Shining Armor woke up slowly, to the sound of knocking on his door. He looked over at Cadance, who raised her head slightly and gave him the kind of bleary, half-lidded smile she always seemed to wake up with. Cadance, as the captain had quickly learned, was a slow riser, and in fact had warned him on at least a few occasions not to let her make any important decisions until she'd been out of bed for at least a few hours.
The knocking started again, and Shining Armor reluctantly dragged himself out from under the covers and started putting on his Royal Guard officer's jacket. Taking up residence in the room across from his Ponyville field office at Engines Equestria had turned out to be a double-edged sword. It meant that ponies stood a pretty good chance of finding him when he was needed, but it also meant they could find him when he was trying to sleep.
"Somepony break something important again?" Cadance asked sleepily.
"Either that or Blueblood's trying to make himself feel special with another surprise inspection." Shining Armor grumbled. Shining had received official reports and unofficial seething, complaint-filled rants about his least-favorite in-law's habit of barging into the Canterlot branch of Engines Equestria at random, claiming to be 'inspecting the premises' on behalf of Princess Celestia, ruffling proverbial and literal feathers in every possible way with each visit. Rumor had it that Celestia had placed her self-important nephew in protective custody, but whether the protection was for him or Engines Equestria was a matter of some debate.
Blinking sleepily and trying to look like he thought the pony who'd woken him up had a good reason for it, Shining Armor opened the door. A dark gray pegasus pony with black, leathery wings -one of Princess Luna's nocturnal Night Guard- saluted him.
"Captain, Ambassador Rainbow Dash is looking for you," the Night Guard said, "she has urgent news regarding Twilight Sparkle-"
"She found my sister?! Where? When?" Shining grabbed the guard by the shoulders, his heart suddenly racing, "is she all right?"
"A-all I know is R-Rainbow Dash has n-news about her," the guard stammered. Shining Armor realized that he'd been shaking the enlisted stallion, and let go.
"Where is she?" Cadance asked, suddenly at her husband's side. She showed no trace of sleepiness, though her mane and tail were the chaotic mess they were every morning.
The guard gave a quick bow and answered, "on the wall, above the southern gate. She also-" The pegasus stopped talking as both Cadance and Shining Armor raced to the building's exit.
The addition of a second gate in Ponyville's rapidly-growing stone wall had been a decision that Shining Armor had originally been against. Putting the gate in the wall's southern side had been, he felt, a particularly bad idea, as it gave a potential Cryxian invasion force a large weak point in Ponyville's defenses. However, Luna herself had called for a southern gate, so the wall's plans were modified to allow massive, wooden double doors in a gap that was going to be solid stonework by the time the barrier was complete. Still, he had to accept that such an opening would also allow Equestrian forces to exit the wall and attack Cryxians before they reached it, a logical deduction he hoped was sound. Of course, Princess Luna was vested with the royal power to overturn any of his command decisions anyway, so he had to accept it. This southern gate had been erected just hours after the Cygnaran attack on Ponyville, and while the stonework around it was complete, the wall still had a significant gap over the nearby river.
True to the guard's word, the Captain and the Princess found Rainbow Dash on the stonework above the gate, looking expectantly out at the Everfree Forest. "Rainbow Dash!" Shining Armor said, causing her to turn towards him as he rushed up the steps beside the gate.
"Oh, there you are," Dash said, turning back to the forest, "I guess that guard found you, huh?"
"He said you know where Twilight is," Cadance said, landing gracefully next to the pegasus.
"What happened to my sister?" Shining asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.
"That, uh, that's a really long story," Dash said, seeming uncomfortable, "and honestly? I don't know most of it. She'll be here soon, though. She's helping out the Cygnarans a little, first."
"Helping the Cygnarans?" Cadance asked, seeming confused, "you told her they attacked us, didn't you?"
"Yeah, turns out that was some pack of traitors trying to make life harder for their king," Dash explained, "something about getting us to declare war on Cygnar or something. Twilight's got an actually loyal Cygnaran named Allister Caine helping her with some things, and in return she's gonna help him make sure those guys don't come back for another round. Oh, she promised Caine he'd get a chance to explain all this to Princess Celestia, too. I'd be helping out, too, but she wanted me to come and tell you instead."
