From Coyote's 'It'll End up in Something I Write' Department, Take Two. · 6:04am Sep 2nd, 2018
“...and, of course, air support from the pegasi in that region should stymie her forces until our North-by-Northwest unit neutralizes their opponants, and come in and catch them in a pincer maneuver,” Celestia concluded.
Luna frowned. “Mmm.”
“From there, our generals should be able to coordinate their ponies into a great arm, sweeping in a circle across the battlefields and forcing their enemies into surrender.”
“What about this bleak area, over here?”
Celestia waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, that’s the Pie rock farm. They’ll be fine.”
Luna stared, aghast. “Did you just say... what I think you just said?”
Now it was Celestia’s turn to frown. “Why? What did you think I said?”
“That we weren’t going to bother defending an entire front - and the ponies who live there - because it’s just a rock farm.”
Celestia blinked, then laughed.
Luna’s visage, meanwhile, was deadly serious. Their enemies were shape changers, after all. While Celestia laughed, the room was bathed in a brilliant blue. But when the spell subsided, nothing had changed. unless the changelings had somehow found away around the Trueform spell, that was indeed her sister before her.
But... how?
“Oh, sister, forgive me,” Celestia said. “I had forgotten that you were gone so long. Yes, the Pies will be fine. I have already sent word to them that a horde of terrible foes will soon be on their doorstep, along with some special rations.”
For a moment, Luna still stared at her sister, frowning. Then, understanding dawned.
“They’re earth ponies,” she said. “They still follow the old ways, from before our reign.”
Celestia nodded. “They still eat stone,” she said.
Luna stared at her. “But... I had though there were no lithophages left.”
“As had I. But the Pie family has kept the tradition alive. So far as I know, they are the last.”
“Well, then,” Luna said. “I guess that concludes our preparations. Unless, perhaps, Pinkie Pie would like to join her family there?”
Celestia shrugged. “That does seem a little like overkill. But if Twilight thinks she can be spared, I see no reason why not.”
*****
The devastation was total. General Mandible shouted through the dust that flooded the battlefield, trying to rally his troops, desperately searching for any means of restoring order. The pink one was an element bearer, and he’d been briefed in case he encountered her or any of her fellows... but nothing had prepared him for this!
A howling wind swept away the last of the dust, revealing a wasteland of deep gorges and wide, shallow craters. Changeling warriors lay everywhere, whether alive or dead he could not tell.
Six ponies. Earth ponies. Unarmed, against three units of his best fighters. How? his mind screamed. How is this even possible?
Staring about himself wildly, he also realized, I’m the last.
Perhaps a hundred feet away, the ponies had re-grouped. Five drab little ponies and one bright pink joke. They stood, staring down the incline at their invaders, their looks unreadable. Then, the bearded one - the leader, apparently - stepped forward.
“Friend,” he said, “I would not wish thee harm for all the world. But thou art standing precisely where I am about to tread.”
The path of the lithophage is a nearly forgotten one. Like many ancient traditions and much esoteric knowledge, its loss is a tragedy. Honor those who keep the old ways, for one never knows when they may be needed again.
4930033
Elegantly said. When this ends up in a story, mind if I quote you?
4930084
Go right ahead!
This... This is beautiful.