Night Patrol Chapter 51
By Foxgear
Canterlot, Commando Training Grounds, 1:23 PM
Shining Armor was in full sprint, dodging fireballs from his opponent, his movements slightly restricted by the new commando armor he adorned. The midnight blue gear offered many benefits, it was lighter, more robust, and easier to move in then his old guard suit. That said, it still added weight, and his current load made it hard to keep his balance while running.
Which was intentional.
Fixed to his right side was a bulky, heavy gem cannon. On his left was a saddlebag weighed down with ammo for said weapon. In his studies over the last two months in the commando course, such a gun was very unlikely to be used.
The weapon’s real function in this instance was to be pure dead weight. One more struggle for him to overcome to achieve the next rank. All he had to do was impress his instructor for this test.
Unfortunately, that instructor was Sixes.
He cursed his luck. Sweet Dreams, Goodnight, and he drew lots to decide who they’d be taking the Specialist test under, and he defiantly drew up short.
“Come on!” Sixes taunted, spewing a stream of lava at him.
Shining was relieved that Sixes was restricted from using his gold. One of several handicaps he was given for this test.
Focusing, Shining formed three smaller square shields and then combined them into one, thick square. With it, he battered the glops of molten rock away and tossed the shield like a Frisbee. In turn, Sixes spit lava on his claw, creating a sphere of black stone, and punched the incoming attack. The rock shattered, and so did the shield.
He wasn’t done. Shining created three more, arranging their shape into a three-sided pyramid. Ever since returning from the Crystal Empire Campaign, besides undergoing Commando training, he took extra lessons with former Captain of the Guard, Scarlet. The red unicorn was as much a master of shield magic as him, but much more experienced. And was happy to impart her wisdom.
One of those pearls of knowledge was the concept of three-dimensional shields. At first, the idea didn’t resonate with him. He’s made a dome, and some other shapes, squares, triangles, etc., but he didn’t understand the need to create cubes, cylinders, trigons, and pyramids. They took more magic and concertation to make and keep together.
At his remarks, Scarlet forced him to attend several engineering lectures. Refusing to teach him anymore until he ‘saw the light,’ end quote. He didn’t know if he saw it, but he did understand building structural integrity and which shapes added strength and stability and which did not.
Like the boggling idea that sometimes three legs were more stable than four. In certain contexts.
The benefits of a trigon shield were at first hard to grasp, but Shining understood now. With its three slanted sides, it required less power than a pyramid but with the same effect. The pointed tip of the three-sided triangle punched through the incoming attack, becoming an attack in of its self.
Arrow Head Shield, was the pending name for the spell. Any flat shield would cut through the flames too. A three-dimensional barrier scattered the attack, deflecting away and breaking it down into smaller, less harmless bits, away from him and Anypony under his protection.
It was new techniques like this that gave him the power to defend, counter, and double down! He fired a quick barrage of magic missiles for good measure.
Another restriction for the black rinin was he couldn’t fly above a certain height or leave a marked area.
To add some incentive for Shining to win this exercise, he had to ‘rescue’ Cadence from within Sixes’ territory. To add to the realism, Cadence was dressed in a typical fairy tale princess, pointed hat included, and placed in a doll’s castle.
Cadence was also shrunk in size to fit inside said castle. A robust barrier protected her. So, Sixes could act the role of the villain and fill his area with lava if he so chose too. Which he did. A fifty-foot radius of lava surrounded him, marking his territory of movement.
“Ten minutes!” Sixes snarled deftly avoiding the incoming attacks while reminding Shining that this was a timed exercise.
Instead of engaging in wasted banter, Shining buckled down, pushing magic into his exhausted legs to give them a boast. Another Commando trick he learned.
Projecting a mana blade from his horn, Shining detached the pauldron from his armor. That was another neat feature of Commando Armor and being a Commando. Custom Equipment. The shoulder armor clicked and expanded, combining to make a round shield with saw teeth. With a little spark of magic, the gem in the center of the equipment lit up, causing the saw teeth to spin.
Making a hard right, Shining charged Sixes, letting the gem cannon roar while brandishing his chosen weapons. The Black rinin filled his chest with air, his cheeks puffing comically, but the rapid-fire golf ball-sized fireballs were not.
Bringing his shield ahead, Shining leaped into the air, the gem boosters on his back came to life and sent him rocketing at Sixes. The mini fireballs pelted his shield, but he endured, lava was beneath him, but he didn’t care. He split his shield slightly, letting his mana blade stick through the gap, he was as defended as he could be, and posed for the kill.
He had this!
A bright gold light assaulted his vision! Sixes masterfully crafted a Spear of Solaris in his claws. It was rushed, it would be precarious and could most likely explode with needing to impact anything.
Shining didn’t back down, he couldn’t, he literally couldn’t. A small part of his brain told him if he turned off his boosters and adjusted his trajectory and then turn them back on, he could dodge. That thought was quickly dismissed. If this was a real battle, there was a good chance he’d die, either way, so he might as well follow through and take his opponent with him!
He was so close now! Sixes wouldn’t have time to pull back to launch the spear! He was going to win!
Only when Sixes finished, it wasn’t a Spear of Solaris, he had crafted anti-magic chains! He flung the chains in an arch, around his shield, and wrapped around one of Shining’s legs. The Rinin spun, tossing Shining out of the reach of the lava and landed beside him.
“We’re done.”
“I still have time!” Protested Shining, untangling himself from the chains.
Sixes shook his head, “No, we’re done. You passed.”
