//------------------------------// // The borderline between friendship and emmity // Story: The Birth of a New Kingdom // by Dranz_89 //------------------------------// ‘Where are the reinforcements?’ Azalea was on the battlefield, she used her wings as razors to fight the endless parade of earth ponies, her stamina already halfway drained. Fighting and fighting and the main force still didn’t return. All she could do was fight for her life, and stand position as her unit was commanded. Three earth ponies appeared in front of her, each wielding a spear. Azalea spread her wings in battle position. She took a deep breath and kept enough distance to keep them in her peripheral vision. The one on the center charged first, just as Azalea expected him to, she pushed herself forward with her hind legs, shortening the distance between them, the earth pony waved his arm holding the spear from right to left, aiming at the pegasus head. Again, just as she expected, she ducked just in time and dashed past his right side striking his body with her left wing. She was still moving forward on to the second earth pony, who was already waiting for her, he leaped and raising his spear, attacking downwards from the air with a vertical blow, at the same time, the last earth pony on her left side tried an horizontal swept with his spear to try and catch her. Using numbers to their advantage, they were obviously more experienced than the poor soul who rushed to attack her first. But not experienced enough. She flapped her wings pushing the air to the right, boosting herself to her left side, avoiding the vertical attack, elevating just enough to pass above the horizontal attack, and straight to the exposed earth pony on the left. Her already spread right wing did the rest, and the earth pony fell. Azalea turned around with a quick jump, the remaining earth pony was still raising his spear, which was still shaking from hitting just the ground, he watched at his fallen partners, and aimed the spear at her, but his eyes were wide and his lips trembling. The pink pegasus stood still and stared at his eyes, she blinked, and then he blinked. ‘NOW!’ She dashed to him, pushing herself with her wings and immediately spreading them, the poor stallion opened his eyes only to meet her right wing, and it was over. This little fight took more time and effort than she expected, and the battle was still far from over. Her wings were getting heavier by each strike. Another group of lancer earth ponies spotted her and approached her on a rush, ‘six, seven… Too many’, Azalea spread her wings again and prepared to fight. The first earth pony tried to stab from the front, she dodged by moving her body to the right, and a second earth pony launched his attack, she tried to move again but the spear hit her chest. ‘Oww… This might be it for me’, even though her chest plate protected her, it was a light piece of armor, she still felt the pain burning on her chest and the earth ponies were surrounding her. Then, Hurricane and Pansy arrived from behind Azalea. Hurricane tackled one of them and Pansy used her wings to strike down another, and before the earth ponies prepared to assist their allies, the pegasi disarmed their victims and grabbed their spears and joined to Azalea’s sides, ready to fight back. That was when a horn echoed his song from the castle across the battlefield. The pegasi and earth ponies stopped the fighting, and they all exchanged confused looks. Doubt and silence invaded the environment. ‘It can’t be… that horn is only used for special tactics,’ mumbled Azalea. Then, the horn howled again more intensely. Azalea watched her fellow pegasi swiftly taking off to the sky, leaving their posts and abandoning the unicorns.  Were these really her new orders? Was she supposed to leave the unicorns to their luck? “Azalea, the horn was played twice! That’s order sixty-six! Let’s go!” Pansy shouted. Azalea was ‘awoken’ from her thoughts, and took off too, heading to the Cloud Headquarters, but she looked below to the unicorns. They all watched the pegasi leaving them alone on the battlefield and taking any hope of victory with them. “Onward!” Chief Puddinghead raised his spear, and the earth ponies followed, he sprinted right through the lines of unicorns, waving his weapon left and right. Seed Sower supported him on his right side and Estrella still behind him. Clover and Laurel both held the magic barrier over their heads, even though the pegasi had already left. And Platinum, she also followed behind the chief, she wasn’t fighting, she passed next to the fallen unicorns, she rubbed her left eye trying to stop a tear “I’m so sorry… ” “Don’t you apologize to them,” Clover put her hoof on her shoulder. Platinum opened her mouth, but Clover moved her hoof to shut her, “Nuh-uh, don’t justify them! They wanted this. You tried to prevent it, and they paid you by throwing tomatoes at your face. It’s not your fault, it’s theirs! I know it’s awful… but we have to end this war somehow.” “I just wish there was a better way. Maybe