//------------------------------// // Part Forty-Nine // Story: The Princess and the Kaiser // by UnknownError //------------------------------// Flurry Heart sat before the microphone, enjoying the sensation of depth perception. She winked with her right eye several times and rattled her leg braces against the wooden desk. “One more moment, Princess,” Soft Speaker requested, adjusting another two microphones with careful hooves. The earth pony retreated out of the room before Flurry replied, probably to whinny at the engineers to start the broadcast. Flurry stared at her reflection along the crystal wall. It warped oddly, but she could still make out the inhibitor rings on her horn. Combined with the ugly black sweatpants and wing slings, she looked more like a prisoner than a princess. Her scalp and tail itched constantly as the hairs grew back. Flurry stretched her neck down and took a sip of water from the glass. She waited calmly. The alicorn allowed Spike to wheel her to the radio room, and reserved her replies to simple nods and shakes of her head. There hadn’t been an official announcement, but rumors flew with wings. The Princess would make her first radio address twelve days from Hearth’s Warming. The entire city is probably waiting, Flurry thought and swallowed another sip of water. She cleared her throat and suppressed a cough. The alicorn imagined ponies and griffons gathered around military radios, pilfered from Changeling armories, or cobbled together from spare parts. Some in Equestria probably know as well. The Changeling radio in Canterlot had been declaring that the ‘Pink Tumor’ would soon be crushed under holed hooves for several days. It also claimed that nothing lived under it; that the Alicorn of Death had destroyed millions of her ponies and that the merciful Queen Chrysalis opened her heart to welcome any survivors. The Reich radio in Manehattan simply asked griffons not to approach the shield or fire upon it. The shield had not expanded, and it did not trouble their supply lines. There was no update on their front. “No further news at this time,” a griffon remarked dryly in Herzlander, then signed off with, “Boreas bless the Griffonian Reich.” A pony speaking for Chancellor River Swirl decried the violence of Equus in generalized terms, but avoided mentioning Flurry or Chrysalis. Flurry hadn't heard Celestia on the radio, not since Blackpeak and Kemerskai's deaths. She had not written Flurry. Thorax entered in a purple uniform, quietly closing the door behind him. It was a simple uniform, just a loose purple jacket, white undershirt, and poorly dyed pants. The changeling had a purple armband of a white snowflake, with sharp edges spraying out in every direction. The flag of the Crystal Empire, Flurry snorted. “That’s a waste of cloth, uncle,” she whispered, conserving her voice, “and a waste of dye.” “Purple’s a good color,” Thorax replied. “Poor camouflage,” Flurry retorted. “True,” Thorax nodded. “Most are just wearing armbands on their old uniforms.” He gestured to his undisguised, black chitin. “Wearing the uniform helps, but I’m still keeping ‘lings off the front and with the scouting parties.” “Are you getting any trouble?” Flurry asked. “No more than before,” Thorax lied. Flurry stared at him with both icy eyes. “Some remember me,” Thorax admitted quietly. “Us, that we were here and we tried. It’s enough to stop a lynching, but we’re not going anywhere alone, even in the palace.” “How are the foals?” Thorax licked his fangs. “It’d be better to put them on the coast, but we’re still digging tunnels under the shield in the Nova Griffonian frontier. They’re in Evergreen, in the hotel. Duskcrest’s got some frontier griffons guarding them with a few of my changelings.” “They’re okay?” “They’re orphans,” Thorax shrugged. “The older ones know it. Some of the younger ones…” he trailed off. Flurry waited, glancing at the blinking crystals installed along the wall. They would chime when the radio was ready. “What about the younger ones?” “They felt all the hate,” Thorax sighed. “A few were nearly beaten or killed in the fall of the palace. They couldn’t shut off their senses. Recovery is hard, but possible. They’ll have problems for the rest of their lives.” Flurry nodded. “How many?” “633,” Thorax chittered. Flurry blinked. “Can you take care of that many?” “No,” the changeling said, “but we’ll do our best.” “What do you need? More love?” Flurry stretched out her forelegs. The metal braces clicked as she lifted her trembling legs off the table. “Your body is still healing, Princess.” Thorax slowly pushed her hooves down. “We’ve always been able to gather ambient emotions and share. Chrysalis just wants to take.” “There’s no way you have enough stockpiled.” Thorax didn’t answer her. “I’ll make an announcement on the radio,” Flurry promised. “Please. Don’t,” Thorax pleaded. “Why?” Thorax closed his eyes. “There are rumors that I’ve…influenced you.” Flurry’s muzzle crinkled in disgust and anger. Thorax opened his eyes suddenly. “Not like that!” he exclaimed. “Just that your decisions aren’t your own.” Flurry snorted. “Anypony who’s met me knows that’s a lie.” “Many ponies haven’t met you,” Thorax countered. “They know you call a changeling ‘uncle.’ They know you’ve demanded that young changelings be spared.” He lowered his tone. “They know what happened to your mother. They know your father died to the Reich, and you’ve forbidden your soldiers to fire upon them.” “I’ve killed more Hegemony and Reich soldiers than anypony alive,” Flurry stated. “That helps,” Thorax admitted shamelessly. “What do we do?” Flurry sighed. “Nothing.” Thorax shook his head and his gossamer wings jittered against the purple jacket. “Saying anything will just make the rumors worse.” Flurry gave the changeling an even look. “I’ve never been one to do nothing.” Thorax clasped his hooves together. “Please, for me?” he requested. “Fine,” Flurry snorted, then laughed. “Clearly, there is some truth to those rumors.” Her laughter made her cough, so she took another sip of water as they waited. Soft Speaker entered, then hesitated at the changeling sitting across from Flurry. “Sir Thorax?” the mare clearly guessed. “I was never knighted by Princess Cadance,” Thorax replied softly. “Of course,” Soft Speaker said vacantly, then turned to Flurry. “We’re ready, Princess. You need to be alone in the room. The crystal walls don’t handle the acoustics very well.” Flurry nodded. “I’ll meet you outside,” Thorax stated and moved to the door. Soft Speaker backed up nervously and nearly fled the room ahead of the changeling. Thorax closed the door with a burst of green magic. The pink crystal on the wall chimed and glowed with a soft, faint light. “Good evening,” Flurry began. She kept her high-pitched voice even and spoke clearly into the microphone. Her throat hurt from the effort. “I am Flurry Heart, Princess of Ponies, broadcasting out of the Crystal City. Sixteen years ago, I was born in the Crystal Palace to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire and Prince Shining Armor of Equestria. Eight years ago, I abandoned you, my ponies, as my home fell.” Flurry swallowed. “For that, I am sorry. I lived in the north for many years. I have never forgotten my home, nor my ponies that have suffered and died every day under the Hegemony’s cruelty. Ponies of the Crystal Empire and Equestria, I have returned. “The Changeling Hegemony has been driven from the north of Equus. Their garrisons have been scattered. Hive Marshal Trimmel is dead. As I speak, our brave army and scouts continue to liberate your friends and families. “By right of birth and bloodline, I name myself Princess of the Crystal Empire. On this day, I declare the Crystal Empire reborn. The Crystal Heart guards the north, and all under its shield is once again territory of the Empire, as it was thousands of years ago.” Flurry paused for a moment. “No bomb or bullet can break the Heart. Chrysalis has tried for weeks. No changeling can pass through. Their bodies burn, even if disguised. Ponies pass through without difficulty, but no weapons or supplies. Thousands of ponies have already escaped from occupied Equestria. “My griffons,” Flurry began, “I have not forgotten you. We have determined that the shield is safe to cross, though you must do so without weaponry. I am sorry that the Heart does not extend to the coast, but Weter, Nouveau Aquila, and every other city remain under my protection. An attack on you is a strike against myself. I consider you my ponies in all but name.” Flurry switched to Aquileian. “I only reclaimed my home through the sacrifices of brave Aquileians, who remembered and fought with my father.” She changed to Herzlander. “I remember you, my loyal Herzlanders, who have stood by my side since you reached these shores.” Flurry switched back to Equestrian. “My ponies, I am here for you. All of you, no matter the tribe. I will not wait behind this shield. I am the daughter of Shining Armor and the niece of Twilight Sparkle. I am the Princess of Equestria by right, and I will fight for it. I will die for it,” she promised. “What I ask of you now is not easy. Veterans of the Great War and the Equestrian Liberation Front, now is the time to fight Chrysalis. Ponies everywhere, now is the time to fight with tooth and hoof. If you cannot fight, look north to the pink sky. I promise, I will come for you.” Flurry took a deep breath and wished she could massage her throat. Her voice was beginning to give out. She leaned down and drained the glass of water, suppressing a cough. “This is a message to Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings that follow her,” Flurry coughed in Herzlander. She took a moment to recover. “If you are still under the shield, this is your one chance to surrender. I ask every changeling to surrender now, or kill your Queen and prevent further bloodshed. I will not give in to threats against my ponies. Rainbow Falls proved that, and every changeling in the city died.” And thousands of my Ponies. Flurry closed her eyes. “I am not the other Princesses. I will not yield in the face of cruelty. You have murdered my Ponies, and you will answer for it, but I am not without mercy. Chrysalis would make this a war between ponies and changelings, but it doesn’t need to be.” Flurry opened her eyes and hesitated. She decided not to mention Thorax. “Should you surrender without a fight and release my Ponies, I offer life.” Her eyes hardened. “Should you refuse, I offer fire and blood. I will come for you.” Flurry’s throat felt like it was on fire, and her glass of water was empty. “It has been a long, dark night, but look to the pink dawn in the north,” Flurry forced out in Equestrian. “The Crystal Empire stands, and Equestria lives. As long as we live, we have not lost.” Flurry leaned back on the stool and tapped her horn against a crystal jutting from the wall. It flashed and sent a signal to the audio booth. The pink, glowing crystal on the wall faded. Thorax entered with a quartz jug of water in his magic. He refilled her glass, and Flurry guzzled it down. “I love you,” she coughed. “I know.” Thorax filled the glass again. “Good speech. We could hear cheering in the city, not to mention the other floors.” “I wanted to mention you.” “It wouldn’t have helped,” Thorax replied. “Every changeling knows who I am, and they know I’m with you.” Flurry was quiet for a moment. “Will any surrender?” Thorax considered it. “Queen’s Guard fanatics will fight to the death for her, but most ‘lings fear her or followed for wealth and glory. You’ll have to start winning. No fancy shields, just crush her army in a straight-up fight.” “Our army can’t do