//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven: Essayons // Story: In Bello Praesidium // by Jean De Basse - Woolie //------------------------------// "The humans arriving in Canterlot made waves across Equestria, but that's about it. The ponies were in awe, the humans were front-page news for weeks. The rest of the world though? There were far more interesting stories than a new species of refugees elsewhere: large-scale riots in Saddle Arabia over grain shortages, rebellious Griffon Princes fighting the High-King's Legion in skirmishes, magical creatures emerging in the Crystal Empire, and the continued disappearances of ponies along the border of the Changeling territories. Not to mention the Zebras didn't even engage in international politics anymore since the First Kingdom's crusade." "No one outside of Equestria but the High-King and the Lord Protector of the Griffon Empire knew what had happened at New Stonebridge. The Knight-Commander had passed the word along to us at the embassy when she arrived, even marked the letter with the Black-Vogel's priority seal but...the Black-Vogels at this point were hardly respected within the Empire anymore. Just a place to post bastards and peasant 'knights' that couldn't be outright disowned." "There were just more pressing issues elsewhere. As far as the High-King was concerned he didn't need to devote any more resources to Sardonyx, seeing as the stallion's army had been crushed and his ritual prevented. Let the ponies deal the final blow. The High-King had done enough to save face. It's not as if the Saddle Arabian could do any more harm to the Empire." "History is full of misconceptions, isn't it?" -A quote from Lord Fredrick Aquilia of Pointed Rock CHAPTER SEVEN: ESSAYONS Danny found himself missing the slow spinning blades of the engines. He missed the heat of exploring the boiler room with Dusty Stove. He missed hitting his head against every other low-hanging pipe as he mentally took apart as much as he could. He missed the feel of the oil on his hands, the dust in his hair, and steam against his skin. Danny had been in heaven. Now, holding a rifle against an armored griffon, he found himself in hell as the crowd of his fellow cadets jeered and laughed. Charging forward, he mustered a battle cry as he swung his sheathed bayonet in a wide arc, attempting to clock Aloisia in her beak before the bottom of her pommel bashed into his stomach. A short gasp rang out from the crowd; the pain was immediate as he dropped his rifle and keeled over. His opponent showed him no mercy as her talon wrapped around his neck, choking him enough for him to sputter out a few ragged breaths. He could still breathe, but not enough for him to scream out his concession as loud as he wanted to. He heard her apologize as her grip tightened, "Sorry, but you need to work on that form." "Wha-" he tried rasping out in question before she interrupted him. Aloisia shifted her leg back as she pulled him down past her. Her elbow slammed the air out from behind him as he was shot into the deck of the ship. The planks stung as Danny, for all his strength, was tossed down like a sack of grain. Letting out a few curses and a choice set of colorful words, the ponies and cadets watching the sparring match dispersed as a few bits and cans of dip were traded discretely as bets were won and lost. Thankfully, It was over. Tasting copper on his tongue, a swelling pain prodded at his nose as Danny lifted himself up. A firm grip returned to his shoulder, but instead of pinning him back to the ground the griffon raised him to his feet. Her voice hummed out as she brushed off his overcoat, "I needed to make a point, and I had already bruised up most of Command Company making it. If you want to test something though, multiple experiments correct?" "That's a very methodical way to describe kicking my ass," grumbled out Danny Treptow as he tilted his head back to stop his nosebleed from staining his only white shirt an ugly shade of red. It had already been stained plenty by sweat and oil, not getting any blood on it was just a personal preference and a matter of pride at this point. Tossing him a bit of cloth Sharron crossed behind him shaking her head in mild amusement. "Today just isn't your day is it Danny-boy? Maybe 'Feathers' here 'ought to pick a fight with someone who's actually got experience?" Sharron teased as she arched her a brow at bit at Aloisia. Shifting in her armor, the griffon cocked her head to the side as she rolled her talon, "Sergeant Frontiero, right? I don't think you'll do much better, though I will admit. The story I heard about the diamond dog and those drumsticks from Byrd was most impressive," replied Aloisia as she returned up to her hind legs standing over the shorter Sharron. The tuft of feathers on her head tied back into a loose ponytail as her damaged armor clicked against her movements as she sized up the cadet. "Last three days you've been flying around ship to ship leading sparring sessions, weren't you wounded or something?" asked Sharron, Danny seemed to be the only one who noticed the slight twitch of Sharron's eyebrow when Aloisia mentioned the diamond dog. "I am, but a sprained wing and a few cracked ribs aren't slowing me down at wiping the floor with your peers. Your ability to fight at a range is most impressive, but you're all stuck in 'parade outfits' with nearly decorative knives on the end of your rifles. You need skill, equipment, and uniforms. I can at least teach 'skill' to many as I can before we arrive in Canterlot," said Aloisia as she wore a sly grin. "Think you taught your lesson plenty fine the first day when you threw your Delta-pal over your head into the other two opponents," said Danny as he tilted his head back down. The bleeding had tapered off as he remembered the rather comedic scene he'd watch from the deck of the Winged Victory as the Eternal Night had floated beside them. Aloisia's friend, Cantwell, had rushed forward immediately at the start of their match. Maybe he thought she'd go easy on him since way they'd been paling around or maybe he had a chance in beating her. She didn't show him any mercy, it was a quick fling over her shoulder, and the fight was over in seconds. "Well...then my lessons are welcome are they not? You know you lack the proper equipment, but here I am graciously providing you with free lessons," chuckled Aloisia as she leaned against her sword, her brow arching back to Sharron who continued to fume silently at the griffon. "How about I give you a free lesson too? I've got a plenty of experience with pugil sticks and six years of Jōdō..." grumbled Sharron as she walked towards where Danny's rifle fell to pick it up and rolled her neck out, trying her best to look threatening towards the griffon. Shrugging her pauldrons once, Aloisia nodded her head and waved her talon: she accepted the challenge. "Jōdō? Sounds Neighponese..." rumbled out a stallion's voice as Dusty Stove wandered up behind Danny. The brown coated stallion was covered in black soot that seemed to blend into his mane's color as a small cloud of ash escaped from him every time he made a tiny movement. Danny thought his 'cutie mark,' a magic butt tattoo that every pony had, was a stove of some kind or a boiler. The soot was always so thick on Dusty that he could never tell for sure. Slipping