The day before the memorial, near Canterlot Castle, a young unicorn secretary, named Manila, unlocks the door to the entryway of an office. She walks in holding her coffee and the morning paper and turns on the lights. The office is nothing special, professional and bland walls, and a few filing cabinets and bookshelves. What stands out though is a large picture hanging on the wall across from the secretary's desk. It depicts a small group of stallions and mares, all dressed in military uniform, decorated in the general stars and officer bars, and standing at attention. The secretary walks behind her desk, sets down the newspaper, and looks up at the while sipping on her coffee. Her attention narrows on one part of the picture.
One of the stallions in the picture is Shining Armor, he stands near the edge of the picture. Standing next to him an Earth Pony mare with a dark grey coat and silver mane. She appears to be older than Shining but only by a few years. The shoulders on her uniform bear the single star of a Brigadier General. The mare is the secretary's boss, and one of the Shining Armor's closest friends.
General Blitz was Shining Armor's platoon commander during his basic training, though back then she was referred to as Second Lieutenant Blitz. Even when he was a fresh recruit, Blitz saw a lot of potential in him and paid close attention to his training. Sure enough, he would exceed her expectations every time. After graduation from basic, she convinced him to enter into officer training once his service as an NCO (non-commissioned officer) was up. The school would prove to be a challenge for him but she was there to offer mentorship and guidance when necessary. It was through his time there that their friendship began to flourish. When he graduated top of his class, making him the perfect candidate for the open position of Captain of the Royal Guard, Blitz was there cheering him on, along with his family and then-girlfriend Cadence. While she always remained his superior, they remained close friends even up to his final days.
Evergreen sits down in her chair, her gaze still fixed on the picture. She often remembered Shining as being a cheesy but charming stallion. There was never a dull moment in the office when he came knocking. Now that he's gone, a part of the world suddenly feels empty. She moves her gaze away from the picture and to the newspaper on her desk, perhaps some morning news will help clear her head of these mournful thoughts. She takes a sip of her coffee as she opens up to the front page of the paper.
She reads the headline and, in sudden disbelief, spits her coffee back into the cup. She reads the headline again to ensure her eyes aren't fooling her. "Princess Celestia Announces Memorial Plans for Murdered Heroes."
"Oh dear," she mutters out loud to herself. "The general isn't going to like this."
"What am I not going to like?" asks a voice from the door. Evergreen looks up and sees General Blitz standing in the doorway, her uniform cap tucked underneath her right foreleg. She looks at Manila with stern confusion.
"The morning paper, ma'am," Manila says walking the paper over to Blitz. "But I advise that you wait until you're sitting down in your office before reading it." Blitz exchanges a curious look at her secretary but agrees to do so. She grabs the paper with her mouth and walks into her office. Manila sits back down in her desk and braces for Blitz's response.
A few silent moments pass, the sound of a pin dropping could be heard. And then, "MANILA!!!!" Blitz shouts from her office. Evergreen rushes to the doorway; she sees the general standing over the paper on her desk. Blitz looks up at Evergreen and points at the paper, "How much have you read of this?"
"Only the headline, ma'am," Manila says.
"I'm afraid it gets worse with every word." Blitz picks up the paper, unfolds it, and begins to read. "'Princess Celestia released a statement to the press yesterday that plans are currently underway to hold a memorial service for the fallen heroes Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, and Element of Harmony Twilight Sparkle. These are the first words we have received from the Princess after three days of silence. Many assumed the Princess would take deliberate and necessary action against the Crystal Empire after the news was received of the three victim's fates.'
When reached for further comment, Princess Luna spoke on behalf of her sister saying, 'Equestria has endured a national tragedy, unlike anything we've ever seen. We need to heal as a nation first before we can begin preparations for diplomatic and/or military actions.'