I could have tried something else.” “There was a better way… but they didn’t want to listen.” General Spades Ace walked down the spiral stairs of the tower leading to the throne room, she wore her golden and black armor, and a black helmet with a golden plume on her head. The design of the helmet’s mask covered her face and hid her gentle blue eyes, and made her look like a raging pony monster with hateful eyes. Six pegasi soldiers followed her, each wearing a plain grey steel armor, their helmets didn’t protect their faces and lacked a plume. The marginal coverts of their wings was equipped with a razor-like steel piece and their hooves with steeled horseshoes. The moment General Spades Ace opened the door, they were received by magic beams, red and blue. Her pegasi flew by fast in zigzag motion to dodge the unicorns attacks. Commander Iris attacked a pair of unicorns in the east side of the room, she strike one guard on the side of the head with her right wing,  and quickly dashed to her left side and kicked the second guard with her hind hooves. She spotted Jewel trembling against the wall, she aimed her horn even though her aim was clearly compromised by the chills of terror down her spine, Iris dashed on to her and hooked her hoof around Jewel’s neck. Meanwhile, General Spades Ace took off with her yellow wings wide open, gliding side to side, left and right, to dodge their attacks, her target was just in front of her, the big brown unicorn with the beard and the crown. She closed in to attack with her right wing, but the King’s swift barrier spell protected his body. The impact of her wing against the barrier interrupted her flight and she was forced to flip on the air to land on her four hooves. The King already aiming his horn at her shot a bigger magic beam at her, she had to sidestep to her left to avoid it. Her armor hasn’t been tested against magic and she was not daring to test it now. “How dare you betray me!” King Lancer’s charged at her aiming his horn at her chest. A glow from his horn covered his body, taking the shape of a giant lance. Still recovering from her last sidestep, Spades Ace jumped above the King, she flapped her wings to get higher. The King crashed against the wall behind the throne, making a huge hole, he turned around and spotted Spades Ace attacking from above, this time using her hooves. King Lancer waited until Spades Ace was close enough, aimed with his horn at her and shot a swift magic beam. The pegasus flapped her wings to slow her approach, but it was too late. Her armor was crushed into pieces, she felt the blow on her chest, endured the pain, and attacked King Lancer from the air, connecting a punch on his face and pushing him to the floor. “Ugh… even if you are a stallion… you are strong…” She kept her left hoof on her chest, her chest plate crumbling into pieces from her body. And stepped on King Lancer’s face with her right hoof, “It was not part of the original plan. But your lovely daughter is playing dirty on us. I really, really need this victory, and I’ve come too far to let the beautiful princess ruin it for me.” “What do you think, dear Commander Iris?” She talked to one of her soldiers. “He might be quite problematic. Shall I kill him now?” “What I think… I think, maybe… maybe he’s more helpful alive…” responded Iris, she still had her hoof hooked around Jewel’s neck who was struggling and kicking. Iris dropped her on the floor and hit her on the back of the head. “Your… majesty… forgive me… ” Jewel’s vision turned blurry as she tried to crawl toward her King, until she lost consciousness. “Oh my! You’re right! The King and his daughter may not be on good terms, but I know family love when I see it.” She turned to the downed King, “I know it better than you may think, your majesty. Looks like you are going to help us put the princess back in her place. Isn’t that what you wanted? How wonderful, isn’t it? Commander Iris, would you be a dear and take him to the dungeons? Oh! And give some orders to Private Hurricane on my behalf. I want her to bring the princess to me.” “Sir, what do we do with the other unicorns?” Iris looked at all the fallen unicorns who weren’t dead already, she poked on Jewel’s cheek, but with no response. A little delay in her response, the general put her helmet on again and sighed, “Just be nice to them and kill them quickly.” The pegasi flew like a flock on the sky counterclockwise, gaining speed by each lap. The wind was blown with the accumulated force of their synchronized wings, gradually growing stronger like a storming on the city in the shape of a twister. The cold raging of the winds iced unicorns and earth ponies alike, the battle passed to be irrelevant and the unicorns abandoned the fight to seek refuge in the buildings. Chief Puddinghead raised his hoof and commanded to be followed again, his soldiers endured the winds, or at least those who weren’t blown away. Seed ran to Estrella and hugged her, guarding her from the winds, and slowly following behind the chief while some of his unlucky comrades were blown by the twister. “What on earth are those pegasi thinking?!” “That’s the thing, Seed, they’re not from earth!” responded Estrella. Each step was a struggle to nail it on the ground and hugging their bodies to the wall, and their magic barrier was barely holding against the storm. In face of desperation Clover and Laurel nodded their heads, joined their horns and cast a spell. A big emerald green hole opened before the earth ponies, Clover pushed Platinum inside and turned to the rest of the ponies. “Get in the green if you want to live!” Platinum found herself in a wide green tunnel she turned around, and saw the earth ponies and unicorns coming in too, Clover with them, “You can do a portal this big?” she asked her. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly do it. Laurel did,” responded Clover, she was carrying Laurel on her shoulder, “She cast the spell and I channelled magic to her, she did most of the job so she’s pretty down now. ” “I’m fine, I just need a bit rest.” Laurel smirked and waved her hoof. “It was about time I showed Clover I’m still Starswirl’s number one student. We should move, though, it’s not gonna last forever.” “Where are we? What have you done to us? How is this possible?” Estrella gasped as all earth ponies looked around at the green glowing hallway, then turned around to see a door leading to the reality they’ve always known. Laurel yawned at Clover’s face, who rolled her eyes and began explaining as they walked, “Space is the entity where all matter exists, which is formed by three dimensions: length, width and height. Believe it or not it is linked to time, we call it the fourth dimension, or time-space. By creating high frequency waves at high speeds that occupy a specific spot in space, we can make them clash among them trying to make them occupy the same space at the same time, thus separating space from time which results in a hole that leads to another spot on space-time to compensate the one we just separated. Right now, we are inside that void being transported along with the time-space we broke. Works similar to the teleport spell, but at a bigger magnitude.” Everyone stared at her with blank expressions, Estrella processed the words, her lips trembled until she managed the first response that came to her mind, “What the hell are you talking about?!” She raised her eyebrow and then turned to Princess Platinum, “What the hell is she talking about!?” “Well, she uhh… I mean, it’s just a… ok… I have zero idea of what she just said.” Platinum shrugged and smiled at her. “It’s just a tunnel between one place and another! Clover, it’s so good that you’re a student, because you stink at teaching!” Laurel laughed while Clover sighed her frustration. Inside the castle’s main hall, Raystorm and his troops were at the ready, waiting for their enemies to appear from the portal, ‘Platinum could never cast a portal spell… Clover, please don’t do this.’ He gulped, trying to untie the knot stuck in his throat as he aimed his horn at the center on the portal, “Listen everyone! Do not attack until I say so, for all we know they could be friendly.” Seed glared and snorted at the unicorns from inside the portal, steadily holding his spear. Before he could charge in he felt Platinum’s gentle hoof on his shoulder, “I want to say something.” He moved aside and let the princess go first, and followed her. As they both walked through the portal, the rest of them followed cautiously, weapons sharp and ready from both sides, tension pressed on their bodies, cold sweat dripped through their skins and their hooves trembled without control. Platinum accompanied by Seed Sower walked out the portal in front of Raystorm, followed by Clover, the chief and their companies. “Don’t shoot!” commanded Raystorm, he slowly stepped closer to Platinum and talked softly to her. “Princess, I hope you are here to end this.” He tried to grab her shoulder, but she stepped away from his touch. “I am.” She said. She walked past him and directed her words to the rest of the unicorns, “Listen everyone! We outnumber you, the pegasi has forsaken you, and they are about to blow away the whole city with their huge storm out there if we don’t do something. I can’t promise that we’ll survive, but… ” “Why did you go as far as to rise up against your father?” Raystorm raised his voice, the princess frowned and pressed her hooves against the floor upon hearing it. “You know I can’t let you do that.