“What?” He was confused. Not just by Sixes’ words, but by the surreal grin, the black rinin wore. It almost looked like he was proud. For Shining Armor, who has been on the receiving end of borderline to over the line, verbal abuse from the rinin in question, it was unnerving. He was expecting this to be an elaborate trick, fall for it, and be called a fool.
Yet, Sixes stood there with his claw outstretched. When he didn’t take it, Sixes hauled him to his feet and patted him on the shoulder. “Good job. I guess I owe Topaz some money.” He laughed.
“I don’t understand how did I pass? I didn’t rescue Cadence.”
Sixes rolled his eyes. “She was a prop, no offense Princess, just some motivation. You didn’t have to save her. Your objective was to beat me or at least impress me. My movements and ability were restricted, but as you very well may have noticed, I activated my gold craft. Your attack would have landed if I hadn’t. Congratulations, Specialist Shining Armor.”
Shining Armor was unresponsive for several seconds, “Thank you, Commander Sixes!” He saluted the Rinin.
The Commander did something that sent shockwaves through Shining’s entire being. Sixes ruffled his mane, he hadn’t noticed he lost his helmet, but the wide happy grin on Sixes made him question if this all wasn’t some dream on his part.
“Take the rest of the day off. Let me know if you want to start training for the next rank or do some missions. I’ve got some things to do. I’ll see you later.”
Those were Sixes’ parting words. A new insignia, specifying Shining’s new rank, lay on the ground for him. Nervously he picked it up. (This has to be a dream! Sixes is way too happy!)
“Shining,” the gentle tones of his wife whispered into his ear. “This is real.” She assured him, biting his ear enough to hurt. “You did a good job.” Cadence hugged him.
The last two months since the Crystal War played through his mind. All the times he’d been knocked down, yelled at and told to quit while getting dirt kicked in his face and demeaned. The weeks of angry scowls from Sixes, the unrelenting hatred the rinin seemed to have for him. The joy he seemed to take in his misery. Especially on the rainy days, when he’d get his face pressed into the mud.
Even he wondered why he didn’t quit.
“Did I…” Shining croaked, fiercely rubbing his eyes. “Did I prove myself to them?”
The warm smile, the look of pride, he fought tooth and nail for, he finally had it. From Sixes of all ponies.
From across the sky, two excited voices called down to him. Two similarly dressed ponies, a male, and a female landed before him. Each wearing the same patch he just received.
“Hey, Captain… I mean Private… Specialist Shining Armor!” Sweet Dreams beamed, showing off her own insignia. “You passed too! That’s great! Fighting Commander Topaz was really, really tough!” She whined.
“The same can be said of Commander Fierce Fury,” Goodnight stated, looking worn-out. “I thought I got off easy until he told me I had to defeat him five times. His regeneration flame is something else.”
“I bet.” Shining chaffed, shaking his head. “I wonder how much they were holding back.”
“Considering we’re alive and without broken bones, a lot.” Goodnight chuckled uneasily. His face turned stoic. “That just makes me want to try harder.”
“Me too!” Cheered Sweet Dreams. “But maybe we could wait a few months before trying for the next rank? If you know what I mean?”
Shining nodded, “I agree.”
At some point, Cadence removed herself from him when the two bat ponies arrived and stood to the side as an outsider. With a lull in the conversation, she took the chance to join in.
“You know, we should all go out to celebrate. Shining was given leave for the rest of the day. We could go on a double date! Shining and I don’t have many friends that are couples.”
The bat ponies shared a blush, looking away from the other, but their tails were intertwined. Goodnight coughed, “Well, I’m not sure we’re… well… yes! That sounds like fun. We’ve been cooped up on the base, doing training almost every day. I would like to take Sweetie someplace nice to eat since we have time.”
Sweet Dream's response was to blush and lean against Goodnight. They all did their best to ignore the shivers that racked her body. The day was warm, and she had plenty of layers between her armor, bodysuit, and coat, yet she shivered like she was freezing.
She might never feel warm again. At least, if Goodnight wasn’t around. Anytime her shivers got the best of her, a few minutes in his warmth renewed her for a time. Almost like prescription medicine.
That said, Shining knew Sixes, and the others would only put up with that for so long. It wasn’t spoken allowed in public, but if Sweet Dreams couldn’t recover, she wouldn’t be cleared for missions. Her Commando training would be postponed, indefinably. That’s what Cadence told him from the annual weekly military status meetings.
There was some hope, though. Sweet Dreams could be recommended as an instructor with her new rank. She had the backing of Topaz and Fierce Fury, with some support from Sixes, who said it would be a waste just to drop her from the program.
The annual Weekly Military Status meeting or its official name, The Equestrian Military readiness Committee. Was one of Kira’s proposals. Requiring not just Celestia and Luna, but Cadence, Prince Blueblood, and any other pony of importance to attend a weekly meeting to hear how the development of the Equestrian military forces was doing among other things. His sister Twilight sat in a few times too, which bothered him in a way Shining couldn’t describe.
He wasn’t jealous. No far from it. It made him uneasy was the best way to describe it. (I need to talk with Twilight. She seems distant lately.)
That would have been a bad joke before. Twilight’s and his familiar bond had been steadfast in their younger days, like most siblings. Their parents’ competitive star system aside, they got along. And like all siblings, when they grew up and left home, they lost touch. He could be honest and say he let his relationship with her fall to the wayside courting Cadence and being Captain of the Guard.
There were other reasons that he didn’t communicate around the time of his wedding, but he’d like to remember those as little as possible.
“Where do you want to go?” Cadence’s question broke him out of his brooding. “Do we want to go high class or Dive bar like in the old days?”
