If the Emperor’s palace could be described in a single word, it would be “lush.” The entire structure was massive, crafted from painstakingly carved stone, but the building itself paled in comparison to the multitudes of plants growing around it. Before the palace was a large, gated courtyard, where dozens of ferns and bushes were planted along the pathways, all of which surrounded a central reflecting pool. Beyond it was the palace proper, the walls of which were crawling with flowering vines that grew along specially-placed grooves in the stonework. Multiple holes were carved into the palace walls and ceiling, allowing dozens of trees to grow organically through the architecture.
As General Ihhuitl led the group through the courtyard, Celestia couldn’t help but marvel at the sights. The palace incorporated nature into its design in a way that was unlike anything she had ever seen. Tecoli seemed to take notice of this, and gave her a wide, toothy grin.
“Not bad, huh? This palace has been around for practically forever!”
Celestia returned the smile. Despite the cuetzpali’s obvious predatory nature, she already found herself more relaxed than before. “I will admit, it is quite impressive.”
“We are here,” said Ihhuitl. The group came to a massive set of silver double-doors just at the palace entrance, surrounded on either side by a pair of guards. Ihhuitl gave a nod to the two guards, and they stepped to the side, allowing the others through.
What happened next was very far from what Celestia had expected. Rather than opening the door with her own hands, Ihhuitl instead held out her right hand. There was a sharp shwing noise, and her body began to glow. A similar glow surrounded the doors as they suddenly then swung open.
Celestia blinked. What she had seen looked like magic, but it felt like nothing of the sort. In fact, it felt like almost nothing at all, barely skirting the edge of her magical senses.
Ihhuitl gestured for the others to follow and Celestia wordlessly complied. She shot Daring Do a glance, and it was clear that Daring Do saw the subtle unease written on her face. She motioned with a hoof and briefly touched the gemstone on her amulet.
Miss Daring, do you know what that was?
Daring Do raised an eyebrow. Um... that was magic, wasn’t it?
So it may appear, Celestia replied. But it is nothing like any magic I have seen. You would not have noticed since you lack a unicorn’s thaumatic sense, but what General Ihhuitl did left behind no perceptible magic aura.
Really? Nothing at all?
I’m afraid not. I couldn’t sense even the slightest hint of... Celestia paused, as her mind turned back to what she had experienced only a moment prior.
Something wrong, Princess? said Daring Do.
...I may have been mistaken. I think I did feel something just then. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.
So what was it, then? said Daring Do. Do you have any idea?
Alchemy, Celestia replied. The magic of alchemy is very distinctive to a unicorn’s sense, as it operates on principles different from traditional spellcraft. It was difficult to notice beneath the aura surrounding her soldiers’ weapons, but spell Ihhuitl cast was undeniably alchemical in nature.
Daring Do’s eyes went wide. Her mouth opened, as if she were going to say something out loud, but quickly closed, as though she’d suddenly realized she was still communicating telepathically. But how is that possible? she said. I thought alchemy involved the creation of potions and artifacts. I didn’t think it could be used to cast spells directly!
Neither did I, said Celestia. So you can understand why I feel this is a worrying development.
Daring Do said nothing, her eyes trailing to the ground. Many things had undoubtedly weighed down on her mind, the same way they had weighed down on Celestia’s. One thing was clear above all: establishing a good diplomatic relationship was now more important than ever. The Cuetzpali Empire was capable of things that Equestria never would have imagined.
The group continued to make their way through the palace corridors, led by Ihhuitl’s soldiers. In the midst of her prior telepathic conversation, Celestia had barely even noticed just how incredible it truly was. Her guards (and one particularly obnoxious minotaur) all stared transfixed at the surrounding palace as they walked.
Rather than a simple building, the interior of the palace was more aptly described as an indoor rainforest. The hallways were surrounded on either side of the walkway with soil beds, from which grew plants of all shapes and sizes. Ferns, bushes, and flowers lined the sides of the floor, while tree trunks shot upward from the soil beds and formed a leafy green canopy that hung over every inch of the halls. Hundred upon hundreds of holes had been placed within the ceiling, some to allow the largest trees to grow through the roof, but others simply to allow the daylight to shine through. Beams of gentle sun pierced the canopy like many miniature spotlights, creating a beautiful display of warmth and light that dotted the halls.