“ Princess Platinum snorted, she growled and walked straight to Raystorm. Hooking her hoof on the back of his neck, he pulled it down and aimed his horn against her own chest, “Stop me, then! Go ahead and shoot!” Raystorm instantly jumped back as far away from her as he could, his eyes wide open gazing at the princess, standing proud and strong before him. The other creatures stopped, trembling in awe upon the princess’ daring response. As if there was an invisible aura around her of a higher authority. There was silence in the room, and everyone lowered their weapons and their guards. Then the big double doors to the throne room opened with the creaking sound of steel. Hurricane was there, with her drowsy eyes and with King Lancer’s crown on her head, bigger than her head, the crown hanged to cover her right eye. To her right there was Pansy, her wings and hooves spread at the ready, and her eyes carefully scanning her enemies. And to the left side was Azalea, she was just standing there, her right hoof rubbing against the left one, her ears drooped, and avoiding her gaze from the unicorns. Platinum slowly turned her defying sight to the pegasi, Hurricane’s confidence faltered when she saw her at a completely different mood. “Oh… looks like we are interrupting some personal matters.” “You… what are you doing with my dad’s crown?” Platinum gasped. “Our General just saved you the trouble of taking the big guy out.” Hurricane shrugged as she fixed the crown’s hanging position on her head only for it to fall again and cover her eye. “And she wants to negotiate with you, personally.” “Don’t you lay a hoof on him!” Platinum trembled, she slowly walked two steps to Hurricane, “I’m not a soldier, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. This is obviously a trap to capture me, too! You expect me to believe that your General wants to negotiate? After she turned her back to her allies and even tried to kill them?” “Says the girl who formed her own army to usurp the throne against her own father.” Hurricane relaxed when Platinum showed signs of weakness for her father, just like General Spades Ace predicted. “Now, you are the ones taking hostages, huh? Whatever happened to the chivalrous pegasi?” Seed Sower prepared his spear and his legs to charge, but Platinum turned to him and shook her head. “Well, we’re the bad guys, remember? It’s what we do.” Hurricane calmly responded, Azalea gasped at what she just heard, she gazed down at the floor unable to confront the unicorns. Platinum took a deep breath as she gave another step to Hurricane, and Clover rushed to her side, frantically hooking her hoof on Platinum’s leg, “I know what you’re thinking, and no way you’re gonna come out alive of this one! Please think of something else! I know you don’t want anymore tragedy, and that it’s the right thing to do, but did you ever stop to think how I’d feel? Last time, I thought you were dead! And it was the worst feeling in the world! Why do you insist on doing this? Why is always your life in exchange of others?” Platinum smiled and released herself from Clover’s hooves, “Because in order to make change a reality, someone has to give in. I am the princess, and I have to set the example. If you follow your beliefs and ideals but you’re not willing to die doing so, then it means nothing.” “You… ever since I met you! I hate it when you get regal and stuff!” Clover sniffed, she let go of her friend, and turned her back to not see her leave again. Platinum followed Hurricane and she was escorted by Pansy and Azalea. Raystorm and the rest could only stare how the doors slowly closed with the same creaking sound as before and the thud of steel and stone of the shutting of the doors. It was dark and her sight was blurry, there was a thumping inside her head, as if her brain was trying to break out of her skull. Upon regaining her consciousness, she found herself lying on a rusty metal bed inside a dark stone room locked-up by bars. She pushed herself with her right wing to try and get on her hooves, but her side was burning from the inside, as if her bones were piercing through her lung. ‘Darn… my rib… ‘ “Psst! You awake?” the voice of an old pony called from the other side of the wall, “I can hear you, are you awake, young girl? They brought you here unconscious. Hah! Looks like you and I have something in common!” “Don’t you compare yourself to me, old stallion!” She hit the wall as hard as she could, “You’re probably locked here because of some nasty stuff you did and you deserved punishment! I am no criminal!” “Oh yeah? Insubordination is one of the worst crimes you can commit in the militia, or at least it is for us, unicorns folks.” The old stallion talked with a very relaxed tone. “That’s not… Ugh! Who am I kidding?” She dropped her weight, sitting on the floor as she sighed. “Listen, what if I told you I can get you out of here?” asked the stallion, he tapped his hoof on the stone walls, calling for her attention, “I’m just waiting for the right time, if you want payback or freedom or whatever, you can join me if you want.” “I’m not helping a criminal break out of jail!” she yelled hitting the stone wall again, harder than before, “my profile is ruined enough as it is, right now! The last I need is resist, fugitivity and madness to the list of stupid things I did today! I’m better off just waiting for court-martial and hope for the quickest, least painful execution they can grant me.” After a few hours of enduring the ramblings of an annoying old unicorn, the sound of horseshoes tapping on the floor sounded from across the hallway. A group of pegasi dragged King Lancer