Phantasia sat at his huge chair that he had made for himself to kind of look like a throne. At the moment he couldn't believe what he was hearing from one of his scouts Sandy Fire that he had sent out to find the Gates. "So you're telling me that…"
Sandy Fire nodded. "Yes I set the trap for the Small Stallion but I couldn't find that sensor that I had found before as a possible lead to where the South Gate would be! It's gone!"
"Great, lovely!" Phantasia growled. "If only I had asked my father where the West Gate was but knowing him even though I'm family he won't tell me. From what I know of, no one but the Guardians themselves knows the exact location of the Gates. It's too bad that the last time around when the Guardians were picked I got picked to be on the Reserve Team! The Reserve Team isn't allowed to know the exact location of the Gates either!"
He paused and then scowled when heard Rapid Chaser trying to stifle a laugh. He could tell she was trying to keep a straight face and remain professional but she was trying really hard at it. He growled again and snapped, "That is not funny Rapid!"
"What?" Rapid said, "Who said I was laughing?"
"You were trying to stifle a laugh and didn't succeed at it." Phantasia hissed.
"Okay fine." Rapid said, rolling her eyes. Phantasia might be her stallionfriend but even Phantasia knows she doesn't like to be reprimanded for stupid stuff like that.
Phantasia sighed, "Alright then, I'll figure something else out unless you somehow manage to capture the Small Stallion that guards the South Gate. You can go now."
Once Sandy Fire left, Rapid didn't bother to hide her laughter. When she finally stopped laughing she composed herself, "I wonder something Phantasia dear, is the fact that you got picked to be on Reserve Team another reason why you're so hellbent on taking over Equestria?"
"No." Phantasia said while shifting his gaze.
This action made Rapid fall over on her back in a fit of laughter. "Let me get this straight Phantasia," she said in between her laughter, "the whole reason for you wanting to take over Equestria is because you're bitter about crap? You think you're being a hero by taking over Equestria and making it so that stallions can rule over Equestria and let me guess once you gain control of the Gates you'll make it mandatory that only stallions can control the Gates?" She regained her composure and scowled.
Phantasia looked at her. "What?"
"You know wanting only stallions to rule over Equestria is just about as bad as when Equestria's founders made it so only mares can rule." Rapid growled. "And you're lucky I understand where your ideology is coming from or I would've left you a long time ago!"
Phantasia's jaw dropped because he'd never heard Rapid express herself like this before. "You mean to tell me that you would have left me over wanting to make it so that only stallions can rule over Equestria?"
Rapid nodded. "Uh-huh because no mare in their right mind would want to date a sexist pig! If they did date a sexist pig then they're doing it for other reasons than being in love with the pony they're with. Being sexist happens on both end of the equation that is never good."
"So what do you propose I do?" Phantasia asked.
"Number one," said Rapid, "you can let go of your bitterness and make it so that mares and stallions can rule over Equestria despite their gender. The same thing goes for who's guarding the Gates. But knowing you, you're dead set in your ways and seriously wanting to make it so that only stallions can rule over Equestria and only stallions can guard the Gates. You won't do that now would you?"
Phantasia sighed because he knew that Rapid had hit the nail on the head. He wasn't planning on making it so both genders were equal when it came down to ruling over Equestria and guarding the Gates. But he never thought of things this way before.
"That's what I thought," Rapid said. "Like I said, you're lucky I understand you because I did break up with several other stallions before I decided to finally get with you and do you want to know why?"
"Why?" Phantasia asked.
"Because they were the type of stallions that believed a mare was just a tool and should be in the kitchen cooking for the family, staying at home to do housework, and should be seen and not heard." Rapid responded, "And I am not a tool and I'm not a maid. The first moment you start treating me like that, I will be gone faster than you can count to three and I don't care if you were my childhood friend or if I love you. Got it?"
Phantasia nodded. He knew from that moment going forward that he would have to rework his plan a bit when it came down to how both genders would be treated after he took over Equestria. In hindsight he didn't want to lose Rapid because he loved her and he really cared for her. If she left him half of his heart might as well have left with her.
But either way he was dead set on taking over on Equestria and he was going to do whatever it took to be the next ruler.
* * *
Rapid sighed when she left Phantasia as she went to Little Snack's room. She wasn't too happy that Phantasia had decided to put Little Snack underneath dark magic in order to control her mind and give her more of a 'backbone' so to speak. That's why she brought up the point about mares being possibly viewed as tools or maids whatever if Equestria would become under Phantasia's rule. Although she did wonder if he put Little Snack under dark magic because she was having a change of heart? If that were the case then he would probably do this to any of his soldiers that don't want to fight. Especially if the soldiers knew exactly why Phantasia wanted to take over Equestria.
Rapid knew that there was a possibility that since 70% of Phantasia's army was made up of mares, if the mares in the army knew of what might happen to their jobs in the future they might flee the country. Then Phantasia's army would shrink considerably.
Rapid hated Little Snack being put under dark magic even if it was a 'greater good'.
Screw the greater good! I want the real Little Snack back, I want the charming and timid Little Snack back! Rapid thought as she sat down on the bed and watched Little Snack sleeping. At least with the dark magic the spell allows bodily functions to operate normally. But this Little Snack… This Little Snack isn't the real one, this Little Snack has no personality she's just… She's just a shell and a puppet. I swear if Phantasia even thinks of doing that to me! He's so freaking bitter about things and that's why he wants to take over Equestria! Princess Twilight is ruling over the country just fine. Both genders are treated as equals. I don't know why Phantasia can't see that.