Eventually, Ihhuitl led them to another set of doorways, this one considerably larger than the last, and crafted from gold rather than silver. Standing watch in front of it were four more guards, two on either side, but what was more interesting was the fifth cuetzpali standing between them.
The new cuetzpali was undeniably older than the others, his scales somehow managing to hold a slightly wrinkled appearance. Though he remained slightly hunched over, supporting himself with the aid of a small walking stick, there was an unwavering fierceness deep beneath his eyes. Draping his body was a fanciful green robe lined with glowing white markings. Similarly green and white feathers adorned his arms, though they were much thinner than other cuetzpali. Notably, the only feathers on his head were a set of scraggly feathers protruding from his chin, giving him the appearance of a beard.
At the sight of the elderly figure, Tecoli’s eyes lit up, and she rushed out to the front of the group to greet him. “Grandpa! Look who we found!”
A low, soft laugh escaped from the elder cuetzpali’s throat. “Glad to see you’ve been keeping our guests busy.” He turned to face Celestia with a twinkle in his eye. “You must be Princess Celestia, then. I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from your letter. Looking at you now, though... well, I’ve certainly not seen many feathers as beautiful as yours. Best be careful, or you’ll make this old man envious.”
Celestia felt a slight warmth on the edges of her cheeks. Though receiving centuries’ worth of flattering comments from foreign dignitaries had taught her how avoid being visibly flustered, she could never quite escape the strange feeling of hearing such remarks from other species.
“Thank you,” Celestia replied. “You would be General Xochitli, I presume?”
“That I would,” said Xochitli. His mouth showed something that looked like a smile, though it was difficult to tell through his reptilian features. “Sorry if I forgot to introduce myself. Things tend to slip the mind at my age, don’t you know.”
“It’s no problem at all, General,” said Celestia. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be here today.”
Xochitli let out a chuckle. “Easy there, Princess. You’ll want to make sure you have some flattery in you left for the Emperor. Let’s not keep him waiting, hmm?” He turned around, and held out his hand, and with a glow of alchemical power, the golden doors swung open. With a beckoning nod, he made his way through the entrance.
As Celestia and her companions followed behind, a subtle tension began to build within her chest. How she presented herself to the Emperor would forever determine Equestria’s relationship to the Western Continent. Despite the positive impressions she seemed to have left so far, her mind couldn’t help but wander to all the possible ways in which things could go wrong. Images of war and conquest flickered across her imagination, of a conflict so great and destructive that the world itself was cracked open like an eggshell.
A soft breath pushed past her nostrils. Though Celestia couldn’t quell the anxiety the anxiety within her, she knew that dwelling on the worst possible outcomes wouldn’t help. All she could do was work to represent her people as best as she could.
Whether that would be enough, only time would tell.
————————
Xochitli, Nature’s Glory 2GW
Legendary Creature — Viashino Soldier
Hexproof, lifelink
As long as you control a Dinosaur, Soldiers you control get +1/+1 and have trample.
We are the roots of the Southern Star, the seed from which the Golden Sun was born.
— Creed of the Verdant Soldiers
3/3
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Beyond the double-doors was a throne room, but it was quite unlike any throne room Celestia had ever seen. Much like the rest of the palace, vines, bushes, and trees freely grew on the walls, floor, and ceiling, but these plants were somehow even more vibrant and full of life than anything else. Dozens upon dozens of flowers that spanned the full visible spectrum sprouted across the greenery, their colors radiating off the sunlight that poured through the windows, to the point where they almost seemed to glow of their own accord. The path leading from the door was constructed with a pair of flowing, river-like channels engraved into the stone on either side. At its end was a large set of steps with a golden throne on top, a pair of guards stationed beside it, and surrounded on both sides by a pair of crystal-clear waterfalls. Yet despite the breathtaking scenery, what truly captured Celestia’s attention was the figure sitting atop the throne.
