Diary of Sunset Shimmer
Our Chase of Rotgut had truly left us in an unexpected place, finding out that an advisor of another member of the royal family was behind the theft of the prince’s horn was certainly shocking, but maybe it shouldn’t have been as infighting amongst royalty wasn’t uncommon. Cozy certainly managed to use her abilities to the fullest in talking down the soldiers without the need for a fight, the strange magic around her made Cozy seem almost radiant.
We decided to track Duskflank to the north. After following the trail for a few hours we came across the strangest site. An elderly zebra pony was balancing on his front legs with his hind legs sticking straight up in the air and his head looking towards us through his front legs. “Hi, who are you?” He asked us as though this was the most natural thing in the world. Me, Silverwing and Cozy introduced ourselves, while Cipher kept to himself in the background.
The zebra introduced himself as Fazban, a member of the Seekers of the One Herd. When I asked him about the Seekers he explained that they were an organization of diplomats that sought to unite the different pony tribes through diplomacy. It was certainly a goal I could get behind. His mark of destiny was that of two hooves crossed in peace. He told me his visions had led him here though he had no idea why. The zebra seemed very interested in news from the kingdom, I did tell him about the case of the prince’s missing horn, he asked if we knew who was responsible yet. I told him we weren’t yet certain, but it seemed like an advisor to the Princess was involved. Fazban told us that the Princess and her army were just over a day’s journey away to the north and that there was a large gem gnoll army seeking to engage with her troops.
After parting ways with the zebra, as we pressed on, we could see plumes of smoke coming from over the next rise. Soon enough the source came into view, a small village surrounded by a simple wooden stockade. The village was burning, and we could see slaughtered ponies and livestock line scattered around along with a few gem gnoll corpses, although there was no sign of any living attackers. But I was sure that the gem gnolls that attacked the village had to be here somewhere. I told Cozy to be on her guard as I didn’t want her to be hit by any projectiles that could come from any gnolls in hiding. She thanked me for my concern, but told me that I shouldn’t worry, she was always on her guard.
The soldiers we captured the day before begged us to have them released and be given back their weapons so that they could help defend the village from any potential enemies that might still be here. Cipher and Cozy protested, but I managed to convince them that it was for the best if we released them.
Suddenly we could hear screaming and I saw three ponies running past us, chased by a group of gnolls, whoops of pleasure coming from the gnolls, they were clearly enjoying themselves. The gnolls split up into two groups, one engaging the newly released soldiers and the other, consisting of two gnolls chased after the pony civilians, we intervened to stop them. We made quick work of them thanks to Cozy’s leadership, Silverwing’s brute strength and mine and Cipher’s magic. After the fight was over more ponies emerged from hiding in the woods near the village, I helped out tending to the injured both among my own group and the civilians. Soon moving on to putting out the fires that ravaged the village. This made us rather popular among the villagers, who begged us to stay overnight to protect from any further attacks, we all wholeheartedly agreed as the fight had made us all tired and it might be good to have some place to sleep. The villagers all praised us as heroes, Cozy especially seemed to enjoy that and spent the evening telling stories about our escapades, both truths, exaggerations and downright lies. Especially her story about leading a revolution against the “tyrant” Twilight Sparkle who in her words ruled her homeland with an iron hoof, portraying herself as a heroic liberator. I didn’t feel like contradicting her for now as the villagers seemed like they were entertained by her story, and if they knew the truth that could complicate matters for us.
Fortunately, there weren’t any more attacks in the night and we awoke the next morning rested. We all left the village in good spirits. As we neared the place the princess’s army was supposed to be we could hear sounds of pitched battle ahead. As we rushed forward, we came to the top of a small ridge from which we had a good position to get a good view of the battlefield. Below us was a sizable battle with several hundred unicorn soldiers fighting a similar number of gnolls. Directly underneath our position we could see a unicorn in full plate armor which was richly decorated and coated in gold, her coat was white like snow and her mane red like blood, she was wielding a greatsword using telekinesis. Scything her way through the gnoll horde. But she seemed to be cut off from the rest of her army, with just her and a few Royal Guard struggling to survive while the Army pushed against gnoll lines in a desperate attempt to reach her. The standard carried by her guard confirmed that this was Princess Scarlet Lance. Her prowess in battle was clearly not exaggerated, but nevertheless, she was in trouble.
In all the confusion we could see something that must not have been visible from down in the valley. Gnolls on the ridge near us were preparing some sort of huge spiked contraption that looked like it will be rolling directly into the princesses position. Even if it didn’t hit her it would cut up her reinforcements, either way the Princess would be in serious danger unless they were stopped. I told the rest what I saw and Cozy agreed that we must aid the Princess immediately by destroying that device.
As we approached the contraption one of the gnolls around it turned towards us, shunting as he walked and suddenly, he grew larger, towering above us as he marched forward with a flail swinging and shield held ready. Silverwing and Cipher engaged the gigantic gnoll while I and Cozy try to get around it to get to the machine, the gnoll snagging my leg. I tried to fight the pain and keep running, I saw Cozy managed to get away and that Silverwing was struggling against this enormous opponent, despite my efforts to heal him, the gnoll struck him down. I continued to pour my healing energy into him while Cipher distracted the gnoll, his blows bouncing off the forcefield surrounding Cipher. In our most desperate moment, Cozy came running back, telling me that she dealt with the contraption, the gnolls surrounding it, engineers only, no combatants it having retreated once they saw her. Cozy aided me in healing Silverwing, who staggered to his feet and drove his greatsword straight through the gnoll, ending his life.
