//------------------------------// // The Three Princesses // Story: The Worst Gamble // by Salocin //------------------------------// Celestia sat by the telephone, holding the receiver close to her right ear. Her front hoof stomped rhythmically on the wooden floor panels beneath her. The Princess was sweating, although hardly visibly. She bit her lips, hoping for a response soon. However, the Princess realized the futility of making another attempt. This was hopeless! She couldn't reach the Governor of Manehatten, the Lord High Admiral, or even their allies in Stalliongrad. "Horse apples…" Celestia muttered under her breath in frustration. As she pondered whom else to try and warn, she remembered - Blueblood! Of course, how could she forget? In an instant, her hooves once again darted to the phone as she dialled the telephone number for his headquarters in Hjortland. "Come on…" she pleaded while holding the receiver with one hoof and tapping the desk with the other. "Yes. Finally," she triumphantly stated as she was finally connected. "Major General Prince Bl- uh, what's the purpose of this call, Aunt?" Blueblood muttered unprofessionally, stumbling over his words at the sudden and surprising call from Celestia. Why would she call at this early hour? The white alicorn couldn't see his facial expressions, but the slightly exaggerated tone in his voice alone suggested his surprise. "I need to warn you about the Changelings!" Celestia said without any small talk. "Warn me? Our troops are overwhelming their positions. There's a significant amount of confusion on their side. Many are surrendering, and others are fleeing." He happily and ecstatically informed her about the sudden breakthroughs that had been achieved. Blueblood, previously surprised and perhaps taken aback, spoke almost triumphantly and with pride about the successes in the field. Celestia, for her part, was confused. "What?" "Yeah, our soldiers have made impressive gains in the past hours," he told her. She scratched her ever-flowing mane for a moment before realizing what was happening. She put two and two together. They were fleeing, not because Equestrian soldiers and Olenian partisans suddenly broke through the frontline, but because there was no more command. "Wait, you don't understand! They are fleeing becau—" the connection faded, and whatever she was attempting to convey was lost on the other side. Celestia narrowed her eyes and seemingly immediately knew who was responsible. Of course, it was them. They wouldn't be interested in allowing their target nation to communicate with their own forces! "Curse you!" The once composed Alicorn cursed, struggling to suppress her anger. Then something else caught her attention. She heard trotting, someone entering the room. She turned around, putting on a mask of false calmness. "Princess, you have a visitor," explained a bowing Royal Guard in golden armour. Celestial eyes widened. How could she have returned so quickly? She needed to collect her thoughts, her fears racing before she managed to ask with loud stutters, "Already? T-Tell the H-High Admiral to wait outside." "My liege, it's not the alien," the Guard clarified before making way for a blue-furred alicorn to step forward, a dark blue mane adorned with an eternally sparkling glimmer of starlight. Oh, thankfully it was Luna! "Tia, what's happening?" "Oh… Luna. I'm so glad to see you," Celestia exclaimed, leaping forward and falling into her sister's embrace, a hug that the Princess of Dreams accepted after being momentarily stunned. In the meantime, the guard from before left the vicinity, leaving the sisters alone. "Is everything alright?" Luna asked, detecting the relief in her sister's voice as they embraced. "We're being invaded. Again. It's the Changelings all over again. They're forcing their ultimatum upon us." "That's what this unholy ship is? So what are they demanding?" Celestia didn't have time to notice Luna's slightly outdated vocabulary. Instead, she sighed in resignation once her sister's question had been fully spoken out. "I-I'm not sure. So far, it's been nothing but vague threats and implications. I've tried calling the Admiralty and Stalliongrad, but I couldn't get any response," the Alicorn expressed with worry in her eyes and fear permeating her voice, gesturing towards the red telephone on the wooden desk she used. "This is what you've been calling me about," her sister realised aloud in front of her. "Yes. I think you can see how dire this is." "Let's try to reach Blueblood and tell him not to advance into Changeling territory. We need forces here immediately since I don't think the garrisons would be able to hold out against whatever they'll throw at us," Luna suggested, suddenly springing to life when it came to military matters, with Celestia realizing she would have to - unfortunately - disappoint her. "Sister." "What?" she asked, almost annoyed but not nearly as emotionally overwhelmed as her sister. "These non-ponies have destroyed Versalipolis, killed Chrysalis, and eradicated the Changeling government. I called him just before you arrived, and… there's pure confusion on the front as