that,” Flurry coughed, “and I’m not that good.” “The Kaiser’s army can,” the changeling replied. Six days before Hearth’s Warming, Flurry Heart slowly walked through the throne room. Her wings were no longer in a sling, but they were loosely folded against her sides. The feathers were out of line and the wings needed preening. The alicorn wore a purple uniform with navy pants. She had a white sash across her chest and another white band for her wings. The uniform’s skirt completely covered her flank and a high white collar buttoned around her neck. She wore two long white boots on her forelegs and two black boots on her hind legs. The boots and purple sleeves helped muffle the clicking of the braces still attached to her legs, while the nullification rings had been removed from her horn. Flurry’s horn flickered with weak, gold light as she pulled her purple military cap down tighter around her head. It didn’t cover the patches on her muzzle, but it helped cover the worst bald spots near her itchy mane stubble. “Remind me to ask Far Sight why my magic changed color,” Flurry whispered to her aide. “Your magic was gold when you were very young, Princess,” Jadis observed quietly as she helped Flurry walk towards the throne. “You were born under the Heart, and have returned to it.” The pair stopped before the short steps to the elevated crystal throne. The other guards along the walls of the throne room bowed, muzzles and beaks pressed to the floor. They would remain that way until Flurry reached the throne and ordered them to stand. She had learned that from experience. The alicorn groaned as she finally noticed the purple and white banners swaying from the rafters behind the throne. One bore the white snowflake of the Crystal Empire; the branches radiated outward like the rays of a rising sun. The other banner was Flurry’s cutie mark, the Crystal Heart surrounded by a blue shield engulfed in blue flames. “Is something wrong, Princess?” Jadis asked, biting her lower lip. The crystal pony nervously smoothed down a sleeve of her own purple uniform. Plenty, Flurry thought, but shook her head. “You will help me up and sit beside the throne today.” “As you command, Princess,” Frosty Jadis agreed without any argument. The alicorn walked the steps slowly, one hoof at a time. Jadis limped beside her, steadying the larger filly with her maimed hoof. Flurry collapsed sideways into the uncomfortable crystal throne; her legs couldn’t fold in the braces, so she propped herself up against the high back. I look absurd. Flurry cleared her throat. “Rise,” she called out across the room. The guards were mostly crystal ponies in the throne room, with only a dozen scattered griffons. As one, the creatures rose up and stood straight. The ponies stomped their right hoof three times into the floor, matched by the few griffons pounding their chest with a fist. Jadis stomped with them, using her left foreleg and leaning heavily on her right. The foreleg shook from the effort, but her glittery, frosty blue coat sparkled in the light of the chandeliers. “When did that become a thing?” Flurry whispered to her. “What do you mean, Princess?” Jadis whispered back. “The stomping,” Flurry clarified. “It is a gesture of respect,” Jadis replied. “A salute that every creature can do.” Flurry huffed and scanned over the throne room. The doors had been replaced, though the crystal used was cheap and thin. Thin, plywood boards had been conspicuously placed over a hole in the eastern corner. Above them, the hole in the ceiling was patched with similar wooden boards, except soppily painted to match the blue crystal. The beam from the Crystal Heart blew a hole through every floor of the palace, all the way to the spire. It was a force that even Flurry couldn’t match. The Heart itself still resided in the basement, floating under its own power and pulsing with heat. It was under guard at all times with a rotating staff. Arex had arranged for changelings to check for any attempted infiltrators. Yesterday, Flurry had asked Arex if it was possible for the changelings to feed off the Heart. The mare looked worriedly at the surface of the floating crystal, watching the shadows of flames swirl. Her wings buzzed against a purple jacket. The changeling said no, but Flurry suspected she did not want to try. According to the guards, the Crystal Heart emitted an uncomfortable level of heat if one got too close. When Flurry walked under it in her leg braces, she felt a warm summer’s day. The Heart pulsed like a heartbeat, and whispers echoed in the magic. The guards heard nothing, and Flurry did not ask. She walked away as quickly as she could after the alicorn noticed her metal braces beginning to glow from the burning heat. She did not burn herself, and her coat was cool to the touch. Flurry told no one what she saw, or heard. Telling them would make it worse. The stares she already got were uncomfortable, even from her closest advisors. Duskcrest quit drinking entirely. Dusty Mark still referred to her as ‘Empress’ occasionally, and her apologies were half-hearted at best. Heartsong and Arctic Lily believed Flurry was fated to restore the Empire. Even Rainbow was strangely deferential. Only Spike, Thorax, and Jacques treated her the same. The crystal ponies stared at her with absolute zeal and loyalty, and the look was spreading to the rest of her forces. Flurry glanced over to the banner with her cutie mark. “Who made these banners?” she asked loudly. The guards shifted in their uniforms. Slung rifles clacked against belts and pockets. “Cloth is a valuable resource,” Flurry continued. “This uniform itself is already absurd.” “You deserve something that shows you are our Princess,” Jadis replied. “I already have wings and a horn,” Flurry snorted, “and my ponies deserve bedsheets and winter clothes. Remove these banners and