Twilight was quiet as she stood outside the throne room doors. She knew that both of her fellow Princesses were inside and she hesitated as a breath lodged in her throat. The Princess of Friendship knew that Hunter had worked it to seem as though he had found out about their intrusion into his lands through posted guards but she was now thinking of confronting them to stop any further attempts. Her stomach flipped as she leaned forward and pushed open the doors. She could see Luna and Celestia looking up at her as she trotted into the room. Her Netherworld Regalia gleamed and its blue glow shone brightly as she came to the base of their thrones.
“Afternoon Twilight. What can we do for you?” Celestia’s voice was light and caring as she spoke.
Twilight breathed out a slow breath and she squared her shoulders to speak. “Good afternoon. You had sent me a letter about an issue at the borders?”
She chose to keep her involvement quiet until the right moment and see what they said about it. She could see the surprise go over Celestia’s face and Luna watched the younger Alicorn as she looked uncertain and glanced at her elder sister.
“I suppose he mentioned something about it?” Luna asked her.
Twilight didn’t say anything in reply. She had learned from Hunter how to let others talk themselves into a noose. While she was hesitant to reveal her hoof she knew that in some ways she needed them to see that she stood with what was right and that what they had intended to do was wrong and she would not stand for it. She loved them both like family and it hurt to know the things they had done and tried to do. Hunter had shown her how to look deeper than the surface and how to react to it.
“I guess there is no reason to hide the details from you,” Celestia said to her with a small sigh. “What would you like to know?”
“I heard that we moved too far forward?”
“We did. A simple misunderstanding.” Celestia said to her with a wave of her hoof. “Our ponies went too far forward and…”
“They were over a hundred miles off.” Twilight snapped.
“That’s true,” Luna replied.
Celestia looked at her sister for a second before she looked back at Twilight. “A simple misunderstanding. He informed them of their mistake and they retreated.”
Twilight could feel anger rising up within her and she breathed in a deep breath to try to keep a lid on it. Anger and disbelief warred within her. Anger at what they had done and were now telling her and disbelief that they thought she would believe them. Her emotions warred within her and she tried to channel Hunters calm into herself and she closed her eyes for a second before she raised her head and spoke in return.
“I already knew that he went to the border.” She said to them. “I’m the one who told him.”
“Told him?” Luna asked her, her eyes wide.
“I overheard you talking about trying to take territory from him and I sent him a letter to let him know.” She admitted.
Celestia’s eyes were wide as Twilight spoke and she remained still as she finished speaking. “We had been told that he spotted them through his own border patrols.” She spoke carefully.
“He was trying to keep me from getting into trouble.” She replied, her tone confident. “I decided to tell you the truth on my own and I hope this will stop any further attempts to steal from him. I know him well enough to know that he will have patrols now but he didn’t before unless he needed to.”
“Why would you tell him about our plans?” Luna asked her, her tone angry.
“What you were planning is wrong to do to a kingdom that is not an enemy. While he is not a direct ally we had no right to steal from him. You have to know that he would have found out quickly about what had been done. You were putting ponies in danger by assuming he would let it go.”
“He would have had no choice…” Celestia started.
“He would have taken it back by force.” Twilight interrupted, her voice louder than she intended. “You would have been met with dragons and an army as he took back what he had been promised. We’d be lucky if he didn’t push onward and take the land that he had been disputing as well. The ponies he gave up would fall under his rule. You could fight him but he would not back down or stop.”
The Sun Princess fell silent as Twilight spoke. Luna was quiet as she leaned back and regarded the Alicorn mare in front of her. Twilight panted slightly as anger still rolled through her and she fought against it to keep it under control. Her magic hummed under her skin and her regalia stayed in place as she raised her head back up once more.
“He would go to war with us over it?” Luna asked.
“It would not be a war that he started,” Twilight growled. “By invading his land you would have started it. If he wanted he could have considered that an act of war against his kingdom and himself personally. We would be in the wrong.”
Celestia looked upset as the Princess Friendship spoke to them. “Twilight. What we did was for the benefit of Equestria. I would have thought you would agree with us and see the need behind our actions.”
“I don’t see anything but crazy about this.” Twilight yelped. “Explain it to me so I can understand it.”
