An Ounce of Prevention [Private]

[DerpRavener]

Just inside the border to the Everfree Forest, Princess Celestia stood waiting.  Her face was wrought with uncertainty, something she rarely felt, and was even less frequently allowed to be visible.  It would be impossible to tell whether the expression of emotion was due to the grave yet subtle threat she would face this outing, or whether it was merely due to the rare opportunity this would present.

 

The sound of another pony approaching brought Celestia out of her thoughts.  After looking and confirming that it was indeed the mare she expected, she brightened somewhat.  “Hello Applejack,” she greeted the farmpony, “I appreciate your assistance on this matter.”  Even if the mare was doing this more out of a sense of duty than purely a desire to help, Celestia in turn had a duty to recognize the sacrifice made.  “I can only imagine you do not enjoy the secrecy,” she continued, “but I believe the less ponies involved the better, in this case.”  That would, she hoped, be a satisfying explanation for the circumstances.

 

That wasn't really an explanation for why the two of them were here in the first place though, so as she began to walk she continued.  “We're heading for the old castle of Luna and I.  There were a great many books written when it was in its prime, which could do wonderful good or terrible harm, depending on whose hooves they ended up in.  Most of those tomes made it safely to Royal Canterlot Archives when the castle was abandoned, but a few were left behind.”  She frowned.  “And I must confess, I had been content to let what remained sit, while they were unknown and the castle for the most part inaccessible.  That may have proven to be a mistake.  I have recently come to learn that a few...less reputable parties are heading toward the castle in search of some of these books.”  Celestia looked at her companion, before adding.  “I believe we can secure them before these other ponies do.”

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack wasn't worried per se, but she was a little more electric on her hooves than usual. It was partially the mystery. Applejack made sure to wear the armor she had been given as the Agent of the Sun along with her lasso and hat, which perched on top of her head. Looked a bit askew since the rest of her looked ready for battle but she was ready to go anywhere with that hat. It provided a bit of comfort considering how much was different today. Here she was trundling through the Everfree without telling a soul to meet with the Princess, ever alert, but not really sure why she had been summoned. But she knew it had to be important. The Princess didn't summon her for any ol' task after all, not when she had the entire REA at her disposal as well as other, more secretive elements. It must have been important but it wasn't even the only thing she was really all that worried about.

 

She was pregnant, and while she knew for a fact it wasn't yet impacting her work on the farm, she wasn't sure if it would here. The armor had certain enchantments imbued into it which amplified her already impressive strength, stamina, and speed, so she wasn't that worried, and the armor would certainly protect her enough unless something truly awful happened. But it was impossible to get the possibility out of her mind. First and foremost if it was effect her. Secondly, if she had to face something if it could do something besides physical damage which could have an impact. And finally, and most importantly, how the Princess would respond to it. Was she allowed as an Agent of the Sun to have a foal without telling Celestia? Was a member of her Guard? It was a moot point now, and once they were together and the Princess got a good, extended look, it would be plenty obvious.

 

She shook her head right before the two met to clear her thoughts. It didn't matter. She was here to help the Princess and by extension Equestria any way she could. She bowed when she met Celestia, both by her office and due to the immense respect the Apples always had for the royalty of Equestria. "Yer Majesty," she said simply before straightening up and following, making sure to keep aware of their surroundings. Ever since the Tree of Harmony had first appeared, the Everfree forest had taken a manner of vengeance against magic users by producing several gasses and poisons that could a pony's magic. This was true of Celestia as much as it had been true for Twilight, and Applejack didn't want the environment turned against them so quickly and suddenly. Not that she really expected any new trouble, as the Everfree had been pretty quiet lately.

 

This allowed her to listen in. Okay, Castle of the Two Sisters. Sorta close to Ponyville for nefarious folk to be hanging about. If they had been there long enough to trip Celestia's warning system(whatever that may be), they would need to have been supplied. Organized. That and/or they would have needed to head into town for supplies. They were looking for tomes? Must have been from some of the more secret areas. The Castle had been picked apart by ponies for generations untold. Anything that remained of special note had to either be something so obscure that the hoof full of adventurers who had made it there every generation didn't care or so well hidden that it took special knowledge.

 

And with recent history, there had been an absolute resurgence in the desire for old, lost magic and knowledge. Adventurers would probably not have gotten Celestia's knickers in a twist, so it had to be an organization or a particular brand of evildoer. The fact she wanted it to remain a secret also told Applejack it wasn't Chrysalis, Tirek, or some other nationally known foe, while the absence of Twilight meant it wasn't a magically-based enemy. And if she had any real warning, it must mean that it had to be one of the smaller organizations who secretly posed serious threats to Equestria. The secret nature also told Applejack that there wasn't absolute faith placed in her Guards- so was she worried about spies?

 

That would make the enemy very well connected, well funded, organized, and posing enough of a unique threat to require a unique response. There weren't many organizations that could summon up the sort of response Celestia was wanting. Applejack took her role as Agent of the Sun seriously enough to access the EPIC intelligence files and consume what they said. She could only think of one organization that could demand this exact method. "So, tell me- does this sound like WRAITH to you? It smells like it to me, and Ah'm sure we'll see it soon enough," Applejack said as they continued walking. "They're looking for some sorta old magic? Probably hidden away, not in plain sight?" Applejack asked, wondering whether or not WRAITH had ever fought and angry, pregnant mare and her Princess. If not- they'd be in for a rude awakening.

[DerpRavener]

For all of her reach and power, Celestia was not omniscient.  She in fact had no idea that Applejack was pregnant when she called upon the farmpony, not having an intimate knowledge of the inner affairs of the Apple family, and being concerned with other issues such that she wouldn't have noticed any minor, physical changes.  It would be hard to say how her attitude would have changed if she knew, but that likely wouldn't come to pass unless in came up over the course of this outing.

 

Applejack asked about the possibility that WRAITH was behind this, which caused Celestia to pause mid stride.  She continued walking shortly, but needed a moment to consider the likelihood of that group being the culprit.  “None of my information points to WRAITH being behind this,” she offered eventually, “But that doesn't necessarily rule them out.  They are a notoriously difficult group to observe, and it is entirely possible that they are responsible for the research through an intermediary or front organization.”  She spoke with a light frown.  Though arguably unavoidable at times, uncertainty was not something she was entirely comfortable with, especially in these circumstances.

 

They didn't have time waist speculating however, so she moved on.  If Applejack was to help solve this crisis, the farmpony would need to know the object of everypony's attentions.  “What we, and our adversaries, are seeking today are not magical in themselves.  Rather, they are books which discuss magic, particularly more dangerous aspects which I've tried to keep tightly controlled.  Our old library included among it books and journals written by skilled mages and alchemists, as well as the assistants, colleagues, friends and family of those witness to great or terrible events.  Suffice to say, there is much knowledge hidden here that could do great harm if allowed into the wrong hooves.”

 

The Castle of the Two Sisters loomed on the horizon.  Barely visible, a figure lazily watched the two of them from one of the parapets, though too far away to hear anything they might be saying.

 

Celestia continued, seeming not to notice.  “I'm afraid I don't know the full extent of what they are searching for.  The records are imprecise, for those things that could not be removed in the past, one couldn't say what has been permanently lost, and what is currently vulnerable.”

 

That was the situation, as far as Celestia knew.  “Our adversaries could arrive at any time.  I will be in the library, which I believe is the best place to begin our survey, and should make a good base of operations as well.  I leave how best to approach the incoming adversaries to you, although my first thought would be reconnaissance.  I will be searching and sending away books, please let me know if you find anything urgent.”  With that, she strode toward the decrepit castle, a purpose firmly in mind.

 

---

 

[Celestia will be operating out of the library.  This area will function as a safe zone of sorts while she is present in there.  It is easy enough to talk with her, but she will remain on task until sufficiently important or dangerous developments are brought to her attention.]