It would have been impossible to mistake Emperor Quetzalcoatl for any other cuetzpali, to the point where Celestia wouldn’t have even guessed he was the same species at all. His body was that of an enormous snake, at least twenty feet long by her first estimate. His brown scales contrasted sharply against the multitude of red, green, and white feathers adorning the crest on his head, as well as the giant pair of wings on his back. Multiple golden rings encircled his body, and a small, elaborate golden circlet wrapped across his forehead.
The Emperor smiled as the group approached, revealing a sharp set of fangs, the sight of which sent a slight tingle up Celestia’s spine. At the very least, they didn’t appear to be venomous.
Quetzalcoatl gave a short and remarkably high-pitched laugh. “Oh! Goodness! Here already? I’ve barely had time at all to prepare... Oh, but look at your wings! Beautiful! Truly magnificent!” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing at Celestia. “Hold on, is that a stray bit of down I see? No, no, that won’t do. Feathers such as yours shouldn’t be tarnished like that. Guards! Give our fine guest a thorough preening!”
It took considerable effort to stifle the startled reaction that immediately came to Celestia’s instincts, and the end result was a hacking, muted cough. Thankfully, before the Emperor’s guards could give her a very intrusive grooming session, Xochitli stepped forward. The elder cuetzpali cleared his throat, instantly gaining the Emperor’s attention.
“Beg your pardon, Supreme One, but weren’t we supposed to have a feast prepared?”
“A feast?” Quetzalcoatl paused for a moment, only for his yellow, reptilian eyes to widen in sudden realization. “Ah! Right. A feast, how careless of me.” He turned to his right and glanced at the guard by his side. “We did have the Imperial Chefs prepare a feast, correct?”
The guard’s body seized up at the Emperor’s glance. He remained utterly silent, giving a forced, jerking nod.
“Good, good! Let’s get started right away. Oh, I do hope they’ve cooked up a fine serving of ceratops steaks, that would just be so delightful!”
Xochitli gave Quetzalcoatl a wizened smile. “Well of course they have, Supreme One. But for now, why don’t we let our guests introduce themselves? This is a very important moment in our mighty Empire’s diplomacy, after all.”
Quetzalcoatl blinked. He curled up the tip of his tail, tapping it thoughtfully against his chin. “Diplomacy... Right. I think I’ve heard that word before. That’s when you conquer someone with words instead of weapons, correct? I’m honestly don’t even know how that’s supposed to work.”
A new tension gripped at Celestia’s chest, as it became immediately apparent that establishing foreign relations with the Cuetzpali Emperor was going to be much, much more difficult than she anticipated. And yet, at the same time, a nagging thought tugged at the back of her mind. Quetzalcoatl seemed far too eccentric and scatterbrained to rule over an entire empire, yet everything she had seen of it so far suggested that it was running smoothly.
It didn’t take long for Celestia to puzzle out a likely answer. She recalled the way that Xochitli gently guided the Emperor’s part in the conversation without appearing to overstep his authority — and if Tecoli’s comments were to be believed, how both of the other serving members of the Council of Elements were directly descended from his bloodline.
Before she could ruminate any further, a very loud and gruff voice called out from her side. “Now you hold on a minute!” said Iron Will, pointing an accusatory finger at Quetzalcoatl. “If you think you’re going to go about conquering any of us, you are sorely mistake—”
Celestia’s front leg moved before she could even think, Iron Will’s words instantly cut off as a pristine white hoof jammed itself into his mouth. Celestia’s teeth visibly clenched, heat literally radiating off of her body as she seethed in barely-restrained indignation.
“Do. Not. Speak. Unless I say so. Do I make myself clear?”
Iron Will shuddered slightly, a muffled whine coming from his throat. “Mmff. Yeff, Your Highneff,” he said.
Almost immediately, Quetzalcoatl burst out into giddy laughter. “Oh! Oh, my! Such authority! Truly, you command power befitting of such beautiful wings! That means you must be the princess I was informed of! Good, good. I am Quetzalcoatl the Supreme, Lord of Wind and High Emperor of the Cuetzpali. Of course, you’d probably guessed that last part already.”
