“I'm afraid we don't have a casualty list, Princesses.” Mayor Mare looked absolutely haggard; her normally bouncy grey mane hung limply, and her eyes were puffy, with still-drying tears underneath them. Still, she held Twilight's gaze steadily. “I've had my hooves full just attending to immediate needs like getting supplies to the wounded and anything we can use as weapons or barricades to those still standing.”

“I understand.” And Twilight did, completely. It was a feat in itself that Ponyville hadn't been razed, that the townsponies had managed to hold off the attacking force with so relatively few casualties. “Princesses Celestia and Luna are also with us, Mayor; they're checking on other areas now, and once we're sure that the town is reasonably secure, we'll begin evacuations.”

The earth pony practically deflated in front of her, letting her head lower and her eyes close. “Finally,” she murmured. “This nightmare is going to be over. How do you intend to proceed?”

Twilight laid out the specifics of the plan, asking the mayor for details on who might be best to fill various roles and writing down her recommendations. It didn't take her long at all to put together a roster, which was given to one of the mayor's aides for the purpose of gathering the needed ponies- if they were still healthy, or even could be found. With that done, Twilight began writing up a list of supplies that would be needed along the way once evacuation had begun, while Shining Armor worked with the mayor on a list of candidates to serve as a rear guard.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, which opened a moment later; a blonde-maned head poked its way in. “Oh hey, there you are!” Derpy exclaimed, cantering into the office. “Pri- uh, I mean Twilight, the schoolhouse is A-okay and all the foals are safe. Miss Cheerilee fortified it more than Fort Hocks!”

“That's a relief,” Cadence murmured. “Miss Hooves, did you see any signs of demon troops while you came here?”

“No, Princess. Though it's getting kind of late in the day... if they were hiding in the shadows, I probably wouldn't have seen 'em.”

“It is getting late,” Twilight commented, taking a look through one of the windows; the sun was approaching the far western horizon, the sunset tinged a weird purple color due to the strange energy field covering the sky. “We'll want to hurry.”

“Twilight, Princess Celestia wants to know what's going on,” Derpy said.

“Okay. Let me write up a quick summary that you can take to her.” Quill, ink and paper came to her magical summons, and she scribbled a report. “Oh, and Derpy?” she said, as she tucked the note into the mailmare's bag.

“Yeah?”

“Could....” Finally, she let her greatest fear come to the forefront of her mind. “Could you... maybe have a look around for Spike, if you get a chance? He wasn't at the library, and....” She trailed off, unable to continue.

“I understand.” Derpy's hoof gently patted her shoulder, and her voice became gentle and soothing. “I'll look for him. You know the little guy- he'd never be satisfied with just hiding, right? He's probably somewhere trying to be helpful. When I find him, I'll send him here.”

Twilight lowered her head and let out a sigh. “Thank you, Derpy. You don't know how much that means to me.”

The pegasus gave her a bright smile before turning and cantering towards the door. Once she'd left, Twilight let out a quiet sigh. “You know, she kind of reminds me of Mom when she talks like that,” she said to Shining.

The stallion chuckled. “You too, huh?”

And that was all the time they had for levity. There was still more preparation to be done, and the clock was ticking.

(-)

“Is he going to be alright, Zecora?”

Rarity watched apprehensively as Mr. Cake flinched, but remained as still as possible while Zecora tended to him. The nasty wound that crossed the side of his head had stopped bleeding, but was still raw. “The salve will stop infection, but bandaged he must be. Could you use your skills to close his wound, friend Rarity?”

“Just a moment.” She was ever so thankful that she'd been practicing her one healing spell since she'd first learned it- though she still wasn't anything close to proficient with it, she could at least be effective. “Hold still, Mr. Cake,” she said quietly, lowering her head to point her horn at him; a stream of pale-blue magic issued forth, spreading across the stallion's injury. As everypony watched, his flesh slowly regenerated, until what had been a laceration that showed bone became much less horrific-looking. Still, it needed bandaging, and she helped Zecora to carefully wrap Carrot's head. “Not too tight, Mr. Cake?” she inquired.

“No, no... I oughta be okay.” He still looked woozy to Rarity's untrained eye, not that she could blame him; he was lucky to still be alive. “Sweetheart, you should lie down for a while,” his wife insisted.

“Mrs. Cake, I would advise you also get some rest,” Zecora said. “Evacuation will require that we all be at our best.”

“Y- yes. I suppose you're right.” The earth pony mare glanced down at her left foreleg, also tightly wrapped with bandages; the bruises still showed through at the joints, left uncovered for mobility. “We'll be on the couch.” She gave her visitors a smile. “Thank all of you for coming to check on us.”

