Author's Notes:
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Post Common Era Chapter Four/Pre-War of Stars Chapter Four: An Attack From Home/Hearing Voices Again
“His highness might not care if you are rude, but I do, never once has he let a poor pony suffer if he hears about it, and he can only do so much without emptying the palace coffers, which is the one thing he doesn’t have the authority to do without the princesses approval, not that he wouldn’t emotionally, but Princess Twilight has usually played the voice of logic in those instances. the royal coffers would never be able to fund feeding all the poor in Equestria. His highness doing this is not something to be taken lightly—and you are not even listening to me are you?” asked Shadow Step as Willow Leaf was currently hugging a few foals telling them the good news, they were going to be safe, they were going to be living in the palace!
“Wow Miss Willow Leaf! How’d you manage that?” asked a young colt and the mare gave a sad smile, she wasn’t going to tell them that it cost her her freedom so far as she was concerned.
“Miss Willow Leaf is going to be Princess Willow Leaf, his highness Masao Darkheart asked for her hoof in marriage” said Shadow Step and the fillies all went starry eyed while the colts expressions varied from sadness to happiness. Willow Leaf on the other hand scowled at the bat pony who just ignored her, deciding that the foals were far more interesting and he was right a few of them had managed to strip the guardspony of his ceremonial blade, without the stallion realizing it, and Keeper Two nodded these children had a great future to look forward to especially if any of them wanted to join ESIS, he was sure that the Grand Elder would be happy to have such skill under his command.
- - -
Upon reaching the palace, having kept the foals together only through Shadow Step’s training, and the foals’ love for Willow Leaf, they met Princess Celestia who had been touring the grounds, she beamed quite widely when her eyes caught sight of the foals and even wider when she realized who they were with.
“I should have known my sister as correct, I take it these foals are the reasons as to why you stole the Elements of Harmony jewels?” asked the solar princess and Willow Leaf nodded curtly but did nothing to stop the foals from running up to the princess who took precious care to play with them.
“Your highness, your sister’s husband has offered these children refuge here in the palace” said Shadow Step and Celestia took a look at him trying to place his face.
“And you are?”
“Keeper Two, Equestrian Strategic Information Service, at your service, your highness”
“Ah yes, Masao’s spies… I would prefer it if you didn’t converse with me, regardless of what Masao and my sister have said, I see little reason for a spy group in Equestria” said the princess as Masao chose that moment to walk up to the group.
“Better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them” he challenged the solar princess and she scoffed before her expression softened at the sight of the foals once again.
“Come little ones I am sure Miss Willow Leaf and Prince Masao have a lot to talk about” said the princess as she led them to the gardens Willow Leaf biting her lip almost bursting to say that she wasn’t going to be separated from them, but she remembered her deal.
“So when is it happening?”
“When is what happening?” asked Masao and the green earth pony mare glared at him, “OH! The wedding? When you actually want to marry me for me, and not as payment for services rendered”
“So you are—”
“You know what, just stop it, I am helping these foals out of the goodness of my heart, and I would regardless whether it was you or somepony else that pointed out their plight to me. You need to stop being so cynical!” said Masao as he whipped around and started to walk off.
“Sorry” mumbled Willow Leaf making Masao stop not understanding her.
“What was that?” he asked turning to face her.
“I said, ‘sorry’ alright? Normally ponies don’t care one way or another about what happens to some random kid who lives on the street, I know most of the ponies I saw growing up didn’t” Masao nodded before sitting on the grass, much to the surprise of the earth pony.
“I suppose it can seem that way, but everypony that has come to the night court have always asked the same thing, ‘please help those poor foals’ and we try to, not all of them trust us. It doesn’t help that the ones we do help never go back to tell their friends that they are fine, that we helped them find a home safe and sound. Though I believe that is because that they don’t want to be reminded of where they came from, a pity really, because your past is what makes you, you, and to pretend that past didn’t happen is to pretend that you aren’t who you are today” said Masao much to the surprise of the green mare she plopped down on her rear and thought about what he said.