put the cloth to better use. Each according to their need, or whatever Caramel Marks said.” “The Princess has spoken,” one of the guards near the throne intoned. He stomped his hoof, and the rest of the guards echoed the beat three times. Flurry gave Jadis an even look when she raised her hoof to stomp with them. The blue crystal pony hesitated and set her hoof down slowly. “If I ordered them to stop doing that, would they?” Flurry asked softly. Jadis bit her lip. “We’d find something else, Princess.” Flurry suppressed a sigh. “Send her in. She’s waited long enough.” The four guards near the front doors pulled them open. The cheap crystal squealed as it rubbed against the floor. A fifth guard stood up straight beside the doors. “Yona of the Yaks!” she belted out and her voice carried across the room. The figure that entered and slowly approached the throne could barely be considered a yak. Her shaggy brown coat was thin and matted, to the point that her muzzle and eyes were clearly visible. Her light brown eyes were tired and sunken into her muzzle. The yak wore no clothes. Her muscles rippled along her coat, but she was clearly malnourished. The guards at the base of the stairs formed a line before the throne and Yona stopped. “You stand before Flurry Heart, the Princess of Ponies, the Princess of the Crystal Empire, the Princess of the Principality of Equestria!” the crystal pony at the front of the hall shouted. The guards shut the doors to the courtyard. “The Princess of Hope and the Miracle of the North!” The guards stomped three times, and the pounding startled Yona. She blinked and looked up to the throne. Flurry frowned down at her, but switched her glare to Jadis. “What the hay?” she whispered. “Princess of Hope? Miracle of the North?” “I thought you knew, Princess,” Jadis whispered back. “From the radio address. Ponies have called you a miracle since the Heart.” Flurry crinkled her muzzle. They may as well add the Princess of Rope and Maar’s Daughter to the list. The bodies had only just been removed from the balconies and lampposts around the Empire. The warmer weather made them a concern for disease. Sunburst was flung into a shallow pit with the dead changelings and burned. She noticed Yona’s wide-eyed look of worry and relaxed. “I apologize, Yona of the Yaks,” she said in a soft voice. “Some of my titles have taken me by surprise. You went to my aunt’s School of Friendship.” Yona nodded. “Yona did, Princess,” she answered in a strong contralto. “I must apologize again. I do not know Yak.” “Not needed, Princess.” “I am pleased that my scouts managed to find your enclaves in the mountains, Yona of the Yaks,” Flurry said. “My mother enjoyed warm relations with Prince Rutherford.” “Rutherford is dead,” Yona said bluntly. “Yaks refused to bow before Changelings.” Flurry chewed on her cheek for a moment. “I am sorry for what happened to your people.” The first scouts that followed Thorax’s instructions had been fired upon by old rifles from hidden caves in the Yak Mountains. The yaks had no magic to detect who was a changeling or not. Only death could tell. Trimmel had made token efforts throughout the years to carry out the Queen’s will and exterminate them, but his failure to quickly deal with Starlight’s rebellion soured all relations between the Queen and her former Hive Marshal. Trimmel shelled their cities in the low valleys and left the survivors to starve in the mountains. As badly as her ponies suffered, they at least had uses to the Hegemony. Chrysalis wrote off the yaks entirely. Flurry’s army now totally controlled the area under the shield. They had taken less than a hundred Changelings prisoner, and still scoured the fields and forests for hiding soldiers. Thorax reported that the scouting parties would string up Changelings in low branches and leave their bodies in the cold. Rainbow and Duskcrest always claimed that the scouts were fired upon, but there were very few deaths or injuries in the reported engagements. Thorax begged Flurry not to pry. Yona solemnly nodded at Flurry’s words. “Yona speak for Yaks.” Flurry waited. “Yaks…have nothing,” Yona sighed. “Yaks are few. Winters hard, but magic saved many.” The shield raised the temperature. “Yaks have little food, little weapons. Yaks have only strong back.” She raised a hoof and brushed aside matted bangs from her eyes. “Weaker now, but still strong.” Flurry wasn’t sure that was a joke, so stayed silent. Yona stood up straight. “Yaks will work for Princess. Fight for Princess.” “You wish to be my subjects?” Flurry clarified. “Yes,” Yona nodded. “I ask that you help us.” “You do not make demands of the Princess!” a crystal pony at the base of the throne snarled. “Be silent!” Flurry snapped. “Remove yourself, immediately, before I remove your head.” Flurry’s horn sparked with a golden flame. The guard looked up over his withers, realized his Princess was speaking directly to him, then fled the room through a side door. Flurry wasn’t sure if he was crying tears of shame or fear. Her horn dimmed and she stared off towards the double doors. When the Crystal Empire returned, the law codes were nonexistent. Her mother and father copied Equestria’s laws, including those of species rights. Cows, goats, breezies, buffalos, even griffons and dragons, all of them existed in legal loopholes. They were not equal to ponies, on paper or in practice. The Concordat of the Three Tribes was still the bedrock that founded Equestria. The bat ponies suffered harsh discrimination for a thousand years during Luna’s banishment; Luna only managed to improve their situation with a vigorous public campaign and the help of Twilight and Celestia. The crystal ponies were legally considered Earth Ponies, but rarely ventured into Equestria. The ancient rivalry between griffons and ponies meant suspicion was mutual. Twilight