Screams. That is what he heard first, rearing up and putting his small paws on the will to peer outside and down from the palace. Plumes of smoke rose in many places through the city. Ponies fled in the streets, small dots that scattered. What was going on? Arnavon didn't know, but he shoved the window open and threw himself out of it.
There was one sure way to find out.
"I'm so glad we found an equitable solution." Celestia gently tipped her head towards the diplomat, walking alongside them through the throneroom. "Expect our first shipment within the week."
"Always a pleasure, Celestia," agreed the pony that was just as large as she was, being a Saddle Arabian. "Long may our friendship end--"
The floor shuddered beneath them, throwing both of them and the guards in attendance to the floor with a violent jolt. The closer guards scrambled back to their hooves, moving to surround Celestia and her guest. Others took flight, soaring out the closest window.
"What is going on?" she demanded as she stood up. She heard a glass smash and saw that an array of fine drinking glasses were slowly sliding off a table, without magic or hoof pushing them. It was as if... everything were on an incline. Her eyes widened.
Down below, the foals of the school were enjoying themselves. Scootaloo was on Little Hop's back, where both had apparently decided was a comfortable place for her to be. Scoots was displaying her satisfaction with the arrangement with a loud whooping cry, Little Hop bouncing as far up as she could in demonstration to the other foals her tsuki-given talent.
Scootaloo wasn't just shouting, she looked around from her vantage point. More temporary than the ones Rainbow Dash could provide, but far easier to get one's hooves on, and she didn't feel like she was holding back Rainbow from her many awesome duties. She looked around with a big grin, until it ended, her smile fading from her face.
They landed gently, Little Hop absorbing the impact with her great legs coiling as if winding powerful springs that would send her back up if she wanted to. She looked over her shoulder and blinked, spotting Scootaloo's expression. "Something wrong?"
"I... think so." Scootaloo pointed up and away, towards Canterlot.
Little looked, along with much of the class on recess. The entire city was listed to the side, a little, but noticeably. That was not normal. The great city of Canterlot, rock solid, untouchable, part of the mountain itself, had moved.
"Move your hooves," called out Shining, leading the march back towards home and safety. "Warm beds and hot meals are waiting for us!" A rough cheer at the vision of future comforts that awaited them. "You all did great. Stay in formation and keep the pace up." They were marching briskly back through known territory.
Rarity shook her head softly. "Well, now I feel a bit silly. All that fuss, and for what? We didn't even really do much, dears. Tear down a few stones? Even Moonlight can handle a chore such as that." She rolled her eyes with a little snort, puffing steam into the cold air. "If all of our outings are this easy, maybe I was being a bit overprotective. Here I was, thinking this would be a bit more... harrowing."
Rainbow shrugged mightily as she plodded through the snow aside the others. "Gonna have to side with Rares on this one. What a waste of time!" She threw a hoof wide just to come back down on it with a crunch of snow beneath them. "Total waste of time."
"It doesn't make sense." Twilight was plodding along with a frown on her face. "It was obvious somecreature had been living there. Why would they just... go away?"
Rainbow waggled her brows. "They saw us coming and booked it?"
"Maybe... that is exactly what happened." Twilight kicked a bit of snow out of the way as she went. "And I don't like it, not at all. If they gave up such a large tactical position, it must be because they saw no use in it. If they weren't preparing for a seige, what were they doing? There is no way that this is good news..."
"Yes." A new form landed beside her, the scowling form of the she-warrior of the tsuki, Celene stalking along Twilight. "Not good."
"Not good," came Toby's agreement, landing on Twilight's other side. "Want us go ahead?" He pointed forward. "See?"
Twilight skewed her ears. "I don't think we're in risk of ambush, and we have scouts looking for exactly that."
"Is true," admitted Toby, plodding along in little mini hops to keep even with his pony companions. "Not get to protect. Ready."
"I do appreciate you were ready to do that." She inclined her head to the right towards Celene. "Both of you. Right now, the best thing we can do is get home and look for a better chance to strike... quietly."
"Quiet!" blurted Celene in a fit of not being quiet. "Smart pony. Yes. Send us." She thumped her chest just before hopping to keep up. "We go fast, no sound, stay not see. Find them. Not let run!"
Twilight seemed to consider that a moment with quiet crunches of the snow. "You should tell that idea to Shining Armor. He's in charge of that."
"On it." Toby bounded off towards the commander of the force, confident he could relay the idea better than his fearsome, but limited in speechcraft, partner. Not that he was that better, still, a step. "Shield," he greeted as he came down beside the unicorn leading the progression of all the other ponies. "Celene has idea."
"Hmm?" He turned an ear towards Toby, but still was marching on, along with the rest, towards home and warmth.