“You're welcome, Mrs. Cake.” Pinkie carefully sidled up next to her employer. “C'mon, I'll help you to the living room. Will you be okay to walk, Mr. Cake? You can lean on me too if you need to.”

“Yeah... yeah, I ought to be able....” It wasn't the most steady of lines that he traveled, but he was able to keep up with Pinkie without assistance. Once they'd left the hallway, Rarity let out a shaky sigh. “I'm not sure how much more of this I can withstand,” she murmured. “Nopony deserves any of this, but especially not the Cakes! Thank the Sisters that the twins are unharmed.”

“The demons learned a lesson; when evil is one's goal- tread with fear the ground between a pony and their foal.” The zebra's brilliant turquoise eyes glanced down the hallway. “Another's strength surprises me, I admit with some contrition. Pinkie acts with great aplomb, given the Cakes' condition.”

“She can truly astound one, sometimes. When we went through that ordeal in Fracture's domain, she was as strong and collected as any of us. She's deeper than she sometimes seems.”

Zecora nodded slowly, and opened her mouth to respond- only to be interrupted by Pinkie poking her head back into the hallway. “Um, girls?” she said quietly. “I, uh... I'd like to stick around here and keep an eye on Mr. and Mrs. Cake and the foals, if that's okay. I just....” She trailed off for a moment, looking down at the floor. “I just... kinda don't wanna leave them by themselves right now, you know?”

Rarity nodded. “I understand completely, my dear. Zecora and I will carry on, and return to collect you when need dictates.”

Zecora retrieved a thin vial from her cloak, holding it out towards Pinkie. “Give the Cakes this tincture; a single drop will do. It will help them to recover- this much, at least, they're due.”

The pink mare took the vial and tucked it away in her thick, poofy mane, then wrapped her forelegs around Zecora's neck in a hug. “Thanks, Z. You're the best zebra ever. You girls be safe out there!”

Rarity and Zecora showed themselves out and headed north, to check on the barricade as Twilight had asked. Rarity had heard from the Cakes that that was the direction the initial attack had come from, so it was the most important area of town to check... but deep in her heart, she also knew that she was in for a nightmarish sight, and did everything she could to steel herself for it.

It wasn't enough. She could smell the blood well before they reached the outskirts of Ponyville, and once they'd crested the hill leading to the northern bridge, the sight that greeted them had Rarity galloping to the nearest bush to empty her stomach. The carnage was incredible; blood coated the makeshift wall that had been erected as if someone had sloppily applied a coat of grotesque paint, and a number of demon corpses- not all of them intact- had been left laying haphazardly on the street. Some had been scorched by magic, others bore signs of crushing impact wounds, and a few even had gardening implements or other makeshift weapons still buried in them.

She was dimly aware of hoofsteps next to her. “Rarity?”

“I'm... I'm okay.” It was a lie so blatant that she wanted to vomit again. But instead she levitated a few stray leaves from the ground to wipe off her muzzle, then turned towards her friend, who watched her with an expression of concern. “I'm sorry, Zecora. I... I honestly thought I'd be better prepared for this, after all that happened a year and a half ago.”

“You need not apologize to me, my friend. 'Tis a horrific way for any life to end.” It did make Rarity feel a little better that Zecora- who had no doubt seen lives end during the years she'd spent in the Everfree- was disquieted as well by the sight. Together, the pair traveled a fair distance each way along the fence, the zebra taking close looks at certain portions while the unicorn tested others with her magic. Stars were already visible in the skies when they decided that they'd seen enough. “This part of Ponyville is as secure as we can hope, I think,” Zecora murmured, sounding just as tired as Rarity felt. “Let us return to Twilight and report... and perhaps then have a drink.”

“Mmh.” Somehow, Rarity managed a smile. “I'd daresay we've earned one.”

(-)

“That's the last of 'em, 'Shy.” Rainbow Dash shut the door of the coop, watching the last dozen or so birds take off towards the south. “How's your end?”

“All the bunnies and other small animals are heading out as well. That should be everyone.” Fluttershy glanced around. “We're lucky the demons haven't tried to come this way yet. There isn't much stopping them.”

“Yeah, well, that's why we're bugging out as soon as we can. You can't really defend a place like Ponyville; it's way too open. Honestly I'm surprised they held out as well as they did.” And she was, too- surprised and proud. She never would've guessed that the common, everyday ponies that lived here could have banded together so well with so little forewarning.

“I guess you're right....” Fluttershy's voice trailed off as she slowed to a halt, peering off to the southeast. “Dash? Do you see that?”

“What?”

“Right that way.”