Celestia pushed a sigh through her nostrils and stepped forward. She forced a serene smile onto her face, never once showing anything that might betray her true emotions, and gave the Emperor a bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, Supreme One. It is my hope that we will establish a thriving relationship between our peoples.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll be sure to help you out with that,” said Quetzalcoatl. “This is where the diplomacy part comes in, I assume. General Xochitli, you’ve faithfully led my conquests for centuries. Would you mind explaining to me how to do to this?”
Xochitli laughed softly, though his gaze remained tempered with an ironclad resolve that Celestia had only seen in the world’s most hardened political leaders. “Well Supreme One, I’m afraid matters of diplomacy are quite complex, and I don’t believe I’ll be able to explain it all in a single day. Perhaps you should leave it to me for the time being?”
Quetzalcoatl paused momentarily, several different emotions briefly running across his face, as though his mind still trying to understand his own reaction. “Well, alright. I’ve put enough faith in you to trust that you’ll serve my best interests. Why don’t you go and meet with our dear princess and talk about... whatever it is diplomacy involves. I’ll go see our Imperial Chefs and make sure they’ve prepared a meal befitting this occasion.”
Quetzalcoatl stood up straighter in his throne, flaring his wings outwards. Suddenly, his body glowed with an alchemical magic powerful enough that Celestia could feel it even through the ambient alchemical energy of the Imperial Guards’ weapons and armor. Then, in a flash of light, he disappeared.
“Well, I believe that’s our cue,” said Xochitli, grinning eagerly. “Follow me, Princess. I’m sure we have a lot you want to discuss.”
Xochitli gestured towards the assortment of armed soldiers, and the group was hurriedly escorted out of the throne room. As they left, Celestia shared a worried glance with Daring Do.
So that was their Emperor? Daring Do mentally spoke.
That he is, Celestia replied. But whether he is their leader, we shall see.
————————
Past the many foliage-encrusted corridors of the palace, the group were led to a spacious room. Large, bioluminescent plants hung from the ceiling, with glowing, yellow, and fruit-like bulbs that gave each of them the appearance of a chandelier. A silver door on the other side of the room led to what was presumably the dining hall proper.
The group had already broken apart into small gatherings, with the Royal Guard mingling freely with the cuetzpali soldiers escorting them. Thankfully, it seemed that their initial trepidation had already begun to wore off, and seeing her guards grow more comfortable brought a smile to Celestia’s face. Ponies were always a deeply social species, sometimes all they truly needed was a chance to get to know others to connect with them.
Of course, that didn’t entirely lessen most of her concerns. As she took the effort to stand apart from the crowd, General Xochitli couldn’t help but notice. The elderly lizardfolk approached Celestia, his expression remaining unreadable.
“Your soldiers seem to be mingling remarkably well, General,” said Celestia. Her serene smile was calculated, a tried-and-true means of diffusing potential hostilities before they started.
“Hmm. Yes, indeed they are.” Xochitli cleared his throat. “Now, Princess, I’m sure you’re not here for pleasantries, so I’ll get straight to the point. As I’m certain you’ve guessed by now, the Emperor is not truly the one who runs the show around here. That responsibility lies squarely on my shoulders.”
A slight frown crossed Celestia’s lips, her eyes remaining level with Xochitli’s. “I see. And now that we are separate from the others, you wish to discuss matters of diplomacy.”
A grin cracked its way across Xochitli’s reptilian muzzle. “Well, formal diplomatic measures will probably take a lot more time to deliberate, but yes. For now, I want to alleviate your most likely concern. At the moment, I have no intention of expanding our military forces eastward. Your people, rest assured, are under no threat from our Empire.”
Celestia paused for a moment. Xochitli’s demeanor was gentle, but she could see the fierceness and determination burning just beneath his eyes, eyes of a being that had lived just as long as her, if not longer. “Your promise is noted, General, but you understand that I will need more assurance than your word alone.”
Xochitli gave a low, muted chuckle. “I’m far beyond the age for leading major campaigns of war and bloodshed, Princess. Besides, conquering the entire continent was never really the true goal. It was more of a... shall we say, personal matter on the Emperor’s part. So long as you don’t offend him, your people will be just fine.”