[SteelEagle]

 

Celestia replied, and Applejack had to admit the answer made a lot of sense from such a perspective. There wasn't any direct evidence and it would be hard to lay it on them at this juncture. Luckily Applejack wasn't a ruler and could be afforded the leeway to be ruled a bit by her instinct and wait for empirical evidence. "Well, Ah guess that's right. Still, Ah'd place some bits on'm. Call it a hunch, but by tha end of tha day we'll be fetlocks deep in'm," she said confidently as they made their way in. She knew this had to be an organization, and it had be somepony who knew what this place meant and what could be stored there. To most creatures around the nation it was just an old castle. It took a bit of knowledge to know just how special and potentially lucrative this decrepit castle was.

 

Now she was made aware of what they were looking for. Books, made sense. Knowledge was power and if there was one thing she had learned it was that the most powerful weapon that could be wielded by the ambitious was the knowledge of forbidden magics. Made Applejack wonder why Celestia and the like didn't just hire unicorns as Agents. Then she remembered her proteges and promptly shut that question down with prejudice. "Alright, mighty powerful bits of knowledge tucked away where the sun don't shine," she said, leaving unasked an important question: Why weren't this tomes removed to more secure grounds? She was sure there were reasons. But today all those reasons would fade ad the vulnerability inherent in neglect would show in full.

 

The Princess wasn't sure what was there, but she would make her home in the library and leave the methods of dealing with the incoming intruders to Applejack. The farm mare nodded. "Alright. Ah'll make sure yer safe, Yer Majesty," Applejack stretched, her pregnancy bare for a second. "Do some recon, get this place ready. Ah've been feelin' a bit aggressive lately too. Was gonna take it out on some dead trees, figure some ne'er do wells make a better target," she said with a chuckle, feeling her armor- yeah, it was gonna be a tough night for whoever was coming to intrude on the Princess' session. She bowed out of the way and out of the library. Time for her to have privacy.

 

She took a deep breath and then took the handles to the door and twisted the,, then moved part of a broken pillar to block it. She had other ways in and anypony who tried getting in would have a hard time. Then she went about doing a quick recon, aided by the speed and heightened awareness of the armor. She moved from entry to entry, making sure to quickly make small traps. Nothing to really stop them, but small enough and loud enough to let her know the entryway was breached. She did a second and third pass, then started to map out the interior. She knew it well enough so she focused on entryways and movement patterns, as well as breaching the barriers between the secret areas of the castle and the more obvious parts. The journal was a great aid in her knowledge, and she planned on using her secret knowledge to her advantage.

 

When she was done with her recon of the castle and preparing it for engagement, she chose a position in what she deemed was the best acoustically, that also had good sightlines of a few entrances. She took a breath and allowed herself to focus her senses outward, to allow every hooftep, wingflap, unnatural noise to be heard and felt. Like a vigilant eagle she waited- and prepared to pounce.

[DerpRavener]

“Awfully busy for a abandoned castle, don't you think?”  While Applejack had been galloping around making preparations, it had been easy enough for the grey pegasus to keep hidden a respectable distance away.  Now that she had stopped though, and was properly paying attention, it was only a matter of time before he was spotted.  Granted, he might have had some success if he tried his hardest to stay hidden, but that would require him to make himself completely still and intert and such an approach seemed neither particularly useful or interesting.  And so, seemingly perched lazily on a rafter in the room Applejack had chosen to situate herself, the pegasus had announced his presence.  “Left alone for centuries, only for several ponies to show up all on the same day.  And was that Princess Celestia I saw you coming it with?”

 

Off in the distance, the distant trudging of several armoured hooves could be heard progressing through the forest.  Several shapes emerged from the woods, resolving themselves into a loose column of ponies.  They carried wildly varying sets of peculiar looking blue armour.  No two really looked alike, but they did seem to have a couple general categories.  There were those with bulky armour, inscribed with runes or given other attachments.  They carried heavy melee weapons, such as pole-arms or hammers, a few of which had improvements of their own.  The second sort wore reduced armour by comparison, but each wielded a bizarre, arcane weapon.  They spread out into rough rows, with the the more heavily armoured advancing ahead of their ranged-combatant allies.

 

The view was limited through the windows, but the sound of armoured ponies on the move and the hum of the strange weapons they carried were obvious.  The pegasus grinned.  “Looks like we won't have long to chat.  I'm sure we both have our reasons for being here, and I can't imagine they,” he nodded in the direction of the advancing ponies in the distance, “will make our tasks any easier.”  He stood, flapped his wings once and began an ascent to the higher levels of the structure.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack nearly jumped up in alarm when the pegasus spoke, taking a defensive position immediately. She had intentionally stood there and tried to really focus on her hearing- how did this pegasus sneak up on her so with Applejack's enhanced senses? That spoke to one of a few troubling possibilities. Most importantly however was that the pegasus didn't seem all that concerned about Applejack, or even the presence of Celestia. He seemed rather lazy about the whole ordeal. That laziness only irked Applejack more, as it didn't seem to fit the sort of threat she had been expecting. "Wait!" She yelled after him as he tried to fly away. Well, he could fly, but she could jump. As he started to fly away, she jumped up, from wall to wall, leaping like an extra large and springy cat. "Who are you? Whatcha here for-" she yelled, all the while knowing he was right. "Stay away from tha Princess- at east until Ah know what yer here for!" She bellowed up at him, so high up now that she leaped through an open window.

 

She was now on top of one of the entrances, still on the castle but open to the elements and able to see the oncoming force. Armed and armored with arcane force, it looked like. They were organized and didn't fit the profile of any WRAITH force she was aware of. Mercenaries? Neighponese? Arcane gear wasn't highly common armament for just about anypony. Even the Guard had such few stocks as to render their use special situation only. A small force with them? Well...yeah, somepony might want what was inside, but the only way that somepony would come with such force was that if they knew to expect resistance. Like a Princess, for example. Quickly all Applejack could think of was that somepony had tipped somepony else off, or was otherwise keeping Celestia under surveillance and looking for a method of attacking her. Well- suffice it is to say, they were gonna have a lot more to contend with.

 

Applejack backed up just a bit and then got a running start before leaping off of the castle. She did a tuck and roll in the air and started to spin. She picked up speed like an orange and gold blur until, right before impact, she spread out and landed perfectly. When she hit, she hit hard, her font hooves especially slamming down with intentional dramatic effect. The spin, her enhanced abilities, and the drop all came together to create a near-earthquake effect. The ground rippled and ruptured underneath and in several lines leading from her caused the ground to shatter underhoof, breaking up their lines. She stood up proudly as they tried to regain their footing. She couldn't think of a more intimidating entrance. "Halt! Bah order of Princess Celestia, this area is off-limits! Leave now, or Ah'll make y'all leave!"

[DerpRavener]

The two ponies ahead of Applejack, who had been heading toward the spot she was now blocking, paused.  A mare who could crack the ground with the very force of her hooves landed right in front of them, declaring their destination off-limits.  Needless to say, this had not been a part of the plan.  The heavily armoured one shifted slightly, into a ready stance while the lighter-armoured pony flicked a switch on the contraption on his back that caused plating on his forehooves to crackle.  Neither made a move however, preferring to wait and watch rather than charge in.

 

That was, until a pony from the back shouted.  “You idiots!  This is exactly why you're here!  Yes, this isn't quite what we expected, but we have the numbers!  The machines!  Now use your heads, and get to it!”  The speaker was a red earth pony, emerging from the brush behind the two.  He was conspicuously less armoured than the others, carrying only a few small gadgets for his own defense, although he was flanked by four more of the mercenaries.