wanted that to change. Flurry looked down at Yona. The School of Friendship was silly, but Twilight wanted Equestria to be an egalitarian place of many races and cultures. Chrysalis ruined all of that. Flurry glanced at the two griffons standing under her throne, standing as proud as any pony. “I have little to offer you,” Flurry finally said to Yona. “Only promises. Our fields and factories are still recovering. Rationing will be harsh.” “Yaks are no strangers to hardship,” Yona replied. “Do you speak for the yaks?” Flurry asked. “Will they accept your word and agreement?” “Yes, Princess,” Yona nodded. “The royal line is gone.” The Yak Khan’s crown is broken! We rule the north! Flurry shook her head at the echo. “Kneel.” The Yak knelt slowly and pressed her muzzle against the crystal floor. She bowed like a pony would, with legs outstretched. Flurry shifted her forelegs and heard the leg braces click as they locked into position. She pulled herself upright and stood before the throne. She swayed for a moment with twitching wings. The throne was uncomfortable, hard crystal and one of her legs fell asleep. Flurry grit her teeth and forced her flight muscles to respond. Her wings extended, feathers wobbling as she raised her large wings up and flared them out. “I, Flurry Heart, swear to protect and defend you with my life. Your enemies are my enemies. I cannot promise you life. I cannot promise you happiness. I can only promise that I will fight beside you. Yona of the Yaks, do you accept my pledge?” “Yes,” Yona said quietly. “I am your Princess,” Flurry confirmed. “Rise again, as one of my ponies.” Yona stood as the guards pounded the floor three times. She blinked up at Flurry, mildly confused. “Take word to the yaks,” Flurry ordered. “They may reclaim their mountains in time, but there is much to be done here. We need engineers, new train tracks, factory workers, miners, farmers. We need soldiers that know the snow and terrain of the north. You are welcome in my city, and anywhere in my Empire. We have far too many empty homes.” Yona dipped her horns. “Yes, my Princess,” she replied, trying out the words. She had a small smile as she left the throne room. The guards opened the doors for her and closed them behind the yak. Flurry stood, waiting until the doors shut. The moment they did, her wings slumped to the floor with twitching feathers. The alicorn released a hiss at the burn in her muscles. “Jadis,” she whispered, “have some ice brought up to my room.” The crystal pony nearly bounded down the steps, but Flurry extended a hoof. “Later. Help me get there first.” They descended the steps together and the guards returned to their positions along the walls, except for two griffons. The griffons gave their rifles to their neighboring guards and flapped up to the tapestries, carefully taking them down as Flurry left the room. On Hearth’s Warming Eve, Flurry stood in her bedroom, watching the sun slowly set to the west through her open balcony. The Crystal City sparkled with light as ponies set out extra enchanted crystals for the night. There were few decorations, but Flurry did spy some trees set up in the Crystal Plaza, decorated with crystals. They would most likely be taken for lumber in a few days. “The yaks are very enthusiastic workers, Princess,” Arctic Lily reported, “but they don’t have the skillset to work in the factories. Yakyakistan was barely industrialized. Your mother helped Prince Rutherford set up railways just before the war started.” “They aren’t smashing anything,” Spike snorted. “They’re on their best behavior, even with the Nova Griffonians.” “Any problems?” Flurry asked. She stood up straight as the armorer, an old obsidian crystal pony, ran a tape measure around her barrel. Her leg braces were propped up against the wall, the only medical equipment still in the room. Flurry’s legs slightly wobbled. “None worth mentioning,” Spike said. “I do not wish to hear of any creature being treated poorly based on race,” Flurry stated flatly. “If the yaks must work the fields or the mines, fine, but they do so beside Ponies, not under them. The same for my griffons and changelings.” “Of course, Princess,” Spike replied. “And dragons,” Flurry added with a smirk. “When I say I do not wish to hear of it, that is not an excuse to say nothing when it occurs.” “There is some grumbling that the yaks were given the crystal mansions. Some call it a waste,” Lily reported. “It is a waste that so few ponies lived in so large houses. Crystal furniture is tough,” Flurry shrugged, “and we’ve already gathered all the expensive materials together. The yaks need the space as much as anypony.” “That does raise the question of payment,” Spike said. “With the factories up and running, we have the Equestrian Bit, the Imperial Crystal Chip, and the Nova Griffonian Dollar floating around.” “All of which are defunct currency,” Lily remarked. “Regardless, things would run better with somepony in charge of the factory. Militia systems and worker management only get us so far.” “I disagree, Sir Spike,” Lily said with a slight bite. “Lily,” Flurry stated. “I don’t care how the factories are run, only that they meet the quotas. We need guns, artillery pieces, anti-air." She nickered. "We need anti-tank weaponry. If Caramel Marks and Steel Stallion rose from the dead and promised me that, I’d give them the economy. The Equestrian Bit was accepted everywhere because it was gold. Melt it down if you must.” “I can do it,” Lily stated with absolute confidence. “Work with Spike,” Flurry ordered. “With Spike,” she enunciated. The armorer chuckled and wrapped the measuring tape around her right foreleg, clicking his tongue at the note. “Don’t start with me, Obsidian,” Lily snapped at the armorer, but without any true anger. “You just gonna hoof everything over to the communists,” Spike