. If we were to do something that identifies us as an enemy in her eyes, then who or what is to stop her from killing us afterward for the sake of her cause?

“Well, then I guess we better not get on her bad side then.” Pumpkin suggested. “Lest we want to get shot.”

“Easier said than done.” said Rain.

“Like you have a better idea!” Syringe berated.

“You’re right - I don’t. But I guarantee that if I did have a better idea, it would involve more than just sitting here in this hellhole we found ourselves in.”

At those words, my instincts snapped me to observe my surroundings. The Cistern around us looked decayed and weathered, almost as if the effects of erosion were accelerating in here. Water was constantly dripping from the ceiling, though not in large doses. The overall lighting in this room was congregated around the central platform of the Chasm where we were sitting. It consisted of a bunch of oil lamps and lanterns, hung on the ceiling and some of them pinned to the walls of the support columns that held the leaky ceiling in place.

At that one good glance around though, I knew that Rain wasn’t that far from the truth about this place.

“Well if you do come up with a better plan, I’m all ears.” Brass nonchalantly spoke, continuing to pace around the platform. Rain didn’t even bother trying to reply to that. A part of me was deflated to see this division between the two only continue to grow.

After that, things got relatively quiet. None of us spoke another word. Each of us sat down in our own respective spots, while Brass Screws endlessly paced around thinking to herself. It was only at this moment - when everything seemed still and where all of us were just sitting here on this platform - that I realized something:

I had absolutely nothing to do at this moment.

I sat on my haunches leaning against a stone column that supported the chasm and sighed. Taking one more good look around me, I saw some Deer still turning their heads toward us. They quickly changed direction as I caught them glancing at us, resuming whatever work they were doing. They didn’t know why we were here as far as I know, but they did know that we share a common enemy. Though… I doubt that all of them will treat us amicably. And I wondered why.

At that thought, I suddenly remembered… I still had my books!

Gingerly pulling out the History of Equus from my vest pocket, I instantly noticed a small tear of the fabric inside the pocket. As I grabbed the book with my teeth and gently bit down to pull it out, something harder than the cover was painfully pressed against my teeth. Pulling it out, I saw what it was exactly that I bit into. A small piece of jagged metal had pierced the hardcover of the book, which was embedded into the first few pages on the other side. Pulling it out, it looked like a tiny metallic dagger with no hilt. The metal was jagged and bent but still was razor-sharp.

I realized then and there that it was a stray piece of shrapnel. And miraculously, the shrapnel was only stopped by the book. I trailed my thoughts back to the Grocer on the surface from earlier - how we narrowly avoided death by escaping. I remember how the Panzer blew open a gaping hole inside the Grocer, sending flying bits everywhere. The book just happened to be in the right place at the right time to stop a stray piece of shrapnel from hitting me. Yet at the time, I didn’t notice it.

I couldn’t really fathom how lucky I was really. It seemed surreal and almost unbelievable, how a book saved my skin. I tried to push that thought deep into the back of my head for now and instead turned my eyes to my hooves. I held in my hooves something that seems trivial… yet for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel like something is… urging me to read it further. Like a voice nagging at the back of my head, telling me to keep going. And I had no better use of my time as of now, so that little voice sounded completely rational.

Opening the cover again, I was trying to remember where I last left off. Some of the first couple pages were ripped and torn asunder by the piece of shrapnel, but they were pages of Pony Anatomy. It seemed relatively unimportant to me, so I kept flipping pages. The last thing I remember distinctly was the book talking about Dragons, and that it wasn’t yet concluded with the chapter. Quickly flipping through the pages one by one, I kept speed reading trying to find any headline that stated which chapter I was on. I was on two, then onto three.

About two and a half pages after the start of Chapter Three, I found where I had left off. I immediately began to find a paragraph that seemed unfamiliar to me, and proceed to read on from there…

“... All of the races have there own History, but the Dragons are by far the most peculiar of them all.” I softly read to myself.

I sped along to the next Paragraph and… conveniently enough, It was about the Deer.

“... The final race to include would be the natives to the cold fjords and steep mountains of Olenia - the Deer. These Deer have lived in this ancient land for more than a millennia, much like how we Ponies have lived in our native land of Equestria for even longer. Olenia can trace its lineage back to 2 BLB when King Harald Fairantlers of Hjortland united several of the petty kingdoms of the deer. Olenia has since been a seagoing nation, with bustling trade ports.

“In the very early days, the deer launched regular raids against Equestria, plundering their sea villages with deer longships. The two monarchies exchanged skirmishes with one another for years. However, in 143 ALB a permanent peace was signed, though occasional unauthorized raids have occurred since and Pony-Deer relations have remained somewhat standoffish.

That bit of information was somewhat rivetting to hear about. I had always heard that the two had bad history in the past, but I never knew that they actually started it. It lasted for almost one and a half centuries. I glued my eyes back to the page.