Celestia sighed and shook her head once before she spoke. “Twilight it is for the benefit of Equestria to have the land. His lands are rich in mines and other minerals. Through that land, we could use it to benefit our ponies. The land is currently unused by him and we could put it to use. Our Nobles are also asking for the lands to be split and we must keep the peace among our own subjects.”
Twilight stared at her former mentor, her eyes wide. “That’s…that’s ridiculous. If we need minerals then we could just ask him. There is no trade between us currently so if we set that up with him then both kingdoms could benefit. We could buy or trade for what we need.”
Celestia shook her head and Luna stood up from where she sat and looked down at her fellow Princess. “Twilight. He has never allowed us to trade with him despite several attempts. You know better than anypony who rigid he is and how he will not allow anything to happen. While we might agree that it is beneficial to both he will not permit it.”
“He talked about trading with Shining and Cadance when we visited.” Twilight countered.
Both elder mares stared at her as she spoke and they looked at each other for several seconds. “He did?” Luna asked her.
“Yes.” Twilight informed them. “He talked about spices and other materials that might benefit both kingdoms involved. He wasn’t opposed to trading with them and I know if we approached him honestly and asked him about it he would be willing to talk about it. But if we keep pushing him he will have no reason to speak kindly to us. We would be poking a bear with a stick if we keep pushing him.”
Luna said nothing as Celestia looked unsure of where to go from there. She smiled faintly and looked fondly at the young Alicorn. “Perhaps you could mention the idea of trading with us to him?”
Twilight felt a smile tug at her mouth and she nodded. She felt better now that they had listened to her and they saw what she meant. “I can ask him about it.”
“Thank you.”
Twilight turned to leave and she pushed open the throne room doors and left the room behind her. She felt better about the whole situation now that they understood her. She felt that she had defended him well and she was going to ask him personally the next time she was around him.
Sunder walked into the room that held his associates and a smile tugged at his mouth as they waited for him. He slid into his place among them, his grey fur washed-out white under the bright overhead lights. He looked up as their leader Secret looked at him from across the wide table. His dark bay coat looked black in the dim lighting and a smile crossed his mouth.
“Thank you for joining us, Sunder.” His voice slid over them as he glanced at each of the ponies at the table.
Sunder gave a slight bow of his head and he looked at their leader. “Sorry for being a bit late. Talking with those fools took longer than I thought it would.”
“They're nobles.” Secret laughed. “If they are not wasting some pony’s time then they don’t know what to do with themselves. What were you able to gather from them?”
Sunder pulled a scroll out of his bag and unrolled it on the table. His eyes scanned it and he raised his eyes to look at Secret directly.
“So the claim with the Netherworld Empire and Equestria has been sorted out it seems.” He said.
Secrets eyes widened slightly and the others leaned forward and waited for him to go on. “Oh?” Secret breathed out. “How so?”
“It seems they are splitting the lands. The Overlord takes the lands that come after the towns. Equestria keeps the ponies and the Overlord gets the rest.”
“Damn.” Secret cursed. “How did that come about?”
“It seems the Princess of Friendship is to blame. She and her cohorts went to his lands and seemed to have made an impression. The original goal was for him to release all claims and back off. It seems that we were thwarted by her again.” Sunder growled.
Secret put a hoof to his face as he nodded in agreement with Sunder's words. “She is one to get in the way frequently. While I commend her for getting close to him she is proving to be an aggravation.”
“So he agreed to split the lands instead of rescinding his claim altogether?” The leader of the security division, Hazel, spoke up.
“Yep,” Sunder replied. “So the lands are no longer able to be taken by us. The Princesses are also keeping the ponies under their rule instead of putting them under one of the nobles.”
Secret closed his eyes in annoyance. “Well that’s not quite the worst-case scenario, but it's close.”
The group fell into silence as they considered what their next move should be. Sunder leaned back in his chair and shook his head slightly. They had considered what they would do if the Overlord had won the lands and if he hadn’t but he had to admit that they had not thought about what they could do if they split it. Secret had explained that they would control the nobles in the background as usual and the nobles would get the lands and the prestige they wished for.
“And the Princesses?” Secret suddenly asked.
Sunder looked up from his thoughts and leaned forward to lay his hooves on the table. “They didn’t pay me any attention in the throne room when I got in there so it’s safe to assume they don’t know much about us if anything at all.”