a few bits into his saddle bag, likely gained from bets against Danny, the stallion offered him a small smile. "Sort of...Sharron's mom is Vietnamese, but she grew up on Okinawa since her dad had been stationed there. Say Dusty, did you come up just to support me?" said Danny jokingly as he watched Sharron settle into a relaxed stance against the griffon who had begun to twirl the end of her sword in a threatening manner. "I think support is a strong term. I'd prefer to say 'profit' from you. Plus, now I can pay you back for letting me fool around with that...'phone' of yours. Didn't mean to crack its screen and junk, you just gotta understand: hooves," replied Dusty with a quiet laugh. The stallion managing to offer him an apologetic shrug that Danny waved off. Raking his hand through his hair, Danny wore a slight grin as he watched Sharron and Aloisia begin to circle each other. It wasn't Dusty's fault, well it was, but he couldn't blame him for being a bit curious. It's not like he was going to need his phone for a while anyway, "If we find an Apple store in Canterlot, I'll take you up on that offer." "Don't think the Apple family has any property up there," deadpanned Dusty as the sarcasm skipped over his head. "Right...well...no use in crying over spilled milk then," Danny said as he chuckled a bit. The ponies were a lot of things, but many of them could be quite literal. Or at least Dusty was, made him good to talk shop with about machines. Always lost him on the idioms though. "I didn't spill your milk, Danny. I broke your phone," said Dusty as he pulled the cracked, smashed remains of Danny's phone from his saddlebag and held it out to him. "I...nevermind," grumbled Danny as he turned his attention to focus back on the fight. Or at least lack thereof. Aloisia and Sharron continued to circle each other waiting for one of them to make a mistake. Occasionally Aloisia would change her stance, raising her sword above her head or hanging it low by her waist. Sharron would respond by extending her rifle out more or switching the placement of her feet and forcing their circle to twist in another direction. Aloisia almost looked like she was getting frustrated, the way her wrist turned holding the bottom of her sword was odd. Sharron didn't seem to notice it, the woman content to begin closing the gap between them. Her circular stalking shrunk the circle tighter and tighter as Aloisia's wrist began to twist and twitch as they drew closer. "Not so easy against someone who knows what they're doing, is it?" goaded Sharron as she lunged forward, attempting to clip the griffon with the sheathed bayonet. It looked like she'd misjudged the distance as Aloisia skipped back, her wrist finally stopped twisting as her talon held tightly onto the bottom of her sword in a strange grip. "I will admit, you know how to use a pointy-club better than your friends!" teased Aloisia as she dodged another lunge with an almost practiced ease. The griffon's stance opened as she continued to slide back. Sharron charged forward again, her stance switching to a low swing as she stabbed up towards the griffon. Twisting her blade down in a narrow circle, Aloisia slapped the bayonet away as she drove herself towards Sharron. The griffon's body roughly slamming itself into the cadet to knock her back before Aloisia retreated, raising her sword into a high-guard with an amused smirk. "I've been trying to figure out your style for the last few minutes, but I think I've got it now..." hissed Sharron as she raised the rifle back up. She lunged at the griffon with a quick feint that was easily parried before a fluid side-step allowed her to slap the butt of her rifle against Aloisia's back. The griffon's armor let out a short 'thunk' as she walked through the blow, twisting around in time to catch Sharron's next attack with the flat of her sword and shuffle back on her feet. "That was...Neighponese wasn't it? Too fluid to be Equestrian," questioned Aloisia as she paused, the griffon shifting her stance as the hand on the bottom of her pommel moved just a bit. "Close enough," grunted Sharron in a huff. It didn't take a genius to see that she was getting annoyed. Sharron liked winning: a lot. Danny remembered the bruises he had from her during his brief time on the Institute's mixed martial arts team. She granted him no quarter when it came to sparring matches. Sharron dashed forward again, determined to put Aloisia on the defense. Her swings and stabs, wild as they appeared, were fluid and controlled. Each swing led Sharron into another and another as she fell as a tidal wave against the griffon. Aloisia met her blow for blow though, her sword blocked or slowed any strike that got through into a light tap to her armor. Her talon remained tight around her pommel as the other gripped just below the hilt. "I'm going to have to...give you a real fight..aren't I?" said Aloisia through heavy breaths, the griffon's remark eliciting a loud cry from Sharron. The griffon managed to raise her sword's hilt up to catch the rifle as Sharron brought it in a downward slash, breaking the flow. Twisting her sword around in a quick circle, Aloisia swung the 'tip' of the bayonet out of Sharron's defense. The talon on her pommel shooting out to land a quick strike on Sharron's forehead as the griffon dashed back once again, Danny noticed that the ornate pommel that had bashed into his stomach was now missing from the bottom of Aloisia's sword. "You've been playing around...this whole time?" barked out Sharron, the woman twisting towards the griffon standing away from her. "Maybe...doesn't that just piss you off?" replied Aloisia as she shifted back into an open stance. Dashing towards the griffon again, Sharron charged at her with a flurry of curses. Twisting her hips, the griffon held her longsword against her chest in one talon for a brief moment as she whipped something out of her free hand towards Sharron. Danny had seen a deer in the headlights before, but even he would admit that it looked a lot less shocked than Sharron did. He watched his friend make a squeak that sounded like it came from a kitten as the thrown pommel slapped into her throat. Sharron stumbled into a fit of coughing and hacking before Aloisia stole the offensive lunging forward. Aloisia stopped the tip of her sword just short of the welt swollen on Sharron's neck. Sharron turned her head up to stare at the coy smirk Aloisia wore and let out a low growl. For a moment Danny thought she'd be willing to impale herself on the sword just for a chance to slap the griffon one more time. The way Aloisia smiled she dared her to try. Danny dashed towards the two of them waving his hands, his voice booming out as he pushed his much larger frame between the two; "That's it! It's done! Over, done, finished!" While he might've not been much of a fighter, he made a pretty big meatshield. He didn't rival any football players regarding height or weight, but he was big enough to be a substantial barrier. As long as they didn't stab him first of course. Aloisia backed down first, lowering her sword with a silent nod and began to search the deck of the airship for her pommel. Sharron stood up to offer Danny a flat stare before she dipped her head in surrender. Danny cleared his throat and jerked a thumb towards Aloisia, Sharron bent down to pick up the