the changelings have started to flee en masse." As Luna listened to her sister, her eyes widened in both amazement at the military feat and shock over the implications for the civilians, forcing her conscience to ask, "Destroyed Versalipolis? How?" "I don't know. She showed footage of what was once the city, with only fires burning and a crater remaining. Not even the foundations of the Queen's Tower were recognizable. They have weapons more powerful than the Manehattan Project on each of their ships!" Luna turned sickly pale. The alicorn felt queasy in her stomach. The sense of wonder from before had faded, much like the changelings who once played, walked, and marched on the streets of Versalipolis, now only a dark stain on ruined roads. She shook her head for a moment, her mane moving in conjunction with her equine head, before trotting in a circle and turning back to her sister, "How are we even supposed to respond?" "I- I thought you might know," Celestia shamefully admitted, but she realized Luna had as little an idea of how to defeat them as she did. Celestia was never a military genius. Long ago, when Sombra terrorized Equestria, before the Griffonian Empire was even an idea, it was Luna who led the armies of peasants and Royal Guards against the brainwashed citizens of the Crystal Empire. It was Luna who commanded armies that would unify the disparate pegasi, earth pony, and unicorn kingdoms, and it was her, no, Nightmare Moon, who had nearly toppled Equestria over a millennium ago. Much had changed since then. Equestria changed, society changed, politics changed, and even the world around them changed. Even both of the sisters had been shaped by the time spent either in Canterlot or on the moon, but this? This aspect of the two sisters never changed. Luna was always the firebrand willing to fight the wars for her older sister, and it made Celestia feel regret. However, Celestia was soon snapped out of her thoughts by her sister. Alicorns had a tendency to overthink and underfeel... "I fear we still know too little. Tell me, sister, what did this alien demand?" Luna asked, regaining her sister's attention. "As I said, nothing yet. She only spoke about her people. They're from the stars and want us to surrender peacefully." The smaller of the two Princesses felt almost insulted, her face scrunching up as if she had eaten a spicy fruit from Kiria. "Surrender? After we've fought tooth and nail for every meter of Equestrian ground?" "She said it doesn't matter if we surrender or not, but she's offering us an easy way out by giving up and not endangering our citizens." Luna shook her head, stating with fading confidence, "Sister, nothing is lost yet. She might just be bluffing." Then the guard who had previously admitted the Princess of the Moon called out once again, "Princess Twilight has arrived." "Twilight?" Luna asked, "I thought she was in Ponyville." She exclaimed with bewilderment before Celestia's gaze shifted as the purple alicorn entered. "Celestia! Luna, I'm so glad to see you," she said, embracing the two with a tight hug, first the older and then the younger of the two. "I thought you were in Ponyville," Luna stated in disbelief, not having anticipated an impromptu visit by the Princess of Friendship. Of course, she did not mind seeing her again after almost a year, but the last time she had been dead set on helping on the home front - writing letters to injured soldiers, congratulating and rewarding especially distinguished frontline personnel, visiting the homes of war orphans, consoling the victims of changeling atrocities, and reminding the weary populace about the value of fighting for the magic of friendship. She had chosen not to be directly involved in battle, potentially putting herself at risk, unlike Applejack, who had gone off to fight at the front, or Rainbow Dash, who was required to participate in special operations when the Wonderbolts were integrated into the Air Force. What Luna saw now in front of her was a shriveled, sleep-deprived husk of a pony who barely looked like a Princess anymore. She recognised that look in her eyes – the one that she had seen countless times on the front. The look of trauma. "I was, but I got warned that you'd refuse their ultimatum," explained Twilight, still breathing heavily from the flight she had taken to Canterlot. "Ultimatum? Whom were you warned by?" Celestia asked with suspicion. "The General serving the alien High Admiral." "Twilight, what did he tell you?" Luna asked before her sister could. To all, this felt more like an interrogation than an equal conversation, and all three felt uncomfortable with the flow of this meeting. As Twilight began to open up, she had to sob, suppress tears, and pull herself together to reveal, "That if you were not to surrender, all Equestria would be razed to the ground. I-I saw it myself. She showed it to me." "Showed you what?" Luna asked, anger swelling inside her, managing to ask before Celestia could. "The General... I don't know how, but she showed me the future. Of what would happen if you fought. P-Ponyville burned, and my friends were all dead, and everything was