He broke out a broad smile, “Well, a high-class place would certainly be more appropriate, but to see you chugging mugs of cider again? I’d say dive bar. Will they let us into the Rusty Horseshoe? That’s more a flier joint.”
“I think we can pull rank if we need too,” Goodnight grinned. “Fliers may favorite it, but the Rusty Horseshoe is a military bar.”
“Then let’s go! I need a shower, and the Princess needs a disguise!” Whooped Sweet Dreams, being very familiar with Cadence, hugging the taller mare by the neck.
Shining was still getting used to that. His suddenly taller wife and her floating hair. Sometimes it drifted over his face when they were in bed.
“I’m fine going incognito, but you better call me something other than Princess.” Cadence half-joked. Her disdain for ponies using her title as her name rearing up.
“Well, calling you Cadence would be a no, no, too obvious, so how about I call you Cady? Caydie? How about Candy?”
“Caydie will do. We’ll leave you boys; us mares have to hit the spa. Make sure you both take a shower.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He and Goodnight saluted jokingly in unison. The girls flew off, leaving him and Goodnight to hang out until the appointed time. Which would be four or five hours from now.
This would become a common theme in years to come for the two couples. Right now, the stallions were stumped about what to do while sitting under a tree for shade. They sat in silence until Goodnight pulled a pack of cigarettes from one of his pouches.
“Since when did you smoke?” Shining asked.
“Take a guess,” Goody rasped, offering one to him. “How about you?”
“About the same time, I guess. Cadence isn’t very happy about it.” He lit both cigarettes with his horn. “What about Sweet Dreams?”
“Sometimes, she likes vodka more. Says it makes her feel warm inside. I know I should quit before I get too hooked on them, but…” Goodnight trailed off. His eyes staring far off into the distance.
Shining had the same look as they both let their cigarettes burn away. “Let’s try to quit before the end of the year. When my stash runs out.”
“How many you got?”
“Fifty cartons of twenty.”
“About the same.”
They both laughed, “That might make it two months.”
Goody laughed harder, “If we’re lucky.”
“Yeah,” Shining trailed off, settling down. “I wonder how they deal with it? The Night Patrollers? The memories…”
“Well,” Goody said, blowing out a ring of smoke. “I’ve yet to see a shortage of booze or cigs, so not much better, I guess.”
“Seems so.”
As he sucked in another tobacco laden breath, Shining evaluated the Night Patrollers for what felt like the millionth time. The sheer brutality of the Crystal War had brought some new perspectives on their behavior and perhaps motives behind specific actions.
“They’re still assholes.” He concluded with a grin, taking another cig for himself. “But they are good at what they do.”
Beside him, Goodnight nodded, “Yeah.”
The silence built between them again, the ash from their cigarettes drifting off into the breeze. Time seemed to breeze by, it was a dull, peaceful day. They were perfectly fine with that. No more would the two complain about a quiet day.
“Do you think…” Goodnight began, his expression sour. “The deal over in Europona… do you think we’ll have to go over there?”
A particular song played in Shining’s head, (Over there! Over there! Send the word over there!) It was a catchy little number, its purpose to charm you into going to war. He found it patriotic before, but now, he couldn’t help but think it had sinister undertones.
“If we do… I will go, so somepony else won’t. Such things… I want to make sure as few ponies as possible never have to go through that. What about you, Goody?”
“The same, but if I had the choice… I’d want Sweet Dreams to stay behind.”
Shining let out a massive cloud of smoke, giving the bat pony a coy look, “Well, there is one sure-fire way to do that. You know?”
Goodnight snuffed out his cigarette, his smile bittersweet. “Well, that’s certainly an idea. That season is coming around soon. That said, we’d better go shower off. The girls should be half done by now, they’ll be mad if we don’t cover up the smell of smoke.”
“Right, let’s go.”
Everfree Forest, Night Castle, New Forge Room: 2:34 PM
Platinum De Belle hummed amusingly to herself. On her face were a pair of welder’s goggles, on the steel bench a set of new gleaming silver legs. From her leather harness hanging from the ceiling, she inspected her work. The legs were slender, sleek, and featured little if any practical weaponry.
Usually, she’d put such a vanity project on hold, but her combat legs were still a work in progress. The new weapons systems she wanted to install were too much for her old leg model. The chassis wasn’t going to work at all. Not if she wanted to move at a reasonable speed.
“I guess installing heavy gem cannons, and ten rocket launchers was a bit much. Besides, doing things conventionally leads to expected results. Nothing wrong with going with what works, but progress must be made.”
With the combat prosthetics at a standstill. Platinum switched gears and started designing her new civilian legs, or glamor legs as Rarity nicked named them. She didn’t consider herself an artisan, but the three gleaming silver limbs certainly did look sexy.
“These might be a little too slender.” She remarked. “The silver plating is just for show, the tempered steel beneath is what’s important, so no worries about breaking them just walking around. Still, maybe I can fit a knife or small gem blaster inside one of the these.”
Being a unicorn, most other ponies would think her horn would be a good enough weapon. Platinum scoffed at the ignorance and the arrogance of her horned race. From her training, she knew how to take down mages without her horn. So, she understood how over-reliance on it could leave her vulnerable.
“If I put a knife in one leg and a gun in the other and use the third as ammo storage, that would be good enough if I’m just walking around town.” Happy with her decisions, she began removing the silver plating when a knock came from the entrance.
“Um, Miss De Belle? I was told you're ready for me?”
“Miss Rarity!” Platinum used her magic to turn her body to the white unicorn, beckoning her closer with her only limb. Rarity showed only a little hesitance before embracing her, a much better response than when they first started meeting. “How was your trip here? Any trouble?”