and his subjects to the cells in the bottom of the dungeon. She recognized Iris, and also recognized the pink unicorn she was dragging. Iris dropped the pink unicorn's body, and raised her right wing, ready to deal the final blow. “Please… don’t… ” Jewel whimpered, she raised her front hoof as if that would protect her from the wing. “I have to!” Iris tried to move her wing but she was hesitating. “I’m sorry! I don’t want to, but I have to! I have to kill you! Please, just close your eyes, it won’t hurt! I promise!” She approached the bars and called for her, “Iris, you’re doing it wrong. Don’t talk to them when you’re about to kill them, and certainly don’t apologize. You show weakness. You must stay cold.” “Commander Cotton Cloud!” Iris and all the unicorns gasped and turned their attention to Cotton Cloud’s cell. Iris quickly approached her and spoke to her in rushed desperation, she was sniffing and about to break into tears, “The General, she… she turned her back against the unicorns… she’s gonna fight both earth ponies and unicorns, she is going to speak to the princess! She named me Commander after you and… and I don’t know what to do!” “Well, look at me, I disobeyed a direct order and now I’m a traitor,” Cotton Cloud leaned her chest  and hooked her hooves against the bars, “I’m gonna serve my sentence, and I suggest you do what you are told too.” “Your name is Cotton Cloud!? Ba hah hah hah hah!” the old unicorn tapped his hoof against the floor as he laughed out loud, “some name for one of the pegasi fiercest soldiers!” “Don’t laugh at me, you old geezer! Let me out, Iris! Let me out this instant! I’m gonna kill you, old goat! I’m gonna kill you so hard, even though it doesn’t matter because your time in this world is almost up anyway!” Cotton Cloud stretched her front hooves out of the bars trying to reach the old unicorn who was still laughing and kicking from the safety of his own cell. “Ba hah hah! Whatever happened to ‘stay cold when you’re about to kill them’! Bah hah hah hah!” “Commander Cotton Cloud… ” Jewel called for her, she stood up leaning her body on the cell’s wall, “you are just like her… just like my princess. You tried to do the right thing…  even if it meant defying your own leader.” “Shut… shut up!” Iris turned to her and raised her wing again. “I understand… you have to kill me,” Jewel looked up to the pegasi, and focused her sight on to Cotton Cloud, “But you… you still believe that, don’t you? You believe it’s wrong… the ways of your General...” “What’s the point?” Cotton Cloud sighed, her ears drooped, “The general will just beat me again. You don’t know her, she’s a demon when she fights, and the main units are probably almost here, when they come, it will all be over for earth ponies and unicorns.” “Well, I know her… ” The King talked from his cell, he raised up again, his body still scarred but still strong. He felt as if there were nails inside of his body, but the pain just came to his mind like an old friend from a long time ago. “She is a skilled fighter, but she’s no demon. Just a pony. Maybe you won’t fight back, but I will, and I know my daughter will try to reason with her, she might buy us some time but I still fear for her safety. Starswirl, it is time!” “As you wish, Your Majesty.” The old unicorn inserted his horn in the keyhole of his cell, the door opened, and he walked out casually. The pegasi raised their wings in the defense and stepped back to a safe distance, but Starswirl only walked among them with a grin on his face and no one dared to strike, his whole self made Iris feel that if she dared to attack this old unicorn, would be the last mistake she ever did. Starswirl opened the King’s cell door, and he came out growling like a monster coming out of his lair. “You could escape this whole time?” Cotton Cloud asked, she leaned at the bars, “And you were prepared for this?” “I told you I was waiting for the right time,” said Starswirl with a grin, “You can stay and wait for the less painful execution they can grant you. But if you change your mind, if you decide to reject the easy escape, and to stand up and face death for what you believe is right, then turn your back to heaven and follow me to hell.” As Cotton Cloud stared through the bars at the two unicorns leaving, her body was trembling, her body still ached, and the other pegasi watched her. “Wait!” She screamed. “I always thought I’d die under General Spades Ace command, not under her hoof. I’ll come with you, I know their tactics and how to counter them. But we will need our own army, and take the castle as soon as possible.” She turned to the other pegasi, “I am not your commander anymore, I may even become your enemy if I do this, so I’ll ask you this just once. Will you help me?” “Yes, Commander!” They saluted, Iris with a great smile and tears in her eyes. While the Princess was being marched by Hurricane and her companions, unicorns and earth ponies were left in an awkward situation, Clover so caught in her own thoughts to come up with a plan, not realising  that