burning, even worse than with the Changelings!" The once so calm and collected Princess of Friendship was on the brink of tearing up. She did not even take note of her mishaps while talking to the other Princesses, skipping a few breaths while doing so. "Maybe she was manipulating you?" Luna suggested, putting one of her hooves to her chin. "Manipulation for sure, but I would not dismiss the power they have brought with them. They are willing to enforce their demands, having destroyed Versalipolis after all." Celestia added, having been present in the first part of their diplomatic meeting, unlike Luna. "Sister, perish the thought! We can't just surrender to these... monsters after a year-long war and thousands of years of our rule. Where would our honour and respect be if we just gave up?" Princess Luna was disgusted and appalled at what her sister had proposed. Yes, some of her concepts and opinions may be from a different time, but they would make more sense to the common folk. "I'm not about to give up either, but we can't fight openly either. Assuming they are only bluffing, they would still be able to steamroll our military, as the majority of our forces are tied up in the Changeling Lands," Celestia stated, similarly surprised by her sister's belief that she would capitulate this easily. Luna, however, did not argue against it but rather added: "One can't improvise the redeployment of millions in a few hours." "So what now? I don't want to see the country burn." "It already is, but it won't be destroyed if we can act quickly enough," Luna spoke with determination, mainly to alleviate Twilight's worries. "You have not seen what I saw! You can't just dismiss it!" acted out with tears in her eyes. In a fit of anger and perhaps desperation, she pleaded with them, so as to have the two take her seriously. Something they, so she believed, did not! "Twilight, please... I understand your concern, but..." Celestia tried to convey; however, Twilight's reaction became only more volatile. "No, you don't! And that's the problem! You can't see the threat that is in front of us. This is bigger than three alicorns. Take a look at that ship in the clouds!" trotting in fast-paced steps to the window and gesturing to the black ship still hovering forbiddingly above Canterlot. "How are we supposed to fight a threat that could have hundreds, if not thousands of them? How are we supposed to convince an opponent that is intent on invading our planet? Why should we risk the destruction and death of everything we know and love? Maybe..." she continued. "Maybe we should just let them. Perhaps they aren't as bad as it seems." Twilight concluded with tears running down and into her fur. Both Princesses could not deny she had been scarred by whatever she saw and glanced at each other in concern. Yes, Twilight was already under pressure from the war, but whatever this General did to her made her lose all composure. "What happened to you?" Luna muttered, looking toward her sister once more with grave concern. Twilight's optimism and hope for the future seemed to have been extinguished. How could she not see the value in resisting evil? "You haven't seen what I have. You wouldn't understand." Celestia knelt, initiating eye-to-eye contact on equal heights before she said compassionately but also with worry for her former pupil, "Then let me understand. What exactly did you see again? What you've told us was very vague." "So was your reply," she scoffed with her eyes rolling before opening up, "I woke up in Ponyville. Everything was burning, ponies were shot at by dark alien figures in wicked armour, and their rifles pulverised any Equestrian soldier. Some ponies were even dragged into their homes, others were-..." "Were..." Tears once more ran down her cheek. She could not hold it any longer... she needed it. Twilight needed catharsis. Celestia reached for her as she fell into her embrace, crying and sobbing nearly uncontrollably. "It's okay. You don't have to say more," Celestia calmly stated, still embracing her while her sister, who stood behind her, looked on with concern but still stood there like a statue. Frozen and regimented, maybe to distract from that or to get more information about the threat the aliens persistently posed, she inquired further after Twilight's sobbing waned. "So they want to destroy everything if we resist?" "Everything, and in the end, they will get what they want anyway. Please, whatever the demands... accept them," Twilight pleaded while still in the arms of her former mentor. Celestia refused outright again, "You know I can't possibly accept an unconditional ultimatum. Tartarus, we don't even know exactly what they want! We shall hear them out... hopefully, we're overestimating the threat they pose." "Hear them out? Just accept their demands!" she cried out once again. "Twilight!" Celestia spoke, not with compassion and warmth but marked this time with authority and intense volume, snapping her out of the maelstrom of sorrow and anguish and tugging her back to the surface of a sea plowed by the storms of stress and heightened emotional vulnerability. Once the bookworm's ears were