“Good thing we aren’t in his kingdom,” Secret said with a dark chuckle.
Hazel chuckled and shook his head. “There are no nobles to control.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Secret replied and Hazel looked at him. “He would have found us already. He knows his kingdom from the light to the shadow and he walks in it as easily as we do. We would have been purged if it were him.”
Sunder cringed and Hazel leaned back with a sour look on his face. “Thankfully we only go to that kingdom for short amounts of time.” He replied.
“True. Anything we do around his lands must be done carefully. His ability to walk into the shadows where we stand is to be admired in its own way. I have to admit he’s good.” Hazel growled.
Secret nodded in agreement. “Just means we have to watch our hoof steps and keep ourselves out of his way.”
“We can’t get caught in the light where he can see us.” Hazel agreed.
Sunder looked at the other ponies and they seemed content to stay silent and listen for the time being. “How are the nobles reacting?”
Sunder snorted and leaned further forward. “They're content to keep their payments and do as they are told. Or rather we do as they wish and they get paid anyway. They like to think they are leading.”
“And we will let them think that.” Secret snarled. “I have to say that I don’t like any of them but they serve a purpose. Hazel?” The other stallion quickly looked at Secret and waited. “How are their security details doing?”
“Doing well. They get their elite guards and we get the information we ask for from them. The guards are close when things are said and the information makes its way back to us. So in that regard, they are doing perfectly well.” Hazel assured him.
“Good. And the nobles that we don’t have under our hoof?”
Sunder grumbled quietly and shook his head. “They seem to be preoccupied with their own standing and are either ignoring us or are pretending that they can’t hear our whispers. I got to say they have held out for quite a while.” Sunder replied. “They seem to be involved with keeping their heads above water versus worrying about us.”
Secret nodded and leaned back in his chair, it creaked as he pushed against the backrest. The group fell silent as they all considered their next moves. They had been outmaneuvered by a sly little mare and an Overlord they couldn’t touch.
“Anypony have anything else to bring up?” Secret asked suddenly, his voice startling several ponies.
“What do we want to do about the splinter group we sent to the Empire and were caught?” A mare asked suddenly, her voice crisp and clear.
Sunder looked at her and her chestnut coat gleamed under her silver dress. She was the leader of their storefronts. Their shell companies operated under her command and she was the public image they used when it was needed. She was Sky Star, a Pegasus mare that had risen to her place through brutality that he had only seen from stallions of his own caliber. She had the loyalty of the group of them and they operated with her backing them when it was needed.
Secret shook his head. “So far we have had no luck getting them released. That ruler has no ponies that work in the dungeons of his kingdom, only those little creatures. We tried to work with one of them once and our messenger ended up dead by his rulers command if memory serves.”
Sky nodded and a cruel smile played over her pretty features. “They were foolish enough to get caught, they earned their fate.” She sneered.
Secret nodded as she spoke. “While that’s true we still need to make sure our loose ends are tied up. From what we know they are being held somewhere within his castle, wherever that is.”
Sunder closed his eyes and shook his head. “We may have to cut our losses and cut them loose.”
Secret nodded as Sunder opened his eyes and regarded them once more. “Agreed. As of now, they are lost to us. What is the loss to us Hazel?”
“They were an elite group that we had loaned out to that group of nobles, or former nobles. They had those machines that they used in tandem with our group. Thankfully, we have a few of them left and can dissect them down and build our own.”
“Can we replicate them?” Secret asked.
Sky leaned forward and nodded her head. “With the materials and the artisans we can. We have the materials but we are less certain of the artisans to make them.”
“Then we need to find a pony that can break them down and then put them together. We would be better suited to find an artisan from the Netherworld Empire where they originated.” Sunder added.
“While I agree the odds of anypony coming to aid us is slim. Unless we are willing to offer them a large amount of money to come here and stay then we had better be ready for it to cost us.” Sky commented. “I say we take one apart and teach one of our own how to put them together. We should find a pony that has the mechanical experience and allow them to learn and possibly improve on the design.”
“That’s a fair point,” Sunder admitted. “Our own might be the best place to look. We can easily sweeten the deal for them from within our organization.”
Secret closed his eyes and leaned back for several seconds before he leaned forward and set his forelegs on the table. “Then that is what we will do. Sky. Look within our organization and your sector for a pony that will fit our needs.”