One can only wonder what Equestrians across the country will think of the Princess's decision, especially what the Equestrian military will think.' I'll tell you what I think, this memorial is a bunch of crap!" Blitz throws the paper down in a fit of rage. She turns around in a huff and walks towards the window behind her desk. She takes a deep breath and collects herself. She turns her to the side and says, "Have I received anything from General Black Hawk this morning?"
As Manila is about to open her mouth, a wisp of magic enters the room from behind her and swirls in the air her horn. The wisp forms into a scroll and unfolds before Manila. She reads what's on the parchment and says, "The general wishes you and the rest of the general staff in office immediately." Blitz grabs her cap off the desk and storms pass Manila and out the door.
She enters the hallway at the same time as her colleague across from her, Brigadier General Tomahawk. He's a medium build, middle-age unicorn with a light grey coat and charcoal mane and tail. He comes out of his office, sees Blitz, and asks her, "General Blitz, do you know why we're being called to the General's office?"
"Did you not read the paper this morning?" Blitz responds. The two continue to talk as they walk side-by-side towards Black Hawk's office.
Tomahawk shakes his head, "I was still waking up on my walk to work this morning. The kids kept me and my wife up all night." He lets out a big yawn.
"Welcome to the world of having twins," Blitz jokingly responds. "Anyway, Princess Celestia released a statement to the press yesterday announcing plans for a memorial."
Tomahawk looks at Blitz with disbelief. "You can't be serious? Three days we haven't heard a thing, no word about mobilization or any sort of plan of retaliation, and this is what she announces. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a memorial but..."
"I hear you Tomahawk," Blitz says, interrupting him. "We should be planning an attack against Sombra, we can mourn those we have lost later. I just hope Black Hawk can think of something to respond to this, there's no way the public is going to fully support this."
Blitz and Tomahawk enter into the reception area for Black Hawk's office. Inside, they find the other two generals of the staff waiting outside, Major Generals Maus and Panzer. Panzer is a tall and bulky unicorn stallion with a black coat and dark grey mane and tail; Maus is a short and medium build earth pony mare with a white coat and salt and pepper mane and tail. It isn't long after Blitz and Tomahawk enter the room that Black Hawk's secretary calls the generals into his office. They file in and line up in front of their commander's desk, saluting him.
Black Hawk looks up from the newspaper on his desk. He's a medium-large, late-middle age unicorn with a white coat and dark grey mane and tail. He salutes back to his generals, they stand at ease. "If you read the paper this morning," he says in a low and gruff voice, "then your guess as to why I called you here is correct." As he speaks, he slowly walks around in front of his desk. "For those who haven't, the gist is, instead of mobilizing our forces to attack Sombra, or prepare a defense, we are holding a memorial. I don't think I would be wrong in saying that everyone in this room thinks that this is a poor decision. Since we had to find out about this through the news, are there any thoughts as to how we should respond? General Blitz?"
Blitz clears her throat, "There's only a small chance that the public will be overwhelmingly supportive of this direction. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were popular public figures and Twilight Sparkle was considered a hero. If we are to make any sort of move against Princess Celestia's will, we need to get the public on our side. She will not move ahead with a decision if the public is against it."
"Excuse me, general." Blitz and Black Hawk turn their attention to Panzer. Panzer addresses Black Hawk, "If we openly object or oppose the Princess, it could potentially shake the public's confidence in her. Now is not the time for division, we are facing an enemy greater than we've ever seen. We need to stand behind the Princess, no matter what."
Tomahawk looks at Panzer skeptically. "What are you suggesting, Panzer?"
"I'm suggesting that we play along for the moment," he says. The rest of the staff, except for Black Hawk, look at him as if lobsters were crawling out of his ears.
"Play along?" Maus speaks up. "We can't simply just go along with this, it's insane. I've been drilling my divisions in preparation for when we are called to the frontlines. We need to win this war first, then mourn our losses."
"If we allow divisions to grow in our nation, will give the enemy the opportunity he needs to strike," Panzer retorts.