“To the north, occasional incursions from the Changeling Lands have been a problem, though fortunately, the Changeling Lands have always fought each other far more than outsiders. In spite of these raids, the deer have generally enjoyed the same legendary peace that has blessed Equestria. And this relative Peace lasted for centuries.

“The deer began their own industrialization alongside Equestria decades after the Industrial Revolution took Equus by storm. In 952 ALB, Industrialization truly begins for the Olenians, with many factories and manufacturing companies being established at a very rapid pace across the country. In 961 ALB, a company dubbed ‘Lokia’ was founded. Decades later, they became renowned across the world for their production of durable electrical equipment.

“Due to the series of rapid industrialization in the Olenian’s Economy, trade between the Equestria and Olenia flourished. It even helped both nations thrived in the circumstances. Trade income was booming, which cause some minor gangs of pirates to form around the southern coastlines - prompting Olenia to invest in a proper military, despite its lack of population.

“Though the Deer could not effectively raise even a national guard, they could raise a merchant navy. And so it was. Somewhere between 960 and 980 ALB, the Deerfolk of Olenia experienced what was considered to be the closest thing to a Golden Age for them; Ports turned into bustling Metropolises; Trade Income was higher than ever - especially with the constant discovery of new Natural Resources; The Merchant Navy was the most prestigious naval power of the continent at the time, (With Equestria in tow for that same title.)

“For as long as the Deer could remember, they had never experienced Prosperity of this magnitude before. Everything could theoretically be considered perfect. If there was one thing within the Deer society that could possibly be classified as a ‘division’ between the people, it would be the Religion that the Deer possess. They have a loose religion of related customs and gods that focuses on calling upon appeasing local spirits and giving offerings to a small pantheon of gods. These gods are:

Ukko - King of the Gods. God of justice, war, and wisdom.Pellervo - God of the harvest and fertility.Vellamo - Goddess of the sea and weather.Tuoni - Goddess of death.Loviatar - Goddess of disease and decay, daughter of Tuoni.

“These deities are spread across the country in various levels of worship, but all of them are equally accepted across all Deerfolk.”

Religion was never a big part of my life. I mean, I say that when I live in a principality that has monarchs raising the Sun and Moon. But I was never as staunch of a believer like how some would turn out to be.

“Since the recent restoration of the Equestrian Diarchy, the Olenian heir Princess Velvet became interested in Equestrian harmonic principles, and Equestria eagerly awaited her ascension as Queen when her father, King Aldar II passed.”

Velvet… that’s who Marja was talking about. She was supposed to be the next heir to Olenia. Yet she didn’t. She was replaced by Johan, as Marja said… I read on to figure out what happened.

“To everyone's surprise, King Aldar II died under suspicious circumstances. His illegitimate son Johan quickly seized the throne with the help of religious leaders, corrupt businessdeer, and greedy nobles. ‘Queen’ Velvet, the rightful heir, later fled to Equestria sometime before the coronation.

“The crown sits uneasily on Johan's head, as he faces pressure from all sides. Queen Velvet attempts to rally support with the superpower of Equestria, the people grumble under his rule, religious leaders wield too much influence, and the corrupt businessdeer holds back the economy. A Great Change is about to commence within Olenia, one way or another. Whether from within or from without, that remains to be seen.”

Dying under ‘Suspicious Circumstances’ sounded like horse apples to me. It felt, in a way, like it was a lazy excuse for a clever assassination. My first assumption would obviously be against Johan, yet I had no way of knowing for sure. And I don’t think anyone else truly knows who did it, or will anytime soon.

I was about to read onward when I heard galloping hoofsteps coming towards us from my right. As everyone and I turned to look, we saw that same Brown Coated Deer rushing toward us from the council room, rushing alongside with Marja. Everypony in my squad simultaneously ceased whatever they were doing to stand at attention toward the Deer.

Brown Deer spoke toward Marja aloud, apparently telling her what needs to be said. She then spoke up, “Ponit, you have been authorized to speak to your comrade in the Infirmary once more for about 5 minutes if you wish. You may choose to hang outside the Infirmary if you wish to not speak with him, but no further. When you are done, you are also ordered to follow me back to the Council Room for an important discussion. Understood?” she asked with haste.

None of us were in any position to decline her, really. So we each inevitably nodded along with her order as if they were from Brass, she herself answered for all of us by saying “Yes” aloud. And soon just like that, we were following Deer again. I quickly tucked my books into my pockets, as I marched in line behind Rain to follow Marja back to Storm Cloud.

---

The Infirmary we found ourselves in was an overstatement. It looked more like a Quarantine Area than anything; basic cots with mattresses all lined up neatly against the wall, some of them occupied already. Several Deerfolk were dressed in medical uniforms as they tended to their patients. Some of them took a quick second to gaze at me, but didn’t look for long as they resumed their duties.