 

The pair advanced.  Though the red pony and his escort held position, more armed and armoured ponies began to filter out of the woods.  A few of Applejack's snares, those set up at the outermost parts of the castle, sounded out at once.  A few at the back held position to set up their own weapons, and begun slinging arcane bolts of several varieties in the farmpony's direction, though not so much in hope of hitting her as seeing how she would react while providing some suppression to cover the forward ponies' advance.  The battle had begun.

[SteelEagle]

Applejack wasn't a mare given to violence, not by any stretch of the imagination. Didn't really come natural to an Equestrian! Especially with a foal germinating inside of her. But she wasn't really shocked that these ne'er-do-wells weren't much interested in doing things the gentle and kind way. You didn't show up armed and armored if you didn't want to throw down, even just the tiniest bit, should the opportunity present itself. A voice from the trees- the leader- encouraging them on. What were they, mercenaries? Well, she wasn't an expert on such matters but if your loyalty was tied into bit and gold, you sure as heck didn't have a strong root with which to center yourself. If they didn't want to do this the nice way she'd do it the hard way; she doubted they'd hold up under the pressure. Not worth it.

Her snares went off. Well, it started. With lightning speed she jumped up with a lean towards the structure., her leap causing the ground to crack. Arcane bolts of energy hammered into the ground around her and, slowly, made their way up. Her eyes darted, trying to find the location of the weapons firing them. By the time the bolts were moving up however she had landed on the structure. She looked at the fractured structure and found a clutch of rocks, hoof size at most. She threw them into the air and jumped back up, quickly giving each one a kick in a different direction. The rocks were sent flying at speeds almost entirely above eyesight, a cracking, booming sound shattering the sky. They landed near the weapons, causing small explosions that broke the forest around them with the force of impact. Applejack landed but gave herself not a moment to admire her work.

She moved quickly across the roof, finding a hole near the entrance hall. A squad had moved in. They moved in a professional manner, with two unicorns on flanks, one on point, two pegasi scanning above and four earth ponies forming a shield wall. She jumped down on top of one pegaus as the group moved over the hole, wrapping her rope around its midsection. She kicked out two legs before impact, sending the two earth ponies in the middle in opposite directions, taking out the other two earth ponies. As she came down on them she tossed the pegasus in her rope into the unicorn on point. The unicorns on the flanks of the former shield wall turned to fire bolts of arcane energy. Applejack jumped out of the way and the bolts collided in mid-air, causing a burst of purple and red magical energy to brighten the room.

Applejack kicked the bottom of a shield so it flipped up, landing on her back. She turned around just in time for the second pegasus' diving kick to be blocked by the shield, causing him to stay in place a second. Unluckily for him, Applejack ducked- the unicorn who was now in front of her had fired another bolt. He was struck and fried in mid-air, eyes rolling in his head. Without missing a beat she grabbed his tail in her mouth and loosened the shield on her back and did a complete three-sixty in space. In that movement she launched the shield at one unicorn and the pegasus at another, sending both of them into pillars nearby. Silence. But she didn't have time for that and ran off into the structure, jumping to save time.

She used her knowledge of the building and abilities to find the next group, this one slightly deeper in on the other side of the building. She jumped down and found a group of twelve, all in a shield wall. They started to form it well when she arrived, but they still moved foward- an opening. Applejack ran towards them, rope at the ready. With a sudden motion she shot it at the front hooves of one of the front-line members of the group. She pulled as she jumped at them, sending him to the ground. The shield wall was still fomed and she turned her back to the group as she flew above them. Their spears impacted against her armor to no avail as she landed on some of the final members, forcing herself off and throwing them off-balance.

She landed on the other side, rope still in her mouth- and connected to the sap up front. They all turned to face her. With a mighty tug she pulled him across the formation, taking them all out from their new back to the front in a few seconds. Most fell down, a few were thrown to the ground. It didn't matter- the formation was broken and Applejack went to work.

And she would go to work a few more times on several other groups. Some were harder to beat than others but for now the difference was minimal. She used all the magic that being an Agent of the Sun gave her and her own stubbornness to not allow anything to happen to the Princess to make her dream a reality. She bucked plenty of mercenaries, used her near endless rope, kicked pillars and rocks. Pull, punch, kick, throw, dodge, POW. Pull, punch, kick, throw, dodge, POW. Pull, punch, kick, throw, dodge, POW, pull, punch, kick, throw, dodge, POW, pull, punch, kick, throw, dodge, POW, pull, punch, kick, throw, dodge, POW.

Pull- that pegasus wasn't going to escape getting pulled down as she tried to run!
Punch- that stallion would wake up with one heck of a black eye and a headache.
Kick- One mare into six. Injured, yes, but Applejack could have done much worse.
Throw- Adding the unicorn to the pile, squirmy as it was.
Dodge- a mechanical bolt of energy as it shot down the hallway.
POW- the machine is broken and the weapon destroyed by one of the crewmares being introduced to it in a full-body manner.

Tie. She tied up another group, giving herself a moment of satisfaction. But just a moment and she was off again to deal with some more troublemakers who were going to learn a painful lesson this day:

Don't mess with a pregnant mare.

[DerpRavener]

The mercenaries' employer gritted his teeth.  He'd had some hope after the sounds of the first clash that the crazy earth pony had been dealt with.  Those hopes were dashed when when the sounds of a second combat reached his ears.  Either the mare was still wreaking havoc on his troops, or there was yet more problems that would need to be dealt with.  He wasn't sure which possibility was more irritating, that his forces had been so stymied by just a single pony, well equipped though she may be, or that their objective was guarded by far more than the mere wildlife that he was expecting, which while dangerous had been easy pickings for his forces so far.

 

There was no point in complaining however, when he could be getting information.  “You there!”  He called out to a pegasus, who was busy trying to reassemble his emission cannon after the earth pony's bucked rocks.  A few of the arcane weapons were would be functional again soon, just needing some parts beaten back into shape or one of the carried spare parts, but several more would require extensive repairs if they were even recoverable at all.  The pegasus was making a valiant effort, but that device was one of the latter by the looks of things.

 

That pegasus could serve a better purpose now anyways.  He pointed up above the crumbling castle.  “Get into the air and find her!  Don't fight unless you have to, you eyes and wings are more use than your hooves right now anyways!”  The pegasus nodded, before flying high above the castle.  The inventor meanwhile, turning to examine the pegasus' discarded weapon.

 

Beside him, one of his escorts was organizing recovery teams, who would have the unenviable job of following the unaccounted for groups, and seeing who could be recovered and treated.  If things were really going the way it sounded like, they'd be needed soon.

 

---

 

The grey pegasus crept through the nooks and crannies of the castle, drawing ever closer to his target if he was headed the direction he thought, and torn between wanting to ensure his mission's completion and wanting something more interesting than sneaking away from several already distracted ponies.

 

He paused among a set of rafters as he heard the fighting behind him pick up, only to come to a stop a moment later.  And then it happened again, where the sounds of combat filtered into his ears only to be stopped dead moments later.  “How boring,” he muttered to an empty room.  Either that earth pony was 
too good at her job, or the mercenaries weren't as effective as they had appeared.  He briefly considered turning around, to make the fight a little more fair, or at least fun to watch.  But no, not only did he have a mission to complete, but the princess who he'd seen enter with the earth pony earlier had yet to emerge for the latter's defense.  That, at least, was sure to be an interesting encounter.

 

And after spotting one of the earth pony's noisemakers, he decided to step on in for good measure, before skulking off deeper into the centre of the castle.  That should make things a little more fun.

[SteelEagle]

Applejack felt as if she was winning every fight she engaged in yet that the war was being lost. The numbers of the enemy weren't by themselves so frustrating. She sort of wished they had all just melted together into one large force. Much easier to attack and defeat one of those than what they had done instead. It was true that each individual group was easier to beat because of it, but fore every group she defeated she was forced to come to grips with the fact that more groups were advancing closer to the target. Numbers weren't on her side, but as they pushed in, the layout of the castle didn't do them any favors.