The Pegasus nodded and leaned back in her chair. “Now I feel we must address a rather large issue as well.” She spoke up, her voice like silk.
Secret raised an eyebrow at her before he motioned for her to go on and speak to the group. Sunder leaned forward and looked at the mare intently. She breathed in a breath and looked at each of them before she spoke.
“What about our favorite little Princess?” She said her voice smooth and held a hint of sinister intent.
Sunder looked at the mare his eyes narrowed for a second before he realized what she meant. He looked at Secret who seemed to have caught on faster than Sunder did himself. Hazel seemed content to wait for them to speak now that the topic had changed. Sunder knew that the little Princess she spoke of had thrown a wrench in their plans a bit but he was not sure what they should do with her now.
“What do you think we should do with her?” Secret asked. “She was meant to be captured before but we underestimated her strength as an individual. She had the backing of a dragon and the Overlord. So far we haven’t been able to get near her.”
“Perhaps not. But what do we wish to accomplish with her?” Sky pressed.
Secret narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. “What are you plotting, Sky?”
“We should let the Overlord ruin her for us. So far she has stood against her fellow Princesses in getting him to split the land versus giving it up and she might have had something to do with the debacle at the border. Think about it.” Sky replied.
Sunder thought it over and a growl nearly escaped him as he put two and two together. “We need to find a way to get to that little mare.”
Secret nodded in agreement. “While I agree we have been unable to get close to her to ruin her. What we need is for her to be removed from the picture. Her relationship with the Overlord will only result in a stronger defense for both kingdoms.”
“I agree.” Sky replied. “So we need to get rid of her in a way that places blame on him.”
Sunder looked at her from the corner of his eye and he was not able to stop the look he gave the Pegasus mare. “And how do you propose we accomplish that?”
“They are close enough for her to feel she needs to act on his behalf and protect his kingdom. I call that treason.” She giggled menacingly. “But our current rulers will never go after her for it since he is not technically an enemy on the border. But if she dies on his land then her fellow Princesses will have no choice but to act. And since she is part of the Crystal Empire they will no doubt act as well and join with Equestria to act against him.”
Secret put his chin on his hooves as he listened and Sunder could see ideas going through his mind as Sky spoke. “So we need to find a way to kill her on his land?” Sunder replied and Sky nodded. “I’m not sure if you know this but getting close to her is difficult and getting close to him is even harder. We would need to use more layers of subterfuge than we ever have to get them back in the same area and even more to get close enough to put a knife in her.”
Sky chuckled. “I am well aware of the layers that would be needed, my dear Sunder.” She crooned back to him and he bit back a cringe as she went on. “What we need is to get them in the open where even the dragons and creatures can’t save her.”
“We need a war,” Secret said to them and a malicious smile went over his mouth. “We both know how formidable he is on the ground and how he can fend off a battle and turn it in his favor. We need to find a way to have him call her to his side and get them on the battlefield. We can overwhelm them with numbers and the automatons on the field and get her alone. Her magic is formidable but it is not endless, simply wear her down and she will fall. I would say the same of him but he commands the dragons directly so if his magic runs out all he has to do is call on one of them.”
Sunder's eyes were wide as he stared at the leader of their shadowy group. He looked at Sky who had a wicked smile on her face and then to Hazel who’s eyes were wider than his own and his mouth slightly ajar.
“But…” Hazel stammered as he tried to speak and Sunder didn’t blame him for it. “This is the most ambitious thing we have ever tried. Murdering a monarch is…huge.”
“Indeed it is.” Sky replied and patted his shoulder. “What better way to settle any issues our lackeys are having and at the same time improve our own position? If he is at war with the whole of Equestria then how will he stop us when we move in?”
Secret smiled and nodded at the mare. “Well thought out Sky. We will have to move our plans forward quickly. I trust I do not need to tell you to speed up your search for a mechanic?”
“No. Not at all. I already have a few in mind that I will be reaching out to once I leave here.” She assured him.
Sunder leaned back in his chair and he tried not to gulp at the thought of going after the Princess of Friendship directly. He knew that the Overlord was a pain in the ass but blaming him for murder had not occurred to him. Maybe that was why he didn’t lead them but he couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted Sky to come up with such a plan. He tried to push it into the back of his mind but it refused to be pushed away and he leaned forward and against the table.
