Twilight wanted to just ignore it; pretend that she hadn’t heard the familiar Royal Canterlot Voice literally shaking the walls.
The instinct only lasted a second though. She knew that running away from the situation would not help her, and so she kept marching towards the exit.
She looked longingly down the hall that would have lead towards the library, but held back the sigh she wanted to release.
The former Empress guided Twilight to a courtyard of sorts. Flanked on all sides by the high walls of the palace, the grassy patch had some sort of wooden stage built up against one of the far walls, but she paid it no mind. As soon as they were clear of the doors, both took wing.
Once airborne, the owner of the booming voice could be easily spotted. Though only a speck in the distance, the wings of an alicorn could be clearly seen amongst what looked, from this distance, like a swarm of flies.
“Come Twilight Sparkle!” Luna shouted across the length of the city, “Come so that we may see if you bear the power to do what none other has before! Face me, so that I may prove your folly or acclaim your might! Come!”
Now Twilight could only fight to keep an exasperated grimace off her face.
When it rains trouble, it pours. Twilight hoped this would be resolved quickly, but deep down she knew better.
Meanwhile her companion was reacting quite differently to the situation.
“Empress, the Alicorn of Night has come in the company of her Special Guard! The generals are already in assembly, I suggest we allow the city guard to buy what time they can while we muster our forces!”
Twilight squinted at the specks in the distance impressed by how much better the griffon’s avian vision was compared to her own. She could only barely make out the difference in size between Luna and the others, let alone identify them. Nonetheless, the former empress’s assessment of Luna’s companions seemed accurate, if the predominantly blue-tint to the specks was any indication
Twilight looked to the agitated female, before giving her a tired smile.
“No, don’t worry, I’ll just go see what she wants. It is probably just that Friendly Fire’s report reached Canterlot and Luna misunderstood. How about you go see about preparing lodgings for her... entourage? This should not take long but I doubt they’ll be heading back tonight.”
The griffoness nodded dubiously, but Twilight had a lot more experience dealing with Luna. If nothing else, Luna was a pragmatic mare, and Twilight was confident that if she just explained the situation…
---------------
“Yield knave!” Luna shouted, firing another blast of magic at Twilight, who was forced to dive to evade the incoming shot.
“Luna! What is this about? Why are you attacking at me? Can we-” Twilight shouted as another blast was avoided, “Can we talk about this?”
“Nay! Only a fool allows the sweet words of a deceiver to poison them during a fight!”
“What are you even- Wah!” she gasped as she dropped to avoid another close shot, “Why are you even here? I’m telling you that whatever Friendly Fire said is not the whole story!”
“I know not of any Companionable Combustion, nor does his fable inspire me!”
“Then why-!” Twilight shouted as she dodged yet another shot from the hovering, armored alicorn, “-are you here attacking me?”
“Sister has told me of your treachery! If you vie for power you should have known this would come to pass! Did you think that fleeing this far would take you from our sight? Nay! There is nowhere you can escape the moon!”
“Celestia said what? What are you talking about! You KNOW what I’m doing here! YOU WERE THERE WHEN I LEFT!”
“Yes! Even I was taken by your deceit! But no more! You show promise, but you are a thousand years too young for this! Now yield to me, so that you may be pulled from this path before those who may seek greater punishments for your crimes arise!”
Luna’s attacks had started as soon as Twilight had approached, much to her surprise. Only experience and a little bit of luck had allowed her to avoid the other alicorn’s first shot, and despite her shouted pleas, the elder mare refused to stop her attacks.
Seeing the bare aggression, many griffons who had remained impressively restrained in the face of Luna’s appearance, had taken wing.
Now, as Twilight continued to dodge shots of magic, she could see that they were building up into a rather sizable force, encircling the thestral unit that had yet to take action.
Both sides of the standoff were looking to their leaders, but while Luna was wholly focused on Twilight, Twilight was able to see what was happening behind the lunar mare.
As she continued to dodge attacks, she scanned the gathered griffons who were likewise watching her.
As she looked at the situation, a plan began to form.
“You cannot win by dodging alone! I shall not tire if that was your plan!” Luna shouted, yet another blast coming from her horn, which Twilight evaded with increasing ease, “Finish this like an alicorn! Fight me like a mare!”
Twilight dove back, separating herself from Luna, before turning tail entirely and bolting back towards the palace.
The move had the intended effect, drawing Luna forward into a blind chase. Alicorn and greatest threat out of the way, the griffons filled in, cutting off and surrounding her forces.