Dash's eyes followed where Fluttershy was pointing. One of the strengths of a pegasus was vision; eyes as sharp as a hawk's were essential to a race that might be expected to pull high-speed maneuvers at any moment- and it was her keen sight that caught the strange blue-purple flicker about half a kilometer away, near the edge of the Everfree. “Some kind of... fire?” she guessed. “Looks like something Zecora would cook up....”

“Except that Zecora's here in Ponyville,” Shy finished. “Do you think it might be the demons?”

“Yeah, it might. Are we done here? 'Cause Twi and the other Princesses need to know about this.”

“Um... let me just find Angel Bunny first. He must be terrified, the poor thing.”

“Yeah, okay. Just be fast. I'll keep watch out here.” And she did so, while the other pegasus quickly rushed into her cottage. “Angel?” came her voice through the still-open door. “Angel Bunny, it's okay, I'm here now. You can come out. Angel?”

Things went worryingly quiet after that, and Dash was about to go inside to find out what was happening when her friend practically galloped back out. “Rainbow Dash, I can't find Angel anywhere!” she panted, panic in her eyes.

“Whoa! Whoa. Calm down.” She put a hoof on Fluttershy's withers. “The demons didn't get here, we know that. And he's smart enough to not have run off into the Everfree or something.” As low as her opinion of that rabbit was, she could admit that he wasn't that stupid. “So he's gotta be in town somewhere. He'll turn up.”

“Oh, I hope so....” Dash could see the fear in those sky-blue eyes. She'd never understand why Fluttershy cared so much about that jerk of a bunny, but she wouldn't question it... out loud, anyway. “So, we should, um... go back to Town Hall, then?”

“Yeah. C'mon.” The pair took to the evening skies, heading back towards the center of town. The sun was just setting, and Dash found herself disturbed by just how uneventful it was; instead of the brilliant glow of Princess Celestia's deliberate sunsets, there was just a deepening of the colors on the horizon, a distortion of the sun's now-dimmed disc as it sank out of view. She remembered how her first two human acquaintances had described their world- a complete absence of magic, a sun and moon that handled their own trips through the sky without magical help- and spent a moment wondering if this was what a sunset looked like on Earth.

Fluttershy's voice broke through her reverie. “Is something wrong, Rainbow Dash?”

“Huh? Nah... just thinkin'.”

“What about?”

“I'll tell ya later. We're here.” She dropped into a steady descent, landing smoothly at the doors to City Hall, with Fluttershy coming down just behind. “Twi, you in here?” she called out as she pushed open the doors- only to find that several others had arrived before her. A corner of Dash's mind realized just how weird it was seeing Twilight without her wings now. “Right here, Dash,” she replied, turning from where she'd been speaking with Rarity and Zecora. “What've you got to report?”

“Everything's quiet around Fluttershy's neck of the woods. We sent all of her animals south, along with the pets- except we can't find Angel. We did see something strange, though.”

“What was it?”

“Some kind of weird blue fire, out near the Everfree. It was too far out to really see what was causing it, but it was small, like some kind of campfire or signal fire.”

Twilight frowned. “Signal fire? I hope that's not what it actually is. Dash, can you tell me exactly where it was located?”

“Uh, yeah....” She thought for a moment. “About... six hundred or so meters east-southeast of 'Shy's cottage. I'd say the heading was around one-fifteen degrees or so.”

“Now there's the precision I'd expect from a member of the Ponyville weather team.” Twilight chuckled for a moment before turning. “Mayor, we'll need a sentry watching the southeast. If that is a signal fire of some sort, we could have demons massing for another attack.”

“The roof of the spa has a good line-of-sight in that direction. I'll send a pegasus there now.” The Mayor trotted away; Dash stepped aside to let her pass, then looked around. “Where's Pinkie?” she asked. “Wasn't she with Zecora and Rare?”

Twilight gave her a quick rundown of the situation- the schoolhouse was secured, Princess Luna's group was likely helping with triage out at the bowling alley, and Pinkie was staying with the injured Cakes and their thankfully unharmed twins. Dash nodded, grateful for the information. “Okay, gotcha. How soon until we start the evacuation? I mean, it's already gotten dark out; the demons aren't gonna just pass up another shot at the town.”

“We're finishing up preparations on that now. I know time is of the essence, but we'll stand a much better chance of repelling an attack if we're prepared than if we're fast.”

Dash found herself ready to argue that speed was always the best option- and shut herself up. Twilight was right; charging out of town with a lightly-defended group might get them out ahead of a demonic attack... but anyone unlucky enough to fall behind would be easy pickings. Rainbow Dash was not going to leave someone to die like that. “Okay, yeah, you've got a point,” she admitted. “But we really need to step things up if we can.”

“I'm not even double-checking my checklists, Dash. I'm moving this along as fast as I can. We can't afford to get this wrong.”