“What brought this on, Sky?” He finally voiced.
The Pegasus looked at him for a moment before a sly smile went over her muzzle. “I just do not like her.” She admitted with a sneer. “She is in the way of any plans I might have and she is a distraction. Can you tell me that you have not wished that she was out of the way? Even once?”
Sunder nodded and leaned back slightly. “While that’s true I find it hard to believe that this was brought on by simple dislike.” He countered.
“You're cleverer than I gave you credit for.” She smiled sweetly at him. “She is in the way that’s true. But she can be ignored easily enough. What I have seen and heard is that the Overlord is close to her and they are close friends. Get rid of her and it would send him reeling back as well. What better time to press our advantage? If he is reeling from her death then we might be able to get him out of the way as well. So far as I know he does not have an heir.”
Secret chuckled and his laughter broke from him as he clapped his hooves lightly. “Well done Sky. He can fall with her if he is so attached to her. Two for one. Consider it set in stone and we will move forward with the goal of removing not just one ruler, but two.” Secret said as she got to his hooves and regarded the group of them, who nodded in agreement.
“I will see it done.” Sky said to him and she got up as well. Her dress cut the air behind her as she spun to leave, her tasks set.
“Sunder?”
“Yes?”
“Keep an eye on the Princess as much as possible. She isn’t hard to find so I don’t anticipate you will have any trouble. As much as possible keep an eye on HIM as well. He is the hard one to watch since he is not in the public eye. This is your specialty so I expect results.”
“Understood,” Sunder replied and nodded in understanding.
“Good,” Secret said as he whirled on his heel and began to walk away from them. “Meeting adjourned.
Hunter was quiet as his magic held several documents and a quill within his aura. Wrath laid on the floor several feet away with Dezhara sprawled in front of his hooves. He reached out a hoof and prodded the prone dire wolf and she rumbled a groan back at him and he chuckled in reply to her. The sound of rustling fabric caught his ear and he watched ahead of him as his ears flicked to listen. He remained calm as the sound drew closer and he looked at the minion and the wolf for a clue. When both of them stayed still and didn’t react he relaxed. Gnarl came out of the shadows and the stallion turned to look at him as the minion came to the throne, his head bowed low in respect to his Master. The minion pulled a scroll from his robes and held it out to the Overlord.
“We have a reply from those fool ponies Lord.”
Hunter set aside the documents he had been reading and his magic gripped the offered scroll. He unfurled it and his red eyes scanned the contents. A smile played over his mouth as his magic set it aside and he looked to the waiting minion.
“They have sent me the location of the breeder for the chimera. All I need to do is go there.”
Gnarl smiled maliciously at the information. “Where is this fool pony located?”
“Believe it or not I think I know where he is,” Hunter replied as he got to his hooves. “Come.”
Gnarl fell in step behind him as Dezhara and Wrath took their places with him. He led them through the Netherworld Tower and into a room with a large map on the wall. His horn lit as he picked up a pointer and set it on the map.
“There.” He informed the minion.
Gnarl looked from the map to him and then back as a grin spread over his mouth, his sharp teeth showing. “So they are now yours, Master.”
“If I have my bearings right then yes. They are now part of my kingdom. It’s a small location but if I recall it was close to the old border before the most recent change. Now they are well within my territory. Unless they were informed of the change then the chance that they have moved is slim at best. I want the area scouted before I go there personally.”
“Of course Master. I will send out our fleetest wolves and the best minions to ride them. I will ensure that they are intelligent enough to know what they are looking for.”
“Send a few greens with them as well to scout closer. Ensure that they are ready for the excursion and can report back what they see.” Hunter replied.
“Understood Master. Allow me to handle it and I will ensure that the information you need is retrieved.” Gnarl said as he bowed his head low to the Overlord and walked away from him.
Hunter flicked an ear back as the minion paused close by. He cast a glance over his shoulder as the minion turned back to regard him.
“Lord?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure you wish to move ahead with this now?” Gnarl asked him.
Hunter began to snap a reply when his mind caught up with the reason the minion was asking. It had been only a week since her death and he had been throwing himself into his work to distract from it. He knew that the minion was asking out of concern and he bit back his initial angry reply. He regarded the minion and sighed as he nodded.