As they came closer to where Celestia was the number of paths narrowed. Her transit from place to place grew shorter and shorter. That meant the time it took for her to find and engage another squad grew shorter and shorter as the ceaseless battle continued. For a while this was an excellent sign for Applejack. Each and every group had something that was different. A few were organized exceptionally well in tactical formations that made them harder to crack. Shield Walls and Phalanxes, spread out mutually supporting elements and more specialized yet focused strike forces. Applejack was a constant motor of activity as he ran from battle to battle, fighting and winning again and again.

But no mare could be perfect and no battle was without consequences. At first she didn't know how or why but they had started to show better coordination. Groups would be prepared for her arrival. They'd slow down and consolidate while other groups would press forward quicker to take advantage of her indecision. It took a few runs around to see that there was a pegasus above it all, helping out ground forces. Made sense. She found a slight bit of cover during one run and used it to make a leap out of the structure through a hole, lassoing the stunned pegasus down into the building.

The groups started to become isolated and less effective once more, but the damage was done. A few arcane bolts of damage. A few good blows. Nothing dramatic mind you, but enough to make her fatigued. She was a mare of outrageous stamina wearing armor that enchanted her physical abilities manyfold. But she couldn't fight the fact that she was pregnant and not in her best shape to start out with, and even if the armor protected her from any major damage, getting struck by lightning and bolts of arcane energy never made things better. The battles continued, but the outright domination she had been experiencing early was replaced by fights where she'd take a blow or two. She made sure to protect her stomach, but her back was starting to feel the effects.

Still, the fight continued. During one of her many jumps up on top of the building she noticed some of the weapons getting back up and heading towards the structure. That was frustrating to the wildest degree. She replied with excessive, dangerous force this time around. While before she had been kicking small rocks that impacted with explosive force, she kicked of parts of the collapsing stone pillars. As big and wide as a pony they were nothing compared to the force of a runaway bus or a boulder big enough to crush an archealogy dig, and she had sent that boulder over the mountain. Which was to say that augmented, the pieces of pillar she sent flying were as easy to move as a pebble.

They'd have enough time to get out of the way, even the distracted ones. But not enough time to try and move the machines out of the way. The pillars would come down with force enough to cause a crater and a blast that shattered nearby trees.

There was quiet. In this quiet she kept her head on a swivel finally stretching towards the main entrance hall next to the library. There she could see she could see three- no, four-

That strange pegasus!

Applejack leaped down towards the three. She grabbed one while kicking the other, using the torque to send the one she grabbed flying into the third, the pair tumbling down swiftly through the darkness while the one who was kicked smacked into a wall, cracking part of it and knocking him out of the fight. Same motion- she pulled out her lasso and with lightning speed sent it flying towards the stealthy, strange pegasus who was nearing his target so easily!

"Gotcha!"

[DerpRavener]

A lasso, the grey pegasus hadn't been expecting that.  Creeping about the rafters above what he thought would provide himself a distraction, he was not expecting any sort of projectile, let alone one that could so tangle him up.  His first instinct was to duck down, which might have avoided a more traditional thrown object, but did little against something poised to wrap around him.  However, a lasso also took a little more time to complete its motion, and that proved just enough.  The pegasus kicked off the rafter underneath him, not able to avoid the rope completely but it did leave the rope circling his rear legs rather than securely around his middle.  It took a bit twisting and wriggling, but after a moment he slipped free.

 

He lingered for a moment, watching the pony that had so nearly caught him with an approving eye.  He could not help but be impressed.  Following so closely behind the invaders might have been a tactically unsound choice, but it was proving to be an interesting one.  He smiled.

 

Still, if he got too lost in his search for a challenge, here he might actually fail his mission.  Especially with a mare like this about, he couldn't waste more than a moment.  He turned and fled, flapping his wings once to leap to a higher point, before shooting through a hole opened up by the decay.

 

Elsewhere in the decrepit castle and just outside of it, the mercenaries were regrouping.  Most had fallen back in the face of the earth pony that was running rampant through their ranks, though a few tried to stay behind to save their machines even in the face of their impending destruction.  These stubborn or unlucky few lay limp, and had to be recovered by their comrades.

 

The trauma teams then turned to those inside, finding their progress faster than expected having only castle traps between themselves and their incapacitated teammates.  The traps were something they had been expecting, and with their opponent having ventured deeper into the castle for a moment, it was simple enough to recover their allies and leave.  Several of said ponies would not be fighting again for this operation, but they would survive.

 

The scout roamed over the top of the castle, but too much of the roof was intact.  He could only catch bare glimpses of the halls and the fighting which had been going on within.  His orders precluded entering, as that was too likely to put him too close to the combat, and neither would he have wanted too given the what he had seen.  He perched on a spire, settling down to watch the grounds below as best he could.

 

The mercenaries' employer ground his teeth, and considered his options.  What was supposed to be a simple salvage run was turning into a disaster.  If he did not act, if he could not come up with a plan to deal with this monster of a mare, he'd be forced to retreat.  He pondered what risks were worth taking, and the start of a plan began to form.

 

But for the moment, with all trespassers having fallen back, the castle was quiet.

[SteelEagle]

 

The fella looked like he was dead to rights. Her lasso snapped quickly towards his hind quarters and latched on. This was good as a sentence of doom to any enemies of hers- she was so incredibly fast and strong, nopony had managed to get loose of her bindings even before she was enhanced. Now that she was enhanced? Well, he didn't have a prayer! She pulled in to bring him to her- he had some questions to answer for her and she wasn't gonna take no for an answer- but found her prey to be more tricky than expected. He managed to wiggle out- a feat she couldn't explain- and jet on away from her. “Aww, fiddlesticks,” she whispered to herself, more than a little stunned and angry at this turn of events. She didn't have the nor inclination to sit on her concerns and regrets though. The castle was quiet now, but was bound to get loud again.

These mercenaries were proving relentless. They had to be getting paid a pretty bit to be willing to throw down the way they were. Nopony who fought for the clink of coin in their saddlebag was going to do much for very little and at this point she would expect them to get out of dodge. Yet here they were, and there were many of them. They weren't scrubs either. Sure some of them were inferior to others but on the whole they had proven to have a certain quality. Somepony with deep pockets and an agenda was behind all this. Applejack wanted nothing more than to burst out ino the open and hunt that miscreant down. That would put an end to all of this for sure. But as delightfully satisfying as that may be, she doubted it would help matters much. That would simply leave the Princess naked to the aggression of others and her out of position to respond.

Not to mention that mysterious pegasi who was moving around. Applejack didn't know why that fella was here and he didn't seem to be working with the mercenaries, but she sure as shine didn't consider him friendly. She worried him more than the others. He was quality stuff, able to escape something nopony else ever had with considerable ease. The mercs were tiring because there were so many she had to put down, but he seemed like an entirely different ball of yarn to unravel. She had a sneaking suspicion that before the night was done she'd have to him trussed up like a turkey to make sure the Princess wasn't in danger, and it didn't sound like it'd be an easy task to accomplish either. But for now the castle was quiet and Applejack wasn't about to take this chance for granted. Her eyes and ears perked up and on alert for that sneaky pegasus, Applejack moved.

In a few short moments she had navigated a portion of the crumbling castle to get inside the library- the floor had several open holes, and one of them led to the Princess. The front door still was blocked by her previous actions. When she arrived in the library she popped up, her eyes quickly scanning for the Princess. When she was found, Applejack trotted up and bowed. Her mane was mussied up and her armor scuffed, and a few small bruises were on her face. None of this was dramatic in any way. She'd gotten roughed up visibly worse by stray apples! But a few arcane bolts of energy, concussive blows by hammers, a few decent shots- some had gotten through. Not enough to stop her or even slow her down, but the evidence of a fierce engagement was there, written in the contours of her face.