She let out a sigh. For Twilight, that really was a rush-job... and she was still right. “I get you. So what can I do to make things go faster?”

“You can stay here and relay messages for me. Fluttershy, Zecora, Rarity- would you go to the bowling alley and help with triage? Tell them we have volunteers coming soon to get them prepped for evacuation, and to gather up all the useful supplies they can find.”

“Of course!” With more speed than Dash thought her capable of, the yellow pegasus flew back outside, not even seeming to care about the deepening nighttime darkness; Rarity and Zecora were close behind. Dash turned back to Twilight. “Okay, Twi, give me something to do. You know how much I hate just standing around.”

“Don't worry, I've got plenty for you to do.” And she did; there were about twenty ponies on the list she gave Dash that needed to be notified and organized, and time was of the essence. The pegasus gave a quick goodbye before charging out the door and taking to the skies, all doubt and uncertainty cleared from her mind. She had a clear goal to achieve, innocent lives were depending on her, and come Tartarus or tornadoes she was going to get the job done.

(-)

He watched the falling darkness with a rising sense of fear. How was he going to find anypony now? The streets had been deserted since the attack, and he couldn't bring himself to leave his position to search for help. Briefly, he checked up on his unexpected charge; the wound had stopped bleeding, but he still wasn't waking up.

A flash of grey overhead caught his attention. Finally- a pony! And a pegasus at that! He was so overcome by his sudden stroke of luck that he almost forgot to do anything with it- and then, before the pegasus got too far away to hear, he began beating a stick against the trunk of a nearby tree as loudly as he could.

His heart sank as the grey blur flew onward- but then, just as he thought he'd lost his chance, it stopped, hovered for a moment and then circled around. His hopes renewed, he began hopping up and down, alternating between whacking the stick against the tree and waving it over his head, desperately trying to get attention. Finally, the pegasus came close enough for him to see clearly- it was that cock-eyed mailmare, and though he'd never really liked her before, right now he was absolutely thrilled to see her. “Angel Bunny?” she asked as she made a rough landing. “Wow, what are you doing all the way out here? Fluttershy must be worried!”

He gestured for her to follow him, and she complied, trotting behind him as he led him to the small overturned flower cart nearby, half-hidden in a row of bushes. He hastily pulled open the small door behind which supplies had once been kept, then stood back to allow her to look inside; he could hear her gasp in surprise.

“Ohmigosh! Spike?!” She stuck both forelegs into the cart and carefully pulled out the unconscious dragon. “Angel, help me get him on my back! We have to get him to Twilight right away!”

The mare didn't even hesitate to flatten herself belly-first against the ground to make it easier to get Spike onto her back, and Angel quickly hopped on behind before she stood. “Can't fly,” she said to herself, “or else Spike will fall. Gotta run, then. Hang on tight, Angel Bunny!”

Her hoofbeats echoed through dark and empty streets, and Angel hung on as tightly as he could.

(-)

“Will he be alright, Twilight?”

Lara watched as the still-unconscious baby dragon was loaded onto the wagon. Twilight- who was very visibly trying to hold back tears- lowered her head. “I'm not sure,” she admitted. “Fluttershy says that Angel found him already unconscious and bleeding in the market, and has no idea how he ended up there. Angel stowed Spike away in the safest place he could manage and tried to look for help, but he was too afraid to go very far. He didn't know we'd managed to drive the demons out.”

“Didn't you use healing magic on Spike, though?”

“It has its limitations under the best of conditions, and dragons are naturally resistant to magic- even beneficial spells have a difficult time taking effect. Right now we can only wait and see how well he'll recover.”

“The young dragon's wounds are serious, it's true.” Zecora trotted up to them, the saddlebags slung over her back stuffed full of medical items and concoctions. “But rest assured, I will watch over him for you.”

“Thanks, Zecora. We're lucky to have you. Be safe, okay?” Twilight gave the zebra a tight hug, then stepped back to watch her board the fifth wagon they'd appropriated for transporting wounded and those unable to fight. Seeing that all the wagons were ready to move, Lara brought her phone up and placed a call. “Everyone on-board?” came Sam's voice.

“Affirmative; you're ready to roll. The guards and volunteers will follow your orders. Keep them safe, Sam.”

“You got it. See you all at Fort Latigo.”

There was a shout from up ahead, and the wagons began rolling forward, the strong earth ponies pulling each one hardly seeming to strain at all in getting the heavy conveyances on their way. Twilight was just turning to talk to Lara when both of them heard the clopping of hooves running up to them; Lara spotted a lime-green shape galloping up the road. “Twilight!” came a hoarse voice. “Is Bon-Bon on one of those wagons? I can't find her any-”

The shape- now visible as a young-looking unicorn mare- skittered to a stop as soon as she saw Lara; her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, but it didn't look like a fear reaction so much as pure shock. “What the...?” the newcomer murmured, staring up at her. “Twi- Twilight? Is this...?”