stiff and her wailing had passed, she spoke, once more with the warmth only a mother could convey, "Please listen carefully to me. I am scared. Just as much as you are, if not more, but neither Luna nor I can sign over our country to these people while we don't even know anything about them or their motives. We will negotiate a favourable deal." "Luna? Where is your opposition to the idea?" the purple mess of an alicorn asked as she stood up again and left Celestia's embrace. Once she turned with her head to the dark blue-maned pony, she grew horrified by how little the previously opposed Luna said against Celestia's decree. Was everyone now acting however was unlike them? "I am opposed to it yet if what they said was true, then we don't stand a chance. We will pressure them into giving us a fair deal, whatever that may encompass, and if they refuse? Well... then I'll still consider openly opposing them, but on my own terms." "Please..." Her plea went unanswered as immediately after a guard entered the room and announced, "Princesses, the diplomats are here. They are awaiting your return to the room." "Understood," Celestia answered before gesturing for him to leave, which the guard, of course, did. "Sister, I shall come with you," Luna decided on her own, with Celestia seemingly welcoming her presence. "Me too," Twilight said before being interrupted in her walk. "No, Twilight. Stay here or return to Ponyville. If something happens here, I don't want you to be in the crossfire," Celestia ordered. "No, as Princess of Friendship, I too want to participate," she claimed while crossing her hooves. Luna, however, made no effort to euphemise the situation and told her, with no attention given to Twilight's views, "Please, we can't have another one in the meeting further complicating this situation." Twilight's eyes narrowed, and her voice rose in volume, "So I'm complicating the situation now?! I am trying to help here - warn you - why ignore me?" "We haven't! Now stay put or leave for Ponyville and gather your friends. We may need them," Luna told her, almost at the top of her lungs and nearly reaching the necessary volume for her Royal Canterlot Voice. "What? B-but they are scattered all across-" Luna walked towards Twilight, her sister already below the door frame. While starting loud, she progressively turned calmer, telling her, "You're the Princess of Friendship now, so pull yourself together. If things go down the drain here, we need a guarantee that not everything will be lost. You are that guarantee." "Get her the quickest ride back to Ponyville," Luna then ordered the next available guard, who began moving. "Good luck, Twilight," Celestia said before leaving her alone in her office, with her thoughts. The two mares made their way through the palace's marble white halls and red-carpeted corridors with haste. Until they were nearly halfway there, nothing had been said. Not by Luna or Celestia. The Princess of the Sun's mind was occupied by worry about the upcoming second coming of the diplomats, while Luna still thought about Twilight, and so she asked her sister, with clear concern for her sibling's former student: "I worry for her. Her eyes had the look of a soldier who saw years of war, not that of a Princess." "I know, me too, but we can't take her into consideration. Her experience in international diplomacy is minimal at best, and we can't trust her to stay calm in the state she is in." "Right, but you would not have called for me if you were able to masterfully conduct yourself either." "No! I called you because-..." The once socially awkward, shy, and reserved sister had now arisen after years of war. Luna could read people after years of experience on the front better than likely any other alicorn in the world, and so she read her sister too, but for that one did not need to be a Princess or leader. Celestia's thin, cracking, and rotting facade was easy to look past, something her sister did as well, "Because of my leadership skills against a force that is very likely superior to the Army and Air Force in every way? No sister, don't lie to me. You called me here because..." "Because I cannot do this alone! If the... the worst case comes to pass, I can't just sign over everything I know and love without you being there; without you being able to offer an alternative to this... rubbish they are demanding." Celestia stated with a progressively rising voice until the audibility reached its climax with 'rubbish'. There was no question about whether or not she was desperate, but rather how long it would take for her to lose her temper in the meeting, if she didn't already. Luna sighed in quiet resignation and admitted to her, "Sister, I can't. I am also just a pony, but we will stand through this together. Promise?" "Promise. I love you." Celestia said as they stood before the door that separated them from the alien diplomats. Time ran fast, but so was the white mare's leap into her sister's arms. A fleeting feeling of relief spread. But Luna was taken aback by her declaration of sisterly love, surprised, and her eyes portrayed shock. Stumbling over her words, she clumsily answered