Twilight kept her eyes forward, racing towards the entrance to the palace.
“Don’t do this Luna! I don’t want to fight you!” She called over her shoulder.
“Tis not your choice! You will fight, or I will drag you back to Equestria in shame!”
“I’d love to go back!” Twilight shouted over her shoulder in exasperation, “but I can’t right now! There’s a lot going on, and I need to be here! You can help though! So if you could just-!” her words stopped as she finally saw fighting break out behind them.
Both mares turned, looking back over the surprising amount of ground they had covered. Such a distance separated from their forces that it was hard to make out specific details of the fight, but it was clear that while the slightly smaller dots representing the lunar pegasi had formed aerial defensive postures, the slightly larger griffon dots were harassing their formation lower and lower.
While Twilight would have preferred to have ended this entirely without conflict, she was quite happy to see that despite their feints and harassing, the griffons had thus far not actually violently engaged the thestral unit.
Realizing that her plan had been figured out, Twilight looked to see how Luna would react. She was actually surprised by the shock and… was that fear(?) on the older mare’s face.
With only the slightest pause, Luna had doubled back, charging at the fray with horn lit.
“Luna, wait!” Twilight shouted as she made chase.
“Thou shall NOT harm my charges!” with the cry she let loose a beam of magic.
Twilight teleported ahead, using a personal shielding bubble to reflect the beam off into the sky.
Changing tactics from before, Luna shot forward to engage Twilight.
Twilight’s response was to keep up her shield, even as Luna’s horn pierced the bubble’s shell.
Only a hair separated Luna’s horn and Twilight’s throat when Twilight ejected her shield, the shock wave sending Luna tumbling.
By this point, separated from their commander and outnumbered a good ten to one, Luna’s accompanying forces had been driven entirely to the ground and surrounded. The group of perhaps a hundred blade-wielding thestrals now stood surrounded by hundreds of griffons, many armed with only their claws, but a number also brandishing wing-blades, swords, and even a few crossbows.
Twilight was worried the mob may do something extreme, but had little time to weigh her options as she was struck by a spell from the still tumbling Luna that made her whole side go numb.
The frost spell was not particularly damaging itself, her pegasus aspect naturally resisting the element, but it certainly didn’t help the stability of her flight.
Luna finally managed to right herself shortly before she would have crashed through the roof of a building, Twilight too having to lower to shake the frost from her wing.
“You talk of peace, yet your actions speak louder! You have captured my knights and your soldiers keep me in their sights!” Luna shouted back, firing another bolt of magic at her, which she again deflected with a shield.
Twilight looked down to find some of the griffons on the ground around the lunar pegasi were, in fact, aiming their crossbows up at the hovering Alicorn.
Twilight groaned to herself, “For goodness sake, stop it! Stop aiming your weapons at Luna!” Twilight shouted down to them with enough magical amplification behind it that it actually made Luna’s hover fumble, sending her next shot way off course.
~
On the ground an officer turned to the acting field commander, “Sir? We’ve been commanded to stop, should we secure the prisoners in the dungeons in the meantime?”
“No, she commanded us to stop aiming at Luna.”
~
Back in the air, Twilight was still narrowly avoiding what shots she could, and flashing up barriers for those she couldn’t. Clearly Luna was at no risk of running out of steam anytime soon. At this rate she would actually need to fight back just to not fall out of the sky from exhaustion.
Just as she was about to make one last plea before starting to send her own stun spells, Luna suddenly broke focus, looking down, eyes widening.
There was her opportunity! Whether there was actually something on the ground distracting Luna, or if she was just trying to draw her attention away, it didn’t matter because Twilight wouldn’t let the opportunity pass. She released her own blast of magic, an ice spell much like the one she had just received.
As it connected, Luna’s wings froze up and she was sent tumbling.
Unlike Twilight who could afford to lose some altitude when she had been hit, Luna was only just above the buildings as she began her uncoordinated fall. Twilight swooped to catch her, but the bad angle and exhaustion conspired against her, having Luna reach the ground seconds before Twilight could catch her.
For a brief moment she panicked, hoping Luna had not splattered on the ground, but was relieved to see her from rising almost immediately.
As she landed, she cautiously approached the dark mare.
“Clever ploy,” Luna spat, a smile on her face despite the blood coming from her head and dripping from her mouth, “Play innocent until the right moment, distract me, and then strike.”