“Oh, no! None at all. I must say the road your companions built is simply remarkable! I was not accosted by even a leaf on my way here. Though I still find the idea of a road with actual traffic in the Everfree forest rather… out there. The bridge is a step above, I might add.”
“I don’t know why that rope bridge was left there, to be honest. It might have been one of Celestia’s pranks. We used to have a better bridge, but we destroyed it when undertaking the petrification.”
“Well, I’m sure it was a fine bridge, but let’s get on topic. Are these the lovely new legs you wish to engrave?”
Platinum moved to the adjacent side of the table, allowing Rarity a better look. “Yes, I just finished inspecting the joints and even tried them on for a trial run. They are very functional. The reduced weight makes it feel like I’m wearing feathers compared to before. So how do we want to do this? The silver plates are removable, so you can take just them home, or you can take the whole leg, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Rarity pulled a sketchbook from her saddlebag. “Before that, why don’t you put them on? I have some samples here, but seeing you wear them might inspire some new ideas, and I want your input as well.”
“Very well.” With her magic, Platinum attached her new legs and freed herself from the harness, landing with a ‘clang’ on the stone ground. At Rarity’s behest, she did some poses, even some risqué ones just to see the other unicorns’ reactions.
Rarity was indeed a stone-faced professional. Not embarrassed or a gasped by Platinum’s actions. “I was thinking about a traveling vine design with leaves and flowers. Roses might be most appropriate. By crushing green and red gems, I could infuse them into the grooves and have them glow at night if you want. Actually, red roses might not match your coat color. Blue would provide much better contrast.”
“Oh my, you are getting really elaborate, huh?”
“A mare’s beauty is her ultimate weapon. I’m sure your husband would appreciate the… upgrades?” Rarity faltered, confused with what terminology she should be using. “I’m sorry. I’ve only done a cursory look at the terms. I’m trying to treat this the same as fashion, but I’m finding it hard to think of it that way.”
“You could frame it more as body art. Like tattoos or something.”
Rarity hummed. “I suppose that’s one way to think about it. Back on the subject. The plant theme is the one I personally favor, there are some other things I thought may look nice, but what do you want, Platinum?”
Platinum covered her mouth, looking wistfully at the ceiling. “I would like to do something Bulwark would like, but… I would also like to do flames.”
“Flames? That’s umm… very Punk Rock?” Rarity said awkwardly.
“I know, but I wanted them to represent Sixes. Or maybe flames and a crescent moon? I would like to honor him and Luna in some way, but I think Sixes would tell me I should think of Bulwark more.”
Rarity did a quick pace in the room, looking very excited when inspiration struck her! “What if we make the flowers look like flames? A great compromise, right?”
It didn’t take a second for Platinum to decide. “That’s wonderful! When can you start, I can take these off for you right now!”
“Actually, if you could leave them on?” Rarity requested retrieving a special pencil from her bag for writing on metal. “If you don’t mind playing statue for me. I’ll sketch out the designs and then take them home to engrave. This way, I know everything will turn out fabulous! And Accurate.”
“No problem. I have nothing but time!” Platinum sang happily as Rarity began tracing the patterns onto the silver plates.
For thirty long minutes, the mares were silent. Rarity focused on work and Platinum, let Rarity focus. However, as this would take a while, Rarity started a conversation to relieve the boredom.
“The castle… looks nice. I’m surprised how fast you were able to rebuild it.”
“Modern building techniques suggested by Fancy Pants really helped things along. There’s still a lot to get done, but we have the basics. I have my forge here, the dining hall is done, so is the kitchen. The Airship dock and hanger will take a lot more work. The rooms will be last since we’re all saying on the Nightmare right now. I did set up a little cot for myself in the corner. That way I don’t have to go all the way back to town. How are things in Ponyville? I hope all of my companions are behaving.”
“Oh, they are just darlings.” Rarity swooned. “I dare say Ponyville stands to gain from an injection of spry stallions. Our herd populations tilt heavily towards fillies and mares. For some, it seemed like all the good stallions were taken, which might be why Applejack’s brother was nominated the most desirable stallion five years in a row. Nothing against Big Mac, but I have different tastes.”
Platinum cocked her head. “Different tastes? I don’t follow. Now you can call me out of touch, but what more does a healthy female need from a partner besides being loving and having a huge tool? By the way, how, BIG, is BIG in this case? Bulwark… puts about everypony to shame.”
Rarity fought to keep from overheating. In the past two months, the seamstress has gotten, accidentally, to see how BIG of a tool Platinum’s lover possessed.
“Maybe it’s a good thing you only have one leg, I’m not sure how you’d walk otherwise.” Rarity immediately froze upon realizing what she just said. “I’m sorry that was so insensitive of me!”
Her response flummoxed the white unicorn. “Don’t worry about it! I’m actually happy! I was getting so tired of you being so uptight about my condition. I can’t speak for everypony, I don’t mind talking about it or even making jokes along as their good ones. What I’m trying to say is, I’m glad you're getting comfortable around me. It means you’re a true friend in my book.”
“Oh, well… I’m very honored, but don’t expect me to make a habit of it.”
“That’s fine, but now another question, what did you think?”
“Think of what?”
“The size of Bulwark’s tool! You can be honest; you’ve been thinking about it. I’m not jealous, the opposite, in fact, though don’t expect me to let you ride, of course!” Platinum laughed.
