//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 (Blueberry) // Story: The Shatter Realm // by keithsterling //------------------------------// As Grand Princess of Love Blueberry Swirl Silverlight troops breaches the doors of the Crystal Palace's crystal throne room through the breached door. Grand Princess Blueberry can see a trembling Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle hiding behind her mother's throne like a small filly about to be punished by its mother. Suddenly a priority message is received through the helmet radio with a specific command "Retreat now." Without another word, the troops quickly retreat back to the outskirts of Crystal City. Just in time, the Crystal Protection Protocol activates the Dome shield forming the shield around the Crystal City. "Dammit! Why? Why? (Tears begin to stream down her cheeks) I was so close to finally ending this five years old war." Blueberry yells, devastated, sinking to her knees as she shed her white Seraphim combat body armor. Kneeling on the ground was a gorgeous light blue half Alicorn/half unicorn mare with crimson red mane and tail tied in a ponytail. Her 5ft 8in equine figure was attired in her light gray nano-suit with her black form-fitting boot upon bare light blue feet. This half alicorn/half unicorn mare was Grand Princess of Love Blueberry Swirl Silverlight. She was the deposed former ruling Princess for the Crystal Empire. Slowly a loyal Crystal Empire Soldier attired in the ice-blue (Very light bluish-green) standard combat body armor of the Crystal Empire army walks up to Grand Princess Blueberry and brings her to her feet. "Come your highness; their no more to be done here. We will get another chance to take back our home and free your Crystal Ponies. Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle, luck can't last forever." The soldier said, upset but remaining optimistic as to not unknowingly depress the Grand Princess. Slowly three large transport helicopters land after setting off four smoke grenades signaling for pick-up of the loyal Crystal Empire Soldiers to return to the Equestria Royal army Polar Star Assault Base. As the last soldier's boards the transport helicopter, and it liftoff, each helicopter's mood is melancholy. The soldiers want so much to blame the Grand Princess for the failure, but they can't find it in their hearts to do so. Despite her being trained to save lives as a Medic pony, she out there with them taking life. On several occasions, loyal Crystal Empire Soldiers have heard the Grand Princess of Love Blueberry Swirl Silverlight crying herself to sleep in her room. It is a heart-wrenching sound that comes from the mare supposed to be the embodiment of love and compassion. Knowing that fact, her loyal Crystal Empire Soldiers push that much harder to end this Crystal Wars, so their Grand Princess can return to what she suppose to do save lives and help the sick. "Captain! You have been staring at me for the longest time! Do you want to ask me out on a date or some thing? Or maybe you would like to see what the body of a daughter of a demigoddess look likes out of her nano-suit or even better out of her boots!" Blueberry said, pretending to be indignant, which caused the Captain blush and answer no. "I am so offended about this, Captain! All right, boys who would like to take me out on a date!?" Blueberry asked "We would!" A group of ten soldiers called closest to her. "How about seeing me naked?" Blueberry asked "Right here!" a group of twenty soldiers called. "How about see me barefooted?" Blueberry asked "The best for last right here!" a group of ten more soldiers called. "Well, I am sorry, boys! But I promise my father I wouldn't do anything like that till I am married mare. Besides, what would your wives and girlfriends say if I told them what you said?" Blueberry said with an alligator smile on her snout as all the soldiers face glazes with shock and behave themselves. "Beside Captain, I know why you were looking at me. I can reassure you that this Grand Princess of Love is mentally sound and fit. As you say, Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle luck can't last forever." Blueberry said hotly as she slams her fist against the helicopter's side that shakes the whole vehicle. "Your Highness! Please don't hit the side of the vehicle! I know you half Alicorn's have the same strength as a full Alicorn! This vehicle is very delicate! I would like to get back to the base in one piece! These soldiers are not the only one with a family back home!" The Pilot yells in a huff as Blueberry blush, and she places her gloved hands on her lap. 'Grand Princess of Love Blueberry Swirl Silverlight, youngest daughter of Princess Celestia Silverlight, the overall Equestria ruler with her little sister Princess Luna Silverlight. The best damn doctor in Equestria and the most compassionate. Under her rule, my home was a wonderful place to live and raise my foals. But now is forced into the carnage of war because of the ego of the disappeared Princess of Love Cadence Sparkle and Prince Shining Armor Sparkle daughter Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle. A horrible fate for one so compassionate who hands should be healing the sick and not hold a weapon on them.' the Captain thought as Blueberry eyes met his eyes again went he was staring at her again. "For the last time, Captain Garth Foster, please stop staring at me! I am perfectly fine; I am mentally sound and fit. For my mother's sake, you have been at my side since I started to rule the Crystal Empire, so you know my moods, and besides, you are the only one I have allowed to call me by my first name that not part of my family." Blueberry said, commanding and reminding as she smiled at her guard Captain. "I know, Blueberry, but still," Garth said as Blueberry whips her fingers toward him tells him to stop his thought right there. "Fine, Garth, if you are so worried about my mental fitness after debriefing, joins me in my room; we have much to discuss." Blueberry orders as all the soldiers in the aircraft hoot and holler with the guard Captain to come to the Grand Princess's room. Walking down the steel hallway of the underground portion of the Polar Star Assault base was a handsome-looking medium gray crystal pony stallion with gradient grayish-blue to bluish-gray mane and tail. He is walking to the Grand Princess's room at the base. His muscular 5ft 7in equine figure was attired in a Light gray nano-suit with black form-fitting boots. This crystal pony unicorn stallion was Captain Garth