“Yer Highness, we're under attack. There seems to be two separate forces. One of 'ems a mercenary group, pretty large ta boot. Swords, spears, armor, shields, ahll three types of ponies- haven't seen any non-ponyfolk- and some siege weapons. Ah've been busy dealin' with 'em in detail and such. They've pulled back ta regroup, probably. Movin' smarter the longer this goes on,” she prattled off, her voice quick but authoritative. No doubt the battle would continue but she was sure that she could handle them. They weren't the ones who troubled her.

“Tha other is a bit more...uhm, troublin', Ah guess. Only a single pegasus. Fella ain't fightin' at all, tryin' ta sneak around all silent like. Ah had him in mah lasso...and he got away,” she said, her voice heavy with shame but also worry. Nopony who was normal could do that, not at all. She shook her head and sighed, looking back up at Celestia and stretching her legs. “Ah think Ah can take'm, but Ah'll admit ta bein' all flabbergasted at his ability ta escape. Mah apologies, Yer Majesty.”

[DerpRavener]

Princess Celestia was hip-deep in her search when Applejack arrived at the chamber she occupied.  She was using spellcraft to assist her in the task, though that was made more complicated by the location.  Not only were the books in the old castle themselves aged to a severe degree, but the magic of the surrounding Everfree Forest had seeped in, making them even more delicate.  To account for this the princess had divided her magic across a few tasks, both to search among the scattered volumes and then to send away those that could survive the journey.  Those that couldn't be sent would have to be carried.  A few would not even last through the search, those she considered acceptable losses.

 

Celestia paused in her work when Applejack arrived, letting the spells continue on their own as she turned toward her champion for the day, listening patiently until the latter mare finished her report.  Celestia's face was marred by a deep frown.  “There were two groups coming to the castle?...” Though it was not so much a question for Applejack as it was her considering this troubling development.  “The information I had found had only pointed to one,” she offered.  “Although, it would be much easier for a lone pegasus to slip through such a net than a mercenary band.”  So, troubling, but perhaps not unsurprising.

 

“You say he's acting on his own?  This means either he's skilled enough to come to reach this castle without help, or he has a skilled and secretive assistance, who would certainly not settle for an amateur.  Whoever he is, he must have some ability.  Suffice to say, there's no shame in failing to catch a foe you've never faced before.”  She smiled.  “Besides, I'm sure you'll get him next time.”

 

Celestia fell quiet in the next moment.  At a glance, Applejack looked fine.  She was a mare in peak physical condition, and one who had faced combat before, so of course she could make it through the skirmish.  By all accounts she was unharmed, and yet...  “And what about you?  How are you holding up?”  She expected the answer to be 'just fine' of some variation, even if that wasn't completely true.  There was still something she could learn from any response, and it was good to check up on one's allies regardless.

[SteelEagle]

Applejack had desperately wanted Celestia to confirm that two groups was no big surprise, but she seemed a little caught off guard herself. No real surprise she figured. Single operatives were always a bit tougher to catch in any sort of dragnet. Still, she had a job to do. Celestia was confident in her ability to snag the fellow who had evaded her if they met again. She appreciated the confidence even if Applejack was still a bit worried. “Don't worry, Princess. That fella ain't gonna harm a hair on yer mane or take anythin' from here as long as Ah have anythin' ta say about it. And them mercenaries out there? Well, it don't quite matter how professional they are or if their bosses are mighty threatening. Everypony's only got so much fight in 'em and if they don't wanna listen ta reason, Ah'll take tha fight out 'em one bah one,” she nodded confidently. She would have preferred if they listened to peace but she was sure that eventually they'd all be fleeing with their tails tucked between their legs.

The Princess asked how she was. Applejack wanted to quickly respond that she was fine, but she had to make sure. She made a show of touching potentially troublesome spots. There were some bruises and some very shallow injuries. Nothing an athlete wouldn't get playing hoofball really. The one spot she was concerned about- her pregnancy hidden by the armor though under close observation there was some signs of additional bulk there- was perfectly fine. When she had checked everywhere with a smile she winked at her Princess. “Jus' fine, Yer Majesty. Some bruisin' and such but nothing that should make a lick of difference in tha end,” she replied confidently once more. Honestly, just getting this short breather was enough for her. It didn't matter how fit you were and how enchanted you were, non-stop sprinting and fighting could take a lot out of you. Luckily it was still more than enough to do the job. Speaking of jobs, Applejack was curious. She decided to sate her curiosity as she put her helmet back on.

“So, how's yer work comin' along in here? Gotta reckon you're makin' some decent progress,” she stated and half-asked, her voice full of hope. That would be a great bit of information to take with her as she headed out to do battle once more.

[DerpRavener]

Applejack was confident, which always carried certain dangers.  Celestia was pleased to note that she was acknowledging her wounds and limitations, even as she was additionally glad they were as minor as they were all things considered.  Confidence so tempered by self-understanding was a powerful and useful state to be in.  Celestia smiled.  “It is good to see you holding up so well.”  She still hoped Applejack would come to her if needing assistance even if she didn't expect that to happen, as they were a team in this.  Yet she couldn't feel too irritated, the farmpony's stubborn confidence was helpful, particularly when so few could be asked for help.

 

Applejack had also asked about progress, and on that front there was good news.  “Almost done, in fact.”  Celestia turned back to the shelves for a moment as she replied.  “I was able to automate much of the process with a spell, and have thus been making good use of the time.”  A few books had been set aside, which she began to place into mostly full bags she'd brought with her.  “It should just be a few more moments, and then-”

 

Her statement was interrupted by a rumbling from another part of the castle.

 

---

 

“Is this really necessary?”

 

The earth pony turned away from his work.  He'd cobbled together several of the devices into a single unit, that was must more unstable but was also much more destructive for it's short lifespan.  He turned back to address the speaker, the actual commander of the mercenaries.  “Don't tell me you're getting sentimental now.”

 

“It does seem a waste,” the latter admitted, “but more to the point, isn't it going to be more difficult to sift through rubble than search through ruins?”

 

The earth pony replied without hesitation.  “If we were contending with the ruins alone, maybe.  But desperate times call for desperate measures.  We've clearly shown ourselves outmatched, the only way to find what we need is change our circumstances.”  He turned back to the makeshift weapon, and waved away the ponies that had been helping him.  Best they didn't stand too close when it was actually firing.

 

The scout hadn't been able to get any direct visuals, only able to get a vague sense of where their opponent was based on noises from deeper in the castle, and knowledge of the terrain they'd brought with them.  So they were firing blind, on educated guesses rather than accurate information.  Still, it was better than throwing away troops.

 

Those soldiers which remained, those neither incapacitated nor holding back to care for them, stood ready to charge through any gap, and exploit any weakness that might be revealed.

 

The earth pony adjusted the device a little further, and fired again.

 

---

 

Celestia had frozen for a moment to listen, though her spells continued to work throughout the pause.

 

A similar sound occurred again, the initial burst more distinctive than the previous.  This one was closer.

 

“We're running out of time.”  Celestia paused in thought only a moment longer, before scooping up the saddlebags in her magic.  She started galloping across the library, gather select books as they were retrieved by her spells.  “I need just a few more minutes!  Then I believe we should go!” she called back.

 

The next burst was close enough to kick up dust around the room.