Next to her, Twilight sighed. “Yes, Lyra. This is a human.”

“They... they are real.” Lyra raised a hoof and tapped it against Lara's leg briefly, almost seeming surprised when she met resistance. “You are real! Where did you come from? Are there more of you?”

“Lyra, I'm afraid that information's classified by order of the Princesses, at least for the time being.”

“Oh. Um....” Lyra shook her head as if to clear it. “Have... have either of you seen Bon-Bon? I've looked everywhere for her! Was she on one of those wagons?”

“I don't think she was, no.”

The green mare's expression fell. “Is... is she....”

“I don't know, Lyra. I haven't seen her since we got here, and we haven't been able to tally our... casualties. I can't tell you what might have happened to her.”

“Could you describe her?” Lara offered. “I'll keep watch for her, and if she turns up I'll let you know straightaway.”

“W- would you?” The shock that crossed Lyra's face was quickly replaced by hope. “She's an earth pony, about my height, cream-colored coat, and a two-tone mane and tail. Her cutie mark is three wrapped candies.”

The human nodded. “Okay, I've got it. Now, Miss Lyra, we need you and every other able-bodied pony helping with the town's defense until we can organise our second evacuation wave. Can I count on you?”

“Yeah. Yeah... I'll do what I can.” The mare turned and trotted away slowly for a bit, then looked back. “Thank you, Miss... um...?”

“Lara Croft.”

“Thank you, Miss Croft.” With that, the green pony left. Lara scratched her head and looked to Twilight, who was shaking her head with an unreadable expression. “She knows about humans?” Lara asked.

“It's... a long story. I'll tell you when we get back to Canterlot. Right now I want to get things ready for the second convoy.” Twilight sighed. “I wish I had the skill to just teleport everyone there! But even as an alicorn, I couldn't manage more than a third of the populace before needing to rest... and there's no telling what kind of attention I'd attract.”

“Well, we can only make do with what we have. And I would personally prefer if you kept that magic in reserve, should we find ourselves in dire straits.”

“I suppose you're right.” Twilight watched the wagons fade into the night for a moment, then turned. “Let's go, Lara. We'd better get ready for the second convoy.”

(-)

crack

Lara's weapon roared again, the muzzle flash lighting up the area for a split-second, and somewhere in the darkness behind them echoed a cry of pain. How she could even see what she was shooting at was beyond Rarity's understanding- the human had mentioned something about “infra-red scope setting”, though the fashionista had absolutely no idea what that was- but she was certainly thankful that the weapon was giving her the ability to stall the demons that had been chasing their wagon train almost since the moment they'd left Ponyville.

“Twilight?” she heard the human call out. “How much further to the bridge? I'm running somewhat low on ammunition!”

“Half a mile!” came the reply. “If we can just keep this pace it'll only be a couple of minutes!”

“Lara, dear, just how many demons are still out there?” Rarity asked.

The human didn't pause in loading another magazine into the rifle. “You don't want to know,” she murmured, before looking back. “Twilight, do you remember what I said about dire straits earlier? I believe now qualifies!”

In a flash of violet, Twilight materialized on the edge of the wagon just behind Lara. The unicorn's eyes went pale white for a moment, glowing slightly. “Oh my gosh,” she murmured. “I didn't know there were that many! Where did they all come from?!”

“I don't know, but I think we vacated Ponyville just in time.” The rifle fired again. “I'm not sure we'll make the bridge before we're overwhelmed, at this rate.”

In the dim light of the lantern hanging at the front of the wagon, Rarity saw Twilight's expression harden. “...I'm not going to allow that,” the Princess growled, making her way to the very back of their transport. “Everyone, get down!” she shouted, before lowering her head; a brilliant ball of light began to form at the tip of her horn, forcing Rarity to look away.

What she saw behind the wagon made her heart skip a beat. A veritable wall of demons was charging along the thin dirt trail behind them, less than a quarter-furlong behind; she could see fangs and claws gleaming in the illumination from Twilight's magic, could hear the snarls and growls above the thunderous hoofbeats of the ponies pulling the wagon.

And then there was a sound like a thunderbolt going off right by her ear, and the spell Twilight had been charging flew into that crowd of demons.

BOOM

Dirt, pieces of tree trunk and body parts flew into the air like a fountain, torn apart by the magical blast; the explosion lit up the area as bright as day for a moment, allowing everyone to see the demonic force practically disintegrate. Somehow, above the din, Rarity heard a harsh thunk come from the side of the wagon, and a set of claws reached over the edge, followed by an exceptionally angry and fearsome face.