“I’m fine Gnarl.” He assured the minion. “I understand why you are asking and I appreciate it. But do not doubt my resolve or my strength.”
“Of course not Master,” Gnarl replied quickly and bowed his head once more. “By your leave, Dark Lord.”
Hunter gave a short nod and the minion left the room and vanished from sight. Hunter looked back at the map and his magic set the pointer aside and his eyes closed for a second as he sighed once more. He turned back to the door and slowly walked toward it. Dezhara nudged his sip and he looked back at the panting dire wolf. Wrath shifted on his armor and the stallion moved easily with the two of them with him.
Twilight was quiet as the doors to the map room opened widely and Wrath loped through them. She smiled brightly at the minion as he dropped off a scroll and sat down in front of her. She giggled as the minion waited and her magic opened the scroll and she read over it carefully. Her minion lay sprawled by her chair and she saw Wrath reach out to poke his fellow minion with one claw. She rolled her eyes as her minion, Basher yelped and batted at the other minion's arm. She set the letter down and her magic called a new scroll and quill to her magic.
She wrote a quick reply and gave it back to the waiting minion. Wrath took it after kicking at Basher and then running away from them with a laugh. She shook her head and sighed at their antics and her ears flicked as Spike came into the room from behind her. The baby dragon had been quieter than normal after Hunter’s last visit and she knew that he was handling Kaiana’s death in his own way and Twilight had chosen to give him plenty of space. She smiled brightly for him as he reached her and she patted his scales with one hoof and he smiled in reply.
Hunter opened his eyes as he commanded the Gate and found himself outside of Twilights castle. His hooves thudded on the metal stairs to the Gate and Wrath held tightly to his armor as he came around the side of the crystal castle. He stopped short as Twilight ran into him and she gasped in surprise. He looked down at her and she blushed as she backed up several feet from him.
“Sorry about that.” She said to him.
“No harm is done.” He replied. “I trust you are ready to go?”
“Yup.” She nodded.
“The breeder is close to where the old border used to be.” He informed her as he pivoted on his heel and turned back to the Gate.
“So that means he is now in your territory?” She questioned.
Hunter looked over his shoulder with a slight grin and she giggled at his look. “Exactly.”
“What are we going to do now?” She asked as she came to stand next to him in front of the Gate.
“Now?” She nodded. “We will use this Gate to travel to one that is close to where we want to go. It’s far enough away that we will then need Sorkeno to get us within a couple of miles of the town.”
“Will we be going in under illusion or not?” She asked.
“I am debating. While both have their merits I am on the fence.” He admitted.
“I say we use the illusions to get us close and then you can lead and if you feel the need to drop them then I will follow your lead. Like before.” She reasoned and he listened.
He sighed and then nodded in agreement. “Might be the best way to do it.”
“How long will the flight be to this town?”
“An hour at most.” He informed her as he mounted the steps and she followed close behind him. “Nothing compared to the ten-hour one.”
She grimaced at his teasing tone and she stood next to him as he set a hoof on her side and the azure lightning crashed and the thunder roared around them as he commanded the Gate. He opened his eyes and they fell on the golden dragon that was waiting patiently at the other Gate for them.
“Hello, Little Princess.” Sorkeno greeted.
Twilight smiled brightly at the sight of the dragon and she trotted to him to nuzzle his snout. “Hello, Sorkeno. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Do you know where we are going and where you wish to land?” Hunter questioned.
“I flew high over the town and I am sure of the location and where to land to drop you off. I will be close enough to provide aid should you need me.” Sorkeno assured them both.
“Perfect.” Hunter praised and approached the dragon and jumped to his nose.
Twilight flew up behind him and landed in her normal place and waited for him to join her. He groused silently about her being able to fly and he took his place and patted the dragon’s scales to show him they were ready. The dragon took to the air and they held tightly to his scales as he flew higher. He breached the clouds and his flight leveled out, allowing them to move if they wished.
“So how will you tell them that they are now in your territory and not Equestria?” Twilight questioned.
“I will inform them slowly as we speak to them. The goal is to bait them along and see what they know. In time I will drop my illusion and they will see just who they are dealing with.”
“That will be quite a shock to them.” Twilight agreed.
“I have already sent minions to the town to find out any information for me.” He informed her.
