"TSDI, the word has been on everyone's lips." The newscaster leaned forward. "And it may already be gone. President Smith's address to the country has had a fracturing effect on what was once a nearly world-spanning collection of countries, each struggling to distance itself further than the rest from the council that started it all."

A window popped open, showing a fox. "We can read the writing on the wall. It's not even a surprise to me that our leaders have withdrawn from this. I'm only annoyed they didn't do it faster. I would have pulled out the instant the humans landed on their shore. That was the sign of who would win that fight."

The window closed just for another to replace it, showing a hippo with oranate sunglasses. She leaned forward towards the camera that was recording her. "I'm being recorded? Oh! I'm just happy this whole thing is stopping. I never had a thing against the humans. They're not that bad as creatures go. Have you been on one of their cruise ships? Delightful! And they know how to give a hug." She winked at the camera just before it collapsed.

"Foreign sentiment appears to be rising towards America, with many praising their restraint and expressing their condolences for the attack. Relief efforts have begun in earnest for the other members of the EFC. Worst hit, the Lutrai have lost almost a third of their population in what is already being called the worst disaster of their history."

A new window appeared, showing Queen Ruddertail with her scepter held firmly in both paws. "I give my thanks to my loyal guard, may they know peace now." She was speaking with more words, it was a heavy enough time to deserve a few more. "My people were brave... I now work hard for them. We will recover, and be stronger. I not hurt outside, but inside, cut deep. No rest."

The window collapsed. "Almost as brutally struck were the yaks, who were not available for comment. Estimates place their fatalities at 20%. In more local opinions, anger runs high."

A new window popped into being, showing a scowling woman. "I hope they kill three of them for each one of us they came after."

Another replaced it, a group of men. "They'll get what's comin' to 'em!" He made a gun like gesture with a hand and put it towards his own head. "Just like that."

"Others move for peace."

Another window appeared, showing a different crowd waving signs. "War, huh, what is it good for," chanted the crowd.

"Conflicts between the two sides have been increasing, with emotions running high."

A talon clicked the television off. "Ugh..." Stream put her hand over her face. "I don't want to hear about that right now... I'm just glad to be home. I fell into one of their tunnels!"

Spring Zephyr patted the sofa. "You've mentioned that... It... I'm so glad you're back... It was awful."

Stream slipped back up onto the sofa and sank beside her husband. "And I hear everything was burning while I was gone... Are you alright? Are the children?!"

"They're fine... We flew away, then dove in the water." His cheeks were red. "After all that, we fled back into the waves."

"And that was exactly the right thing to do," countered Stream, stroking Spring along his back. "That was not the time to go being proud. Did you hear that part? The war is ending. That whole thing is falling apart." She spread her talons. "Oh! And I have a new discovery!"

"While you were locked in a tunnel?" He raised a feathered brow at her. "You are always seeking, love of my life, what did you find?"

"The worms! One rescued me, and they were clearly sapient." She drew out the ruined remains of a Tupperware container and set it on a table. "I traded this for the rescue, and it was its idea, not mine. It did not speak, not in words I knew, but it could understand that I had motivations, and could be reasoned with. It was amazing! Even if I didn't think about it until I was far away. We were two sapient creatures engaging in a clear 'you give me that, and I will do this for you' exchange."

"I'm just glad it didn't hurt you." He leaned in to kiss her cheek softly. "Just imagine, dropping in on... that. They could have killed you!"

"But they didn't." She tapped at her beak with a sharp talon. "The dogs were more interested in finishing their tunnels. I think they were on a schedule. The ones with guns didn't appear until after them, and they were past in a flash, riding as they were." She shrugged softly. "But I'm more interested in the worm. I need to get back to work and report this, and you--" She pointed at him firmly.

"Me? Me what?"

"You have to draw this." She crossed her arms. "And it better be good. This is a historic moment, and I want it captured to grab the imagination of those who see it. Exploring the true nature of the worms must become a new initiative and I will not accept no for an answer, so you better help me get a yes."

Spring obediently went to grab his tablet. His work, and his mate, compelled him to get to work. "Describe it..."

Roland was standing at the fore of a classroom, much as he had tried before. But there were several critical differences. He was not alone. There were about ten humans, five zebras, two ponies, and a yak of all things. All had paid to be there, and were ready for his lesson.

"This class has two portions. (English and its use.) And a historic overview of how we lost it and what we know of the process." He began to make marks with his chalk. He wrote a simple greeting there on the chalkboard. "I want you to remember that this is 'Hello.', and it is in English. We will give it a moment and return to it, because by the time the class is over, it won't be anymore."