Rarity had no sooner realized that the blast had propelled one of the demons into the cart, and it was trying to capitalize on its luck, than she found herself spinning around and lashing out with both hind legs. She felt bone snap beneath her hooves as they made contact, and with a roar of pain, the demon tumbled to the ground and faded into the darkness.

“I think that's done it! Wait, just a moment.” The rifle barked one more time, and there was a scream further back along the trail. “Now we're good. They won't be able to rally before we reach the bridge.”

Rarity saw Twilight slump against the side of the wagon, and went over to her. “Are you okay?” the fashionista asked, placing a comforting hoof on her friend's neck.

“...yeah.” After a moment, Twilight nodded. “Actually... yeah, I am okay.” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If that's the only way to stop these demons, then we'll do what we have to in order to survive, won't we?”

“Yes. Yes, we will.” Rarity spared one more glance out into the darkness; the carnage of this skirmish had already faded from sight, but she had the feeling it would remain in her memories as long as she lived.

She jerked upright in surprise as the rumble of dirt underneath the wagon's wheels turned into the sharp clacks of cobblestone. “We've hit the bridge!” came the call from one of the ponies pulling the cart.

“Thank goodness,” Lara sighed, lowering her rifle for the first time in what seemed like hours to Rarity. “This is the only way across the gorge, Twilight?”

“For at least ten miles in either direction.” The violet unicorn leaned against the edge of the wagon, watching as their cart- the last in the convoy- rolled along the white stones. “It's really a pity,” she said quietly. “This bridge has been here for four hundred years. How many ponies crossed it over all that time? How many dreams were being pursued, how many future loves waited for them on the other side?”

“Twilight, dear, you sound almost like me now,” Rarity chuckled.

“Heh. I know. It's just... it's sad to have to give up a piece of our history just to survive.”

“I understand. But what was built can be rebuilt. This bridge, Ponyville, Canterlot... what we ponies made, we can remake. What matters is that there are still ponies left to do so.”

Twilight nodded slowly, glancing around at the view before them- lit mostly by the strange magic still wavering high above- as the wagon crested the center of the bridge. “For our future,” she murmured, lowering her head and concentrating.

The spell that came forth from her horn glowed brightly, a pulsating sphere that came to a rest on the cobblestones, sitting innocuously as the wagon left it behind. Rarity knew better than to believe its seeming innocence, though, as apparently did Lara. “How long?” the human asked.

“Three minutes. Plenty of time for us to get clear.”

And just as Twilight had said, the convoy was well down the trail south when the spell she'd placed detonated. The shockwave absolutely demolished a good portion of the bridge, sending shards of rock flying everywhere and the entire center half of the structure plummeting into the chasm. What remained of the once-stately span was left with cracks and fractures along most of its body. “Nobody will be crossing that again anytime soon,” Rarity commented.

“And yet I wonder how many innocent ponies we've trapped with the demons,” Twilight murmured in reply.

“A necessary risk, I'm afraid.” Lara gently patted Twilight's back. “Denying the demons this route will save no small number of lives here. Unfortunately, much of war involves tradeoffs.”

Rarity frowned slightly. “You make it sound so... impersonal.”

“But she's right,” Twilight said. “When the whole planet is at stake... what else can we do?”

Rarity had no answer for that, and could only sit in contemplative silence as the caravan trundled along. It was nearly dawn when they finally reached the outskirts of Fort Latigo, and one of the multitude of pegasi scouting overhead spotted them. “More refugees from Ponyville!” she heard the call go out. “Get ready to open the gates!”

The fort was massive, thick stone walls standing up from the ground like a cliff face, and for the first time since all this had begun Rarity felt a sense of safety. “Twilight, this is quite a structure,” Lara said quietly. “How long ago was it built?”

“Long before the rise of the Princesses. It was an earth pony military base during one of the less peaceful times in our history.”

The caravan rolled into the fort's courtyard without problems, and the half-exhausted ponies it carried finally had a chance to get out of their wagons and stretch their legs. Food and drink were immediately brought by some of the fort's current residents; Rarity politely refused, wanting to leave more for the poor refugees who were likely going to be calling this place “home” for some time yet. She had just turned back towards the wagons when a white blur practically tackled her. “Sis!”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity wrapped her forelegs around her little sister in a tight hug. “I'm so glad to see you're alright. How are the others?”

“We're all okay, sis. It was a crazy ride getting here, though. We got attacked by demons along the way! But Captain Armor and that big human guy, Sam... well, they didn't let any of the demons get us.”

Rarity nodded. “Well, thank goodness for them. Where are they now?”