Rarity laughed nervously, “Well, I haven’t not, thought about it, but I’d be too afraid too in real life, so I’m fine with keeping such things a fantasy. I do have one question, though.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, how do the…” Rarity turned a deep shade of pink that would make Pinkie jealous. “How do the… I don’t know how to describe them, is that a normal part of their anatomy? Ribbed… Oh, I can’t say it!”
“There, there, those are from the dragon part.” Platinum patted Rarity on the back, while the other unicorn was hiding her face. She leaned close and whispered. “Oh, and they’re divine!”
Platinum proceeded to outline just how ‘divine’ in a very detailed manner with pictures.
-break
Canterlot Castle, Restricted Library, 3:00 PM
Princess Luna sat at one of the few tables available in the secret library. Happy about the even greater sense of peace and quiet, the hidden room offered also compared to the regular library. She’s heard jokes about how many libraries are under-appreciated and how they were just a waste of space.
She found that statement vexing for two reasons. One because it was ignorant to discard such wellsprings of knowledge. And two, the pony that said such things clearly never visited a library surrounded by several schools and academies.
The library wasn’t a bustling place, yet it could be hard to find a place to sit when students came to study, or researchers came to look up texts. It wasn’t noisy. In fact, she found the sight very heartwarming, seeing so many young ponies searching for knowledge.
No, the problem was her.
Her presence tended to cause a commotion with the students who, despite their best efforts, flocked around her, asking questions or just wanting to meet her.
Again, she loved the attention, but for their sakes and hers, she secluded herself here. Mainly because she didn’t want to carry books back and forth to her room or office. Teleporting would get rather old too.
Right now, she had five books from the public library. Mostly law books and copies of the Equestrian constitution, the first and latest additions so she could find the founding laws and what had been changed.
The other ten books were from the restricted section, all of them fragile and irreplaceable. When Luna saw the state they were in, where even a turning of the page threatened to turn them to dust, Luna sprang into action.
Hence her guests.
Teams of scholars paired with ponies behind typewriters quietly spoke the contents of the books, which were copied and documented right there and then. It was probably the fullest the restricted section had ever been in modern times. All the ponies present were sworn to secrecy and could only do their work with an observer.
Since this was her pet project, Luna did most of the observing. Thankfully the scholars were kind of night owls, so a lot of the work could be done during her preferred time of day. Most of the time.
“Princess Luna, sorry to disturb you,” The lead scholar, Honeysuckle, said approaching her. “We are on the verge of completing restoring the texts, less than two hundred volumes remain, but might I request we take an early break? The last month has been rather taxing.”
Luna looked up from her own study materials, noticing how bleary-eyed and exhausted the ponies were. “That is fine. In fact, why don’t you all take three days to rest? The main books I wanted to read are done, so there’s no need to push yourselves needlessly.”
“I thank you, Princess, but please know it is our honor to be able to read and be trusted with such rare texts.”
“I understand Honeysuckle, you are doing Equestria, and me a great service. Thank you for fulfilling my demanding request on such short notice and pushing yourselves this last month. As a reward, I’ll see about getting copies made of each book. Some things will have to be kept here, but historical books should be for all to read.”
“That would be most welcomed. We’ll take our leave for the day.”
“Be sure you all rest!” Luna told the departing ponies. She’d have to make sure to double-check their dreams and make them especially enjoyable.
Now alone, Luna set the law books aside and dived into the historical texts. They were the oldest historical records they had available. From her memory, some of them had been from her and Celestia’s library in the old castle. Others were obviously plundered from other nations and unknown locations. Some were purchased. The acquisition documents were in the library, detailing how they were acquired.
Most of them were from Daring and her mother. And some just had question marks, with the statement that they just appeared one day.
Luna readily suspected Dusk was behind the mysterious appearing books and the mysterious disappearing ones. One book in particular that had recently gone missing was Sixes’ Mission Book.
Apparently, he left it to Crusader, who intern donated to the library. Probably not the best place for a book describing secret SPEC-OP missions, but all classified material had been blacked out. It had also been placed far in the back, unlabeled, stuck between some political books.
(There might be no better hiding place.) Luna mused with a soft chuckle.
She wasn’t concerned about that. The contents of that book held no answers to the questions she had. The law books had answered all the legal issues, and the history books would provide the rest. She started with the oldest text available.
The Books Title: The rule of Zeus, Third King of the Alicorns.
This was the earliest history of her kind available. The third generation of Alicorns since the apparent creation of the world, so the text said. The book actually detailed her own mother’s birth, written by her Grandfather, Apollo. There was also a note from Artemis, her Great Aunt, if she was reading the text correctly.
“The translations are a little murky here. I can’t tell if they were brother and sister or lovers, it seems like both.” Which made her shiver in disgust, not wanting to think about it too hard. “A few thousand years have passed, languages evolve, I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. I hope.”
The time of the third Generations of Alicorns was peaceful, but not uneventful. From the number of affairs, it seemed like they were bored and causing drama just for fun.
Then came the fourth Generation. Her mothers and also the Three mothers of the pony races. Minerva, Tempest, and Gaia: Mothers of the Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies, respectively. She always knew this was true, but the Earth ponies were indeed the first non-alicorn pony race to exist. Created by Gaia herself from the earth and her own flesh.
“Whatever that means. I don’t know if that’s paraphrasing or literal.”
The time of the fourth-generation was rocky. Too many alicorns with too much power and time were looking for something to leave their boredom. These taking hundreds of years of their time apparently.
Then Gaia made the Earth ponies.
At first, none of the other Alicorns gave the wingless, hornless creatures the time of day, yet as the years went by and they looked upon Gaia’s happy face and her seemingly fulfilled life. They grew jealous. Particularly Minerva and Tempest, Gaia’s sisters.