- - -
So she thought about it, over the course of several years and whether she liked it or not she grew closer to the human, his good moods were infectious when he played with the foals, but sometimes she caught him looking at them longingly as if he wanted some of his own.
“Masao… I…”
- - -
“No Keeper Two, you are not recruiting them”
“With all due respect, Miss Willow Leaf, that is not your decision”
“No but it mine”
- - -
“Now pronounce you—wait what is—” there was a whirring noise as Prince Masao stood presiding over the ceremony of one of the foal who were getting married.
“EVERYBODY DOWN!” said a unicorn as he used his magic to knock Masao over and knock the two young ponies away from each other as a missile burst through the window, which exploded as soon as it hit the ground, but the explosion was contained as four magic bubbles wrapped around it, one being a dark purple one, one a lavender, one golden, and one that was light blue, it burst through the first two, but was significantly weakened by the time it made it to the third one which held it before bursting from the remaining strength of the explosion, Masao growled angrily at the interruption and vowed that he was going to get to the bottom of it, and ordered the ESIS agent that was nearby to take the remains of the missile to his office and await further orders.
“T̙͍͓̠̯̼ͨ͆h͙͔̖͈̻̠̄ͨ͆ͤ̽͌̑ͅe̺̫̻̮͔͒̃̽ͅy̸̖̩͎̓̂ ̮͚̻̻̓͊ͦ̑ͫ͆͡å̬͚̭͓̦̪̂̄͋̏ͅr̷͙̪̱̺͇͙ͤȇ͖̦ͮͬ̒̿̌ ̭́̓̒̽̀̂h͚̖̩̗ḙ̭̲ͣͥ͊r͒̒̓ͤ̓ͥ̚é̖̪̞̝̮̯͎̒ͯ͛͌̚,̡͚̲̭̘̖͈͌ͪͪ̇̈̒̈́ ̳̤͖̦͉̉̓̿̽̋̕p͕ͩ̽e̞͈͇͓̯̭ͭ̀ͬ̇͋ṟ̨̱͈̠͉ͨ͊ͅh̞̫̬̺̦ͩ̽́̂ͪa̭ͧ̅p̦̯̠͕͕̮̹̌s̩̻̣̔͂ͬ̇ͧ ̨̞͙̝̈́̎i̹͕t̫̳̞̓̂̓̏ͫ͠ ̘̩͎̹̟̉̀̌͛͞ḭ̰̠̙̘͌ͥ̀͌ͨ̍́s̤̝ͧ̀ͯ̌ͩ͘ ͏̖̟t̢͉i̠͉͔͚ͨ̂̂ḿ̙̫̙̜̳̯͊̀e͔͇͇̞̲̩̓ͣ ͛͗͜I̗͖̎̌̓ͣ ̖̣̰̖͎̈́̆̅̊͂ͪ͋̕i̼̟͖̇́͐͛̍͘n̲̫̲͖̯̽̋̓̍͐͌̈́͢tͤ̉̃̎̾҉̫̱̖̠͉r̙͉͓͔̦̳͋ͥ͜o̝͇̼̭͎̣͕d̩̫̜͊͒̋͊ȗ̒͑̚͟c̟͎͉͉̄͌ͪe͛̇ͭͣͨ̄͏̹̲̲̟d̗͙̮̭͕̥̫ͥ̂͛ͦͥͫ̕ ̣̰̠̥̂ͥͫͦ͆̈̾m̜͚͈͙͕̯ͫͤy̧̳̣sͧ͠e̡̞͈̞͊́ļ̺͕̮̼f͆̈͑̐,̯̮̯͊͐̈̋̿̅͘ ͇̬̹͓̓ͤ̍̔͗̏I̸̻ͯͭ̓ͤͣ̅ ̻̜͎̳̜̪̼ͨ͋a̝͕̜̺̬m̤̏̔͊͋͗̄ ̸͕̤̝̦͈̅̿T̶̮̯͆̂̈́̃̌ͦz̛͉̙̠̭̩͓̺ͦ͛ͨe̮̲̬͉͙̻̽̓̅ͮͭ̏̅ë́̓͗̈́̚͝n̔̒̌t̗̖̮͊̐̅̂̓ͪ̀c̤̲ḥͧ̈”
“Nope, I am going to pretend I didn’t hear the name of the Chaos God of Change, he doesn’t exist!”