“I think they're up on the walls somewhere with the fort guards. It's like those two don't need to sleep or something!” Sweetie cocked her head in thought. “Rarity, are you gonna stay here?”

“I can't, dear, at least not in the short term. The Princesses, the girls and I, and the rest of our group will need to return to Canterlot for a while. There's much we need to do.”

“Oh.” The filly frowned, but seemed to take the news in stride. “This whole thing is crazy, isn't it, sis? I guess... I guess we all have to adjust now. Nothing's the same anymore.”

Rarity's heart swelled with pride at her younger sister's understanding and maturity in the face of all that had happened. “You are truly growing into a lady,” she murmured. “Yes, dear, all of this is crazy, just as you say. But I'm so very proud of you for holding out so well.”

“I'm proud of you too, sis.” Their embrace lasted for just a moment longer before the younger Belle pulled away. “I'll let you go ahead, Rarity. I know you've got a lot to do and a lot of ponies depending on you.”

A sad smile crossed Rarity's muzzle. “I'll be back as soon as I can, Sweetie. I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Rarity made sure to close her eye before the last motion of the promise.

“Okay, sis. I know you'd never break a Pinkie Promise.” Sweetie yawned. “I think... I'm gonna catch up with the girls and then try to get some sleep. It's been a really long night.”

“Indeed. Sleep well, dear. I'll probably be gone when you wake up, so... be safe.” She placed a gentle kiss on her sister's forehead, then shooed her off to get some rest. Yet she couldn't help but watch the filly canter off, even as she heard Lara's boots on the hard-packed ground behind her. “I didn't wish to interrupt,” the human said quietly.

“I know. And thank you, darling.” She gave Lara a warm smile. “We should gather up everyone else. I'm certain the Princesses are eager to get back to Canterlot as soon as possible.”

Lara nodded in agreement, and they set off together to round up the rest of their motley crew and have Twilight teleport them back to Canterlot.

(-)

“Y'know, I was really lookin' forward to some shut-eye.”

It wasn't usually Applejack's way to complain; she knew life had its hardships, which were best faced with stoicism and strength. But after the insane day she'd had, even her considerable endurance was running low.

“I understand how you feel, Applejack,” came Celestia's voice from up ahead. Immediately the earth pony felt a pang of guilt; maybe she'd had it rough, but the Princesses of the Sun and Moon had been dragged down to mortality- and Celestia's voice certainly showed the strain of it. “But this is an opportunity we cannot pass up. We need your skills if we are to ensure that this interrogation is successful.”

Interrogation. She didn't like the word, but that's just what was waiting for them- and she had to admit to a certain eagerness for finally getting some answers. “I unnerstand, Princess,” she said quietly.

If questioned beforehoof, Applejack wouldn't really have been able to voice what she would imagine the royal dungeons to be like- but nothing quite so airy and well-lit as what came into view at the bottom of the staircase. It seemed less like a place of punishment and more like a waiting room for less-civilized creatures; even the bars were polished to a light sheen.

And it was in the last cell from the entrance that Applejack saw the prisoner. It- well, she, it seemed- was bound to a chair; a soft humming came from her mouth, carefree and playful, as though she were merely a guest waiting to be seen rather than a prisoner. Applejack strained for a better look between the bars, and what she saw almost made her stop stock-still in shock- a female demon, with the hooves and lower legs of one of the larger male ones, but an upper body resembling Lara's, and dark pink skin showing underneath black leather clothing. Twin tapered horns jutted from her forehead, and behind her hung a pair of small batlike wings, tied tightly together with rope.

“Oh, do I have company? Delightful.” The demon's voice dripped false sincerity right from the beginning, and Applejack found herself scowling reflexively. “Come closer, little equines. I wish to see more of your ever-so-expressive faces.”

“Where was she found?” Celestia questioned the guard who'd led them into the dungeon.

“In one of the servants' passages, Your Highness.” came the reply. “We believe she was preparing an ambush for some unlucky pony and was caught by surprise.”

The creature's glowing green eyes focused on Celestia. “Ooooh, a princess,” she murmured, drawing out the word in a way that made Applejack entirely uncomfortable. “I've never seduced a princess before. Lower royalty, sure, even a duke or two. But this is quite the step up for me.”

“Silence your prattle, creature!” Luna practically growled, stalking out from behind her sister. “You will be asked questions, and you will answer them. Or else.”

Despite the ferocity of Luna's gaze, the demon giggled. “Oooh, you're a spirited one. I can just imagine the wonderful threesome-”

thwack

The magical blow from Luna rocked the demon backwards in her chair, leaving a thick welt across her face- but to Applejack's shock, it only made the creature giggle again. “Mmm, feisty. Well, then, let's get this questioning over with, so that we can move on to the real fun.”