"Send us." He hopped to keep up, slow powerful leaps that covered the distance, the snow far less able to get in his way. Tsuki were made for snow. This was his home, and he showed no ill effect of the frigid temperatures. His armor, though heavy, would not have been very warm, if it were supposed to protect against that. It wasn't. His own fur and flesh did quite well on its own.
"Send you where?" His attention was starting to slide towards Toby, though his pace didn't let up. "For what?"
"To enemy. Find, send us first." He patted the snow just before leaping forward. "We go, attack, not let run, come help. We catch!" He tilted his head left and right. "Come quiet, not seen. Surprise!"
"What a surprise that'd be," he chuckled out, imagining a force of angry tsuki emerging from the snow as if the snow had just delivered them into the world, their fangs and claws at the ready to assault an unexpecting defensive force. "That does sound like an interesting idea... If we find another... I'll bear that in mind." That the tsuki could resist magic increased the odds they could hold the battle long enough for assistance to arrive. "Thank you, Toby. That is a very brave idea."
"We are ready," he assured, thumping his chest and rearing up so tall and large, not challenging Shining, even if it looked like it a little. He was challenging the potential future danger. He was larger, he would win. He would protect all that was valuable to him.
Arnavon hit the ground, rebounding off of it without delay as he sped towards the loudest noises. Harsh cries, panicked screams. Windows were breaking, doors exploding with the sound of broken wood and crystal. It was chaos all around him, but he went towards it, not away. Even as his heart thundered, it felt distant somehow compared to the noises of pain and horror around him.
He saw it at the apex of a jump, two heavily armored fighters with sharp weapons, spears? They were closing in on a crystal pony, a body only a foot away, blood spreading, unmoving. They had killed. They would kill again. There were no guards.
There was no salvation.
That pony would die.
The griffon thrust their spear forward. "Shut up!" they shouted, directing the spear towards the throat of the pony that had the nerve to make so much noise. Arnavon landed on the spear, driving down that tip. It bit into the paved road. With the momentum of the thrust, it bent powerfully and snapped, sending both the griffon and Arnavon sliding away from one another.
"T-thank you." The pony broke into a gallop, taking the opportunity to get away provided them.
Arnavon hissed. Despite how well he had aimed that descent, it hadn't put the other soldier on pause. He jerked back, blood running from a new slice he had received from a swipe of the other spear. The first was already drawing a fresh spear. His eyes darted between them, gauging his odds, which looked worse by the moment. Still, if he ran, that pony would be caught, and hurt. He felt certain of it.
He had not learned how to fight beyond little childish wrestles. He had no weapons besides the claws on his hands and the teeth in his mouth. He was a writer, and a publisher, not a warrior. And still, he saw no other creature that could hold that spot, that moment, other than him. If he ran, he consigned that pony he didn't even know to being hurt, maybe killed.
He didn't run, growling low as his legs tensed, ready to launch him.
"Don't use magic," one of them warned, likely having heard of the tsuki ability to avoid such things.
Arnavon had to be grateful for that, considering he actually hadn't learned how to do that. Heard of it... sure... But nothing beyond that. He sprang to the side, a sharp bit of metal piercing the space he was just in a moment ago. His feet hit the light post and be bounced off of it, coming back at the griffons at a new angle. One of them raised a sharpened tip towards him and he flailed, barely getting a finger lower enough to snag a cobblestone and bring him to a rough sudden halt, slamming into the ground.
Dizzy and bruised, he could hear them stepping closer. "Kill it," one of them said. "We have plenty more to do." He heard a clang? Something striking metal, like a bell? He flipped over into an upright position to see one of the soldiers holding their head. Another rock came flying in, swatted away by the other with an angry grunt.
The same pony he had sent running had come back, and was hurling stones at the griffons. Arnavon smiled, and feared, all at once. The intervention had bought him time, but they were both in danger again. He hadn't saved the pony. He grabbed the abandoned spear hilt, even if it had no top, the tip torn free with its rough shove against the ground. Still, a weapon was better than nothing, he figured, with his skills, or lack thereof.
"We're needed," hissed one of the griffons, tugging the other and pointing. A glance revealed what had their attention. Though most of the guards had gone out to attack, not all of them. A battle had broken out with the remaining defenders and the assaulting soldiers. The two broke away, abandoning Arnavon for sake of the larger battle.
The other pony was at his side quickly. "You alright?"
Was he alright? He looked to his sliced arm, the blood was still oozing. It hurt... "No," he whispered out, shuddering. "You?"
"No." He nuzzled under Arnavon, propping up and working under the tsuki to carry him away from the conflict. "Thanks."
"Welcome..." Arnavon watched as the fight receded, his ride trotting away from it. "Sorry... I... I wish I could fight better."
"You... did good." He turned an ear, tickling Arnavon who was partially pinning it down. "You saved me. That makes it pretty good."