“Didn’t know that part,” Luna mumbled, turning the page.
They created their own races. Minerva the Unicorns and then Tempest the Pegasus. Ponies of magic and flight, who they viewed as superior to their sister’s creations.
For a short time, the three races lived separate but peaceful lives. Then the fact arose that the unicorns and Pegasus couldn’t produce food in high enough numbers. They stripped the land of its fruits and vegetables but still fell to hunger. At this time, Gaia and her Earth Ponies had started agriculture, producing their own food. They offered to teach their cousins but were mocked and rebuked.
This was the first recorded instance of the slur, “Mud pony.”
Not long after, the unicorns and Pegasi would complain to their creators and mothers and would be told to take what they needed from the Earth Ponies.
Thus, the first record of theft was written. The earth ponies were engaged, and Gaia would use her powers to provide for her children, so they did not starve that winter.
Not long later, their food would be plundered, and again, Gaia provided for her children.
The next offense was deemed unforgivable. Several Earth Ponies were taken and enslaved, forced to grow food for the Unicorn and Pegasi. Gaia went to her sisters, asking for her children back.
Minerva and Tempest are recorded to have knocked their sister from Mount Canterlot, smearing, and mocking her creating such inferior creatures. Betrayed by her family, and her children enslaved Gaia wept. When her remaining children saw this, they were enraged.
In the dark of the night, they assaulted the Unicorn City, freeing their brethren, and leaving their tormentors for dead. They did the same to the Pegasi, burning the fields below their floating city, filling the sky with smoke.
Enraged the Alicorn of the Sky and Magic, demanded their sister give up those responsible. But their kind, gentle sister had been pushed too far. Gaia refused, and when the armies of Unicorns and Pegasi came, she destroyed them. Sparking the Great Alicorn War.
The war would wipe out almost all the alicorns, save for the few of the fifth Generation that escaped. Her and Celestia’s Generation. Any information after this point in time was scarce. Even her own memory was fuzzy because of her young age. Celestia has similar claims, only recalling bits and pieces of information passed onto them by their parents.
There are mentions of other Alicorns besides her Celestia and Symphony, but what became of them is unknown.
(Maybe they are still in hiding to this day?)
The idea wasn’t too out there, but she and Celestia searched the entire world for the others of the Fifth Generation when they were old enough.
“Actually, why did we split up? From Celestia’s account, there should have been twenty or thirty others that were evacuated that day.”
The Young Alicorn of Water, Aqua, had definitely been one. She most likely spawned the Sea pony race. There was also the Kirin and hippogriff race, and possibly the Zebras. There were a few other offshoots of ponies that only appeared in certain parts of the world. Perhaps that is where their brethren had settled, and for one reason or another, they perished? She theorized, trying to put the pieces together.
“I find it strange that alicorns that established their own tribes and lands perished before Celestia, and I when we were traveling and exploring the dangers of the world. Then again, things were harsher back then. Constantly moving might have saved our lives. We had a castle, but we were hardly ever there.”
The Castle of the Two Sisters, was, from what Celestia told her, their parents' summer home. If she remembered that right. It was tough to keep facts straight with thousands of years of knowledge.
“Still, what brought demise to the others?” Luna pondered aloud. Then the answer clicked, and it was one that made her catch her breath. “They created their own races, just like Gaia did, and they were most likely drawn into conflict defending their children.”
Luna herself had done the same. She created the bat ponies, and that had caused tensions to rise. The difference is she never tried to form a country for them. They lived as nomads and dwelt in caves and dark forests. Places where ponies were likely to leave them alone.
“I’m not sure how to feel about that.” She mumbled, closing the book. Just in time, Celestia entered the room.
“Here you are again, Luna. You’re starting to remind me of Twilight.” Her sister’s tone was as lively as ever, but Luna has experienced enough to hear the undertones in Celestia’s voice.
“And how is Twilight? Did you finally have a heart to heart with her? About this grand plan you have for her?”
Celestia’s smile seized up, crumbling into a dark frown. “Not yet. I see the questions burning in her eyes, but she’s yet to ask them. I thought it better to wait until she’s ready. Her letters have been more… sporadic.” The Sun Princess miserably stated.
“She was here last week. For the committee meeting.” Luna pointed out.
“Yes, she’s taken an unusual interest in political and military affairs. A stark contrast to her disinterest of the past.”
Luna cocked her head, trying to filter out her sister’s gripes. “And you’re not happy about that? Did you not plan to push her towards ascension? You’ve mentioned you’ve found a method to do so, a thousand years ago, I might add. Is Twilight not the successor you’ve wanted for all this time?”
“I had hoped by not exposing her to… that side of things. She could find her own path, to do things differently from me. And… I would be lying if I said there wasn’t another, I hoped she would take the role but... not that Twilight wouldn’t be a good choice! She’ll grow into it, but I’ve begun… doubting myself.”
“You’re feeling guilty about pushing Twilight down this path?”
“And others,” Celestia quietly added. She shook her head, trying to bat away the troubling thoughts. “But that’s something for another day! What are you researching? Law and History?”
Luna nodded, stacking her books, so the titles were facing away from Celestia. “Yes, there is a matter I wanted to look into. An important one. I have Time Keeper doing some work for me as well if you don’t mind.”
“Time Keeper? Well, he is one of my most trusted aides, he will get the task done.” Celestia praised.
“I’m sure. When I have everything ready, I’ll show you the fruits of my labor. Dusk’s visit… it changed my view of things as well.”