unbeknownst to her, she was breathing in a rush and sniffing. Smart Cookie was next to Chief Puddinghooves, carefully counting how many ponies they had in their ranks and how many unicorns they were left with. As for Puddinghead, she was giggling at Seed and Raystorm who seemed to be having a staring competition… to death. Maybe minutes that felt like hours in a tense silence, Seed was holding his spear with a trembling hoof, and Raystorm knew it. It wasn’t until Estrella broke the silence with loud scream that was imprisoned inside her throat during this whole time. “Aaaaaaaaaargh! Will you two start kissing already!?” she panted, turning her face to her chief, “We’re more than them, let’s just crash through the gate and beat the hay out of those deformed birds!” “It’s not that simple, Estrella.” Responded Smart Cookie, “Now they have the princess, and even if they didn’t, she wouldn’t want us to just get in fighting and killing more ponies.” “Also we can put her in danger as well,” Clover added. “But in the end, what does it matter what we do?” asked Puddinghead, getting the attention and stares of all the ponies around her, “I mean, isn’t this what she always does? I’ve heard the stories, she’s always risking her own life to save others even if they are total strangers. She even apologized to my father in the name of unicorns just to stop the violence. That’s just the kind of unicorn she is, isn’t she? Even if she’s not making any sense, even if she’s being foolish. In the end, we all know that what she’s doing is the right thing to do… Right? Well, at least, that’s why I decided to follow her.” Blank stares all around Puddinghead as she kept talking, then they looked at each other as they accepted the true words they heard. Clover let go of a single laugh, “Yeah, that’s Princess Platinum! She’s gonna face death anyway, we can at least make it worthy! Let’s go!” They blasted the door open with their numbers, the pegasi were caught off guard and outnumbered. Hurricane woke up with a startled jump, she saw earth ponies and unicorns routing her partners, “Retreat! Pull back to the throne room!” The pegasi flew back as commanded, there was only one gate to the throne room from the main hall, and the pegasi were now prepared for the attack. Chief Puddinghead and Seed led the attack and blasted the gate. The chief used his big body to shield his soldiers and pushed five pegasi using his head, Seed next to him did the same. Clover leaped from behind Seed, she aimed her horn and shot her magic beams at any pegasus that crossed her sight, and from among them, came gliding Hurricane, her right wing throwing an horizontal slash to Clover’s neck. Too surprised by Hurricane’s speed to cast a teleport spell, Clover ducked and dashed backwards to gain distance. A song of a horn echoed from outside the castle while Hurricane slowly approached Clover with her wings wide open, “Look at that! Nice reflexes!” she smiled at Clover. “Why did you save my life if you were planning to kill us anyway?” asked Clover. Hurricane’s cold eyes turned unexpectedly friendly, “Last time my job was to keep you safe. We weren’t planning to kill you, you were the one who turned against us, remember? This war would already be over if it wasn’t for you and Princess Platinum. Today, my job is to stop you. Look at it this way: you owe me your life, so now I’m just claiming it.” Then a commotion sounded from the main hall, a wounded unicorn appeared “They have arrived, it’s all over!” He screamed. As the main hall was taken over by pegasi. “It’s not over!” The king arrived from the southeastern door of the throne room, slamming the door open with his horn sparkling like like a spear and his eyes raging like a fire, the calm Starswirl on his side and Commander Cotton Cloud on the other, she flapped her wings to hover above everyone to be visible and to be heard. “Pegasi! General Spades Ace betrayed the alliance with the unicorns. I know you are tied to General Spades Ace orders,” said Cotton Cloud, “but so did I, and still I followed my own principles and decided not to obey. I will keep my alliance with the unicorns, I will fight General Spades Ace if I have to! Those who believe in the same as I do are welcome to join me.” A group of pegasi dropped their helmets and joined Cotton Cloud’s side Hurricane among them, Pansy looked at her partners from the main unit abandoning their post to join the commander too. She looked deep inside her memory, looking where her loyalty might be. ‘No one? All I cared about was my rank.’ A touch on her shoulder woke her up, Hurricane yawned at her face. Pansy giggled, ‘That’s it!’ Not every pegasi joined Cotton Cloud, though. “What if we’re still loyal to the general?” A pegasus from the main unit asked, raising both her wings. “Then I suppose we are enemies, now!” Cotton Cloud also spread her wings, and so the battle raged on. Cotton Cloud glided against the enemy pegasi, confronting three of them, they leaped at the same, striking time with horizontal strikes from their wings. Cotton Cloud deflected their attacks with her wings with a spin of her, and slashed her right wing to hit the joint of the armor of the enemy in front of her. The remaining two were patiently waiting for Cotton Cloud’s next move, but Hurricane wing attacked on in the neck, and Pansy tackled the last one finished her out with her wing against her head. Clover and Laurel joined their horns again and set another barrier around their allies. Chief Puddinghooves blocked the pegasi attacks with his huge, bulky body while protecting Estrella and Smart Cookie. He headbutted through the enemy lines, “Stand aside!” Shouted the king, his glowing horn aimed at Starswirl, and Starswirl’s aimed at the throne room’s main gate. All allies moved aside, and a giant crimson beam of light was shot from Starswirl’s horn, sweeping the unaware enemies that were not quick enough to dodge. “Commander Cotton Cloud,” King Lancer spoke to her, “we can handle this, you have unfinished business with your general. Take Clover with you, my daughter will trust you if you’re with her.” Commander Cotton Cloud nodded, “Hurricane, Pansy! Come with me! Let’s go, Clover!” Clover followed, but she was stopped by the king’s hoof on her shoulder, “Please take care of my daughter.” He said. Azalea walked Princess Platinum to the northeastern tower, the horn of the pegasi sounded from afar, Azalea’s ears twitched, she turned her head to see Platinum and saw her looking back with angry eyes. Azalea gulped, she pulled air and tried to speak to Platinum, but stopped, ‘what can I say to her? Nothing… ’ Platinum raised a brow and tilted her head as Azalea just turned around and kept on walking up the stares, she didn’t realise but the pink of her face was brighter due to the embarrassment. They arrived the single wooden door, a maid pegasus stallion stood still next to it, he saw Azalea and stepped away with a single step. Azalea paid no mind to the stallion and pushed the door which creaked made Platinum’s spine shiver for a split second. She took  long sigh, stepped in and turned around to see Azalea gazing upon her and slowly closing the door. Platinum wasn’t sure, but she might have spotted teary eyes on Azalea’s face. Once inside General Spades Ace office, she was drinking her cup of tea, filling the room with a faint scent of jasmine. The general was calm and collected. “Ah! Lovely princess! You finally arrived” General Spades Ace smiled and said, taking a dip from her cup, “I have to admit, the clever trick you pulled out took me by surprise. I was afraid I had to kill your father to get your attention.” Princess Platinum responded with a serious frown and an eerie silence. General Spades Ace sighed and rubbed the back of her head, she gently spread her wings and came closer to her, “I know you hate me… I don’t blame you, I’ve done awful things. But I can assure you it’s all for the greater good.” Platinum pressed her frown even more, she couldn’t contain a growl as she saw General Spades Ace approaching, “How dare you say that!? Ponies are dying out there! You pledged an alliance, and then broke it! You threaten me with my father’s life! And now you’re telling me it’s all for the greater good!?” “Oh, my dear.” Spades Ace touched her chest as if she had just received a blow right to her heart. She approached and caressed Platinum’s chin. Platinum saw a sincere sadness in her eyes as she continued her speech. “I don’t like war as much as you may think. It’s ugly and painful, and yet it’s also necessary. You haven’t seen the world like I have. In order to survive you need strong creatures. On the heat of war, the strongest survive, the smartest bring progress to technologies, magic and tactics. As for the weak… they just die. War makes a nation strong by eliminating the weak.” “You are no one to decide who lives and who dies!” Platinum pushed her away. “Oh, but I don’t decide anything, dear princess.” Spades Ace shrugged coming back to her usual kindness, she walked back to her desk and took another sip from her cup, “I just let things happen. Just nature making its selection. If you join me, we can take over, unite all three races and build a stronger nation.” “It sounds nice when you put it that way,” Platinum sighed, gazing at the floor, “but your methods are wrong! It would be a nation built at the cost of lives and broken families. I want a nation of harmony and peace, where we can all be friends and weapons of war are not required.” Spades Ace put the cup on the desk, she raised her voice, grabbed the map and showed it to Platinum, “You don’t get it. There are creatures out there that will not hesitate to take advantage of even the smallest weakness. If you look to the outside world, you will see unfathomable dangers that you’re not prepared for.” “It’s true I’m not as strong as you, but it’s what I believe in,” Platinum ignored the map and focused on Spades Ace. “If we all help each other, we can be stronger and cover up all our weaknesses. Right now, most unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi are still alive