Celestia blinked rapidly, not completely able to hide her own surprise. “Are you suggesting your Empire conquered the entire continent over a simple grudge?”
“I suppose you could say that,” Xochitli wryly responded. “There were once other Elemental Lords much like Quetzalcoatl, each of whom ruled over their own people. To say they didn’t get along with each other would be putting things lightly.” He shook his head sadly. “The Supreme One never did recover from his psionic duel with the Lord of Earth. He survived, certainly, but his mind was never quite the same.”
“And you have taken up administration of the Empire in his stead,” said Celestia.
Xochitli frowned. “In the literal sense, yes. But don’t you get the wrong idea, Princess. I’m not interested in usurping the Supreme One’s power or undermining his authority. I serve the Supreme One as he was in his full glory, and govern his Empire just as he would have in his prime.”
“I see,” Celestia replied. The point didn’t need to be elaborated to her any further. The Emperor that Xochitli served was first and foremost a memory. Yet there still remained a question lingering on her mind, and her eyes briefly twinkled as they met Xochitli’s. “And you said something before about a psionic duel? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of such a thing.”
“I had a feeling you would ask about that,” said Xochitli. “Psionics are a power that we have developed through centuries of exposure to the alchemical arts, allowing us to manipulate the elements without the need for potions or reagents. The many lordless tribes we encountered between conflicts believed it to be the same as their magic, and assumed it could be counteracted the same way.” Xochitli gave another smile, and from the now-closer distance Celestia could see that his teeth were in absolutely pristine condition, their razor-sharp points starkly contrasting with the frailty of his body. “They assumed wrongly.”
A sudden chill ran down the length of Celestia’s spine. More and more, it was looking like Equestria was even less prepared to deal with establishing contact than she’d anticipate on that. Her face remained stoic, though it was becoming more of an effort by the moment to maintain her calm demeanor. She quickly reviewed her options in her mind, deducing the best way to continue the conversation without arousing suspicion.
“Could you please elaborate on that, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I think you know exactly what I mean, Princess,” Xochitli replied. Though his voice remained soft, there was now a slight edge to his tone, just barely enough to make sure that Celestia would notice. “I’ve done battle with both psionic armies and magical tribesmen, and I can tell at a glance which art defines your power. And I know that when they were outmatched, our enemies would try to control us through diplomacy rather than warfare. I have no interest in conquering the east, and neither would the Supreme One with his mind intact. But you’d best realize that you can’t fight against a power you don’t understand. The Empire’s destiny belongs to us alone. Don’t you forget that.”
Celestia inhaled sharply. Very few times over the course of her life had she been directly threatened in such a manner, and only ever when faced with world-threatening monsters and villains. In such circumstances she could always offer a swift verbal rebuke, as anything that so brazenly threatened her would face swift retribution by the forces of Harmony.
Yet here, that was not an option. This was a matter not of villainy, but of something vastly more dangerous to the world. This was a matter of geopolitics.
A twisting, burning sensation welled up within her chest, and Celestia began to realize how difficult it truly was to restrain the sudden indignation building within her. Sure, she had felt a great number of negative emotions throughout her many years of living. Frustration, annoyance, disappointment, and exasperation were unavoidable, and she’d learned to conceal those well enough to maintain her regal appearance. But anger, real and genuine anger, had been an exceedingly rare experience in her lifetime. Sure, most of those she’d directed it towards were deserving, like the evils she had confronted to protect Equestria (and more recently, the bumbling of a particularly clueless minotaur.) But others were ponies she cared about deeply, ponies who in turn cared about her. Sunset, Twilight, and even her own sister — all had, at some point, been hurt by her anger. And now, standing before the de facto leader of an overwhelmingly powerful empire, millions more could stand to be hurt by a single comment out of line.
A short breath pushed itself past her lips. “I will keep that in mind.” There were many more things she wanted to say, and none of them pleasant.
Xochitli gently laughed to himself, and Celestia couldn’t tell how much of it was at her expense. “Glad to hear, Princess.”