“Indeed,” Celestia quietly agreed.
The two sisters looked at each other in silence for some time, before Luna looked away, gathering up her books and placing them back on the shelf. “So… you and Sixes got married while I was on the moon.”
One would think they would have addressed this sooner, but conveniently both sisters found themselves ‘busy,’ which was the truth, but not always.
“Yes, I suppose we were,” Celestia mumbled with her back turned, pretending to browse a section of books. “One of my shorter… engagements. It might have been my first divorce not caused by my partner dying.”
“Being widowed is not the same as getting divorced.” Luna pointed out. “So… did you two… um…”
“No,” Celestia answered firmly. “We didn’t share a bed if that’s what your asking. We weren’t very intimate. I think we only kissed at the wedding and a few awkward times after that. I probably knew how things were going to end when he started taking longer and longer missions. Funny, the old quote of time apart makes the heart grow fonder wasn’t quite true in our case. We were really only doing it for Crusader, which might have been the problem.”
“Good intentions pave the way to hell,” Luna quoted, taking a very long time to put her books back. Keeping her back turned to Celestia.
“Yes, I suppose they do,” Celestia sighed. “Have you and Sixes… talked about it?”
“A little.”
“And does it bother you? That he and I married? However, briefly?”
“I won’t say I’m not bothered, to me it doesn’t feel like all that long ago. My thousand years was long, yet short in its own way. I only have memories of battling Nightmare Moon, trying to regain control of my body, time blurred for me. Besides, Sixes and I barely started anything before… things got complicated. Things still are, but we’ll work through them.”
“I see. I’m glad for you two. Just don’t start a war when you get married like El Cid and D’arc.” If that was any more shoehorned, Luna didn’t know what was. “About the war in Prance.”
“No.”
“They are our allies, Luna, we can at least send aid.”
“NO!” She barked fuming. “We’ve already had the lawyers look over the alliance. If Germane had attacked Prance and Hispania, it would be different, but they started the war! They attacked Germane like it was one of their petty lover quarrels! I may not trust the Kaiser, but he has a right to defend his borders and his ponies.”
“But that attack on Vivor and El Cid…”
“It’s war. I would have ordered the same thing. Besides, we have to finish modernizing our forces. We can’t spend resources on other places. Especially allies that have so clearly stabbed us in the flanks!”
When the war had broken out, and the news finally reached Equestria. Kira was quick to call home to Nippon for more information. Days later, Prince Kiri and the Taisho arrived with one of Nippon master intelligent agents.
His findings were staggering.
Not only did Germane have an Iron Airfleet, but so did Prance, Hispania, and Britannia. They also had mechanized ground forces. With Germane being the most advanced.
It was galling to admit it, but Equestria was in a pickle. Currently, it only had one Airship, the Nightmare. And though it was painful to admit it, it was outclassed by the newer ships. It could hold it’s own, but it wasn’t the invincible fly machine it had once been.
“I guess I don’t have a choice,” Kira said solemnly during the meeting. “Kiri, get a write up the price of our ships in the mothball fleet. Celestia, Luna, I hope you still have deep pockets.”
Thus with some strongarming by Nippon, Equestria purchased the Nippon Aerial Sixth Fleet. Consisting of 1 battleship, 2 Heavy Cruisers, 1 light cruiser, and 5 destroyers. The number of gold bits required to pay for them would not be paid back for several decades. Possibly centuries.
The ships were outdated but could still be retrofitted to punch above their weight class, giving them a few more years of service life. That said, they were more of a stop-gap until the new fleet ordered by Admiral Hunter could be made. It was a several years-long order, that is now being pushed to the fore. Hopefully, they could have half of the ships constructed in two years.
Until then, the Air Sailors would be trained on the Nippon Ships, now the First Equestrian Air Fleet, with the Nightmare as the Flagship. They were not anywhere near ready in any compacity.
Luna finished putting her books away, checking the clock. “I have to go; I have a date to get ready for.” She shut down the irksome discussion, growing tired of it already. She had better things to think about tonight.
“A date?”
She smiled, “Yeah, with Sixes.”
An odd look passed over the Sun Princess, “That’s… great. I’m happy for you two… really. But what about… your royal duties? The other kind.”
“I’m figuring that out,” Luna assured Celestia. (Though you might not like my solution.) She kept those thoughts to herself. Weighing the options of her choices as best she could.
What she had in mind would flip Equestria on its head. She could not do this lightly. Yet that wasn’t stopping her either.
“I’ll see you later, Celestia,” Luna said on her way out. When out of earshot, she mumbled, “I’m sorry, sister, but your carefully laid plans will be ruined, and it will be my fault. This Era will end, and it will be by my actions.”
Luna had already made her choice, she knew deep in her heart, she had.
“Princess Luna! I have everything you’ve requested ready!” Time Keeper announced running up to her near her room.
“That’s good if you don’t mind hanging on to those for a bit longer. I have some matters to attend to before finalizing everything. Please keep this from my sister just a bit longer.”
Time Keeper bowed, “Well, it pains me to do so, it is my duty as your servant. Am I to assume Princess Cadenza will be left in the dark too?”
“Yes, I will address both of them in due time. Only a day or two is all I need.”
“Of course, I must say, this proposal is rather… well unorthodox, but it’s something I could only see coming from you. Forgive me if it doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
“I will take it as one.” Luna smiled. “Goodbye, Time Keeper.”
He froze, his heart aching, as he said the words, “Goodbye, Princess Luna.” A tear fell as the moon Princess departed, and he gasped, short of breath. His heart torn in two by his own actions. “I’m sorry, Princess Celestia, but I fulfilled my duty with more joy then I can express, yet I know how much my actions will soon hurt you. I’m sorry. So, so, sorry.”