[SteelEagle]

Applejack was confident in how all this was going to turn out. If Celestia needed only a few more moments then they were in good condition. Even if they came under attack right now the geography of the castle and depleted elements of the attackers meant they would be more than set-up for great success. Celestia was competent beyond all reason when it came to such things, at least around Twilight's level, and her confidence was infectious. Of course Applejack already displayed in bold her own confidence. They could feed off of each other pretty well. While she still felt a bit chagrined at her failure to deal with the pegasus she could deal with having a loss on her ledger if it meant she got the Princess out safe and sound, and the Princess got what she came for safe and sound. The Princess was about to speak further when the castle was rocked by...

...an explosion, it seemed. Something about the way the castle rocked felt similar, to a larger scale, to how the weapons fired against her felt underhoof. Bigger. Much bigger. She hadn't seen them move something like that in position and she would have targeted it had she seen such a thing. Was it outside of the caste the whole time? Constructed? How tha hay could they have done it this easily? She briefly considered the possibility that she had missed something easy to spot, but the more her mind ran over it the more she came to the conclusion that it didn't much matter. It was happening now and if they wanted this to be made better, they needed to act as soon as they possibly could.

A second explosion, this one closer. This one seemed to shake both the Princess and Applejack out of their momentary doldrums and focus more. The Princess ran into action, informing her that she needed a few more minutes. Applejack nodded and kept her composure. No need to panic. Celestia was intensely powerful and Applejack was confident in her own abilities. They would be just fine. “Right. Ah'll take out whatever cannon they have rigged up ahn' buy ya tha time you need. Don't figure Ah'l be long,” the mare said, placing her hat back on. She coiled herself and then jumped in through the way she had entered. From there she made a few more jumps and quickly crawled through another section to appear outside of the castle and on top of it. The cannon was still out of her view, so she started to gallop towards the front.

A few moments later she heard the sound of an incoming shot and stopped short of the explosion, whicjh tore much of the entrance hall to shreds. While se avoided the explosion directly she was still sent up into the sky by the shockwave, sending the mare spinning. The concussive force was absorbed by the armor but she could feel an unusual and horrifying sense of unease in her head- she lost her sight and hearing briefly. Her head rang and that was everything. In a few moments the sound came back and so did her vision, a blurry mess that quickly came into focus. She was at the apex of her ascent, high above the castle, with bits of stone and marble around her. She had taken more than a few more cuts and bruises and the top of her armor was indented, the indent making her back stretched out more than would be comfortable.

Nothing major, but close enough to be threatening. As she finished spinning however she saw what she needed to see and became a threat once more herself. Where the large cannon was- she saw it. She braced herself against the largest piece of the castle that had joined her in the sky- a slab perhaps three times her height and twice by width. As they started to fall she kicked with all of her strength, hopefully sending the giant slab towards the cannon at breakneck speeds. The counter-force sent her flying in the opposite direction.

She went flying towards the highest spire and sent her lasso out to pull herself in. This was successful. However, just as she made contact with it, she heard the sound again. Before her slab impacted where it did the cannon had fired at least one more time and as fate would have it, it was landing at that spire- and not far from Applejack.

She was not caught in the immediate explosion but was even closer than before. Force of the blast tried to eject her from the top but she had held on through more grit than anything else. The pul-back of the shockwave and the blast itself knocked her out a moment later, singing her mane and sending rolling bits of slagging stone and shrapnel peppering her. She fell from the top of the spire, her lasso death gripped around the top which had fallen with her. For a moment or three she was out, and then came back with a jolt, racing to the earth.

Her body screamed out in pain as small broken bones and deep lacerations worked actively against her efforts. She pulled her lasso free and sent it securely against a tall pillar, pulling herself towards it. She did so not a second too soon, as the spire and all the stone that was part it was falling behind her, nearly crushing the mare. She flew towards the pillar haphazardly, wrapping herself around it expertly for only a second before losing her grip and falling down clumsily. She smacked into the ground and bounced.

Silence except for her breathing. She took stock of a thousand small injuries. Stone shrapnel in her hooves and legs for certain, the areas not protected. Burns. Broken bones from concussive force, Still, the armor had done marvelous job. The inednt was now gone and thousands of pieces of shrapnel stuck to it rather than getting through. Her vitals had been protected.

But she was hurt, no doubt about it. Bones, bleeding, burns. It all worked to make it hard for her to get up, which she did after a few seconds. Her hat lazily drifted down through a dusty, stony mist. The mare grabbed it and placed it on her head, breathing heavily as she looked out the front of the entrance hallway. She didn't know if she had hit or not. If she did, then by Celestia the cannon had to be gone. If she had missed...well, now was as good as any to close the gap and show them that talent is an asset and that when it came to protecting that which she cared about, Applejack was rich.

[DerpRavener]

The earth pony watched first with satisfaction as the pony which had been giving him and his forces so much grief was launched skyward.  He landed a hit, finally getting a leg up on the mare, and knocking her out of the fight.

 

Or so he thought.

 

His expression shifted to one of extreme frustration as she twisted while in the air, and maneuvered herself to kick a chunk of floating debris in the general direction of the improvised cannon.  He subconsciously took an angry step forward.  “That is unbelievable!  How could she possibly-”

 

The earth pony never got to finish his sentence, as the flying debris landed before he could.  Applejack's shot was slightly wide, landing next to the device rather than directly on it.  It turned out however, that was enough.  The device was fragile, having been improvised essentially out of half-working parts, and the combination of force of impact and the resulting spray of magically-charged Everfree dirt was enough to disrupt the arcane structure of it.  The device detonated, sending bits of shrapnel all across the area, as well as a single, hapless pony.

 

The earth pony groaned, and tried to struggle to his hooves.  His vision was blurred and everything hurt, but his frustration overpowered all of those feelings.  He was so close!  Weeks of planning and diligence finding that perfect meeting of capacity and opportunity!  How could a single mare bring it all crashing down?  He wasn't going to let it end like this!

 

Or so he thought.  He stumbled around for a few moments before the lieutenant from before stepped in.  “This has gone far enough.  Better to live, to fight another day.”  The latter picked up his dazed and mumbling boss, hoisting the incapacitated pony onto his back.  He turned to the rest of his forces, and spoke.  “We've already grabbed everything recoverable.  We're done here.  Move out.”  Though slightly clumsy, weighed down additionally by wounded as they were, they turned as one and slunk back into the forest.

 

---

 

The pegasus had realized he couldn't have much time left.  He'd been hearing the distant boom, and seeing and feeling the castle shake with the impacts.  He then heard an explosion, that by the sound of things would have been louder had it not been further away.  One way or another, this conflict between the mercenaries and Celestia's agent would be the last they'd have, at least for today.  And then it would just be him, Equestria's leader, her capable personal guard, and a decrepit castle.  No outside interference, no convenient distractions.

 

It tempted him, pitting himself against such a challenge. All the same, knowing when a challenge was too steep, knowing when a tactical retreat was in order, was a part of being a capable operative.  And he couldn't abide failure, the shame would be worse than the thrill he could get from the added risk.

 

All this meant that his window of opportunity was closing.  If he wanted to accomplish his goal, he'd have to do so soon.

 

The grey pegasus picked up the base.  He didn't know the exact location, but he had a rough estimate of where his target would be.  He ran, darting across broken beams, and climbing through gaps in the remains of the castle walls.

 

In short order he heart it, the clopping of the princess travelling through the corridors ahead of him.  She wasn't trying to keep hidden, which made his job all the easier, though it may have been a bad sign for his chances.

 

He slowed as he closed the distance, carefully listening to the sound of her magic as well.  Not subtle though she her presence may have been, she would likely have something prepared for any would-be attacker.

 

This would be highly dangerous.  The pegasus grinned.  Perfect.

 

He charged, galloping gracefully across the tops of the shelves, as the princess ran below.

 

When he was roughly over her, he dove of the old shelf he was standing on, kicking down dust and splinters.  He spread his wings, revealing the pair of thin blades that were attacked to the outer edges, as he streaked down towards the princess.