with stutters, "I- eh love you too." And so they stopped their hug before turning and facing the double door, opened by the Royal Guards, through which both trotted in unison. They stood face to face with two pale feminine figures, each possessing voluptuous bodies of very similar but not quite identical proportions. Both had hair as black as the night sky and skin as pale as corpses. Luna found herself unable to tear her gaze away from them, not due to their curves or exotic attire, but rather their unusual form. While she had encountered various bipedal creatures in the past – Abyssinians, some dragons, and even Yetis – this sight put her severely on edge, even though she strived to maintain her composure and show respect. Among the Princesses, Celestia recognized the High Admiral, who was seated beside her attendant – presumably, the General that Twilight had spoken of, and about whom Luna knew nothing. The General's expression remained blank, as if she were focused on an entirely different place within the room, her breaths eerie and quiet. "Welcome back, Princess Celestia. I trust your hiatus from the meeting was enough to fulfil your sun-related duties. To whom do we have the pleasure of introduction?" the Admiral asked with confidence and even a hint of enthusiasm, fully aware of the redundancy of the question. "Oh, you're already aware," Celestia sighed in exasperation, displaying her irritation at the diplomat's unnecessary verbal sparring before continuing with the same sense of frustration, "In fact, I could ask you the same. Is this the General who interacted with my former student?" The General, for the first time during the meeting, opened her mouth and a subtle smile appeared as she spoke with a voice that sounded both dead and ethereal, "Indeed. She was quite receptive. Please address me as Kahemot. " Celestia narrowed her eyes, attempting to gauge the authenticity of the situation, only able to speculate about how vivid Twilight's vision must have felt. "And I am Luna, Princess of the Moon and Dreams, as well as General of the Armies of the Diarchy of Equestria," the Princess of the Night introduced herself with a respectful nod toward the two enigmatic figures. "By now, your sister must have informed you of our identity and intentions. Our dedication to this cause remains unwavering, but it's important to note that we are still offering a peaceful resolution to the current crisis," the High Admiral stated. "We understand that your intention is to invade us. That much we know, but what exactly do you want?" Celestia inquired, maintaining a friendly demeanour, her emotions once again under control as she contained her disdain for the invading party. "Our intentions are multifaceted and our motives may not be comprehensible to you. However, I'm sure a treaty or ultimatum would be more agreeable to your equine sensibilities?" the High Admiral responded, maintaining a certain air of enigma. "You persist in speaking in riddles! What is it that you desire from us, from Equestria? What are your demands, alien?" Luna's patience reached its limit as she demanded clarity regarding the situation and the necessity of her presence, having flown all the way from Acornage. "Hmm, quite the fiery presence you've brought along, Princess Celestia. No time for pleasantries, it seems," Seheset remarked playfully, displaying a sense of enjoyment from the unfolding meeting, a stark contrast to the growing disillusionment felt by the alicorns. "But I will humour you. Our demands are simple and projected upon this tablet. Read them at your own pace." She handed over an odd flat machine to the temporarily bewildered Alicorns. They glanced upon it only realizing after several uncomfortable seconds what this construct's purpose was. Its flat surface emitted a very soothing surface-emitting light, one that formed a text, which read in very simple white letters: "1. The Diarchy of Equestria (subsequently accounted for as 'Equestria') shall be transformed into a protectorate of the Sylanian Empire and will therefore be upon the signing of this treaty be the way Equestria shall present itself toward other states and the Sylanian Empire in particular. 1.1 As a protectorate Equestria is under the full protection of the Sylanian Empire and all of its forces, planetary as well as space and airborne. An attack on any of the protectorates will be seen as an attack on the Sylanian Empire. 2. Equestria shall grant independence and land to the following reservations including the lands marked upon the map following thereafter: "Tzinacatlian Republic" and "Buffalo State." 3. Equestria shall cede the lands marked upon the map following thereafter to the Planetary Administration, which capital shall be henceforth the city of Manehatten until a new capital has been constructed from which the lands under the direct control of the Planetary Administration will be governed. 4. Equestria must cease all military activities in any foreign state that has existed up to the point of this treaty. Separate treaties with opposing nation-states will ensure a graceful end to any ongoing conflicts. 