"What, exactly, is she getting help with?" Shining Armor asked. He didn't know Rainbow Dash very well, but it wasn't like her to be this vague. Normally, she said exactly what she meant, sometimes a bit more bluntly than she should.
"Well, uh, I dunno how to explain it, but..." Dash began nervously. "Oh look! Here comes Caine now, Twilight should be with him!" She pointed excitedly at the forest. Sure enough, a figure in a long, leather coat had emerged from the gloom onto the moonlit field, with a compliment of warjacks behind him. In the center of the group was a 'jack that appeared to be carrying something.
"Yeah," Dash affirmed, "Twilight should be... with... oh..." She trailed off as all three ponies realized what, or rather, who, the warjack was carrying. Shining Armor leaped off the wall, using levitation magic to break his fall as the princess and pegasus took wing.
Rainbow Dash reached the warcaster and his machines first, landing directly in front of the Cyclone. "Is she all right?!" The pegasus demanded of Caine, "is Twilight okay?!"
"She's breathing and she's got a pulse," Caine answered, "she said she was just exhausted, but I think she needs medical attention." The heavy warjack obligingly lowered its arms slightly so Dash could inspect its charge. Twilight was indeed sleeping deeply, cradled in the machine's arms. Dash turned around as Cadance and Shining Armor caught up to her.
"She's alive, but she doesn't look good," Dash summarized for Shining Armor and Cadance as they caught up to her, "I'll take her to the hospital, I'm the fastest." Without waiting for a reply, the pegasus took Twilight from the Cyclone and flew back towards Ponyville.
"So, you're Captain Allister Caine, I take it?" Shining asked.
"I am indeed," Caine said.
"Captain Shining Armor, Equestrian Solar Royal Guard," Shining introduced himself, "this is my wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-"
"Princess Cadance is fine," Cadance interrupted reflexively.
"Yes," Shining said, "now, Captain Caine, I want to thank you for bringing Twilight back to us,"
"Well, it was her idea, really," Caine admitted, "although Dash made it clear that she was pretty important around here."
"Come with us, Captain," Shining turned around and started back towards Ponyville, Cadance and Caine falling into step on either side of him. "Twilight is my sister, so I'm grateful to you for bringing her back. On a national level, she has saved Equestria from several potential disasters. She's been officially declared a national hero, in fact. On top of that, she's a personal friend of the Princesses Celesta and Luna."
"Rainbow Dash did suggest that Twilight could get me a meeting with Celestia, although I guess I'll have to wait for her to wake up," Caine put in.
"Let Twilight rest," Cadance said, "My aunt Celestia will probably come here when we tell her that Twilight's back, I can get her to meet with you."
"I'd be grateful, we need to hash out this business of Cygnaran troops attacking your country." Caine said.
"Rainbow Dash mentioned traitors to the Cygnaran crown," Shining said. "You'll get your chance to explain all of this. For now, you should probably stick around Ponyville."
Twilight Sparkle stood in the middle of an open field. The sky above her was cloudless, and dominated by a bright, full moon. Not the three moons that orbited Caen according to their own ineffable patterns, but the single moon guided by Princess Luna around Equestria's original planet. Luna's moon loomed large in the sky, and Twilight had the impression that it was much closer to her than usual.
"Twilight Sparkle, at last you've returned," the unicorn immediately recognized Luna's voice.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight bowed, "I... don't know where we are. I remember fighting, Captain Caine promised to take me to Equestria, and then... I don't know."
"It must be that this Caine made good on his word,," Luna said, "you are sleeping, Twilight Sparkle, and if my powers do not fail me, you are in Ponyville."
"Oh, good," Twilight said with a relieved sigh, "oh, Princess, I've had such a terrible time!" Before she could continue, Luna drew her into a tight hug.
"You're safe now, dear Twilight," Luna said comfortingly, "you've returned to Equestria, where my sister and I can watch over you."