“Really? How long have you had the information before you told me?”
“A day or so.” He admitted. “I make sure to have my information set before I act if I have the choice. They informed me that it is less of a town and more of a family compound.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s all one family. They are led by the parents and their children and their families live on the same land. The father is the current breeder and it seems as though he is teaching the next generation.”
“So was it him or his father that sold the chimera to the Governess?”
“That is what we need to find out.” He replied. “Once we have that information then we will move on from that.”
She nodded in agreement and looked ahead of them for several seconds. “How do you think they will react?”
“It’s not exact but I am sure they will be ready to make a sale at first. It’s not often that somepony requests a chimera personally.”
“How do you plan to spin that exactly?”
“It’s for a personal hunting range.” He replied.
She grimaced and closed her eyes for several seconds. “Do ponies actually hunt?”
He barked a laugh and nodded. “Not every pony is the same as the ones you have met. Many have hobbies that would be frowned upon by their fellows if found out. I will be using that to my advantage. Hunting beasts is one such hobby that is not outed to many. That does not mean they eat the kill, they simply want to hunt it.” Hunter explained.
“I see,” Twilight said to him.
He could see the thoughts rushing through her mind as she came to terms with what he had said to her. “As far as how they will react when they see the real me I cannot say, they might be more shocked to hear about the land change. It depends on what we find out. They could be more shocked to see you in truth.”
“I will back you up. You’re leading and I’m just helping.” She said to him. “But I won’t let them escape either.”
Hunter looked at her and leaned against her for a moment before falling silent.
“What if they try to flee back to Equestria?”
Hunter laughed and shook his head. “The main family can move all they like once I find out what I want. If the father is the one that sold the chimera then I am keeping him. The others can do as they wish.”
“What about…The Princesses? What if they go to them and complain?”
“I would love to see them fight against me for one pony. I truly would.” He replied as a malicious smile crossed his mouth. “If they wish to go to bat for this pony then I will inform them of the atrocities that were committed by the act of selling that creature to the Governess. I will explain what was done in the arena, and to whom.”
Twilight stared at him for several seconds before she nodded. “But what if they argue about the fact that he can’t tell her what to do with the creature once it leaves his lands?”
“We will cover that with him.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I will be asking if he had any idea what was going to be done with the monster. If he did then he is a direct accomplice. And that means he will be mine to take.”
She smiled at his reasoning and nodded once more. “That is a good way to get all the information and stop any further arguments about culpability.”
“I have had time to think about it.” He admitted.
“Five years’ worth of time?”
“Mm-hmm.” He replied with a slight noise and fell silent.
She fell silent as they flew forward. Hunter’s ears flicked away from her and back forward as the wind went through his fur. He didn’t say anything for several minutes as they flew. His ear flicked as she drew in a breath and looked sideways at him.
“Yes?”
“I talked to Princess Celestia and Luna about the attempted theft of your lands.”
“Oh? I bet that was a fun chat.” He replied.
“I honestly was not sure what to say to them about it.”
“You probably could have gotten away with saying nothing about it.” He commented.
“I know but I couldn’t let it go. I…I may have said more than you probably wanted me to.”
He turned to look at her as she fidgeted and tapped a hoof absently on Sorkeno’s scales. His mind raced over possibilities as she fidgeted. His mind landed on one possibility and he sighed aloud.
“You told them didn’t you?”
She startled and looked at him, her eyes wide. “How did…?”
He sighed and shook his head. “I made it so they would think you had nothing to do with it. You would come out of it clean.”
“I know and I appreciate it. But I had to let them know I knew and that I had helped you. This way they won’t try it again.”
“Oh they will they will just make sure it’s in the shadows where you're unlikely to hear about it.” He countered.
She blinked and she faced forward as his words sunk in. He didn’t say anything further as he allowed her to think it over on her own. A sigh pulled from him as he leaned gently against her for a moment and a smile tugged at his mouth.
“Don’t worry about it too much. My borders are safe with the minions and Maranna watching over them. They can try but they will be met with a hell that they cannot fathom should they trifle with me.” He assured her. “Next time. Keep your mouth shut when I have it set it up for you.” He quipped and pushed her with his shoulder.
She smiled and a laugh broke from her as the dragon began to angle himself to the ground nearby their target.