Everything about this demon was just flat-out wrong to Applejack, but she stood attentive, ready to do as her Princesses needed. Unfortunately for the cowpony, the demon was an absolute master at twisting her words, speaking half-truths and giving almost everything she said ambiguous meaning, making it almost impossible for Applejack to catch her in a lie or even be sure the question being asked had been answered. “Princesses, this is gettin' us nowhere!” she whispered during a lull in the interrogation. “She's slipperier than a greased frog in a rainstorm. I can't even tell ya if she knows anythin' 'bout what's bein' asked, let alone if'n she's lyin' about it.”

“Oh, you poor ponies look so troubled.” The demon almost, almost sounded truly sad, but Applejack knew otherwise. “I know your kind can't handle chaos and destruction-” for the first time, she spared the two humans outside her cell a glance- “much unlike the humans you have here. You gentle equines are far, far removed from their barbarism.” Her expression became warmer, almost friendly, and her green eyes flickered. “Won't you let me help you end all this pain and death?” she pleaded. “It truly hurts to see you pretty, delicious little ponies suffer so.”

Next to her, Rarity was speaking, but Applejack found it hard to listen to her; it felt like a blanket had been thrown over her ears, muffling everything but that honeyed voice that came from the demon's mouth. Nor could she stop staring into those glowing green eyes, which glistened like enchanted emeralds.

“It saddens me to see so many potential playmates lost in this pointless war,” the creature continued. “If you would just untie me, I could easily deliver your surrender to the Burning Legion. You would be rewarded for your wisdom! We would grant you your deepest desires, your every whim....”

Something deep inside Applejack was absolutely screaming in panic, telling her that this was wrong, it was bad, urging her to look away. But something else stronger than that was beginning to prod her to step forward, to unlock that cell and set this poor misunderstood creature free.

“Think of the power you would have! The ability to smash your enemies underhoof, to never have to worry about dragons or griffons or all those other nasty monsters invading your lands and destroying your homes. You ponies would be feared and respected; nothing would ever threaten your loved ones again. All you have to do is let me out.”

Applejack watched with bizarrely muted horror as, almost against her own will, she took one step towards the door of the cell.

BANG

The back of the demon's head exploded like a rotten apple; the chair she was still tied to teetered on its rear legs, then fell back, landing on the floor of the cell. Her glowing eyes flickered and guttered out like spent candles, and her body spasmed for a moment before going still. And just like that, the haze that had come over Applejack's mind lifted, and she turned to find Sam pointing his weapon into the cell, its barrel still smoking. The tinkling of a single brass casing clattering on the floor was the only sound to chase after the gunshot for a long moment before Luna spoke in an unsteady voice. “...a charm spell,” she murmured.

“One powerful enough to cloud even our minds, apparently,” Celestia responded, before looking back at the man. “How did you know?”

“Because even I was starting to listen to her.” Sam holstered his weapon. “No offense to your guards, but you didn't catch her- she let herself be captured, because the demons knew you'd be desperate for answers at this point and you'd have at least someone of importance doing the questioning. The fact that pretty much half of this nation's royalty walked in to handle the job was pure gravy, probably.”

Luna seemed to deflate before him. “We were... incautious. Almost disastrously so.”

“I'm not gonna blame ya. Hell, I shoulda warned you off, but I didn't think these demons could be so subtle. And even NETRICSA didn't pick up on the charm spell. These guys could teach Mental some tricks on being underhanded.” Sam leaned against the bars of the cell, looking at the mess he'd made of the demon's head; Applejack very carefully refrained from following his gaze. “If that's how good they are at 'persuading' others to switch sides, then I'm surprised they haven't turned half the country against us.”

Applejack let out a deep sigh. “I'm sorry I wasn't more of a help, Princesses. I was really hopin' we might get some answers.”

“This failure was through no fault of yours, Applejack,” came Luna's firm reply. “We have consistently underestimated the cunning and brutality of these demons. If we hope to survive, that must end.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “At the very least, however, we have gained two points of knowledge. One: The demons have encountered humans before.” She glanced back at Sam and Lara. “Two: We now have a name to call our enemy.”

“The Burning Legion.” Rarity seemed to roll the name around in her mouth, like a sip of bad wine. “Even their name sounds foreboding.”

Celestia gave a short nod. “In any case, I shall have this... situation cleaned-” she gave a glance at the corpse in the cell, which Applejack still refused to look at- “and we should all get some rest. It has been a long day.”

“What's our plan after that, Princess?” Lara asked.

“A day of preparation.” The alicorn trotted towards the staircase, with the others following. “Two days from now, I expect that we will all be on the road.”