pommel by his feet and whispered, "...I hate you sometimes Treptow." "But you'll thank me later. Besides, it was a good fight. Even if you didn't win," replied Danny with only some impatience. Poking his friend in her stomach, he nudged her towards the griffon and tapped Dusty on his head to pull him away. "All good now?" asked the stallion as he cocked his head up, flicking out a bit of ash from his mane as he stepped back towards the hold with Danny. Danny nodded his head as he turned around to watch Sharron hand the pommel back to Aloisia. Sharron looked annoyed at first, but even if she didn't like losing; Sharron was able to forgive. Aloisia looked rather pleased to have her pommel back too. Even seemed to have a devious grin as well. The way she was posed it seemed like she was eager to give Sharron some tips. Feeling his stomach flip a bit as he trekked down into the engine room with Dusty, Danny suddenly realized he very much did not want to be the person Aloisia or Sharron fought next. Beneath the deck other cadets trailed behind stallions and mares in around hull. Most were fellow engineers of varying degrees intrigued by Equestrian technology or ordered to investigate it. Stonebridge was a lot of things: miserable, tough, and grueling, but it could make an engineer. Mechanical, Civil, or even Computer; didn't matter, there was a degree for it. There were even a few concentrations in aerospace and nuclear, but the Air Force was plenty fine to have him as a mechanical instead. "Back to work then? Sure you won't bleed all over my baby?" teased Dusty as the heat of the boilers began to swell around them as he shoveled scoops of coal into his station. The burst of sparks slipped tiny flashes of bright light into the darkness of the hold. Danny nodded his head with a chuckle as he moved towards one of the crude steam pumps that operated the propellers. It was active, sure, but that just meant he couldn't take it fully apart. Removing the panel from its side, he watched the simple patchwork of gears and belts move like clockwork. From what he'd learned the Equestrians had trains, steamships, and airships. From what he'd seen, they were very recent and somehow artistically crude inventions. It looked like in the interest of design; some sacrifices had been made for efficiency. He was by no means a mechanic, but an inner voice screamed at him that the internal components of an engine had no purpose being so...ornate. "Dusty, this piece here...the spinny circle thing, near the...crank part. Why is it spinning?" asked Danny as he stepped back from the machine. The large wheel dominating part of the room spun in a hum as Dusty turned away from some series of gauges to offer Danny a little shrug. "I explained the flywheel to you yesterday: pressure from the boiler pushes it, which in turns pushes the pistons, which pushes out the exhaust letting the cycle continue...which is why being a boilerpony is the most important job on the ship. At least that's what I was taught," finished Dusty with the stallion loading another batch of coal into the boiler. "No...not the flywheel...this thing near all the gears and shit. It looks like someone painted a toy top like a candy cane and just slapped it on there," said Cantwell as he began to inquisitively poke at the part with the butt of a wrench laying on the ground. "Boilerpony, Danny. You're an 'engineer' can't you figure it out?" grumbled out Dusty as he turned his snout back to his gauges. Danny wasn't sure what most of them meant, but he figured if they flicked into the red something bad would happen. "I'm an engineering student. The way I learned and what tools I used to learn...well...concepts...are all I have over practical application right now. I know 'why' an engine works, I know the reasons behind it, but I don't know how to put it all together. Everything familiar is foreign too, all the proportions are just odd. That's why I need the best boilerpony in the world to give me a rundown of these things" said Danny as he poked a bit harder at the spinning top. "That why you're paling around with me down here then? Instead of hanging our with your marefriend?" teased Dusty as he walked towards Danny. The pony took the wrench away from the cadet just before Danny decided to test his luck and try to stop the spinning top. "Not my...'marefriend,' Dusty. Cadets don't date cadets," Danny said as he rose from his knees, disappointed that his fun had been interrupted. "No, but you two act like you're married. Only known you for a few days but you two are close as can be without bumping ugly bits!" barked out Dusty with something that sounded like a borderline whinny. "How about we talk about something else, alright? You had mentioned something about a 'brothel' in 'Stalliongrad' before I got called out to spar?" said Danny as he waved his hand, moving to sit beside a few pipes as he looked up towards his friend. "Figured you'd want to hear the rest. So I'd taken her out for some hay, and then I thought I'd take her to the hay! Let me tell you, best twenty bits I'd ever spent!" roared out Dusty as the engines hummed around them. Leave it to dirty jokes to bridge the gap that different worlds and different species left, Danny found himself laughing along with Dusty as the story continued. "You're rather bold being out here with such a small force," said the armored mare as she slipped into Sardonyx's tent. They left the rich forest bordering the Changeling territories a few days ago and were now braving the venture into a virtual wasteland. The closer and closer they got to where they suspected a Changeling hive was located, the less and less grew around them. The grass withered and died underneath their hooves as trees stood eternally bare as the earth itself warped into a jagged nightmare. What the journey lacked in pleasant scenery it more than made up for in company, at least in Sardonyx's opinion. He'd grown closer to his allies in recent days, no longer content on isolating himself in his quarters to only emerge for meals and assignments. He walked among them when he got the chance, heard their stories, their hardships, and their reasons why they had chosen to stay. Some for profit, others for the cause, and plenty in between. This had all been Golden Dough's doing, of course, the scarred mare's caring nature pushed him to open up more to his people throughout the course of their evening chats. He was their leader after all, even if they numbered just under a hundred or so, he should lead them. If he 'ruled' them he'd be no better than the Sultan. The mare that stood in his tent, smiling at him the way Golden would and eyeing him in a way he somewhat wished she would, was not Golden though. She had the same light orange coat, deep amber eyes, fantastic white mane, and tiny splotches of discolored fur decorating her snout. If it wasn't for the Picatrix negating whatever had been blocking their magic users' connections to the seventh sense, he might've even fallen for the entire ruse. Whoever stood in his tent now didn't know that and practically emanated an artificial aura. With no other magic around her disguise just stood out like a sore thumb to him. "I trust Miss Dough isn't harmed," rolled out Sardonyx with a tiny smirk, the stallion hobbling around on his crutch to face Golden's imposter. Making a big show