The next morning…
5:10
Fluttershy woke in a cold sweat. She glanced around, taking deep breaths to calm down. She sat up, and glanced over at her friends. They were still asleep, except for Dash, who was already stirring from her slumber.
***
The cyan mare sat up in her bed, stretching out her wings and rubbing one of her eyes. She folded her wings back up, and seized up as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Soft fur brushed against her ears as the pony that the arms belonged to pulled her close. Dash relaxed. She knew that softness of fur. A single word escaped her lips. “Fluttershy.”
There was a sniffle. Dash felt one of Fluttershy’s hands come up and begin stroking her hair, while the other pulled her in closer. Her friend’s sobs reached her ears. The words, “I’m sorry,” were repeated over and over as the mare shook.
Confused, Dash asked, “F-for what?”
There was no answer. Dash remained in her larger friend’s embrace, still confused as to why her friend was apologizing to her.
************
8:30
Princess Luna tapped her fingers together. The pony that she had requested to meet her in her office had not arrived yet.
She glanced out of the corner of her eye at one of the jackalopes walking around the room, specifically the one that she had ordered to relay the message. “Artcus, are you entirely sure that you delivered the message?”
The jackalope started, and then nodded. “Y-yes, Your H-highness. I-I gave the scroll to the Major General, as you commanded.”
The alicorn sighed. She began leaning back in her chair.
“Gettin’ bored already?”
Snapping back to reality, Luna felt her cigar fall from her mouth as she sat back up. A glow of emerald magic encircled the object, and it floated back up to its owner’s mouth.
Luna snatched the cigar out of the magic field and stuck it in her mouth. “Lord General, you’ve finally arrived.”
“Yes. You know that I would rather be attending to my other duties.”
“Your scotch and paperwork can wait, Aureus.”
The officer shrugged. Luna stood, and gestured for the officer to follow her. Aureus merely nodded.
***
Aureus looked down at the map again, and frowned. “The Dark Valley.”
“Yes.”
The officer sighed. “I have twenty-four thousand Solar Legionnaires at my command. Will they be enough?”
The Princess nodded. “Just a few will suffice, though. About two or so companies worth. I am leading this expedition. Also, five of the Chosen and Princess Twilight’s Number One Assistant will join as well.”
Aureus glanced up at the Princess. “Do any of these six have experience in combat?”
“No. Except for the Chosen of Kindness.”
“Oh?”
“She’s a Primaris Psyker.”
Another sigh escaped the officer. She grumbled.
“She will be of use to us, Aureus.”
A shrug. “If you say so, My Lord.”
“Will the Seventy-Seventh be ready by the twenty-seventh?”
“Yes,” Aureus nodded, “I will inform my Brigadier Generals. We will march with you.”
“Good. Good.”
The Lord General turned away. Luna spoke again, “Would you like to meet Princess Twilight?”
“I suppose. Lead the way, My Lord.”
************
8:50
The sound of knocking drew Twilight’s attention to the doors of her chambers. “Long Stride, get the door.”
“Aye.”
The Praetorian crossed the room from his charge’s side as he followed her orders. He pulled the door open, slightly. “Ah. Princess, Lord General, Lord Inventor. Hello.”
Stepping back and pulling the door all the way open, he gestured to his left. “She’s over there.”
Twilight looked over at her visitors. Princess Luna had entered, along with a mare and a stallion, both unicorns. The three ponies approached Twilight and stopped in front of her.
The mare, wearing an officer’s Royal Guard Stormwinds Mark V armor with a white, silver-trimmed cloak over it, silently looked the princess over. The stallion, six stones heavier than most unicorns, smiled slightly when he saw the princess. He bowed and said, “Princess Twilight, it is an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is mine, My Lord.”
The stallion smiled. “I am Cinnabar Cogwheel, the Lord Inventor.”
Twilight smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you! You helped develop the Fourth Iteration of the Stormwinds Pattern Powered Battle Armor during your tenure at the Royal Guard Development Center!”
“Among other things,” Cogwheel stated coolly, “I have made many inventions in my time. But the greatest honor that my inventions brought me is being appointed to Lord Inventor by Her Exalted Highness.”
Twilight nodded, and looked to the other pony in the room. “Who are you?”
The mare bowed and spoke. “I am Lord General Aureus Denarius. I command the Seventy-Seventh Elite Assault Division of the Royal Guard’s Solar Legion. It is good to finally meet the Empire’s newest Alicorn Princess.”
“I am glad to meet you as well, General,” Twilight replied, smiling. “I suppose you both know who I am?”
“Yes,” Lord Cogwheel responded, “you are Twilight of the House Sparkle, First of Her Name, Alicorn Princess, Chosen of the Element of Magic, Called the Ascendant.”
“Your titles are few and modest. You shall gain many more titles over your immortal life, Your Highness.” General Denarius added, smiling, “Then your titles will be many and mighty.”
Twilight’s face flushed and she stammered, “I-I suppose. T-that w-would be n-nice.”
“Indeed,” Luna agreed, “but that day is not today. Come, General Denarius, we have much to do. Lord Cogwheel, go and do your duty.”
Lord Cogwheel nodded and bowed, before he turned and left the room. Luna and General Denarius, who bowed, followed shortly afterwards.
Long Stride, who had been standing by the door the entire time, closed the door. Wearing a bemused expression, he spoke. “That was fast. Lord Cogwheel usually talks for much, much longer. I suppose Princess Luna has something that really needs to be done, and that Lord Cogwheel and General Denarius must have picked up on it.”
“Yeah,” Twilight said, “there must be something. But what is it?”
“I’m sure we’ll find out.”
Twilight simply nodded.
************
Two days later…
10:35
Princess Luna sat on her office’s balcony, staring out at the city below. She was looking east, not at anything particular. Her eyesight, much greater than those not cut from the same cloth as her and her house, allowed her to see the finer details of things. She shook her head and thought out loud. “None of these modern buildings are particularly durable. Won’t stand in a siege. No walls, either. Not past the Old City, anyway.”
“Sieges like the ones you’re used to are one of those things that are in days long since past, dear Auntie.”
Luna smirked. She replied, “Ven. Purest of my niblings. Figured it was you who entered so quietly.”
Ven chuckled. “A hunter must be quiet, no? If a hunter is not quiet, the prey gets away.”
“And the hunter goes home empty-handed, aye. But none, hunter or prey, are so quiet as to escape my hearing.”
Ven smirked. He simply nodded in agreement.
Luna rose from her seat and nodded to her nephew. “I must be off to the Reliquary. I need to make sure my sword is ready.”
Ven’s smirk turned into a smile. “Of course, Auntie. Don’t let me stop you.”
With that, Luna left.
Her nephew tarried for several moments, taking a long glance at his aunt’s desk. He shook his head, and left the room as well, closing the door behind him.