[SteelEagle]

Applejack gave herself a few seconds to sit and hear, eyes closed. Her enhanced senses were still screaming a thousand concerns but she forced herself to concentrate on sound. The cannon...that was the explosion. Shouts of concern. Hundreds of hooves marching and limping away, getting more distant. She had repelled them- thank Celestia. Maybe losing their siege weapon had been the final straw. It was lucky for Applejack they had lost their nerve at this very moment. She was hurt, banged up, in dire straights. She didn't know if she could really face down an army in the open, not anymore. She could barely stand at the moment to be perfectly frank. Everything on her her hurt worse than she had ever imagined they could, dulled slightly by the armor and her Earth pony physiology but no easier or better than it could have been. She didn't know if she could have done better but she certainly hoped that this wasn't the only way the night could have gone.

But those weren't the only sounds she heard. She heard the clip-clop of hooves. Celestia- the metallic tinge told her it was royal hooves. She was moving. Done with her work? Good. Applejack wasn't sure if everything tonight had been worth it but she sure as sun knew that now was the time to move. Well, maybe not. She wished the Princess had waited inside of the secured library until Applejack had returned, then been escorted out. Regardless they were no onto the 'escorting a royal to safety' part of the job. She knew that even in her diminished state she could probably do this just fine. There was one last sound. Very faint. She would write it off as the scampering of mice except it sounded...bigger. She would write it off as the flight of a crow or raven except the wings sounded...heavier. Everything was coming up as a large flighty creature. And she knew for a fact that she hadn't done anything to take care of that mysterious pegasus. She heard the two sounds getting closer-

She opened her eyes and then started trot-galloping towards where she had heard Celestia. Much of the castle was now in ruins so a straight line path was out of the equation, so she ended up having to jump, climb, gallop, and leap across obstacles. In due time she found her way closer and closer, still hearing the two sounds. Oh- this was not good. The sound of the maybe-pegasus was not heading for the library or any other area, but for Celestia. Applejack double-timed it as much as she could given her body's slow but steady failings. In what seemed like hours but was honestly a few seconds to a minute she came up from the rear of her liege.

What she saw was an attack being launched. Unluckily for the attacker, even in her weakened state the farmer had legendary reactions. In the span of what seemed to be a minor microsecond she took out her lasso and tossed a line at the foe. It wrapped around the waist and she tugged him down to the ground, impacting with a titanic thud that broke the immediate floor around him. She then grimaced- the effort was beyond painful. But she wasn't about to let this scoundrel get to her sovereign so easily.

[DerpRavener]

The lasso again.  Sooner or later, he would have to figure out how to get around it, the pegasus thought to himself.  He wouldn't have expected such an unwieldy tool to cause him such problems, and yet here he was.  That earth pony had somehow managed to get the lasso wrapped around him, and pulled him to the ground.  The was where he was headed anyways, but going faster than intended threw off his plan all the same.  He hit the floor hard, needing a moment to recover and adjust his plans.

 

Celestia's attention was divided, part of her concentration devoted to maintaining the spells she had set up.  A task such as this didn't have the time or need for a permanent solution, so her spellwork had to be a little more hooves-on.  She was also thinking about the longer term, sifting through the information she had for more clues as to what groups were behind this, what their long term plans were, and how this might tie in.

 

Celestia still made sure to pay some attention despite this, that she wouldn't be caught completely flat-hooved, so the deciding factor had been the speed and stealth of the pegasus.  Particularly given the explosions moments ago, she was expecting a loud entrance, which should give her more than enough warning.  As such, she wasn't prepared for this pegasus' sudden appearance in front of her.  The two ended up staring at each other for a moment.

 

However, while Celestia spent that time recovering from the surprise, the pegasus had been analyzing.  Attacking Celestia directly had been out of the question from the start.  Not only would it have been wastefully dangerous, at this stage it could only have complicated long term plans.  His plan had been to feint, and then use the distraction provided to make his real move.  He hadn't accounted for her guard though, and that would force a change of plans.  He no longer had his choice of targets, and was forced to choose the first available option from the books floating by and hope for the best.

 

All of this took place in less than a second, all the time that was available.  Then the moment was passed, and several things happened at once.  Celestia began casting a spell, but the pegasus was faster.  He darted past her legs, grabbing a previously sighted floating book as it flew past.  And then he ran, dashing off down the ruined hallway.  He didn't have time to do any more than that.

 

Celestia's spell finally completed, bathing the area in a harsh glow.  It's target was already out of that area however, so she dissipated it rather than let it continue.  The castle was crumbling enough without her help.  “He wasn't aiming to attack me in the first place...” she muttered to herself, thinking.

[SteelEagle]

AJ cursed herself. She cursed her body. The pegasus was able to get out of the lasso, jerking it out of her mouth in his swift movement. It was as if most strength had left her in that moment. He dashed by Celestia under her legs, provoking a moment of panic from Applejack. If he had wanted to try and hurt Celestia he could have. She had failed her liege completely in that regard. Luckily it seemed he wanted to do something else instead and moved past her, grabbing a book and moving on his way. Celestia attempted to cast a spell but wasn't quick enough. Regardless of what or why he did what he did, Applejack's mind reeled. He was fast, fast as lightning. Celestia was...slower than she'd like her to be. But he hadn't gone to attack her- why? What was that book? Why was that, amongst all others, such a target?

Applejack didn't know nor did she spend any time to try and know. She leaped into action, charging towards the fellow as he made his escape. She went to jump after him when her back left leg gave away completely- unknowingly having suffered a hairline fracture which had now progressed towards a full break, she crumbled at high speed into a wall, collapsing part of it on her body. She tried to get up, failing once before finally getting free of the rubble. She let out a small yelp through gritted teeth before quickly pulling at a side bag hidden under her back armor, pulling out something to try and set the bone.

“Ah-Ah'll be fine- can't let'm get away- Ah- Ah can get him, Princess!” She said through gritted teeth as she set the bone, spitting out a small bit of blood as she looked up at his escaping form.

[DerpRavener]

“Applejack!”  Princess Celestia cried out as she watched her friend crash into the wall, and struggle to get herself back up.  Even as the alicorn rushed over, Applejack was tending to herself, in an effort to get back on her hooves and give chase.  Celestia slowed down as she approached, knowing better than to interrupt a medical procedure in progess, even if she disagreed with the motivation behind it.

 

Celestia waited until there was a safe moment to interrupt before gently pressing a hoof against Applejack's uninjured shoulder.  “Wait, please,” she said.  It wasn't quite a command, but it was more than a request as well.  This was the part of her position that she most disliked, when good ponies sacrificed themselves for her sake.  She could never tell if the fact that so many were so enthusiastic made it better or worse.  As she spoke, she had a sad look in her eyes.  “You're worth a lot more than some old book.”

 

“Besides,” she continued, and her expression lightened, “I find it hard to believe he's going to get much out of an ancient catalog of weeds.”  As Celestia pondered the possible implications of what she just said, she looked back in the direction the pegasus had run.  Now that she was thinking about it, he did seem to pick that book out, spur of the moment though the choice was.  “I wonder what he could have been looking for?”

 

Celestia shook her head.  “That's a question for REINS, and something that could be considered later.”  She looked back to Applejack.  “For now, my responsibility should be getting you home.”  The farmpony would need rest, and she certainly had earned it.

[SteelEagle]

Applejack looked up at the Princess, her eyes wavering between indignation and shame. She had failed her Princess this day and even with Celestia's reassurances Applejack couldn't shake the feeling that she had missed the first for the trees. It didn't make much sense to steal a book about weeds. Made less sense to steal it out of the big collection of books the Princess had. Made the least sense that it as random. Made more sense that they both missed something. Something big and important, and that Applejack had allowed him to get out and away without capturing him stuck in her craw fiercely. It was a splinter you couldn't remove and she didn't know what to do. The only real satisfaction she got was that Celestia was safe. At least she could chalk that up as a success.