"But sitting around and doing nothing isn't helping us either," says Tomahawk. "We might as well paint a big red target around Canterlot."
"Attention!" Black Hawk yells. The four generals quit their bickering and stand upright. Black Hawk gets in their faces, "Do I need to take you back to basic training, because you're acting like a bunch of fresh meat recruits, bitching about PT! We do not solve anything by bickering. I asked for suggestions, not a cockfight! At ease." The generals stand at ease as Black Hawk walks back behind his desk and leans up against it. "Now, we are going to play along with Princess Celestia's plans, and I want all four of you at the memorial tomorrow, full Class A uniform." Blitz, Tomahawk, and Maus give him looks of confusion. "But, I want you to listen to what the public is saying. Find out if they are in favor of this memorial. Talk to the guests and hear what they have to say. If there is to be a protest of any kind, seek it out and face them. You are all dismissed."
The generals salute Black Hawk and walk out of the office. They split off from each other in the hallway, Maus and Panzer going to the right, Blitz and Tomahawk going to the left. “I can’t believe we are playing along with nonsense,” Tomahawk says, a tinge of anger still resonates in his tone.
“Panzer has a point though,” Blitz says with a cool head. “We can’t confidently act against the Princess unless we have the public on our side. Attending this memorial will give us valuable information. We need to be thinking with our heads here, not our guts.”
“I’m surprised you’re on his side,” Tomahawk says, giving her a side look.
Blitz doesn’t look back at him. She responds in a tempered tone, “I never said I was, my proposal relies on having public support. If we attend this memorial, speak with the guest in attendance, we might get a good idea about where they stand.”
Tomahawk swings around and faces Blitz, stopping her in her tracks. “If this is just a reconnaissance mission, why do we all need to go? It would be more practical to just send one or two of the general staff in attendance.”
Blitz steps around and keeps walking, Tomahawk tags alongside her. “You heard what the commander said, we need to play along. Shining Armor was the most respected high-ranking member of the Royal Guard branch of the Army. It would be an insult or seem suspicious if only one of us showed up. Besides, having all four of us there will greatly expand our information gathering.”
“Very well,” Tomahawk huffs. “Let’s just hope it proves to be fruitful.”
“I’m certain it will,” Blitz responds
The day of the memorial, after the service, the generals are at the reception. Maus speaks with some members of the Royal Administration, the Chancellor of Education Neighsay, and Secretary of Labor Stallion. Black Hawk and Panzer mingle with the admirals of the Navy and generals of the Air Force. Tomahawk is conversing with some of the upper-class ponies in attendance, though he’s not enjoying it. Blitz is at the refreshment table, pouring herself a cup of punch. She takes a sip and cringes at the sweetness of the red liquid. This could use something strong, she thinks. Not wanting to be rude, she drinks the rest and lets out a “blegh.”
A voice behind her chuckles and says, “I never much liked the taste of punch either.” Blitz turns around and recognizes the most respectable member of Canterlot high society, Fancy Pants.
“Mister Fancy Pants,” Blitz says. “I didn’t know that you would be here.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Madame General,” he says. “Princess Cadence was well-liked among us, never a dull moment when she attended a gathering.” Fancy Pants looks off in the distance for a brief moment, appearing to remember the fond moments he shared with Cadence. His eyes tear up a little but he holds it together.
“I’m sorry for the loss of your companion,” Blitz says with sympathy.
Fancy Pants blinks a few times to clear his eyes and looks back at Blitz. “Oh forgive me, dear, here I am remembering the past and forgetting that you lost your brother-in-arms as well.”
“We weren’t so much as compatriots, as we were mentor and student,” Blitz explains. “I taught him through basic and officer school. He was a good soldier, I’m glad to have served over him. He didn’t deserve to die at the hooves of that monster, none of them did.”
“Yes, a fate I wouldn’t even wish upon my worst enemy,” Fancy Pants says.