of his horn's aura wrapping around the Picatrix, he raised it under his snout to look over the heronglyphs while at the same time eyeing the bemused look on "Golden's" face. "Here I thought I was going to have a bit of fun before I took off my mask, I was planning on making a night off feasting on your little love life. Yes, Miss Dough is safe. I just lured her away using my charm and your handsome face. I must say, for a Saddle Arabian and a cripple you're quite fit! Wouldn't you be more suited in court than out here?" teased Golden as she circled around the narrow tent, trotting her way over to rest on Sardonyx's cot. The mare choosing to use her own, green-hued magic to peel away at her armor. It was a rather odd sight seeing Golden look at him with sparkling green eyes as she laid down bare in her coat, circumstances aside it might've been pleasant. "My...temperament for the court is the reason why I'm out here, but I assume you know that already. Your hives have spies everywhere, I recall a time when the Sorcerer Supreme had to weed one out from the Sultan's herd of fresh concubines. In retrospect it was rather easy to tell, she was the only one who didn't cry afterward...I'm sure you know what happened next?" said Sardonyx as he flipped another page in the Picatrix. He hadn't translated this one yet but the mare, when she wasn't trying to seduce him, had her eyes locked on every little shift of the book in his grasp. If nothing it kept her on her hooves. "I don't think it's worth beating around the bush anymore is it, Sardonyx? What happened next is you committed your first little act of high treason and hid my child from the Janeighsarries. Perhaps that's the reason why I haven't slaughtered your 'army' or locked them all away to harvest them for love? Or maybe it's because of that book in your aura? Or maybe it's because you being alive has all the other Queens and Kings looking over their shoulder for Sardonyx's revolutionaries instead changelings?" rambled out the mare in a sultry tone, the pony content to shift herself around in several indecent positions on his cot as if intent to give a full performance on flexibility. "Your...child? Queen Chrysalis then? I'm flattered you've come to see me directly, but I would ask that you drop the disguise," finished Sardonyx as he snapped the Picatrix shut, content to see the changeling jump a bit in her current form. Sighing in defeat, her lewd display stopped as her body erupted in a brief flash of green fire to reveal the obsidian colored chitin and linear features of the larger Queen Chrysalis. "I was enjoying nibbling on what the Picatrix would allow me to, you hid it well, but the emotion you feel for that mare is palpable. Is it lust, love, or merely just a distraction to you? I wasn't able to tell, and usually, my palette is so...sensitive...something is ruining all the fun," hissed out Chrysalis as she stood on her hole covered legs, tilting her jagged horn down as she stared Sardonyx in the eye. "Like the reason why most magic doesn't work in your lands, my feelings shall remain a mystery. I trust you know why I'm here?" asked Sardonyx with pride swelling in his heart. Chrysalis was right, it was bold of him to come here. He would have to tread carefully though as he could not afford another enemy. "To grovel for help I would imagine? Your little rebellion against the Sultan is making waves, surely you've noticed them or perhaps even caused them? Lesser griffon nobles banding together in coalitions against the High King, dissent spreading across the far edges of Saddle Arabia, and disapperances of noble ponies in Equestria? You've been causing quite a storm, yet no one is...what's your goal again? 'Free.' A rather Discordian belief if I do say so myself, but who am I to judge?" rolled out Chrysalis with a light laugh. "Perhaps the only Queen who would survive my crusade. I have no quarrel with you Queen Chrysalis, you've only done what you needed to for your people to survive. You did not enslave them to serfdom as the Griffon Empire's princes do, you do not take their children as the Sultan does, and you do not control their wealth as the Equestrian nobles do. You're also an enemy of many nations, as am I," replied Sardonyx as his smile grew, the stallion feeling confident enough to use an old adage he heard from his mother. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, are they not?" "Clever words for a pony...I cannot deny this truth. You're more beneficial to me alive and 'free' than as a snack. What is it you need the changelings for, Sardonyx?" asked Chrysalis as she relented herself to a nod of her head as any gloating laughter she had fell away. "I need asylum in your territory, spies in the kingdoms, and passage to the Crystal Empire," replied Sardonyx, "Anything else can come at a later date if that's acceptable?" "That sounds...reasonable, I will require something upfront before I dare let you play with my people as pawns in your game," clicked Chrysalis as the insectoid-like pony began to circle him as if sizing him up for a meal. "I'm sure you're aware of my...mostly successful attack on Canterlot, but our early expulsion roused some noble houses into a continued frenzy. For the last two years, they've been petitioning Princess Celestia to lead a retaliation into our lands, their own invasion. They're managed to finally secure a formal meeting with her during the Fall Ball at the Royal Castle in Canterlot." "Wouldn't eliminating them there just give the Princess reason to come after you? Even if you framed my cause, if I were to be allied with you the Equestrians would come eventually. Or if you merely just used this as means to be rid of me, well, I can't allow that and danger would still come to you," deadpanned Sardonyx as he arched his brow. "You are not going to remove them at the castle. My eyes and ears tell me that they will have a meeting before the event on their estate to go over the petition. Blue Blood Manor is well-guarded, but it's child's play compared to the spies we had to embed for the wedding, and with all the Royal Guards focused on security at the castle it is anyone will be able to stop you from...trimming out the weeds to speak," chimed out Chrysalis with an unnerving amount of enthusiasm. "Carving off corrupt nobility has its merit, but I cannot say I'm eager to reveal ourselves so soon after the ritual...but such a soft target...let us try," Sardonyx said as he found his voice tapering away as the flap to his tent opened up again. The real Golden Dough practically bounced into the tent, wearing a broad smile. "Sardonyx, you charmer you. Where'd you run off to with my armor! We hardly even started bef-" said Golden before she opened her eyes and came face to face with the scene before her. Taking a few moments to connect the dots as Chrysalis stared at her with a knowing grin and Sardonyx with a look of surprised curiosity, she cleared her throat. She turned a dark shade of red and straightened out her posture as if she were a royal guard to deliver a crisp salute, "Mister Sardonyx, I should inform you that a changeling has infiltrated the camp and has been impersonating your appearance. I tried to stop them, but I was overwhelmed." "The poor thing was, the moment I started speaking 'Prench' she lost all her discipline," teased Chrysalis with a dry