D̵̹͎͙͂̎̈́̋͑ͩ̒o̞͍̩̫̩̠ͨn̻͎̜͗͌̑'̼̇̂̏̄̊̒ͤț̣̹͖̙ͭ̂͗͐ͩ ̨̙̰Ỉ̬̳͚͔̣̦͎ͪͯ̉?̨̦̎͆̇̓͒̓ ̩͉͕ͩͧ͆̉͡A̜̜͈̯̪̩ͯͩf̬͘t̾ͮ͋̕ě̴̦͙͖̱̊ͨ̀ͮṛ̘͔̫͌̚̕ ̼̓ͭͭ̿͜aͣ̀͆ͅl̼̐ͮ̒l̺̣̤̥̺ͨͭ͗̀̚ ͚͙͇̘̫̼͠y͓͍͔̰ͬơ̲̻̣̭̝u̙̔ͫ̌̾ ͍̊̾̑̒̋̃a̤̜͇̠̳̰r̻͉̔͠ë͙͔̮̙̤̲͐͛́ͯ ̭i̹͉̩̿̒̾͊̐ͯ͆͟ͅn̛͖̹̫̫̬ ͍͈ͭͣ̔̽̉͜a͔͖ͩ̒ͤ̉̈͒ ̫̑ͩ̐̀͑͑̈́ẅ͉̰̪́o̫̊͒̀̕ř͖̈́͂̃l̬͙̟̠̠͈̿d̝͓̘͉̖ ̶͔͈̿ͩͩ̔͛̂̇f̟̲̪̭͔̘̰̑ͧ̓͒̋̌͛͡u̴̲̣̪͓͉̲͍͂ͯ̂̃ͪl̵͔ḷ̥͉̠ͬ̓ ͦ̾̓͟o̡̹̪͋ͯḟ͆ͯͨͨ ͍̤͆̋̂̈ͣͥ̚͡c͇̪͈̰͌̿a̧͍̱͍̰͉n͍̺͈̐ͣͯ̈́͗́d̮̹͖ͭ̈͟y̝̮̙̲͖̼̌ͦ̎͡ ̡̖̯̲̉ͫ̑c̬̹̣̹̑͡ọ̖͎͉̟͗ͦ̒l̥̂̋͛̀͞ơ͓̮͕̠̤̹̩ͥ̊ͮr͌ḛ͇̥̰̲ͣ̒ͥ̒ͫ̎̕d̛̙̝̬̩͔̈́ͯ̎ ̖͔̞͚̓̌̊̇͆͊̏h̠͈̙ͧ͊ͬo̢͖̭̔͋ͨͨ͐ͤr̺̗̺̳ͣ͂s̔ͪ̔͡e̶͙̟ͨs̨͈̩̏̓͐ͯ,̨̦̳̠̲ͥ͒̽ͅ ͦ̀͏̱͚̬̝̲y̰͖̰͕̠̙͔ͭ̂͜o̮͕͖̫͎ụ̺̇̓̔́ ͓̭͚̞̳̭̹̉ͨ̄ͯ̒͟w͇͓̮̙̲̱̥ͨ̾̏̌ͬ̆ͫi͍̝̭̭ͪ̔̀ͮ͘ͅe̩̞̳̦̜̫͖̓l̛͚͇̞͆̉̄̏̒̈́̓d̸͖̹̗ͪ̾ͧͭͨͬ͐ ̑̋͏̰͖̯̘ͅt̠͈͇͇͚ͤ̏̇ͣh̜͝e̱̣ͦ͟ ̐̓҉͍͔͓̱̪͔͎p̷̣͍̮ͅo̱̖̮̟̗͂ͦ̐́̔͘ẅ͙̹̤͔́̾̈ͩẹ̮̦̜̪̖͔ͧ̊ͦ̍r̙̞ş͙̖͓̖̠̩̗ͣͬ̈ ̈͡ȯ͈̹͖̭̽͗̐̓ͧ̑f̳̗͚̺͔͓͗̂ͬ̏̀ ̥̦͖̜͍ͤ̅̇̄d̷͎̰̯̥̤̹̆͋̉ā̪͓̜̞̫ͯͦ͒̇r̸͈̲̊̑̓͛k̺̯̠̖͓͇ͣ͑́͗̅ṅ̿̚ē͂́̾s̲̝ͧͭ͂̽̐̒ş͖̬̞̼̰̳̊̋ ̜͚̰̠̮͓͖̇͑̏̃ͨa͕͉͚̗͕ͅͅs̞͓̠̙̲̭̰̆̉ͫ ̦̤̪i̹̪̞̼̩̭̼ͪ̓̊͆͑f̶̱̎̽ ̀ͨͧ͠ͅy̹̤̙͚̰̥̍͆ͧ̂ͧo̬̜̥̰̲̻ͭ͌̎́̓̎u͓͕̺͔͓̠̗ͬͥ̊ ̧̜̬̽̈ͥh͎ͭa͓̯̰̒ͤ͒̏v͚ͦ͛ͩ͠ͅe̳̓ͥͣ ̲̲̙̰u̫̯̖͓̼̰̙n̟͇̻ͫ̒̌͒̓̚l̈́̌͌ͥ҉̫̩o̸̘̤̹̟ͤ̏ͦͭͥͣc͒̽ͤ̆͘k͉̳͇͕̤̪̂ͯe͌ͯͫͩ̌ͤͧd̷̻̫͊ ̘̲͍͉͖͕͐ͪ̋ͭy̮̩̭̫̟̠ͥo̦͙̳̦̚u̡͓̱͋r͒̅ͯ̾͟ ̫̪̦h̹̲͗ě̡̦̹͓́̊̆ͫ̌a̘͈̪̻̟̳ͨ͋́r̷͕̖̬̺͓̊̈ẗ͉̳͈̬̘̳ͣ͛̎̈́̚̚.