“Grandpa! Over here!” Tecoli’s voice called from the distance, and Celestia turned her head to see her standing in a circle of her guardsponies, all of which appeared to be listening to her intently. “Come on, grandpa! These ponies want to hear a story! Why don’t you come and tell them the one with the plesiosaur? That’s a fun one!”
“Alright, alright, you don’t have to tell me twice,” said Xochitli. As he turned to approach his granddaughter, he looked back and gave Celestia a knowing wink.
As the elderly general walked away, Celestia closed her eyes and gave a breath through gritted teeth, her mind still filled with images of the many ways the interaction could have gone wrong. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice another pony approaching her.
“You okay, Princess? You look pretty stressed out.”
Celestia’s eyes jolted open, and she turned to see her Daring Do staring up at her, her brow wrinkled in concern. Looking down at her traveling companion, she could already feel the tension melting away. “It’s alright, Miss Daring. I have a lot on my mind right now, as you can imagine.”
“Yeah, I get what you mean. It’s not every day you deal with things like this,” said Daring Do. “Listen, if you ever need somepony to talk to, I’ll be right here. You know just how to reach me.” With a smile, she gestured to the amulet hanging around her neck.
Celestia felt the corners of her lips gently curving upwards. “I’ll be sure to remember that. And thank you.”
————————
The dining hall, to Celestia’s surprise, contained far less greenery life than the rest of the palace. Though the stonework walls were just as intricate as ever, decorated with intricate painted reliefs of the Empire’s armies, the plants had been kept to potted decorations in the corners of the room. The intent, Celestia surmised, was to ensure proper hygiene by keeping them away from the dining space.
The table was already set by the time that they approached. It was a massive jade object smoothed to a blinding polish, surrounded by almost three dozen chairs of similar make. Though she lacked the expertise to describe the differences in full, Celestia noticed many details in the furniture’s construction that distinguished them from the rest of the palace — subtle differences in the angles and shapes that set them apart, and that was saying nothing of the fact that they were the only jade objects that she had seen in the entirety of the building.
At the end of the spacious room, a door led to what was presumably the kitchen. Through it, the voice of Quetzalcoatl echoed, loud and piercing.
“Yes, I said rare! What part of that is so confusing to you?”
“We, ah... just wanted to make sure we know exactly what you want, Supreme One,” another voice responded.
“Good,” Quetzalcoatal huffed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, our guests should be arriving soon. And don’t forget what I told you!”
Quetzalcoatl’s massive form quickly slithered out the doorway, approaching the table. His eyes gleamed as he saw Celestia’s group gathering by the dining room entrance.
“Oh good, You’re here! Go ahead, have a seat! Our meal will be served shortly.”
Celestia glanced with the rest of her traveling companions, seeing her own guards shifting uncomfortably. Though she shared their apparent unease, the outward appearance she projected remained unperturbed. She turned to see Quetzalcoatl taking his place at the largest chair, positioned at the table’s very end. As he sat, he gestured with a wing to the table directly to the right of himself.
Celestia forced her lips upward into a gracious smile, taking the seat that had been offered. Soon every space at the table had been filled; just across from her was Xochitli, and to her right was Daring Do. The other spaces closest to Quetzalcoatl were taken by Iron Will, Ihhuitl, and Tecoli, with the others further down occupied by her guards and Ihhuitl’s soldiers.
When everyone had finally taken their place, Quetzalcoatl very loudly cleared his throat, with such a volume that Celestia’s left ear reflexively folded against the back of her head. She ignored the newfound ringing in her ears as Quetzalcoatl began to speak.
“So, Princess, what can you tell us of your proud nation? I’m quite eager to learn more about your people.”
Celestia looked the feathered serpent in his eyes. Beneath the Emperor’s slit-like pupils flickered an emotion that she couldn’t fully grasp, too chaotic in its fluctuations for her to identify. She took a deep breath, pushing aside the fog of anxieties that began to creep into her mind.
“Equestria has a very long and storied history,” Celestia responded. Though her speech flowed with a natural rhythm, her words were chosen carefully and deliberately. “We were once a divided land, driven to strife and conflict among each other. Now we are united as one people, and the many different ponies of our nation live together in harmony.”