chuckle as she trotted past Golden on her way out, "I'll have a drone deliver the details to you in the morning. Enjoy your evening, 'Mister Sardonyx' and I'm glad we've come to an accord." Standing in silence for what seemed like hours as the changeling had left them, Sardonyx cleared his throat and eyed Golden with an amused smirk. She continued to bear a striking resemblance to a beet as she blushed, pointing towards her armor Sardonyx found himself laughing, "Prançais? Vraiment? Have you read Coltaire, a fascinating philosopher was he not?" Logistics were the bane of DuPont's brief tenure as Executive Officer. While Jackson handled the big picture and steered the ship that was the 'Corps,' DuPont was made sure all the rigging was tied down properly. They had enough food for their trip, training was underway aboard the ships to improve melee combat, they weren't stranded on a mountain, and the wounded were on the road to recovery. The problems that had plagued them a few days ago were mostly resolved, but new problems kept cropping up. Uniforms were deteriorating a lot faster than he had expected. None of their clothing had been designed for a fight, nor had it been intended for daily wear. It wasn't a pressing issue to be fair, but more and more COs were noticing how quickly everyone's overcoats were slowly disintegrating and how the cheap shoes they were starting to fall apart. On top of that, they had worn the same clothes for about a week through blood, sweat, and god knows what else. It was going to become a hygiene issue as time went on if he didn't figure out a way to put clean uniforms on their backs. Time too plauged their only 'advantage,' the M-14 rifles they had with them. Whatever magic had brought them to Equestria, Princess Sparkle had tried offering a few theories that involved a lot of jargon that was lost on him, had virtually restored their M-14s as if they were fresh from the factory. Except, the M-14 wasn't exactly the most historically reliable weapon nor produced with high quality. Magic had restored them, however, it didn't perfect them. Finicky bolts, cheaply made parts, and limited ammunition almost forced their weapon back to its former status as a glorified parade club. Everyone was keeping it all very 'hush-hush,' but maintaining a poorly made weapon without any kits or spare parts had DuPont worried half of their weapons wouldn't survive another engagement. The one bit of silver lining was that they were at least going to be able to bring a few things to the negotiating table beyond being the meatshields to deal with Sardonyx. Equestrian technology was crude, although it had a flamboyant flair, a lot of the amateur mechanics used to fixing up dad's old truck and a few of the STEM majors who did research with steam engines had compiled a fairly detailed report on 'pony tech' to Jackson. It read much like Princess Sparkle's explanation on magic, a lot of machine jargon that didn't make much sense beyond: 'It's basic, we can make it better.' Even their bargaining chip was a drawback though. They had maybe a few dozen engineers who'd almost finished their degrees, but there was no way in hell that the corps had the combined knowledge to make a steam engine from scratch or make a single 7.62 bullet. They'd have to use skilled labor to put any theories they had to the test, and that meant using Equestrian labor and Equestrian factories. Not to mention having to necessarily create an entire weapon's industry from the ground up if they ever wanted to use semi-automatic weapons again. They'd also have to convince the Princess' to let them make the munitions, and weapons, in her backyard. Jackson had negotiated with Princess Luna to give them shelter and some living space in exchange for letting the ponies have Sardonyx's book, but this was stretching it. Shelter meant a roof over their heads and maybe a farm or two for food. It didn't mean clothing nearly a thousand people, letting them hijack your factories, or producing weapons of destruction never even seen before. The Equestrians were either the most generous race in the universe or the Picatrix really was that dangerous. The former just seemed naive which made DuPont worry more about what they'd gotten into. If a country led by immortals was terrified by Sardonyx's book, what were a thousand kids with fancy uniforms supposed to do? "You look perplexed, Commander," rang out the curious tone of Princess Luna as she settled beside the man as he rested against the edge of the ship. He'd been lost in his logistical brooding for so long he hadn't even noticed her approach or the fact he'd wandered onto the deck. Bobbing his head in a nod, DuPont scratched at the back of his neck. "I was just...curious about Equestria's weather control? Are there natural rains? What're the environmental implications? The cost? The usefulness?" asked DuPont as he distracted himself. The clear skies and bright sunshine that stretched for miles above rolling hills and small villages was curious. He'd asked about it earlier and received an exceptionally detailed lecture from Twilight. They actually did control the weather somehow, even phrased in the most mind-numbing way possible it was impressive. "Miss Jackson told me of your Institute's honor code, the laws you must hold yourselves too. I would like to remind you that you do not fit the role of the liar well," teased Luna as her magic held two small mugs. Offering one of the drinks to him, DuPont gladly took it with a bow of his head as he took a second to smell the drink. It was coffee, or at least looked and smelled like it. It was bitter, terrible, and watered-down. 'Thank Christ,' DuPont thought, it was coffee. Bad coffee. God though, DuPont had missed the taste of bad coffee. Taking another long sip from the mug, not caring as it burned his tongue he let out a short laugh. His problems seemed to melt away as any anger, confusion, and frustration were turned to an incredibly shitty drink, "This is awful! Thank you!" Arching her brow, Luna let out a soft laugh shaking her head slowly; "That might've been the first time I've ever heard someone thank me for something...awful." DuPont turned away with an amused snort and returned to scanning the horizon. The calm wind occasionally glanced off his face as green farmland rolled on beneath them. Taking a sip from his coffee, he felt the awkward silence and possible diplomatic incident hanging over his head, "No it's...how do I put this? I...coffee is an acquired taste, right?" "That is correct, Mister DuPont," said Luna keeping the incredulous arch in her brow. "I grew up with bad coffee, Mom and Dad weren't able to afford the good stuff. The Institute only served terrible coffee too, it was cheap brown sludge. The Army somehow has worse coffee that you're lucky to have hot. Way it goes you need it for the caffeine, not for the taste. It's just...refreshing that there's some consistency of a sort. Doesn't matter what world I'm on or what madness I'm dealing with, I'm going to be drinking really shit coffee." "Commander DuPont, I'm not sure I'm to be offended by your harsh words or warmed by them since they brought you a measure of peace. I'll take the latter as I press the prior issue. What is the 'madness' you are dealing with?" asked Luna as the air rolled around them. The airship lazily banked a bit