As Rapid kept thinking about what Phantasia was doing and why he was doing it, she was starting to have a change of heart herself. True she loved Phantasia but she didn't like his ideas about how the world should be around him. To her Phantasia just wanted to change the world to suit his fancy so to speak.
After a while Rapid finally made her choice, she decided that in the end she was going to leave Phantasia but only after the war that he was fixing to do started happening. Then once the war was getting started she would have her stand-in be the General and she would have Little Snack's stand-in play the part of the Second in Command. Once everything was said and done Rapid was going to leave and take Little Snack with her and when she got her to safety she would work on reversing the dark magic Phantasia had put her under.
In Rapid's mind she wouldn't be happy until Little Snack was back to her normal self.
* * *
Pinkie stood proudly before Sapphire, she smiled as she said, "So I finally finished collecting all of the censor rocks! Do you forgive me Ms Sapphire?"
Sapphire chuckled, "Pinkie I already told you I forgave you about the birthday party. But I do thank you for gathering the censor rocks for me! This should certainly put a little wrench in whatever Phantasia is coming up with to find the Gates exact location. Did you see any scouts there when you collected the censors?"
Pinkie shook her head, "Nope and I hope none of Phantasia's scouts saw me."
"Well I'd rather be safe than sorry," Sapphire said, "I'm glad the Elders gave me the go ahead to do that and it was my idea. So hopefully this will delay Phantasia a little bit."
"Mhm!" Pinkie said with a nod.
"Alright Pinkie now that you've taken care of the task I asked you to do the travel portals aren't going to grant you access anymore," said Sapphire, "the only portal you'll have access to is the portal that leads to the West Gate, do you understand?"
Pinkie nodded. "Yes Ma'am!"
"Alright you can go now," Sapphire said. After Pinkie left there was a knock on the door. "Yes, come in!"
"Hey there," said a familiar voice. Sapphire smiled at the pony that just entered the room because it was Melody.
"Ah yes, Melody please come sit down," said Sapphire. Once Melody had taken her seat Sapphire took her seat at her desk across from Melody. "So, you wanted to talk to me about something in regards to The Gates of Equestria book?"
Melody nodded. "Yes I was wondering about something that involved the Gate Crystals. I noticed that your cutie mark kind of resembles the one that was in the book."
Sapphire's smile turned into a grin. She had no idea why she was so happy that somepony figured it out without having to be told about her backstory. "I'm glad you mentioned it actually. I always knew you were the smart one in the group!"
Melody paused. "Huh?"
"Oh yes," said Sapphire, "a lot of my backstory is in that book. But in seeing that I'm the last Princess of the Nintis Empire you can see why I went into hiding can't you?"
"Oh I get it!" Melody said. Her face brightened as she understood what Sapphire was talking about. "You're afraid that if anypony found out that you're a Princess from the Nintis Empire then somepony might try and use that to their own advantage?"
Sapphire nodded. "Exactly! So what I'm asking of you now is to keep this information a secret. I view everyone, even my coworkers as my friends until they show me they're an enemy. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor know about this and they've been constantly offering me a place in the Royal Family. Princess Twilight doesn't know this information trust me, I'm glad she doesn't because if she would be doing the same thing the Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor have been doing. At least Princess Celestia and Princess Luna respect my decision not to become part of Equestria's Royal Family."
"I see," said Melody, "but why don't you want to be a part of the Royal Family? Aren't you a Princess?"
"Well yes I am a Princess but I'm not a Princess of Equestria or the Crystal Empire," answered Sapphire, "I'm a Princess of the Nintis Empire."
"So why not start a war and take back Equestria for your own? I mean the land of Equestria-" Melody asked.
"Is my home!" Sapphire interrupted. "Equestria is now my home and I will do whatever it takes to defend it. Why start a war when it means killing innocent ponies? I mean sure the Founders of Equestria did that but if I did what they did then I would be no better than them." She paused and it was then that it dawned on her. She figured out the reason why she stops wars from happening and keeping the citizens of Equestria safe. "You know I figured it out now!"
Melody raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Figured out what?"
"I've been wondering for the longest time what you just asked me," said Sapphire, "why do I fight so hard to protect Equestria? And the answer to that question is I now view it as my home even though I live on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. Equestria has many friendships that I have made and I stopped the Guardian Community from wanting to start a war and kill the innocent ponies that had nothing to do with the fall of the Nintis Empire. Equestria and the Crystal Empire are where my friends and my family live. As long as I have them even though I know I'll be depressed when I watch them pass because I can't join them, I'll be happy at least for the time that they're alive."
"I see," said Melody, "so you don't want to marry anyone because you're the one that has the power of the Gate Crystals and you're immortal because of it?"
Sapphire nodded. "Yup! That's exactly why I'm not interested in dating anypony either. Now I'm asking you to keep this a secret. Will you do that for me? Will you keep it a secret, especially from Princess Twilight?"
Melody nodded. "Yes Sapphire, I will do my best!"
Sapphire smiled and in a sense she felt relief knowing that Melody was the one that figured out that she was the last Princess of the Nintis Empire. "Now is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"
Melody shook her head. "Nope! That was it and I will keep your backstory a secret."
Sapphire smiled and nodded when Melody left. Now at least she has somepony else to talk to that's not a part of the Royal Family of Equestria or the Crystal Empire about her backstory. She had a feeling that she and Melody were on track to becoming good friends.