"But Princess," Twilight argued insistently, "there are terrible things in the darkness! Their corruption is spreading constantly! It's only a matter of time before they come to Equestria!"
"Then I will crush them beneath my hooves," the princess replied. "For now, Twilight, you must rest. We will speak in person very soon." With that, Luna vanished, leaving Twilight to stare up at the pale moon.
Allister Caine first met Princess Celestia at Ponyville's town hall, in one of the formerly-unused offices that had been converted into an ad hoc command center by the Royal Guard. The Princess had arrived in Ponyville mere minutes after Caine had. He wasn't sure exactly how she had been informed so quickly, Shining Armor had said something Caine hadn't quite caught about a 'letter by dragon fire.' Caine sincerely hoped that Equestria's dragons were very different than those found elsewhere on Caen, and in any case he hadn't seen any evidence of dragon blight in Ponyville -even assuming the town could hide something as massive as a dragon.
Celestia had simply appeared in a flash of light, and had first checked on Twilight Sparkle in the hospital. After receiving a brief report from Shining Armor, the princess had agreed to meet with Shining Armor and Allister Caine, who had explained the situation as he understood it.
"Let me make sure I understand this," Celestia said, "Twilight was captured by Cryx, forced to serve as a warcaster for them, then made a deal with you to eliminate a traitorous unit of Cygnar's Fourth Army in exchange for you destroying the warjacks enforcing her servitude to the Nightmare Empire, am I right?"
"You are correct," Caine said, "I wish we could have nailed Magnus, too, but he was already gone. If Twilight had fed his soul to the Deathkjack, I, for one, wouldn't have lost any sleep over it."
"You're sure it was Asheth Magnus who led that attack?" Celestia asked.
"Sure as I can be," Caine replied, "The unit was led by a Captain named Ian Goddard, and he was proud to say that Magnus had hired him."
"If my memory is correct, Princess," Shining Armor said, "Asheth Magnus is Cygnar's second most-wanted criminal."
"He was number one until we found out that Vinter the Fourth is still alive," Caine said, "we had to drop Magnus to number two so Vinter could have the top spot."
"From what Victor Pendrake told me of Vinter Raelthorne, that seems reasonable," was Celestia's reply. Caine was having a hard time reading the Princess' body language. She wasn't like Rainbow Dash or any of the Wonderbolts, who generally expressed emotion very openly, making them easy to read even though Caine wasn't used to talking to magical pastel-colored ponies. Dash, in particular, wore her heart on her proverbial sleeve. Celestia, Caine concluded, was not someone he wanted to see across from him at a poker table.
"I'm more than a little disturbed by the degree of corruption you seem to think is present in your own military," Shining Armor pointed out.
"For several decades, the Fourth Army has been used as a dumping ground for soldiers we didn't quite trust, but couldn't prove anything worthy of a court-martial," Caine admitted running a hand through his hair, "it got really bad under Vinter the Fourth, whose usual response to reports of military corruption was to ask where his cut was. It's all coming back to bite us now."
Princess Celestia stared silently at Caine for several minutes, making the warcaster wish she would blink. Caine was starting to get the impression that he was out of his depth negotiating with the Princess. He still doubted the rumors that she was a living goddess, but it was clear to him that she was an ancient and powerful being. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision.
"Captain Caine, I am inclined to believe you in this matter," the Princess said. Caine resisted the urge to sigh in relief as she continued, "with that in mind, there is a matter in which I believe we may benefit from Cygnaran assistance." Caine had seen this coming. The implication was clear; Equestria would overlook the attack by Cygnar in exchange for a favor. Probably quite a big favor.
"I'll see what I can do for you," Caine said noncommittally. He had gone to Equestria with the understanding that he would be negotiating a truce, but was unwilling to promise much, given the threats Cygnar faced.
"That would be appreciated. Shining Armor," Celestia turned to the pony at her side, "please take the Captain here to Engines Equestria. I think we'll have to trust him with some of the details of Project Red River."
"Immediately, your majesty," Shining Armor bowed, then turned to Caine, "all right, come with me."