to the left as it began to glide across a cloud. DuPont couldn't, or at least wouldn't, give her a straight answer but he could get some answers to other things that bugged him. "You decided to help us. I'm sure you found the grave back on the mountain, at least one of your people did. Not our graves, theirs. Sardonyx's fokls It doesn't take a genius to realize what happened up there...and you're a god so I think you can connect the dots. Discarded weapons, bullet holes in the walls...snow stained red in one giant patch...you know we're not exactly saints. Might as well be monsters in retrospect," mumbled out DuPont as he took a sip from his coffee, "Not only that...but we're still going have negotiations? With what little we have to offer? It's asinine. It doesn't make sense." "We've all done things we aren't proud of, we've all made mistakes...the Picatrix is truly dangerous enough to warrant such generosity and amnesty if that's what's confusing to you. I'm no 'saint' either but take it from a fellow monster, you're one of the few examples of one of the book's spells that have not resulted in immediate mass destruction. It brought you here instead of bringing a rain of fire or an army of dead spirits. In his pride I hope that Sardonyx has made his fatal mistake by bringing your people here," said Luna as the nursed her coffee casually as if she spoke of such issues daily. "We're the..." snorting a bit into his coffee DuPont took a long breath as he scratched the back of his neck, "...we're the wild card. We weren't meant to be in this game, but now we're here." "You've shaken up the chess board quite a bit. In a fit of anger, you knocked a few pawns off the board, but the game must go on. All the kings and queens are still standing," said Luna as she turned her head to stare past DuPont. Her eyes locked on a bit of cloud cover that was breaking around them as the wooden ship skirted through. "...I will admit that chess isn't my strong-suit. If we're going to play a board game to decide the fate of our people why not a game of Uno? I can play a mean Uno," laughed DuPont as he took another sip of his drink. The bitter coffee punching him in the gut as he choked out a smile. "I'm unfamiliar with the game, but I'm sure it is one of great skill and cunning," said Luna past the wind picking up around them. The clouds around them had grown thicker, and the ground beneath them had disappeared into a gray fog. A few wild blue streaks shot in and out of the mist every few seconds as the clouds became heavier. "What's going on? Did we drift into a storm?" asked DuPont as he began to look over his shoulder. A growing panic in his stomach compounded as he watched the other cadets on deck notice the blue creatures in the clouds, the only thing that kept from calling an alarm was the Equestrians' composure. None of the ponies seemed the least bit worried about the clouds, one would look up every so often and wave a hoof before returning to whatever task was at hand. "No, just Canterlot's morning fog. It's rather thick in the fall, and we have the Wonderbolts stationed there take it past the Southern Peak once it's collected to be used as rainwater later. It's a rather tedious job, but the masses love their sunrises and the Wonderbolts need the exercise," said Luna with a look of disappointment so faint that if he hadn't been staring at her on the brink of terror, DuPont wouldn't have noticed it. He wasn't a genius or an immortal deity, but even he could connect some dots too. He'd always been taught that kind words could go a long way, and even with their generous hosts, the Corps needed all the friends it could get. Clearing his throat as he regained some of his composure, a hand scratched at the back of his neck; "I'm more night-sky person actually...dad took me up to the mountains a lot as a kid. Can't really afford to send me to summer camps it was the next best thing. He showed me the stars without all the light pollution from town. Don't know if you're responsible for only the stars here or the stars everywhere but...thank you? You're night personif-...ponified, so I figure if I'm going to thank anyone for those nights with my dad it's you." The look on Princess Luna's face drifted between flattered, confused, suspicious, and grateful. There wasn't a dishonest word in the whole speech, but even DuPont would admit the timing of such a confession was dubious at best. Using her magic to take his empty coffee cup, which he had drained waiting for her reaction, Luna gave him a warm smile, "Flattery will take you far Mister DuPont, especially in Canterlot. I'd suggest preparing your force, we're going to be arriving shortly." For the first time in a while though, DuPont wasn't too worried. For all their woes in equipment and diplomacy, he was still confident in the Corps' ability to look the part as it were. He'd passed along Jackson's orders the other night, using some pegasus as messengers or even to carry him to other ships to make sure companies were indeed cleaning up. Even if their bayonets were rather poor at stabbing anything, they were decent razors. Brass had been polished, uniforms cleaned to the best of their abilities, and haircuts given very carefully with the same bayonets; the Corps was ready to go on parade again. Giving Luna a relaxed salute as he began to walk away, DuPont paused as a lookout from the crow's nest let out a bellowing cry, "Land, ho!" Upon a great mountain architecture that defied physics carved itself into the stone. Marble and gold seemed to stretch across each building as large halls and estates wrapped around a towering castle that spilled into a magnificent city. Other airships floated into docks as railroads ran in and out of the city at almost clockwork speed. A squadron of blue streaks shot by them in a tight formation, the Wonderbolts rolling to the side saluting the returning vessels are they approached the port of the magical city. Other commercial ships that had been drifting towards the docks halted as their crews turned to offer their own respects to the returning Equestrian expedition. Curious pegasi hovered in clouds above them as they waved at the ships, their cheers faltered as they caught sight of the unknown creatures on the decks of the airships before they raced towards the city. "They are heroes you know," said Jackson as she walked up the stairs from the lower decks, a steady flow of cadets moving behind her as everyone rushed on deck to catch sight of the seemingly legendary city. Even among the worried looks from ponies that were on adjacent ships and watching from the clouds, Luna had taken a position at the front of the ship waving her hoof as if to dispel any panic. "Well they sure saved our asses, that's for sure," replied DuPont with a short chuckle. The Corps flooded the decks of each ship, careful not to obstruct any of the crew as they organized themselves into companies. Corporals completed final accountability checks as sergeants finished impromptu appearance inspections. Finally, Band let loose with a trill of trumpet calls: inspection complete, all accounted for. "True, but imagine the fanfare they had when they left! Captain Dusk told me that the ships hadn't been deployed for nearly twenty years for any combat missions. Last time they'd actually been taken far out of port was when they got