Twilight was stunned silent by the sight of Luna’s wings, one was bent at a wrong angle and both had the majority of their feathers frayed and broken. She was clearly not taking flight again soon, but what was worse was the tip of her horn was missing as well. Probably only a fraction of an inch, barely noticeable, but until she could get it re-filed and adjust her spell focusing she was without the use of her horn for anything more complex than a light charm.
“Medic!” Twilight shouted, looking back to both the thestrals and the griffons, before turning to check the larger mare’s vitals.
A pair of griffons escorting one of the thestrals arrived in seconds.
Twilight moved to let the thestral over to the downed alicorn.
He began prodding her and feeling head and neck, leaning her head over carefully, he pinched open one of the alicorn's eyes and shaded it from the sun with a hoof only to pull his hoof away again a second later, “She has a concussion..." he said, carefully resting her head on the ground before prodding her barrel, articulating her legs, and inspecting her busted wing. “-and I would say any other normal mare would be losing this wing, but I see it’s already starting to heal.” he said before twisting it with a sickening crack. He inspected it again, opening it and closing it naturally, though twilight could see it articulating in places where there were no joints. Twilight could feel bile rising into her throat.
The medic nodded, closing the wing, “That will need splinted.” he said gesturing behind her. She turned to see he was speaking to an arriving team of griffon medics that were arriving on the scene. A griffon with a medic's armband dutifully began bracing the wing.
As Twilight watched on, one of the griffon medics began poking at her, and while she wanted to force him away, or at least turn his focus to Luna, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
“And her horn looks fine.” the thestral medic said, bringing back Twilight’s attention, “Though you’d probably know much better than I princ- uh, Empress.” the thestral medic said, standing.
Twilight looked down at the tip of Luna’s horn. Yeah... She’s going to need to settle for the rounded look for a while, at least until enough has regrown for it to be re-profiled. Twilight chuckled in a detached way as she pictured Luna with the rounded tip favored by parents for their unicorn children and those who prefer to not put holes in their pillows or stab their special someones by accident in the night. She had kept her own horn rounded until Celestia had recommended she go for the more “alicorn-esque” pointed look. Twilight now wondered if it was actually about looking majestic and powerful, or if it was just because Celestia’s own horn would look silly without it’s nearly absurd needle-pointed length.
As twilight mused, the object of her musing stirred.
"Luna! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to fall like that! Well, I did, but not like this!" Twilight rushed forward to support her as she stumbled.
"Nay Twilight, pay it no mind." Luna said with a casual tone incongruent with the state of her body, "Rather, A celebration is in order! I had not expected you to best me like this! Though to use such under-hoofed tactics! Again your persona of an innocent mare led me astray, and I even knew of your ruse!"
Clearly Luna could see the confusion on Twilight's face, because she continued with the tone of a parent not fooled by their child's lie.
“You knew you couldn’t best me in outright and honorable combat, so you used my retainers to distract me. Celestia would curse you for under-hoofedness, but only because she has grown soft!” she let out a short laugh, “I accept my loss, and deem it honorable! You have bested me in single combat, and I accept your intention and aim! Make me proud Twilight Sparkle! I desire to see you claim all Equuis in your name!”
Luna painfully lowered herself into a full bow, “I accept you, O Twilight, Empress of Griffondom. May your conquest continue with the blessings of the moon.” she rose, wavering on her hooves, “I must return to Equestria, but you may hold my knights in my stead. T’would be ill fitting for me to do any less. I pray you will guide them well.”
Twilight just stood there, first in concern, but that was quickly overcome with burning frustration as the blue alicorn turned and began limping off.
Seizing control of her senses Twilight shot forward.
“Oh no you don’t!" she shouted , throwing a barrier around Luna, "I am NOT letting you just walk away after all this! Firstly, I am not letting you wander off while in such bad condition, and secondly you owe me an explanation! Tell me what's going on!"
"There is no need to keep up appearances for me Empress, not only have I seen through your ruse, I have already been swayed to your cause! Though..." she said, turning her head to examine the state of her wings "You may have a point about traveling in such a state. My legs may be bruised and tired, and my wings may be far from fit to fly, but there is yet one more way for me to return! I wish you the best Twilight! I shall spread the word of your conquest!"
With that, Luna charged her magic, and before Twilight could alert the larger mare to the apparently unnoticed state of her horn, the magic she had been channeling released in an explosion that sent Twilight sprawling.
"Oh no no no no!" Twilight chanted as she recovered, noticing a distinct lack of Luna in the area. She moved to the site of the explosion, scanning the ground and air with her horn.
"Ma'am?" a worried voice asked, it was the thestral medic again, "What happened?"