There were several wooden tables set beside each other. Cluttered atop all of them were bandages (some of them caked with blood), syringes, a few beakers and vials, splints, and I think some zip-ties - probably used as tourniquets.

Marja led us along the neat rows of Cots that stretched about the room, until he led us to one with a different occupant - Storm Cloud. He took notice of us walking to him.

“Oh hey.” He laid on his haunches to the edge of his cot, his leg looking better than it had before. It’s bandages were clean and white, and there was a weirdly shaped board with metal bars that can only be described as ‘restrictive’ it was wrapped uncomfortably around his entire leg. “Good to see that the Deerfolk are at least tolerating us.” he bantered.

“That makes two of us.” Brass softly murmured.

“Tolerate is one way to describe it.” Marja dismissively spoke.

“They treated you okay?” Syringe was the first to ask.

“Yeah, more or less. They can’t speak to me, and I can’t speak to them - but they at least know what they’re doing.”

“I can see that. You have a proper Splint now.”

“It hurts.” Storm griped.

“It’ll get better quicker this way.”

I didn’t bother saying a word. I heard all I wanted to know just by staying silent.

“I don’t suppose it’s too much to ask to hurry this along please?” Marja ushered, but in a tone that suggested it was in our best interest to oblige. “We have a meeting waiting for us and the Council does not like to be kept waiting.”

Brass turned her whole body around to face Marja directly. “I have a question if you don’t mind.”

I watched Marja’s features somewhat contort with annoyance but otherwise relented. “What is it?”

Brass took a brief moment to think as if she was choosing her words with careful hesitation. “What exactly does the Council want from us at this point?”

“That’s for them to say, for me to translate, and for you to find out.” Marja answered quickly.

“Can’t you just tell us now? Or do you not know?” Brass asked again with a hint of contempt.

“I do know. I’m just not obligated to tell you at this time. And in any case, I’d rather not discuss such topics in a place like this.”

“Yes, I can relate to that - Storm, however, has not heard a single word of what has happened over in that council room, and therefore I am responsible to inform what they want from us. But you know more than I do, and I want a definitive answer.”

Brass’s argument did not sway or startle Marja, but it did silence her. She took a moment to think of what to say, before finally sighing.

“They are asking for you to do a favor for them, and then we will do you a favor in return - as to accomplishing your original task. That much I am willing to say.”

Brass could clearly see that she was not going to get any further, so she accepted whatever answer she got and nodded. To be fair, it was an informative answer.

“And what of Storm Cloud?”

“What about him?”

“What will be happening with him when we do this ‘favor’ of yours?”

“Well, given that he is incapacitated and is temporarily unable to move effectively in combat, he will remain here.”

“Whoa Whoa, you’re saying I have to stay here for hours? While they’re gone?” Storm objected.

“What other use do you have?” Marja replied.

“I can still fly!”

“And what if you get shot in the wing? What then?” Syringe then piped up.

“Wha- you’re okay with this?!”

“No, I’m not. But her reasoning and logic are sound. You cannot fight at all until that leg is healed.”

“I hate it, but Syringe is right.” Brass agreed. “It’s for the best. You’ll be in good hooves while we’re gone.”

Storm Cloud clearly didn’t like what he was hearing. He shifted his position to sit more upright, causing him to wince in pain. “But what if you need me?”

“We’ll just have to avoid the Panzers like the plague for the time being. In any case, it wasn't like we’re not doing that anyway.”

“Are you done now? They’re waiting for us.” Marja pressured us in a somewhat belligerent yet apologetic tone.

“Yeah, we’re done now.” Brass relented, as each of us turned to leave once again.

“Don’t die of boredom while you’re here. Bad for your health.” Syringe joked dryly while looking back. Storm couldn’t help but chortle in kind.

“Break a leg I guess… well, not literally.”

---

We all walked back in a clumped line back through the very narrow hall that led to the council room. Upon entering the building, we were greeted by the sight of every Deer in the Council standing around the table. They all spoke within their own dialect, some of them seemingly arguing amongst each other. The Rest seemed to be in some form of indistinct conversation that I had absolutely no hope of understanding.

When Marja opened the door and the rest of us walked in, they didn’t even notice us. They seemed very focused on their back-and-forth bickering.

“Did… did we come at a bad time?” Rain quipped.

“No; they are almost always like this.” Marja sighed. “The Council must reach a 7:3 ratio of agreement or higher before acting or deciding upon anything. Usually, that takes time and arguments for that to happen.”

“That sounds a bit time-consuming.” Brass pointed out.

“When discussing decisions that could determine the fate of our people, it’s for the best.” Marja Rebutted.