 

She knew she'd be okay. She was an Earth Pony. It took a lot of punishment to really make her worried. Even under bad circumstances she could probably be up and working the farm within a week. Aches and pains and stings would perists a little longer, but Earth pony physiology was intensely robust. She looked down, not hiding it anymore, at her pregnancy- the foal was fine. No attacks had really gone in that direction and it took more than a few nasty falls to truly threaten an earth pony's pregnancy. Still. The adrenaline no longer flowed. Her pain was coming back in waves. The threat she had dealt with was vast and she had made only a few mistakes, but those mistakes- they anchored her understanding of the situation.

In the end, she had every color but blue.
 

“...Ah suppose yer right,” she said barely above a whisper, pulling herself up gingerly. The Princess wasn't much commanding her but that didn't stop the authority of her voice from being clear. Still, she wasn't going to allow the mission to change. "The mission is still gettin' yer flank out an' back all safe an' cozy-like," she said, mustering a smile as she started walking side by side with her Princess. There was a noticeable limp and a grimace, but she wasn't going to comment n it. "Though Ah can't say Ah believe that'll be tha last we see of that no-good scoundrel. Ain't like'm ta take...euuuhh...something all random like," she said, moving some rubble with her good legs. "After you, Yer-Yer Majesty."

[DerpRavener]

There they were again, those lingering doubts.  Celestia had underestimated the opposition they faced, and as a result a pony she could call either a subject or a friend, was seriously injured.  She wasn't sure which case was worse.  But, she supposed, there was no point fretting about it now.  What's done is done, and it was far too late to change things now.  She would have to press on, as she had always done.  There was nowhere to go but forward.  Or back, in this case, she supposed.  They were done here, it was time to return home and consider everything that had happened here.

 

Despite being significantly more injured that the princess, Applejack insisted that the mission was now to get Celestia back home safe and sound.  Even if Celestia would generally concede her own importance to Equestria, she was also perfectly healthy, unlike her temporary bodyguard.  She had half a mind to chastise the farmpony for giving such little thought to her own safety.  If there was one thing for certain though it was that Applejack was a stubborn pony, and so Celestia thought better of it.  Instead she nodded her assent.  Agreeing was, she felt, the easiest and fastest way to get Applejack back home, and to some medical attention and rest.

 

On 2/23/2018 at 2:01 AM, SteelEagle said:

"Though Ah can't say Ah believe that'll be tha last we see of that no-good scoundrel. Ain't like'm ta take...euuuhh...something all random like,"

Celestia fell into quiet contemplation for a moment, silently helping Applejack move rubble with her magic, before she replied.  “Yes, I have to agree, on both counts.  He seemed too...focused, to be simply willing to grab a random book.  And he had plenty of time to grab a random book as we arrived...”  The thought had nowhere to go, at least not yet, and so she fell silent again.  With the rubble cleared, the pair began the walk back before Celestia spoke up once more.  “I'll need to look into this.  We don't have the information we need to come to any sound conclusions yet.”

[SteelEagle]

Applejack was happy that the Princess didn't seem to make a fuss out of Applejack's still laser-like focus on her. She knew that the Princess likely wasn't all that happy with it. She never struck Applejack as the sort who enjoyed her position as it related to the sacrifices of others. Didn't blame her much there. Applejack would have hated that bit herself. But Celestia also had to know how important she was. And, frankly, Applejack had seen the Princess get roughed up a few times and knew that as stubborn as she could be, that she was here to ensure the Princess' safety and that was no sure thing. She was hurt like a daisy in a windstorm but she knew she could still do her work. She'd been hurt. Worse, she thought. Her memories were frankly a little fuzzy and she wasn't one to give much thought to the darker times in her life anymore. That was for a younger, sadder time.

Not like now, what with her limping alongside her liege all triumphant-like. Indeed, the more they moved the better she felt. Probably just her getting used to the pain, but the grimacing stopped. She had a lot to look at in any case. They made their way through the broken castle littered with battle implements and out into the Everfree itself. Several artillery pieces lay shattered, hunks of stone tossed liberally about, and hundreds of quads of hoofprints marching, stomping, and galloping about. There sure had been a mighty lot of them and Applejack felt no small sense of accomplishment in having driven them off. She didn't brag about it though. The evidence was all around them. She was just happy she didn't appear to have hurt anypony too severely. She may have wanted to whoop them something fierce and yeah, she'd do just about anything to keep Celestia safe. That didn't mean she couldn't be happy at a lack of anything too...unsettling.

They made their way deep into the Everfree. The creatures seemed to stay away from them, perhaps having been spooked by whatever army had just passed by. The silence wasn't just yet deafening but it was strange for the Everfree. In due time they made it to the border, not far from Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack's armor was a mess. Her armor- yes, that. Nopony knew of it. Of her role. She started to take it off slowly, not letting out any pained sounds. She needed to get this armor back to her little hiding place and then- well, probably rest. Yeah, rest. That way nopony'd know what had happened. Some bumps and scrapes and a broken bone. Attacked in the Everfree...well, that wasn't a lie. It'd have to work! She was both too hurt and tired, her adrenaline having completely flatlined for now, to really conceal any part of her from the Princess. “Well, at least we're back in civilization. Can't say AH'm not r-ready for a good ol' nap though. Mah noggin' is still ringin',” she laughed, the last bit of her armor falling to the ground with a loud ka-thank.
 

[DerpRavener]

Just as they were on the verge of reaching civilization, Applejack began to remove her armour.  Understandable, as this was meant to be a less public operation.  It did however make Celestia think back to everything which they'd left behind back at the castle.  Yes, the books they had come for had been recovered as much as they could be, but in their place was now a fair amount of sophisticated arcane weaponry, albeit rendered inoperable.  Then again, anyone who would be able to get to and make use of the debris would either already know how to build such things, or would be more than dangerous without them.  It would be good to clean it up eventually, but for now she could set the thought aside and focus on other things.

 

On 3/2/2018 at 11:20 PM, SteelEagle said:

“Well, at least we're back in civilization. Can't say AH'm not r-ready for a good ol' nap though. Mah noggin' is still ringin',”

“And a doctor too, I should hope,” Celestia was quick to reply.  She let the words hang for a moment, before following up on them.  She shot Applejack a meaningful look.  “I mean that.  Your resolve is unquestioned, but those injuries are not trivial.”  She hoped Applejack would listen, but knew the farmpony was stubborn.  She considered sending her personal physician, just to make sure Applejack got some medical attention, although she didn't believe that necessary just yet.

 

Or at least that had been how Celestia felt, until she noticed the faint bulge around Applejack's stomach as the earth pony's armour was removed.  “Applejack, did you...?”  She trailed off.  It took her only a moment to puzzle out what was going on, and much of that was because she would not have expected it from the farm pony.  “You're pregnant,” she said finally, before her expression and voice hardened.  “And that means you've done something very, very irresponsible.  Did you not even think of your family, before answering my request?”  Her expression gave way to concern.  “I would hardly be much of a princess if I couldn't find a pony to help me, or a way to do without.”

 

Celestia sighed.  “Though, I suppose there's nothing for it now.  What's done is done.”  There didn't seem to be any point in getting worked up about it, any damage would have already happened.  Now it would just be up to them to deal with any consequences that arose.  “I do appreciate the help,” she admitted, “even if I don't agree with the priorities which drove it.  Just, make sure you speak to a physician, alright?”  She turned to leave.  “I'm afraid I can't stay, there is much yet to do.  I hope next time we see each other, it's under more pleasant circumstances.  Farewell.”  She smiled back at her friend, before beginning to walk away.