People were starting to listen, and to care. Sure, it wasn't a huge number of people, but it was more than zero, more even than the pittance he had on the chat group to start. The nature of the force that robbed species of their individual languages would not be hidden away. Roland smiled as he got into the first lesson, happy to be teaching before a class that seemed eager to hear his words.

He had work to do.

Starlight twitched an ear back at a jingling coming from her rump. She pulled out her phone with a raised brow. "I thought we didn't get service here..." She saw it was Sunburst and smiled, pressing the green button. "Sunburst! What are you up to?"

"This is his friend," replied a strange male voice. "He can't talk."

"Did she pick up?!" he called, shouting from far too close for the volume he was using.

"Uh, he can talk but he can't hear and he's being really loud today." Unseen by her, he motioned for him to quiet himself. "He wanted you to know he's alright."

"Uh... he doesn't sound alright, if he can't hear."

"Sunburst can't hear?!" blurted Twilight, turning an ear towards them. "What happened?!"

"I'm trying to find out." Starlight rolled her eyes. "Alright, what happened?"

"He was a hero and used something that saved us but blew out his hearing," summarized the scientist. "He wanted you to know he's alright and that he'd be texting."

"Did you tell her I'll text?"

Starlight smiled a little. "Poor thing. Give him a hug for me." She disconnected the call and tucked the phone away. "Ugh, look like he's involved."

"Involved?" Twilight drew closer on her wings, the two soaring over the ocean. "What happened?"

"He did something brave and stupid, often synonyms, and lost his hearing." Starlight gestured forward. "And here we are, rushing to get ourselves hurt doing something else brave and stupid. We could, you know, not do that?"

"You know I can't."

"You say that..."

Celestia was surrounded, flanked by armed soldiers that could do her great damage at a moment's notice. She walked calmly with them, being led through a narrow hallway. "I had thought you preferred tall buildings, with refined architecture. I was a fan of it." They did not answer her. There were few good answers for the sudden need for a bunker to work in, instead of their traditional places.

"Sir." One of her escorts had moved up ahead and was peeking into a room. "Sir? Yes... She's... here, Sir." There was a pause before the soldier stepped back and away. "He'll see you."

The soldiers remained close to her until she arrived at the door. Only one of them stepped in with her.

The smell hit her first, like an acetone that wafted over her nose. She had smelled it before. The reclined form of the emaciated bull, done up in his finest, his badges on his chest, was a dying creature. "You've come." He reached with a shaking hand, slowly taking hold of the head of a cane. "Come to surrender?"

"I... am not here for that," confessed Celestia, looking over the shriveled and fading life before her. Her heart sank at the sight. There would be no revenge there. There would be no justice, not in that body. "I am here for our people, mine, and yours. They have suffered so terribly."

"Suffered..." He put the cane down, leaning against it as he forced himself to sit up, as much of a crutch as anything else. "They died... for a better tomorrow. One free..." He had to pause, breath not coming to him easily. "Tell me, did we win? Is the better day coming?"

Celestia wanted to hate that bull. She wanted to loathe him. She had come ready to break her internal vows, to destroy everything, to maybe die trying... "It is coming," she spoke in the barest of whisper. "You did it." But she couldn't. She couldn't be angry at the dying spectre before her. "Better days are on the way."

He smiled, wrinkled but relieved. "Finally... I... I wasn't sure if I would... make it."

"You did it," she gently repeated, reaching with her wings to brush his face and nudge him back to lay in his chair. "Now is the time for rest. It's up to the rest of us to finish what you began."

"You better..." His eyes closed, mind full of patriotic fare. He was a hero in his own mind, and he went on to greet whatever creator would have him, confident that he had done all he could.

Soldiers pushed in around Celestia, trying to revive their fallen leader, but he was gone. He had already been gone for some time, waiting just a little longer to know he had accomplished something.

Panic began to spread as news of his passing spread like wildfire through the base.

One bull set his hand down on Celestia's shoulder. "Thank you."

Celestia jerked at the contact, facing him. "That is not what I expected to hear, I will admit."

"You sent him... off with a smile. Thank you." He crisply saluted. "With his passing, the chain of command is clear. I was his immediate subordinate."

Celestia recoiled a step, examining the bull. This one was not dying. In the prime of their life, she could not expect him to stand aside casually if he didn't want to. "And you will take up his battle for him?"

"I will." He unslung his rifle and let it drop to the floor. "I will fight for a better tomorrow. It starts here, and now. Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria, speaking member of the EFC, do you accept my country's conditional surrender?"

Author's Notes:

Why is he surrendering to Celestia? You get a cookie if you can think of a politically canny reason he would do that. This bull is not stupid, and is playing the long game.

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