huffed and folded his arms. “As long as they accept me as their Princess, I don't care," Flurry snorted. "It was monarchists that made that ridiculous outfit.” Her uniform laid on the bed. The alicorn was naked for the measurements. “Is everyone settling into the guest rooms?” Flurry asked. She ordered that the palace’s rooms be used as housing for the command staff, and any spare rooms be used for storage and stockpiling. “As well as could be,” Lily shrugged. “The Nova Griffons and Equestrians are unused to a crystal bedframe. They desire more comfort.” Flurry glanced at her own bed, stripped down to one mattress, a few pillows, and one thick sheet. The rest went to others. “They’ll adjust.” She levitated over a small bundle of plain hay from the plate on her nightstand. Flurry chewed through it expressionlessly. “Comfort is not a crime, Princess,” Spike replied. “I lived in the Crystal Palace while my ponies bled in trenches,” Flurry mumbled. “I remember salads while they rationed. The hypocrisy broke my mother during the war.” “The Red Princess,” Obsidian laughed under his breath. Another nickname, Flurry swallowed the last of her hay. Spike looked uncomfortable. “Can we…” he trailed off, then rallied his courage. “Can we discuss your mother?” Flurry levitated over another bundle of hay. “The chewing disrupts my measurements,” Obsidian said quietly. The alicorn floated it back over to the plate. “What is there to talk about?” she said flatly. “Whenever you’re ready, we can hold a funeral. It’s…distressing to look at her in that cocoon by the Crystal Heart.” “Good. Let ponies see what has been done to their Princess,” Lily spat. “You never liked her,” Spike growled. “She had too much of Amore in her,” Lily replied. “Too much fun and frivolity.” The crystal pony caught herself and sighed. “Princess Cadance made up for all of it, in the end.” Flurry extended a wing at Obsidian’s gentle prod. “I am sorry that Amore was unkind at your mother’s funeral,” the alicorn commented to Lily. “I am afraid I do not know the customs.” Arctic Lily rocked back, stunned. “H-how do you know that?” she managed after a long silence. “That was a thousand years ago.” Flurry blinked. The Heart showed me. She instead said, “I asked around about why you started the Red Crystal Workers Party.” “Your disdain for the crown was well-known, even a thousand years ago,” Obsidian chuckled. Lily’s ears wilted into her mane. “It is a simple saying, Princess,” she said quietly. “Your mother said the words well, even if they hurt. I’ll make sure to have a book sent to your room.” Flurry jolted as Obsidian ran the measuring tape around her flank. Her stubby tail twitched, trying to lash in agitation. “Do you need to measure that?” she whinnied. “Apologies, Princess,” Obsidian said, not sounding that apologetic. He picked up a pencil in his teeth and jotted down more measurements of a loose piece of paper on the cart beside him. “This needs to be as accurate as possible to shape the crystal right.” He set down the measuring tape and held up a long, thin chunk of purple crystal between his forelegs. Obsidian closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, slowly bending the crystal like putty between his hooves. Spike, Flurry, and Lily watched in silence. After several minutes, Obsidian opened his eyes and gestured for Flurry’s right foreleg. She leaned to the left to correct her weight and raised her leg. The Crystal Pony ignored how her legs shook and slipped the rough greave over her foreleg. It stopped just below her knee. He clicked his teeth and removed it. “I have the measurements. You need to decide on a design, Princess.” Obsidian took up several pages in his teeth and offered them to the alicorn. Flurry floated them before her muzzle in her golden aura. The designs ranged from slippers and yoke to a full-body suit of crystal. One design looked strikingly similar to her mother’s armor. The purple barding and greaves did not fully cover the legs and cutie mark. “Your mother chose that design,” Obsidian said quietly. “The crystal was thin, but enchanted to resist small-arms fire and plated onto a steel base. A good balance between mobility and protection. The design second to the right is the armor of the Spellguard of House Amore.” Flurry looked at that one. It covered the body and barrel fully, but left the legs and neck exposed. Flurry chewed her lip and stared at the last sketch on the right. It had been drawn recently. A pony stood in full-body crystal plating, with a metal gorget around the neck and smaller metal joints around the knees. A crystal helmet completely obscured the pony. “What’s this one?” Flurry levitated it back. “Heavy,” Obsidian chuckled. “Thick crystal attached to steel plates. An earth pony would struggle to stand. Essentially, a walking enchanted tank.” “I am an alicorn,” Flurry said quietly. Obsidian smiled, revealing three missing teeth in his muzzle. His black coat glittered. “You could bear the weight, but it will not be comfortable. All that crystal means more enchantments could be placed upon it. You could survive an artillery round. I do not know if you could fly.” “That one,” Flurry confirmed. Obsidian clearly wanted her to pick that design. He quickly passed another sheet over to Flurry. It was a more detailed design of the helmet, with two alternates. There was a slot to thread the horn through, and a series of crystal spikes around it. One helmet was completely crystal, with a thin slit to see, then one with metal hinges, then a half-helm with metal along the jaw. “Half-helm,” Flurry said and passed the note back. “I need to see to cast accurately. What about the crystals around the horn slot? Will those get in the way?” “We’ll lower the spikes on the crown,” Obsidian added. “The crystal may blacken from the heat, but we can enchant the helmet to