He and the Moon Princess never clicked since her return, and they still don’t. When she gave him this task, he was ashamed to admit he was looking forward to carrying it out for his own personal petty reasons. Yet know, after everything was done, he stepped back with a cooler head and felt his heart sink.
“I think… I’ll resign after this.” He told the walls meandering back to his office.
-break
Canterlot, The Rusty Horse Shoe, 5:15 PM
“Wow, you really know how to dress down Princess… I mean, Caydie.” Goodnight fumbled over his words, surprised by how different the Princess of Love managed to portray herself. Her ethereal mane was wrapped in an oversized headband with a few strains of her actual hair sticking out. To hide her wings, she wore an aviator jacket with saddlebags. From a distance or drunken vision, she’d look like a very tall unicorn.
Naturally, Shining Armor made a few alterations. He wore a leather jacket with unit patches and a beret with a Commando Seal. Matching Goodnight.
Sweet Dreams was the only one to wear a dress, but it was a simple thing without any real flair or frills. The heavy winter coat did draw a few stares. Really his mare friend’s odd choice of jacket drew attention away from the royal couple. A welcomed if not unintentional outcome.
Not to say the regulars didn’t spot them right away. Princess Luna was known to visit from time to time herself, though she’s been scarce lately. The patrons and owners knew not to make a fuss when one of the royals came to hang out.
Shining and Cadence’s disguises weren’t even for the bar, it was for everypony else. Once they were all inside and seated. The first round poured and fried food ordered, the unnecessary accessories came off without a fuss. Safe for Sweet Dream’s heavy jacket.
“Ah, vodka warms me good,” the female bat pony whispered under her breath, unbuttoning her coat just a bit.
It was eighty degrees in the bar.
To start out, the couples made little small talk. Each side feeling the other out. The guys kept their smoking bonding session on the down-low, though their mares could smell whiffs of it through the hefty amount of cologne.
At the same time, the girls talked and talked about their spa visit and the gossip they heard, and the guys nodded along, sipping their beers. Listening while looking like they weren’t listening at all.
Then a particular question was asked.
“So, Goodnight, Sweet Dreams, when are you two going to tie the knot?” Cadence asked while chewing on a piece of fried pickle, which made Sweet Dreams choke on her pickled cabbage.
Her response was a long, “Aaaahhhhh…” With her gaze aimed squarely at Goodnight.
The male bat pony coughed into his hoof, “Well, I don’t want to rush it. I was thinking of visiting the colony first and taking with Sweet Dream’s parents.”
“Oh, how traditional!” Swooned Cadence. “What if they say no?”
“If they know what goods for them, they won’t,” Sweet Dreams said darkly, baring her long fangs.
Goody patted her on the back, “I would like to avoid that old cliché, besides it’s not like your parents don’t know me or vise versa. I’m more worried about getting a shotgun wedding the moment we bring it up.”
“You’re probably right,” Sweet Dreams sagged on the table, picking at her fries. “So, when am I getting my engagement item? Do you have something picked out?”
Goodnight laughed nervously, “I’m waiting for my next salary check to clear.”
They all laughed.
“Now to bat at you two,” Sweet Dreams said with a grin. “When are you two going to start having kids?”
“Oh, they’ll come when they come.” Cadence waved off with a blush.
“Oh, you’re already trying?”
“A bit,” Shining grinned behind his glass. “We haven’t had much time to ourselves, so when we do, we kind of just go for it…” He trailed off, staring across the room. “No way.”
“What?” The other three inquired, following his gaze. Shining was fixated on the table in the opposite corner, where the shadows were so dark you could hardly tell it was there. Look close enough, and the outline of two ponies could be seen.
Luna and Sixes.
“No way, are they here on a date too?”
“Seems that way.”
“I’ve never seen Aunt Luna… smile and laugh like that before.”
“Commander Sixes… he… it’s weird to see him smile like that.”
Then the two kissed, and the four eavesdroppers turned away, feeling like children that caught their parents ‘doing something icky’.
“Let’s just leave them be,” Cadence suggested to the group. “They’re doing their thing, we’re doing ours.”
“Right.”
“Only proper.”
“You sure you don’t want to invite them over?”
Sixes and Luna chugged down a pint each, and exited their booth, sneaking out the back. “I don’t think they’d accept it either way,” Cadence said with a blush, her eyes glowing with magic. “Oh, oh my, that’s a new power.”
“What’s a new power?” Sweet Dreams asked curiously.
“Well, I can see… never mind… don’t worry about it. You’ll know the answer before midnight, dear,” Cadence huskily whispered in Shining’s ear. Leaving Sweet Dreams confused and Goodnight oddly anxious.
“Let’s order another round, Anypony want to try the buffalo carrots?” Goodnight hastily suggested.
“I do!” Sweet Dreams cheered. “Hey, do you want to come to my place tonight, Goody?”
He stiffly nodded as the next round of food and drinks arrived.
“This is fun, we’ll have to do this again.” Cadence suggested digging into the next round of beer and food. “You gotta try these Red Suns, they’re like sixty proof alcoholic cider with cherry and orange juice.
Sweet Dreams stole a sip from Cadence’s glass offer in her own Black Moon, Vodka, and Cola. “Not, bad, and we’re diffidently doing this again.”
The couples would drink long into the night, arriving home just past midnight, where they each partook of certain activities that those in love do.
For the time being, their lives would remain a peaceful bliss.