retrofitted with the new steam engines. They're going to get a victory parade just for coming back alive," said Jackson with a slight smirk. The woman's overcoat now wore the Regimental Commander's golden chevrons as she adjusted her officer's sash. "I would imagine it was quite the party; maybe they even had balloons?" said DuPont as they lingered closer to the docks. Cries from instruments rang out from buildings encroaching around the docks as bands picked up peppy marching songs, the Wonderbolts flying another pass trailing a display of rainbow smoke. "With all the color and pomp might've been a pride parade...or Mardi Gras..." replied Jackson with a broad smile. Even if the celebration wasn't meant for them, it was something! Ponies must've seen them by now, their ships were mooring against the wooden docks resting atop seemingly solid clouds. Royal Guards in bright golden armor similar to old Greek hoplites kept cheering crowds at bay while a path was carved deep into the city along a winding cobblestone road. Colorful banners of the Equestrian flag, the two princesses circling a sun and moon in a sea of stars, hung from windows and were waved in ponies hooves. Groups of ponies had already begun marching up the street, some wore uniforms that looked as if they were meant for Roman legionnaires. Others wore intricate redcoats and seemed in more in line with British grenadiers. For a nation that hadn't seen a major war in centuries, they had a flair for military fashion. The ships roughly slapped into the docks, and the cheering only seemed to get louder. The Night Guard were the first to leave along with the ship's crews, Princess Twilight and Luna flew off ahead to the palace. The glory of their mission left to their guards, grunts, and sailors; maybe they didn't mean it like that, but Captain Dusk seemed to appreciate it. At the head of their loose columns with a smile, an expression that just seemed wrong on the scarred soldier, the Captain clapped his hooves onto the cobblestones in an irregular beat. The crews of the ships and the Night Guard shifted into step behind him, their voices rung out over the cry of the marching bands and crowds as they marched along. The crowds seemed to join them as they forgot the foreign army that hastily marched off the ships into formations. The city itself content to turn into a musical number instead. DuPont thought as he marched up to the front of the column of cadets along with the other officers and colors, that it sounded as if some pony had strung together "God Save the Queen" and "O'Canada" into a fast-paced march about 'winter, friendship, and princesses.' DuPont looked towards Jackson before the two took ten steps ahead of the colors to post themselves before the Corps. "Band is choosing the march, Key isn't passing up the chance to make a good first impression...he promised it wasn't going to be 'Dixie' at least," mumbled out DuPont as he clicked his heels together. It'd been a few minutes since the Night Guard had left and the ponies by the docks had grown quiet, the cheers falling away as they settled to an uneasy stare at the aliens on their docks. "I would hope he'd know better," barked out Jackson with a snarl. Turning on her heel, DuPont followed her cue as they faced the Corps. In a voice that rang out over the silence of the crowd and the fading song of the Equestrians, Jackson roared like a lion: "Corps! Attention...Forward...March!" The air sucked into bagpipes with a whine as snares prattled off a march. The heavy thump of the bass drums joining a rising fire of brass before the pipes unleashed their call; DuPont stepping beside Jackson as they marched the Corps off down the streets of Canterlot as to a rendition of 'Shenandoah'. It wasn't Dixie, but the Institute would be the Institute. Twilight had nearly tackled Celestia when she landed at the castle balcony. In retrospect hugging her before an array of important dignitaries and diplomats wasn't the most mature option but Celestia had returned the embrace. Twilight still apologized in a manner that was fitting, bowing her head as far as she could before Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight, please. There's no need to be sorry! I'm happy that you are well, both of you." Celestia turned her head at Luna as they shared a brief exchange ending with another hug. Twilight caught the mention of an 'agreement' of some kind as Luna broke the embrace but was quickly swamped with hoof-shakes from upper-crust ponies and nobles around the balcony circling them. It was a maddening chorus of congratulations. "Good show whipping that rabble out of Equestria!" "Let the masses have their heroes, I bet it was you and Princess Luna leading the charge!" "Why I bet she drove those criminals to Tartus all by herself! Never send a stallion to do a Mare's job, that Captain Dusk should've resigned after that incident with the Griffon Empire." "How many of those vile extremists did you kill?" Twilight suddenly found herself wishing that she had the Night Guard with her, Captain Dusk's demeanor could've kept the whole lot of 'admirers' at bay with a single glare. Canterlot's upper-crust had always been snotty towards her, but when she became royalty they instead became downright unbearable. They were so ignorant, so arrogant, and complete kiss-ups! It was flattering at first, but she was surprised that their noses weren't completely brown by now! She wondered how mad Celestia would be if she threw the next snooty, fancy-pants noble that spoke to her right off the balcony! "Miss Sparkle, I hope the ships were to your liking and performed admirably. I would be very disappointed if I'd given our brave forces anything but the best equipment," said a familiar voice as a distinct monocle and handsome mustache approached her. "Mister Pants!" squeaked out Twilight with an embarrassed grin, Celestia would be furious if she tossed, Fancy Pants, one of the few sensible stallions in Canterlot over a balcony. "Your ships performed marvelously, Mister Pants! Why you're certainly one of the many heroes of this day! We should discuss the possibility of even more ships," said Princess Luna as she trotted up beside Twilight. Offering a wink towards the stallion, Fancy Pants raised his voice in agreement with her. "Of course Princess Luna! Why let us discuss publically many lucrative contracts and deals over here!" Fancy Pants wasn't the most subtle stallion, but the horde of leeches dressed in stylish dresses and suits began to flood towards him. Tossing Twilight a knowing smile, perhaps he was really a hero today as he took the attention away from her. At the moment, it was much more valuable to swarm Fancy Pants and Luna than bother Princess Sparkle. She wasn't sure what the proper 'thanks' to give him later, she'd ask Rarity when she went to pick-up Spike back in Ponyville, maybe a book on engineering? No, the stallion who invented the steam engine wouldn't want another book on it. "I read the reports the moment they arrived, it seems you've made some new friends," said Celestia as she trotted up beside Twilight, her wing wrapping around her as she led her to the balcony's edge. Below, the Royal Guard marched by in their different uniforms to the beat of Equestria's anthem. Twilight almost thought she was humming along before she realized it was Celestia that was