be resistant. Your eyes and chin will be partially exposed with the half-helm, but the gorget will provide some protection.” A crown. Flurry had no crown, not since the golden band melted away. Her muzzle was still covered in bald spots, with the largest patches atop her head. They itched with her purple and blue stubble. “Can you make a purple band?” Flurry asked. “Like my previous crown?” “Of course,” Obsidian snorted. He passed her another sheet. “For the wings, we don’t have much experience with pegasi, so I’m working with Swift Strike. He was a royal armorer for Canterlot.” This diagram was for crystal plating on her wing joints. Sharp, wicked looking shards of crystal with metal bases extended down through her feathers. “You will fly slower,” Obsidian warned. “My wings will be outside the armor, anyway, correct? I need protection.” He nodded and accepted the sheet back, making a note. “Now, it will be trivial to carve the cutie mark into the crystal and add coloring-” “No,” Flurry interrupted. Obsidian hesitated. “I have designs for the chest and barrel…” Flurry shook her head. “Won’t that weaken the crystal?” “Trivially, Princess,” Obsidian replied. “I have spent decades designing armor, and my team that still lives are experts in their craft. You will already need a hole for the tail, and we can add a slit to thread the mane through.” “Unneeded.” Flurry shook her head and twitched her tail nub. “Well, your hair will grow back, Princess,” Obsidian laughed awkwardly. “I’ll shave it to wear the armor.” Obsidian hesitated, then made a note. “Plain,” he said slowly. “Are you certain?” “I will outgrow the armor anyway,” Flurry remarked. “It is no trouble, Princess,” Obsidian replied. “We would be happy to add the Imperial Snowflake, or the Crystal Heart. Chrysalis’ armor was exquisitely detailed.” Flurry blinked and reared her head back. “You made armor for Chrysalis?” “Oh yes,” Obsidian chuckled. “That’s why my team lived. She was quite taken by your mother’s barding, and desired a better set. We worked for years on it.” He turned and showed the thin scars from lashes along his barrel. “They tried to rush quality.” “You made armor for Chrysalis?” Flurry repeated. She glanced over at Spike and Lily, who looked completely unconcerned. The alicorn’s horn sparked. “Yes, it was very finely detailed,” Obsidian laughed to himself. “My best work was the miniscule crystal spikes coated with manticore venom on the inside. Sharp enough to pierce chitin when the straps were tightened.” He sighed. “I wish she wore it. She shipped it out and put it on display in Vesalipolis, beside your mother’s raiment.” Flurry’s horn dimmed. “I’ll leave those out, Princess,” Obsidian chuckled. “Are you sure you wish to have nothing?” “I am the only mare with a horn and wings," Flurry deadpanned. "I already stand taller than most stallions. I imagine I’ll be the only pony wearing full crystal armor. Ugly and efficient.” Like me. “As you say, Princess,” Obsidian finally relented. He gathered his papers together and rapidly shuffled through them, making his own, disorganized scribblings. Flurry stood patiently and thought back to the snarling Amore. “Did Amore have armor?” “No, Princess,” Obsidian answered. “Princess Amore wore loose raiment.” “A harness,” Flurry remembered. There is a white mare. Her eyes are tired and sunken. Her crystal armor hangs loosely on her body. “The Empire will be yours, my Amore.” “Amore’s mother,” Flurry began. “Her armor was plain.” Obsidian paused. “I…do not remember, Princess,” he admitted. “My father would have made it.” He closed his eyes. “I worked beside him in the forge.” The crystal pony pressed his gathered papers to his chest and sat on his haunches, trying to remember. “I’m sorry,” Flurry apologized. Obsidian burst out laughing. “I remember my father complaining that she cared not for comfort or craft.” He turned to Flurry, smiling with a tear trickling down his brown eyes. “How could I have ever forgotten his bellows of despair at her mundanity? Happy Hearth’s Warming, Princess. Thank you.” Flurry nodded back and softly smiled. Obsidian gathered his papers on his cart and Arctic Lily helped him leave. Flurry waited until they were gone before stumbling over to the bed and collapsing atop it, ruffling the uniform. Her legs ached. Spike crossed the room and sat down on the bed. “Whoof,” he huffed at the lack of spring. “You could’ve left more than one mattress.” “It’s still more plush than the bed in Weter,” Flurry replied. She levitated over a clump of hay and chewed on it. “Really? Thorax’s couch was nicer.” “Should’ve ordered your fat, scaled ass off it, then,” Flurry muttered. Spike laughed. “Did Celestia tell you about Amore’s mother? Or did she tell Cadance?” “She was a white unicorn,” Flurry replied. He swung his tail. “Nopony even remembers her name, only Celestia probably. I don't even know if they ever met.” “I don’t know her name,” Flurry whispered. “She died during Discord’s reign. She wanted her daughter to retake the Empire, all the territory they lost to the snow.” Spike frowned and rubbed a claw over Flurry’s back. “How do you know that?” “I…” the alicorn trailed off. I should tell him. And Thorax, at least. An explosion of light in every color of the rainbow flashed over the city. Spike pushed himself off the bed and rushed to the balcony, shielding his eyes. Flurry stumbled after him on aching legs. Chrysalis’ bomb flashed through her mind. “Are we under attack?” the alicorn shouted. “It’s from the east,” Spike answered. “Inside the shield.” He dropped the claw from his eyes and laughed, causing a jet of flame to erupt from his maw. “What?” Flurry asked and pushed past him. A sideways mushroom-shaped cloud spread along the top of the shield to the east, over Stalliongrad. It pushed several clouds away and shifted through colors. “A Sonic