Every Deer that was arguing still didn’t take heed of our presence, as their disagreements continued to increase in volume.

“What are they arguing about?” I asked Marja.

“From what I can tell… they’re trying to figure out how to best scout the Castle.”

“It’s easier for Pegasi then for Deer, I’d assume.” Pumpkin spoke for the first time in a while. He was always so quiet.

“We have other advantages. We are more Dexterious with our Hoofwork and Fine-Motor Skills.”

“You mean you… you can grab things with hooves with ease?”

“Most of the time. Like you Ponit, we also rely on Magnetic Horseshoes for handling weaponry. But we are able to navigate terrain quite better than most hooved creatures - Pegasi being the Exception, of course.”

“Well, what’s the problem then?”

“The problem is that the Council has no reliable info on the Castle itself, so they had to rely on guesswork for the time being. They’re trying to find a way to fix that.”

“Didn’t you mention some time before that you wanted one of us to do scout work?” Brass immediately asked.

“It was going to be part of my proposal, that is… until your comrade revealed her gift.” Marja gazed toward Syringe, who promptly shied away a couple of steps.

“Don’t you need her?”

“Hardly not now, anymore. Most of the documents were redacted. The ones your comrade was reading were some of the first pages. The rest were details on the unit detachment that was guarding their treasure trove - which was almost completely redacted. I doubt you’d help us any more than you already did.”

“So… why are we here then?” Brass asked.

“The council will not take long, the argument seems to be almost concluded.”

“How much longer exactly do you think this will be?” Brass asked; she sounded unconvinced.

“Any second now.”

The old Deerfolk continued their bickering for about a minute. They exchanged heated paragraphs of dialogue toward one another in a free-for-all, that I couldn’t tell who was arguing with whom. But one Deer spoke out loud and boldly, in that kind of volume that demanded your attention at the earliest notice and not in a pleasant way. The rest of the council room ceased their seemingly petty disagreements and focused their attention on him.

The old Deer in question was Vilhelm.

“Vihollinen on niin kiireinen keskittynyt muihin saalista ja muut sukulaiset, jotka vaanivat meidän kaupungissa. Ne voidaan valmistaa meille, mutta he eivät odota meitä.”

“What is he saying?” Morning whispered to Marja.

“Shush and I’ll tell you.”

“He ovat alkaneet tämän maahanhyökkäys ja tämä kauhea sota, ja meillä on keinot tuoda lähemmäksi loppua.” Vilhelm shouted once again, whilst pointing a hoof directly at me. This very much so caught me off guard, as I didn’t know exactly as to what he was saying.

Marja and I exchanged glances, as she too looked confused.

“Meidän Pony tuttavia auttavat meitä taistelussa hyönteisiä. Ne antavat meille luotettavaa tietoa tarvitaan.”

“Ohh…” Marja softly uttered.

“What? Why did he point at me?” I quickly asked.

“He needs you to be his eyes.” Marja answered just as quickly.

I froze, yet I didn’t know from what. Another big responsibility tossed on my already full plate. I felt somewhat dizzy.

“Tänään meillä on mahdollisuus sytyttää sammunut Kindle kipinä meidän kauan odotettu vallankumousta - ja pelkäät!? Miten te kutsutte itseäsi Deer, jos näytät Fear!?” Vilhelm shouted with all of his soul, silencing whatever noise there was in the Chasm. Each of the Deer looked up toward Vilhelm with a mix of bewilderment, fear, and admiration. Indeed, I too felt like I was in the presence of someone with great authority - despite him not being Royalty… as far as I can tell.

“Vihollinen voi piiloutua Silmät taivaalla. Vihollinen jättäytyä sen ulkopuolelle ja on haavoittuva. Ja Meillä on mahdollisuus työntö jyrsimessä heidät pois meidän kaupunki kerta kaikkiaan! Oletko ole minun kanssani?” Vilhelm finally concluded with a resounding shout yet again. And - yet again - the council was silent.

There was a pause that seemed to have encompassed the very air around us, almost suffocating us. It sounded heavy and dreadful, almost like History was deciding it’s fate right here right now… it’s funny though. It doesn’t really feel like that.

It just feels like everything else. Frightening and dreadful.

Bom. Bom. Bom.

That familiar table-pounding sound was heard again from the council table. And almost instantaneously after that, more Deer joined him.

Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom!

A choir of percussion echoed the expansive walls and ceilings around us the beat became louder and grew more intense with each added participant.

Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom!

Vilhelm stood up and marveled at what he saw. He couldn’t help but smile softly.

Me though? I felt like I wanted to cringe, throw up, and dig a hole in the ground to hide. My heart accelerated faster.

“Well Pony,” Marja spoke loudly, over the sound of hoof stomps.

“It looks like you get to be a hero.”

It felt anything but heroic. I felt like I was going to die...

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