keeping a quiet tune as the guardsponies and bands bellow canted by. "I suppose so...they are an interesting people. They rely on technology and machines instead of magic, but they're magically sensitive too...in theory," said Twilight as she found herself coughing into her hoof. The memories of impromptu magic lessons with Byrd aboard the ships flashing back to her. He'd nearly burned the 'Eternal Night' down twice and when they moved to telekinesis Byrd accidentally threw Cantwell over the edge of the ship! Byrd had the ability, and perhaps the other cadets did too, but human magic was just too primal and unfocused. It needed a channeling and focus, but relying on magic energy alone seemed to put a strain on Byrd. Complex spells seemed to lessen the magical demand on Byrd's body but he was stubborn to move away from 'what was working.' "You look troubled, Twilight. Is there something about these 'humans' I should know?" asked Celestia as her mentor caught the look of confusion on her face. Shaking her head as the voices of the city joined in a touching rendition of the 'Hearth's Warming Eve' song as the ship crews and Night Guard passed by, breaking away from the parade to peel into the castle courtyard. "No princess! I was just thinking abo-" Twilight's voice fell away as an armored griffon glided towards the balcony. A few guards raising their spears before Luna waved them down and approached Aloisia with a smile. Celestia's mood seemed to darken as she caught sight of the Black Vogel, composing herself quickly as she canted her head in greeting. "Knight-Commander Asumahn I assume? It's always an...honor to have a Black-Vogel in Canterlot as a friend," said Celestia, the princess standing tall over the griffon. Aloisia bowed her head, her helmet scrapping against the marble floor of the balcony. "The treaty still holds, I may only this city as your friend," said Aloisia as she rose, the griffon drifting back from the princess towards the small delegation of griffon diplomats on the balcony. Raising her head towards Celestia curiously, Twilight cleared her throat a bit with a light laugh. "The Knight-Commander can be a bit rowdy, but I've never seen her so...humbled, what did she meant by treaty?" "It was something a long time ago. An old adage describeds it well enough, the Black-Vogels are no better friends, no worse enemies...forgive me Twilight, I'm loathed to forget the past sometimes. The last time the Griffon Empire had the Black-Vogels in Equestria was during their 'First Kingdom'...history has painted a glorious picture of them. Reality is often far more horrifying but, enough on that," said Celestia with a shake of her mane. The princess wearing a wide smile as the last of the ship crews passed by beneath them, forming up in the courtyard below to receive honors. Moving to stand behind her sister, Luna spoke at a soft whisper that only Twilight was permitted to hear along with Celestia, "Now sister, before you ask, they're not...at the castle docks." "What? Where are they? Lu-Lu you didn't..." hissed out Celestia, her smile straining as she offered regal waves to the crowd below. Twilight's brow arching at Princess Luna's nickname and at the apparent flaw in scheduling. Raising her own voice in a quiet question, she tilted her head to the side. "Were the humans...not supposed to march in the welcoming parade?" "They're what?!" croaked out Celestia as she seemed to choke on her tongue. Shooting daggers at Luna for a moment, Celestia shook her head discreetly as possible at Twilight, "No, they were supposed to wait on the ships...I didn't want to cause a panic. You know how our subjects can sometimes be with new creatures. It seems my sister might need a history lesson, perhaps our Black-Vogel friend could remind her of first contact with new nations gone wrong!" "Trust me, Tia, these humans can control themselves in case anything goes wrong. Besides, from what I gather they're quite good at this," said Luna with a coy smirk that seemed to annoy Celestia to no end. As she turned her head up to reply a sharp cry hung out in the air as the songs of friendship and unity were swallowed whole by the heavy falls of bass drums. A gray mass marched in step up the street as their band beat out a slow tempo, the call of their bagpipes sounded as if they mourned a home long lost to them as they faded away into the noise of the brass instruments. Twilight watched with a particular admiration. She'd seen her brother's parades and ceremonies with the Royal Guard, it was always very rigid and respectful. Everything had a ritual way about it. The guardsponies treated each action with a seeming reverence in every step. The humans though moved like machines, their feet striking the cobblestone below in sync as their arms swung in cadence. Each soldier a cog in the larger machine. Twilight couldn't help herself, she found her hooves clapping respectfully; it was quite a display! The cadets holding their rifles at near perfect angles and the careful placement of the 'American' flag to keep it higher than any other was an excellent touch. The planning and practice that'd have to go through the whole routine was incredible! Fancy Pants was next, his hooves coming together in a polite clap followed by a frenzy of other nobles trying to clap louder than the other so they might be noticed by the stallion. Aloisia seemed to encourage them, the griffon delegation certainly seemed impressed by the whole affair as well, but when she whistled it seemed the entire city noticed. The ponies silent in the streets began to gradually clap, a soft cheer rising from them as they saw one of their princesses greet the visitors so warmly. Celestia and Luna seemed surprised but soon found themselves clapping along with Twilight as the parade rolled back into jubilation. The cadets didn't appear to mind the attention either, Twilight could swear she could almost make out a smile from half of them. The cheers of the crowd still drowned under their instruments as they marched out of the street, the Royal Guards steering them towards the courtyard of the castle as the beat of the drum fell away as the gates shuddered closed behind them. A simple snare beat sounded off with each step, a frantic detachment of guards keeping the soldiers from marching into the garden. To their credit, Jackson and DuPont broke out of the formation and began splitting up the companies quickly down the multiple stone pathways making up the courtyard's center. Once they came to a halt, the drums fell away as they became rigid as the statues dotting the grounds around them. "That was...impressive, I will grant you that Luna. Excellent work Twilight, if I didn't know any better I would say you two planned that," said Celestia as Twilight found herself blushing. It was flattering, she didn't mean to cause a scene, but the humans deserved some praise for that performance. Not to mention it seemed to ease everyone quite a bit! "It just seemed the right thing to do," said Twilight, still fighting back a bit of a blush as she spread her wings, "Should we go down to greet them? If they stand like that any longer they might turn to stone." "Shall we sister?" asked Luna. "Let us try," replied Celestia with a short chuckle as she lifted herself off the balcony, the trio spiraling down to greet the guardsponies and cadets.