Just as the fighting around us died down the army down below managed to link up with the Princess once more. With a loud cheer they pushed forwards and the gnolls turned to flee. The battle was won! The Princess turned and came trotting up the hill towards us, accompanied with her bodyguard and a small squad of soldiers. At the top she removed her helmet and bowed her head slightly.
“I don’t know who you are, but I must thank you for your intervention. Without you this battle could have well been lost. Please, be my guest in my camp and you can tell me what brings you to these parts.”
She led us to her tent, clearly used by a military commander and not a pampered princess as the decorations were maps and technical reports, with furniture functional rather than ornate. After studying the maps, Cozy told me that it seemed like the gem gnolls had recently been growing bolder in their attacks against Taralos. After waiting for a while and discussing the maps with Cozy and the rest, the Princess came into the tent accompanied by a few guards and advisors. She turns towards us and said:
“Thank you once again, so what brings you here?”
I explained to her that we were searching for the missing horn of her brother Shining Horn and we had reason to believe that one of her advisors, Duskflank was behind it. I dearly hoped the Princess wasn’t involved, for she could snuff out our lives easily if she deemed it necessary. The Princess listened with a frown and then said: “Fetch Duskflank immediately” to one of her guards. A few moments later the guard returned followed by a unicorn. The unicorn saw us and froze as we recognized him from a meeting with Rotgut.
“Princess” he said urgently, “these are the ones I told you about”.
The Princess looked at us all sadly.
“I owe you my life, and I do not forget that, while I am sure my advisor Duskflank here wishes for you all to disappear, I will not allow that. It was a simple plan, and no one except the gnolls were supposed to get hurt. Even the maid, we have made provisions to look after her and she’s already come into some unexpected wealth. My hooves might not be completely clean, but I will not add murdering honest ponies in faithful service to the kingdom to the list. I have already told Duskflank that he was wrong to have you attacked. Unfortunately, he saw you and he panicked. I am very glad that you were able to resolve the situation without killing any of my soldiers.”
I looked around to observe the reactions of my companions, Silverwing had his beak hanging open in astonishment, Cozy expressed a slight smirk in what I could only assume was admiration, Cipher’s expression wasn’t decipherable at all, remaining neutral like a porcelain mask. The Princess paced back and forth a few times and then swung around to face us.
“I will explain what we did, and why we did it. At the end I will place myself in your hooves. My brother’s horn is here, you can decide the horn’s fate. You can return it and say the gnolls stole it, or you can return and say I stole it or keep it back as I had planned to do and return it to my brother in a few years, these are the choices you are faced with. But know this, my brother is a pacifist and a weakling. He planned to appease the gnolls by giving them some of our gem mines and reduce the size of the army. But the gnoll king is greedy and will only exploit his weakness. They are mounting an attack on Taralos as we speak. If my brother’s horn isn’t found I will become Queen Regent in his stead, handing the throne back to my brother after the threat is passed. What say you? Will you do what is necessary for Taralos to survive or will you will you doom it by giving my brother the throne? ”
We discussed this within our group for a while. Silverwing thought it felt wrong to betray the prince, but nonetheless the princess’s words stood true, Shining Horn might prove too meek to manage a war. Cipher and Cozy were in full support of Princess Scarlet Lance as Queen Regent, Cozy explained that the tactical maps in this very tent proved the Princess’s actions necessary and that the gnolls wouldn’t be so easily appeased. I was the only one holding out, a part of me unwilling to sanction open war without first attempting diplomacy. Cozy had to talk me down with one of her speeches:
“You are naïve, doing what the prince wants would only weaken Taralos and the gnolls would never stop attacking if they had the chance to claim it all. No, in order for Taralos to survive we need to fight fire with fire. Scarlet Lance is what this kingdom needs, she has the loyalty of the soldiers and a proven track record in battle, Not to mention they will to do what is necessary no matter the cost. Remember my little takeover attempt back in Equestria? Do you think that a weakling like Shining Horn would’ve been able to stand against me and my allies? Do you think I would’ve stood down if Twilight would’ve offered me some of her lands in order to appease me? No, I would’ve seen it as a sign of weakness, a sign I could easily take it all from her. A firm hoof is sometimes necessary. We could implicate the Princess in her crimes, but it would only divide the kingdom, at a time like this they need unity more than ever, for Unity is Strength.”
I realized Cozy was speaking the truth and I relented. Agreeing to support Scarlet Lance as the reigning monarch until the war was over.
When we returned to the capital city of Vil we were granted an audience with the prince, where we explained we couldn’t find his horn. He told us that the coronation couldn’t proceed without it and that the princess would rule as Regent until she could recover the horn. We attended the coronation as guests of honor of the new Queen Regent. The coronation was a spectacle of great pomp and ceremony, which will be important ponies from around the kingdom and neighboring tribes in attendance. Cozy quickly drew an audience with her stories, probably trying to make contacts. Being used to nobility because of my family, I also made a few friends at this gathering. Soon after the coronation, the new Queen Regent knighted me and Cozy as Dame Cozy Glow and Dame Sunset Shimmer of a newly formed knightly order called the Defenders of Taralos. Cipher was knighted and joined this order as well as an intelligence operative, Silverwing, upon receiving his title of Sir, left the Royal Guard to serve the Defenders of Taralos instead. The former princess was especially impressed with Cozy and made her the Knight Commander of the Defenders of Taralos. This could either be a great opportunity for her to prove she was capable of being a hero, or it would eventually bite us in the flank, I wasn’t yet sure which.