Quetzalcoatl giggled in a way that sounded a bit too much like one of Celestia’s squeaky bathtub toys. “Impressive! You must be quite the inspiring military commander to have brought them all under your banner. I’d like to hear the tales of your conquests someday.”
Celestia’s eyes went wide. Within her own mind, her thoughts were drowned out by the sound an intense, frustrated scream. “Ah... Well, that’s not exactly—”
The gentle tinging of a bell sounded from just outside the room, abruptly cutting Celestia off. From the kitchen doorway, an entire host of cuetzpali came marching through, carrying with them a vast assortment of dishes on silver platters. The smell that crossed Celestia’s nostrils alerted her to the nature of the meal long before she could get a close look, and her immediate suspicions were confirmed when a servant placed a large slab of unidentified meat before her, slathered in a rust-colored sauce that smelled distinctly of iron. Soon the entire table was set, each space occupied by the same dish. Largest of all was Quetzalcoatl’s, a piece of meat so large that it required four servants to carry the massive plate to him.
Though the sight of a such a meal was by no means unfamiliar to Celestia, the same could not be said of her guards, whose reactions ran through the entire spectrum of disgust and horror. At the edge of her peripheral vision she caught the sight of an unfortunate guard bolting out of the room. She didn’t need to guess what happened next, judging by the loud, squelchy gagging noise coming from beyond the hall.
Despite the sting of pity for the unfortunate pony, Celestia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of amusement as well. There was a time, not too long ago from her own perspective, when ponies weren’t so particular about their diet.
The amusment didn’t last, as a more pressing matter made itself apparent. Namely, the fact that there was no apparent silverware provided. Looking around the table, she saw that the cuetzpali were each tearing apart pieces of their meal with their bare hands, spearing chunks off with claw-tipped fingers and popping them into their mouths. Iron Will, lacking such claws, had instead opted to hold the slab of meat with both hands and take a giant bite out of it.
Then, directly to Celestia’s right, there was the sound of slobbering, smacking jaws, so loud that it nearly startled her out of her chair. She turned her head around to see Daring Do leaning over her food, burying herself face-first into the meal.
All at once, the entire room fell quiet, save for the sound of her chewing. Everyone else simply stared, and even the cuetzpali seemed shocked. With a loud gulp, Daring Do swallowed a mouthful of flesh, and met the sea of eyes with a raised eyebrow.
“What? I lived in Griffonstone for three months. What do you think they eat over there, broccoli?”
A silence hung over the dining hall. Celestia’s guards exchanged a series of uncomfortable glances. Then, out of the nowhere, Xochitli cleared his throat.
“Supreme One, if I may make a suggestion? Perhaps next time we should afford our guests a more vegetarian option.”
“And why would I do that?” Quetzalcoatl huffed. “These ponies seem to be able to eat meat just fine! Besides, how could anyone not adore this fine cuisine?” With a blindingly swift motion, he speared the end of the meat slab in front of him with his tail, tearing off a small chunk and popping it into his mouth.
Quetzalcoatl’s eyes bulged. A grimace crossed his face as he swallowed, and he followed it with a dry, hacking cough. “Chef! Chef! Come in here at once!”
Daring Do shot Celestia a glance, and tapped her amulet. Hold on, isn’t ‘chef’ a Prench word? How do they even know what that is? She paused briefly, and her eyebrows scrunched in deep thought. Come to think of it, how is it they speak Equestrian at all?
Celestia blinked. For as long as she could remember, Equestrian had always been the dominant spoken tongue, to the point where nearly every being in the world spoke it as their second language, if not their first. It was also a remarkably static language, existing almost entirely unchanged throughout her entire life, even in the times when Old Ponish was the written language of the scholarly caste. And here, in a land that evolved completely separate from anywhere ponies had traveled, it remained the common tongue.
A very good question, but likely not one we should worry about right now, Celestia replied. She would leave pondering the mysteries of the world to Twilight.
The subject was dropped when the door burst open, and a cuetzpali dressed in fanciful white robes rapidly strolled out. His body shook as he stood by Quetzalcoatl, the Emperor’s eyes bearing down on him with tremendous weight.