Foster, the guard captain for Grand Princess of Love Blueberry Swirl Silverlight and commander of 115th Crystal Empire infantry Company. He walks up to a door with a snowflake on front and presses a button on the wall; inside the room, the chimes ring. Sitting in front of her holo computer with her legs crossed, typing up her report for her older sister Aurora was Grand Princess of Love Blueberry Swirl Silverlight. She was wearing the upper half of her nano-suit as she has removed her black form-fitting boots, revealing her perfectly shaped and sized light blue bare feet with light pink nail polish. "Come in Garth!" Blueberry called as the door slides open at the same time, she pressed the enter key to send the report to her older sister Aurora and turn her chair toward the stallion standing in the hallway. "You want to see me, your highness?" Garth said politely and respectful as he gapes in stunned silence seeing his Grand Princess barefooted. Blueberry senses this and wiggles her toes of her crossed leg suggestively a few times till heated blush form on his snout, and he quickly looks away. "For my mother's sake, Garth! I wore light gold gladiator sandals barefooted most of the time went I was ruling the Crystal Empire with my gowns. It never bothered you then. But the moment I am barefooted, you blush and look away." Blueberry said, very annoyed as she whips her fingers toward him to stop right there and don't answer. "I know what you are going to say, Garth. I am the daughter of a demigoddess, and I am the perfect specimen of a unicorn mare. Their no doubt of that." Blueberry said, knowing as Garth watches his Grand Princess's hand slow rise in the air and begins to fold down her fingers, so only two fingers are shown her traditional gesture went she doesn't want an answer to her query. But Garth blinks with surprise went she reaches over to her holo keyboard with that hand and calls up something on her holo computer; she glances at it before return to Garth. "Now, for the real reason, I call you to my room, Garth," Blueberry said, resting her chin on top her hands in pondering manner as the mannerism sent a chill down his back. The last time he saw Blueberry's using that mannerism was went a Diplomat from Saddle Arabia was trying to take advantage of her naiveté as a young ruler. But Blueberry had the forethought for the months leading up to the meeting doing in-depth research into the politics of Saddle Arabia. So by the time the day of the appointment arrived, she knows just as much as the diplomat knew of the politics of Saddle Arabia. All the tricks the diplomat used was quickly defeated with that pondering look. "Do you dare try to lie to me, Garth! (Giving him a hard look) I sense that my troops aboard the helicopter wanted to blame me for the failure of not capturing Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle (slamming her barefoot on the ground leaving the impression of her foot on the ground in the tile). So tell me why Captain Foster that my troops didn't blame me?" Blueberry said assertively as the look scared Garth plenty. On the outside, Blueberry looks like your everyday unicorn mare, which usually is limited by their mystic reserves. But Blueberry being offspring of full Alicorn, has much more mystic resources at her disposal. "The truth Blueberry is that my men and I have on several occasions heard you crying yourself to sleep in your room. Its most heart-wrenching sound comes from you. You are the embodiment of love and compassion. That why we don't blame you for the failure; it pushes us to end this war quickly." Garth explains honestly as a single tear runs down Blueberry cheek and the ears on top her head droop. She raises her hand up and dismisses Garth from her room as the door slides closed; Blueberry dials two numbers on her holo-phone. The first head to spring to life was her brother Somnus, followed by her sister Aurora. "Somnus and Aurora, if you are not too busy, can you come to talk to me for a little while," Blueberry asked. "All right, Sure. I am not too busy. It will be a while for the computer to analyze the data of that high energy shield around the Crystal City and that Crystal Protection Protocol of the AI system." Aurora explains as she's rubs her chin with her gloved hand. "All right, it beats going over reports. I'll be there in a little while, little sister." Somnus comment as they hang up the holo-phone. Walking down the steel hallway of the underground portion of the Polar Star Assault base was Aurora and Somnus on their way to their little sister's room in the underground base's living area. "What do you think our little sister what to talk to us about, brother?" Aurora inquiry as Somnus sighs. "The group of four Night wings Special Forces soldiers I assign to 115th Crystal Empire infantry Company reported to me that the whole company was down after the failure to capture Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle. They wanted to blame our little sister for the failure, but they didn't have the heart. I don't know why?" Somnus explains as Aurora sighs. "That is easy answers brother because you are sound sleeper just like auntie. You don't hear our little sister crying yourself to sleep in her room. It is the most heart-wrenching sound to come out of our little sister. She no trained warrior like us. Mother and Auntie show us how to fight because we are the main thrones of Equestria. Our little sister is meant to be a healer and not a fighter." Aurora explains as Somnus sighs again. "As true as a statement that is sister, our little sister is just like us. She takes her duty as protector of mother's enduring dream of harmony very seriously, even those she meant to be a healer." Somnus comments as the blood drains from Aurora's face. "Our mother instilled in her foals that harmony is a fragile idea that must be protected for our ponies' subjects in Equestria. We are the hope, confidence, and compassion to maintain the balance of this fragile idea. Went." Somnus said as his sister raised her hand to stop him. "Went Princess Flurry Heart Sparkle turns her back on that idea of harmony and replaced it with ego. The balance was broken; because we are the Royal Foals of Princess Celestia Silverlight, it fell to us to rebalance the scales. This whole war has nothing to do with regaining the Crystal Empire; if need be, we can reestablish someplace else. This whole war is about rebalancing the scales, so darkness can't get a foothold in Equestria." Aurora explains as the two older siblings near their little sister's room.