“Rest assured, Fancy Pants,” she says, “the Equestrian military will seek every option to bring justice to Sombra, even if it means going to war.”
Those last few words cause Fancy Pants’ demeanor to radically change. He becomes a bit squeamish, like a child failing to hide their guilt. His eyes reflect concern and fear. His breathing deepens as if he’s trying to suck every molecule of oxygen. He makes a big gulp before speaking, “W-W-Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Wars can be messy.”
Blitz looks at Fancy Pants quizzically. “Of course but sometimes they are necessary, in this case, I believe it is. Sombra has proved to be a tremendous threat, no amount of diplomacy will change that. We hope the Princess will soon give the commands to mobilize our nation for war.” Fancy Pants lowers his head, purses his lips, and turns his eyes to the side. Beads of sweat begin to form on his brow, the color in his face drains slightly. Blitz notices this and asks, “Are you feeling alright?”
Fancy Pants quickly composes himself though it’s still evident something is off. He clears his throat and says, “Uh yes, a thousand apologies, I had a… a rough sleep last night.” He fakes a smile, though it’s not enough to throw Blitz off his odd behavior. “Well I shall bid you farewell, for now, Madame General, there are plenty of other ponies around here I wish to speak to. Good day.” He departs from Blitz in a hurry, disappearing into the crowd of attendees.
Blitz isn’t sure what to make of that conversation. Fancy Pants is usually the most eloquent and refined gentle stallion in all of Canterlot, if not in all of Equestria. It’s the reason why he’s so respected among the upper crust of Equestrian society. Yet, in that instance, he was the opposite of his reputation. Jittery, stuttering, and shifty, as if he’s a young colt with stage fright. Like his worst fear imaginable just appeared before him.
“Thank Celestia I never decided to pursue politics,” Tomahawk says as he walks up to Blitz. “I don’t think I can endure another conversation with these high society airbags.” He looks at Blitz and notices that she’s not listening, her mind is off somewhere else. “Um, Blitz?”
“Hm, oh sorry, I was deep in thought,” Blitz says, breaking her concentration. “I just had a very strange conversation with Fancy Pants. He didn’t seem like himself.”
“How so?” he asks, as he turns to the refreshment table, looking for something to eat.
“I’m not entirely sure,” she responds, looking off to where Fancy Pants disappeared to. “He started acting strange whenever I mentioned the possibility of war as if he’s afraid of it.”
Tomahawk grabs and munches on a shortbread cookie. “Well, not everyone is going to like the idea of a war,” he says as he eats. “There’s always going to be peace doves, we just have to make sure they’re outnumbered by the war hawks.” He swallows the cookie and grabs another one. He turns back around and motions his hoof out towards the attendees, “Look around you, we are surrounded by the holders of Equestria’s moral high ground. They’re always going to detest anything that doesn’t sound peaceful or tolerant until the threat directly affects them. If they had their way every time, our jobs would be pointless.”
“I suppose,” Blitz says. Perhaps that conversation was just a weird objection to war, but it still nags at the back of her mind. Her thoughts move away from the strange interaction and back to the reason why she’s here. “Have you been able to get anything about support for a war?”
Tomahawk shakes his head, “No, I’ve tried raising the topic a few times but before I can finish a sentence, they’ll have already begun a new topic. I did hear there’s a small protest outside the castle, Maus is checking it out, though I don’t think it’s going to give us anything.”
Blitz rubs her face in frustration and lets out a heavy sigh. “Great,” she groans, “so we pretty much wasted our time here.”
“Well, we could always try talking to the Elements and Shining’s parents,” Tomahawk suggests.
“There are far too many guests here,” Blitz says. “Everyone is going to want to pay their respects, and I rather not deal with a bunch of complaining silver spoons.” She inhales and lets out an exhausted sigh, “Let’s just go, we’re not going to get anything here. Might as well just wait for further orders.” Blitz begins to walk towards the reception exit.