Quetzalcoatl gave a sharp, piercing hiss. “This steak. It is undercooked. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“B-but Supreme One!” The chef pleaded. “You ordered your meal rare!”
“Wha.... buh.... rare?” Quetzalcoatl sputtered, spraying droplets of saliva across the face of the unfortunate cook. “Do you have any idea how common undercooked meat is!? You can find it on the bones of any dead animal!”
“C-common? Supreme One, we thought—”
Before the chef could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a bright flash from Quetzalcoatl’s eyes. Almost immediately he dropped to his knees, his eyes bulging and his jaw hanging loose. As Quetzalcoatl’s eyes burned with alchemical power, a whirling sphere of powerful wind began to engulf the chef’s head.
Celestia watched in utter horror as the chef began furiously clawing at his own throat, eliciting a painful, wheezing gasp. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as the air was forcibly expunged from the cuetzpali’s lungs, the swirling currents creating a vacuum that sucked out any breath he took.
“No!”
Her cry was loud enough to echo off the stone walls of the dining hall. There, in a single moment, her facade of a stately composure shattered. The glow in Quetzalcoatl’s eyes faded, leaving the bedraggled chef to scurry away as the Emperor turned to face Celestia.
“Hm? What is it?”
Celestia coughed into her hoof. “I said, so... are there any particular places of note within the city of Atlazan? I’m sure my guards would appreciate a chance to see some of the sights for themselves.”
“A tour, eh?” said Quetzalcoatl. “Yes, I think I like the sound of that. I think I have an idea... General Xochitli?”
“Yes, Supreme One?”
“I want you to arrange a tour for tomorrow morning. Show our fine guests the wonders of my magnificent empire! Then when the tour is finished, you can all take them to see the majesty of the Golden Sun!”
Xochitli’s eyes went wide. “The... are you certain, Supreme One? The Sun Temple is a sacred place. It’s not to be visited by just anyone.”
“I know that!” Quetzalcoatl snapped back. “But these guests aren’t merely anyone! Their very presence here may well usher in a new era for the Empire! Now, are you going to obey me, or not?”
“Ah... yes, of course, Supreme One,” Xochitli responded. “I’ll make arrangements for a tour of the city tomorrow. I’ll instruct the guards of the Sun Temple to let our guests in.”
“Good, good,” said Quetzalcoatl. “I’ll have my servants prepare bedchambers for our guests in the meantime. Tomorrow you can show them the many fine things that Atlazan has to offer.”
“As you wish, Supreme One,” said Xochitli.
As Celestia watched the conversation unfold, she turned to face Daring Do, her lips curving into a pointed frown. She touched the gem on her amulet as her eyes met her companion’s.
It seems we’ll be getting a glimpse of their sacred artifact. Is there anything else you know about the Golden Sun?
Nothing that I haven’t told you, said Daring Do. It’s supposed to maintain the prosperity of the Empire, but I’ve no idea how it would do that.
I believe I may already have an idea, Celestia replied. But we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see for ourselves.
Daring Do shifted slightly in her seat. I don’t know why, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this...
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Today was a good day to be a villainous mastermind.
He had remained in the shadows since his return to the Western Continent, hiding beneath the attention of the ponies he stowed away with. He had skulked his way past Atlazan’s many cuetzpali, eventually making his way into the Emperor’s palace.
Now, as he clung to the ceiling, he watched as Quetzalcoatl conversed with General Xochitli. The sight of the old fool brought a burning tension to his chest. He had worked so hard to earn the Empire’s favor, to attain the power he truly deserved, and the nepotistic scum had ensured none but his family could ever rule.
But it didn’t matter in the end. He’d returned after so many years, to finally set things straight. And as the conversation turned to the Golden Sun, he saw a perfect opportunity present itself. Not only were both of his lifelong nemeses present, with the right approach he could end them both in a single fell swoop.
A large, toothy grin formed on Ahuizotl’s face. Tomorrow he would obtain everything he could have ever wanted.
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Evade Notice U
Instant
Target creature gains hexproof until end of turn. If you cast Evade Notice during your precombat main phase, that creature can’t be blocked this turn.
What you don’t know will kill you too quickly to hurt you.