̶̅ͮ̉̅ͤ̏̈ ͇̠͘S̜̬̖ͨ̒̀o͕̩̯̖̭̽̀̆ͨ̉̚ ͧ͂̉҉̙̩̞̳̲̘ͅw̦ͨ͊ͯ̔h͚̖̪̮̰̭͐̎y̤̲̩̹̣̭̾ͦͮ̀ͅ ͌͛ͧ҉̘͈̯c͉̬̠̔̌͋ͦ̇͌ͧ͞ä̧͎̘͔̜̪ͮ͒̄ͦ̋n͍̘͚̫̺̍̾͆͑ͥ̀̓̕'̪̍̆ͪ̒̌t̲͇ͨ̅̐́ ̲̺̰͕̻̜͋̆̿I͍̲͉͎ͣͤͨ̄ͧͭ̕ͅ ̡̏̇̀͆͋ͩ̇e̦͋͑͋͑x͎̼͚̤̭ͫ̓͗ͥ̍̋͢ĩ̟̲̟̩ͯ͗s̭̞͔̲͓ͥͨ̑̃͐ͅͅt͈̣͇̺̣̬̔̚̕?̙͇̞̫̺ͭ̀”
- - -
Masao walked out of the ceremony hall with a determined look on his face, he was going to find out who launched that attack, and then he was going to make them regret it, to tartarus with what this voice was saying, there was only so much he was willing to accept, and a Chaos God of Change talking to him was one of the things he was not…
Upon reaching his office inside of ESIS headquarters he picked up a piece of wreckage that survived the explosion and going wide eyed threw it away, there was no way! No way in hell! Using dark magic to cautiously levitate it back to him he looked at it once more…
There was no doubt, it was, but why? Why would they just up and attack? let alone how did they get here? For on the shard was a picture of a flag, a flag Masao had not seen in several millennia, since before he ended up in Equestria…