“Hold on second,” Tomahawk says. He turns around to the refreshment table and grabs several of the remaining shortbread cookies. He turns back around and receives a judgemental look from Blitz. “What? It’s for the kids.” Blitz cocks her right eyebrow up, knowing his excuse to be fake. Tomahawk rolls his eyes, “Fine, and it’s for me as well.”
Blitz smiles, chuckles, and shakes her head. “You and I are hitting the gym first thing tomorrow morning,” she tells him.
Tomahawk and Blitz work their way through the crowd of attendees, giving passing goodbyes as they walk. As they exit the reception, they notice someone running towards them at breakneck speed, it’s Maus. As she runs, she calls out to them, “Blitz! Tomahawk! You gotta see this!” She meets up with them and tries to catch her breath.
“Maus, what’s going on?” Blitz asks.
“Is it the protest?” Tomahawk asks, Maus nods in response, still not able to breathe. “What happened?”
Maus collects her breath and says, “It’s not what happened, it’s what’s happening.” Blitz and Tomahawk look at each other then back at Maus with confused expressions. “It’s not a small protest, not in the least. You two have gotta go see it, I’m going to get the commander and Panzer.” She moves around the two and runs into the crowd to get Black Hawk and Panzer.
Before she disappears, Blitz calls out to her asking, “Where’s the protest?”
“Right outside the drawbridge!” Maus shouts back, then vanishes into the crowd.
Without a second thought, Tomahawk and Blitz run in the direction of the draw bridge. As they grow closer, shouts and chants from the protest become louder. When they reach the gate, they climb up the tower stairs to get a better sight. When they’re on top of the wall, they are astounded by the scene before them. This is not a protest of ten or twenty ponies, but hundreds if not thousands. Picket signs and poster boards scattered over the crowd say different things but the message is the same: “No Peace Without War,” “Death to the Crystal Empire,” “Justice for Twilight and the Royal Couple.” The chant “Avenge the Fallen, Kill the Tyrant” rings out across the entire mob.
They look down at the end of the draw bridge and see a line of heavily armored guards blocking. In addition to the normal armor, in front of them are great scuta shields, interlocked to form a shield wall. Attached to their right side are clubs, and on the other side are two-cylinder canisters. Even though they can’t read the writing from on top of the wall, they recognize tear gas canisters when they see them. They back over the crowd of protesters; while it is a peaceful protest, the line of guards armed with riot gear is concerning.
“Well if this isn’t quite the sight to behold.” Blitz and Tomahawk look away from the protest and see Black Hawk joining them, with Maus and Panzer following. “Never in my life would I have expected Equestrians to come out in droves to declare they want a war.”
“It’s almost hard to believe, sir,” Blitz says. “If these ponies represent what the rest of the nation is feeling, we can make our case to the Princess.”
“One protest doesn’t make an argument,” Panzer says as he looks over the protesters.
“Oh come, Panzer,” says Tomahawk, “you’ve gotta admit that this is a pretty good start.”
“It’s a start, and nothing more,” Panzer says. “What of Manehattan, Vanhoover, Baltimare, or Cloudsdale, there are still many cities that have yet to speak up. Not to mention the various rural towns and villages.”
“Which is why we need to get our position out now,” Tomahawk says. He walks up to Black Hawk and says, “Sir, this is just a small flame, we need to stoke. If the public knows we are on their side, our position will become stronger. We’ll have the advantage we need to push Princess Celestia towards war.”
Black Hawk looks over the crowd, he ponders for a moment, then says, “Maus, Blitz.” The two generals turn their attention to him. “Prepare a statement for the press detailing our position. Tomahawk and Panzer, begin notifying every news agency across Equestria that they’re about to receive something good.” He looks around and sees his generals are still awaiting his dismissal. “What are you waiting for? Get moving!” The generals move pass one another getting to the stairs, leaving Black Hawk alone on the wall.
He looks over the protest one last time before leaving. He mutters, “Time to prep the hounds of war.”