Rainboom,” Spike explained. “Rainbow Dash. I thought she couldn’t do it with her prosthetic.” A rainbow contrail screeched towards the city from the cloud. Some Hearth’s Warming gift, Flurry nickered. Ponies were taking cover along buildings in the square below. Bells tolled in steeples. The alicorn stood on the balcony and waved Spike back with a wing. He clamped his claws over his ears. “Be at peace, my Ponies,” Flurry shouted. “Rainbow Dash has gifted us a Sonic Rainboom. I wish every creature a Happy Hearth’s Warming!” The bells slowly ceased and ponies stood back up, looking around warily. She stumbled back into her room and levitated the leg braces over. “Help me with these,” she grunted to Spike. “I have to get on the radio and reassure everyone. And Rainbow will have to apologize. I want her singing carols all night to orphans.” “That’ll torment them. Have you heard her sing?” Rainbow screeched to a halt at the balcony, skidding her hooves across the crystal floor and nearly slamming into Spike. The dragon caught her with an arm and his feet carved a short trail into the floor as he arrested her momentum. Rainbow’s mohawk had been blasted back, and her goggles pressed rings into her fur. If she wore a flight suit or jacket, it had been blown away. She heaved for air and her wings spasmed. The metal wing was almost glowing hot. “I’m glad you’re here,” Flurry said with false sweetness. “You have apologies and caroling to do.” She stuffed her forelegs into the braces and tightened them with a harsh tug of golden magic. “Princess,” Rainbow rasped and pulled down her goggles. Flurry registered the pegasus’ wild magenta eyes. “Tell me.” “There’s a massive battalion of tanks outside Stalliongrad,” Rainbow panted. “Nearly a full division of dogs and some armored knights.” Flurry’s heart leapt into her throat. “Has the Reich tried to cross? Attack the shield?” Rainbow shook her head in Spike’s grip. The dragon released her. “They’ve been gathering there for days. Some griffon with a megaphone is standing close to the shield and asking to see you.” Bronzetail. Flurry blinked. “Who? Name?” “Gallus,” Rainbow panted. “He went to Twilight’s school. He’s from Griffonstone, like Gilda. I barely recognized him. That’s not why I came.” The pegasus focused on the Princess. “The Herzlanders are freaking out. The tank battalion has a black and orange banner of a roaring Griffon. Edvald swears it’s the Kaiser’s personal war banner.” Flurry tightened the straps on her hind legs. “That’s insane,” Spike protested. “There’s no way the Kaiser of Griffonian Reich is at the frontlines. The last one that did that was Grover II, and he died!” “Edvald swears it,” Rainbow insisted. “Says the dogs are the personal bodyguards.” Benito. Flurry stood up and tested her legs. “He sailed or flew across the ocean to the middle of a warzone?” Spike asked sarcastically. “Who’s back at the Griffenheim? The radio’s quiet.” “Of course it is,” Flurry said. Her braces clicked as she walked to the balcony. “Why would he announce it? It’s dangerous, like you said.” “He’s one griffon with no heir,” Spike said, exasperated. “It’s madness to go to the front. He’s practically abandoning the Reich.” He folded his arms. “Did anyone see him? It could be a trap.” Rainbow flared her wings and began to argue back. “Look, the Herzlanders are spooked. You wanna fly there and tell ‘em to calm down?” Flurry stepped onto the balcony and tuned out the argument. She extended her wings and let the gentle wind from the fading Rainboom flow through her feathers. High above her at the top of the spire, the Imperial Snowflake fluttered in the wind. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply while her horn glowed gold. “Grover’s here,” Flurry said. Spike and Rainbow stopped arguing. “Uh, you sure, Princess?” Rainbow asked. “I’m sure.” Flurry opened her eyes. “Rainbow, I need you to fly back, no Rainboom, and tell Gallus that I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m sorry you’ll have to spend Hearth’s Warming Eve in Stalliongrad.” “No sweat,” Rainbow shrugged. “The Reds still have good vodka.” “Spike, help me get to the radio room to reassure everyone about the blast. Then call a meeting. I’m not going to be able to fly there, so we’ll need a convoy.” “That’s not enough time, Princess,” Spike replied. “I’m supposed to be able to teleport,” Flurry reminded him. Her horn flickered. “My magic has barely recovered.” “We could delay it. Make them wait.” “No,” Flurry shook her head. “I need to get this done now.” She walked away from the balcony and jerked her head towards it. “Go, Rainbow.” The pegasus bowed, then took a running leap off the balcony, flaring her wings and soaring east. The alicorn and the dragon watched her catch an updraft and soar away. Flurry turned and looked at her rumpled uniform. “Let’s clean that up. I’ll wear it. The boots will hide the braces and the hat will hide the worst patches.” She levitated her black sweatpants from the small dresser and hitched them over her hind legs to cover herself. “You still look…” Spike stopped. “I look like shit,” Flurry laughed. “Hopefully, Grover’s into that. I met him covered in Chrysalis’ blood in a janitor’s closet. This is an improvement.” “Flurry.” Spike worried with his tail and his wings twitched. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “No one knows about the deal.” “Apparently, the Reich doesn’t either,” Flurry retorted. “Let’s find out.” She slowly walked to the door. “Give me a hoof, uncle Spike. Or a claw, in your case.” Spike opened the door and followed Flurry out. The guards in the hallway stomped their hooves or pounded their chests. Flurry stood tall and slowly walked to the radio room. Spike kept a claw on her back, between her wings. Flurry Heart was grateful for it. If you accept, consider Nova Griffonia a dowry.