Twilight allowed her horn to fade and released a sigh of relief.
"Luna tried to perform a long-range teleport without adjusting her spell focus for her damaged horn. The teleportation succeeded, so the spell's landing site was clear, but who knows where she ended up, and with how ill formed the spell's execution was, I doubt she-" Twilight stopped herself, bringing her hoof to her chest and taking deep breaths, "Luna is probably lost, and in no doubt worse shape than she started... which was pretty bad to begin with."
She exhaled again, this was just another worry on her plate. She would need to tell Celestia, and then attempt to trace the-
“Mistress! Are you alright?” A familiar griffoness called out interrupting her thoughts. Twilight shook herself before nodding, “The generals pass along their congratulations for your masterful dispatch of this situation. Masterful forethought, how did you know that Luna would turn her forces over to us? Speaking of which where is Luna?"
"She teleported with a broken horn. She's probably on the other side of the planet, knowing my luck."
Twilight looked over to the thestrals who looked tired, but otherwise no worse for wear.
"Oh, well, okay then." she dismissed casually, "Then would you like me to escort these... guests? prisoners? to their quarters? I prepared rooms, but if we need, the dungeons can fit them."
Twilight put a hoof to her temple and massaged her aching head, "Sure. Please take our guests to some decent accommodations. And bring their commander to me in a few hours. Preferably after I've had a nap. I'll need to speak to them about what just happened."
"As you wish my empress" the former empress said as she bowed before the nearby griffons began carrying out her orders escorting the thestrals away.
In a daze Twilight stood there just allowing herself to process where she was and what was going on around her. With detached amusement, she realized that she was almost becoming comfortable, the chaos around her was becoming familiar. It was as if the life of panic-induced struggles to save the world, or a species, or just herself was now becoming trivial.
Ever since the Emperor's letter- No, really this had all begun that fateful day before the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration when it all really began. Things had just picked up the pace since the arrival of that letter.
She sighed, watching the thestral unit being peacefully marched off.
They were soldiers, trained specifically to fight! Luna’s personal unit no less! Trained by an ancient warrior from a time where there were real wars that held the fate of nations in the balance! And yet she, quite seriously, had seen more combat than any of them. Maybe even Luna herself by this point.
Granted, things were much different back in Luna’s day, but that doesn’t mean that the fight with the Changelings or Tirek were any less pivotal.
She was, quite possibly, the most battle-hardened being on the planet. There was the possibility that Celestia, or maybe that ancient dragon Centraga, may have been in the running, but history was only spotted with eras of occasional war, never before had there been such a quick progression of threats fit into a single lifespan.
...or at least that was what the histories she had read seemed to say.
Recent events had cast significant doubt about such record’s legitimacy though.
So much of history seemed to have been “one thousand years” ago in the history books back home. So much, in fact, as to be profoundly suspicious… inconsistencies she had dismissed as errors on the parts of the writers and historians now seemed conveniently similar…
Perhaps before anything else came up, or even if something else did come up, it may be time to read that journal and do some duly needed and well deserved research.
She let out a sigh. She wanted Spike back. She had left him behind when she had come to the Empire, making up an excuse to keep him out of harm's way, but now she wished he could be there with her, adding his particular insight and juxtaposing commentary to her ridiculous circumstances.
And a hug.
She really could use a hug right now.
“Twilight!”
Twilight’s eyes went wide, tearing up as if by divine providence her desires were answered.
She watched as a griffon landed before her and the purple and green fixture of her life hopped off of the griffon's back.
They met half way, Twilight scooping up the equally excited dragon into a firm hug.
“I missed you Twilight! Things were crazy back in Equestria! The drill sergeant guy said I was in charge and made me give orders, which was actually kind of cool, but then ponies started showing up and started asking me about rationing and reparations and work camps and wing clipping and a whole bunch of stuff! I just told them all that you would handle it when you got back, but then you didn’t come back with the soldiers and your letter was strange and then Princess Luna passed by us with her thestrals and wouldn’t speak to me…”
He squeezed tightly against the lavender alicorn he knew could handle any situation, his rock in the crazy life he had been born into.
Twilight squeezed back, clearing her throat so her voice wouldn’t break when she spoke.
“I missed you too Spike.”
The little dragon laughed as he nuzzled into her neck.
“Sorry Twi, I know it’s only been a few days, but you have no idea how crazy it’s been...”
Twilight just laughed, rolling her eyes, and placing the drake on her back as the pair made their way back to the palace.
"I may have some idea."