and I’d like to keep it that way. We have seen enough deaths already. I can’t accept the way you are thinking. And I can’t accept this war going on any longer. I won't allow it!” “I beg your pardon? Heh heh… I’m not used to this kind of response, so let me get this straight,” she giggled covering her mouth with her hoof. Then, she suddenly raised her voice, “Are defying me? Don't make me laugh, my dear.” She approached Platinum spreading her wings menacingly, "And how do you plan to achieve that? I want this war, I need it. That's what I believe in, and I will do it, no matter the price I have to pay, even if that means killing you. Now, lovely princess, the only way to achieve your goal is by killing me! As a pacifist, are you up to pay that price?" Swift as the wind, Platinum didn’t even see the wing coming directly at her head and was knocked down to the floor. Then she received a second hit on the same spot, Platinum saw the shattered pieces of the tea cup dropping from her head, she touched her head, feeling the liquid pouring out of it and stared at her hoof, It was blood. She felt herself being pulled by the tail, Spades Ace had grabbed her and threw her against the desk, destroying it to pieces and sticks of wood. Spades Ace approached while Platinum wallowed in pain as she saw Spades Ace come to her with cold, murderous eyes. “It's not personal, lovely princess,” Spades Ace stepped on Platinum’s neck and raised her wing, “I'm just moving forward according to my ideals. Because of that, now I have to kill you, then I’ll have to kill your father, and then all those who follow you. All because you don't have the strength to take my life. It always ends the same way, the strong survive, and the weak die. And that’s just the way it is.” And so, a bit of blood splattered on Spades Ace body, Platinum whimpered, cold and trembling, she couldn’t breath nor see. Spades Ace calmly folded her wing back to her body, and as she looked down at Princess Platinum laying on the floor, she felt her muscles rigid as if they were made of stone. Platinum’s horn was glowing with a violet aura, as General Spades Ace turned to see her own chest, there was a piece of wood also glowing with the same glow as Platinum’s horn was piercing deep through her unprotected chest. Her arm felt as if she was being bound with chains, she stuggled to move her hoof and pulled off a wooden stake from her chest and dropped it on the floor. She felt her knees shaking and a cold more intense than the winter air running through her body, Spades Ace coughed and fell on her side, smiling at Platinum like a proud teacher smiles at her student. Platinum saw her fall, she crawled to her and shook her body, “No! Please, don’t! I’m sorry! I’m… I’m so sorry!” Platinum was panting and crying. Spades Ace giggled and spoke between coughs as the princess gazed upon the general’s tired eyes. “You lost, my dear. Because you just proved me right. To pay the price for your ideals, even if it hurts... That's what strength is... If by my death you will unite a strong nation, I will gladly pay that price.” "No! We can... we can heal you! Some unicorns know... they can cast healing spells!" Platinum held onto her like trying to hold her life in this world. "I just regret... not being able to see her again. Promise me that you will build a strong nation, lovely princess, build it with your own strength. I will… be watching…" General Spades Ace closed her eyes, and Platinum felt the last breath coming out of her chest. That familiar sensation invaded her trembling body, leaving the corpse of the pegasus on the floor, she looked at her own hooves as if they were the claws of a wicked monster. Looking back at the smiling face of Spades Ace, Platinum wept over her body, clinging her face to the hole in Spades Ace chest, the same way she did twelve years ago. After a few minutes, the door was slammed open, Commander Cotton Cloud came in spreading her wings alongside Hurricane and Pansy. Platinum gasped, she cowered away from Spades Ace’s body, shaking in terror. Clover saw the scene, she covered her mouth in shock and rushed to Platinum’s side. “Platinum! What happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Clover grabbed her, stared at her eyes and cleaned the blood streaming down her face. “I couldn’t… I wasn’t… ” Platinum trembled she had Clover in front of her, but she just saw a white and green shapeless stain. Cotton Cloud was speechless, she touched the general’s neck, and sighed away. “I hoped it didn’t end up like this. Clover, take the princess out of here, we need to take care of the body.” “I’ll do it.” Hurricane said, “you… you go and help the princess or whatever.” “You sure?” Pansy tried to touch her, but Hurricane rejected it. “Just go.” Hurricane smiled. Hesitant, Cotton Cloud and company left Hurricane alone with Spades Ace. She slowly closed the wooden door and leaned her head against it. After a cold silence, a couple of low sobs escaped her chest, she dropped on her knees against the door, and tears escaped her eyes.