4.1 A retreat must be organized after which the honourable discharge from service for all military personnel must be complete in a matter of two months after the signing of this treaty. 4.2 All weapons and ammunition that have been owned by the Equestrian military up to this point must be handed over to the Planetary Defense Force in a matter of two months after the signing of this treaty. 4.3 All research relating to nuclear programs, space flight, energy generation, technology based upon magic and the extraction and refinement of crystals and other resources of critical importance shall be conducted by Sylanian-sponsored and certified organizations. 5. The Planetary Administration shall respect and foster the right to the existence of sentient races, housing, work, freely available and universal healthcare, freely available and universal education and the right to free movement of sentient races among others. 5.1 These rights can be temporarily suspended for citizens or groups and organizations for up to two years at any time providing a sufficient threat against Sylanian or Native citizens has come into existence. These threats may include natural disasters, rogue political or societal elements, the results of failed policies by states, the deliberate violation of the aforementioned points by individuals, groups, organizations and/or state actors or other exceptional circumstances. 6. The Planetary Administration shall respect and foster the right to self-governance of the Equestrian state including partial judicial, full economic and total political self-governance. 6.1 The Princesses shall retain their position as ruling monarchs and all the rights and privileges that come with the current rights afforded to the aforementioned rulers provided that these laws do not interfere with matters that are outside the afforded privileges to the established protectorates and reservations. 6.2 The Planetary Administration reserves the right to construct infrastructure deemed to be mutually beneficial to Natives and/or Sylanians. 6.3 The Planetary Administration reserves the right to conduct operations and police actions inside the protectorates and reservations, including the Diarchy of Equestria if deemed necessary for the security and safety of Sylanian or Native citizens. 6.3.1 Equestria must revoke the citizenship and rights of all citizens deemed a danger and are to be handed over to Sylanian authorities until further notice. 6.4 Equestria must ensure Standard Sylanian is at least an optional secondary language in all academic institutions, so as to foster interracial cooperation. 6.5 Equestrian institutions must ensure the equal treatment of Sylanian citizens. 7. Violating any of these points will result in an immediate punitive response by forces of the Planetary Administration." For the average pony, this is already a whole lot of cut-and-dried legal jargon, but the Princesses recognised from the very beginning what this was and represented: an ultimatum. Luna immediately drew attention to the issues she found within the text she had only read halfway, "What preposterous demands! You are not just intending for us to give over our country but also keeping the language deliberately vague so you can later interpret these points however you see fit!" Luna pointed out while thrusting her right hoof at the two confident-looking diplomats. The High Admiral rolled her eyes with visible irritation at her moment of revelation, "Oh please. A Sylanian never lies. I propose you read it fully before throwing a fit." "The audacity," Luna was about to erupt from the sheer nerve of this foreigner coming here into their palace and insulting them to their faces! Celestia, still having her eyeballs roll over the text, noticed her sister's flaring emotions and stopped what she was doing to immediately move towards her, grabbing her by the shoulder. The white alicorn with the golden tiara looked her in the eye. Celestia recognised her sister's turmoil. She was both afraid and embittered, but the lack of time she believed herself to possess made her quip only a judgemental, scolding, and disciplining, "Sister... please." With a single shake of her left shoulder, the pony moved away from her with a barely noticeable "hmph." She then spoke, "I was willing to give them a chance, but this is simply unacceptable! No self-respecting sovereign state in the world would possibly accept such frivolous terms!" "Huh, and we've already made it a lot more lenient towards Equestria." the High Admiral interjected, putting up a facade again, but this time with faked bewilderment. "You must be joking! These terms are intolerable! You are demanding us to disband our military and give independence to states that voluntarily joined Equestria in ages past or make us simply give up all of our most valuable research!" "I don't recall the bats living in harmony with the other pony races for what... almost a thousand years in your absence," the diplomat argued with dripping arrogance and smug superiority while facing away, towards the window and looking out onto the awakening nation. "If you intend to rile up my sister against me, you have sorely miscalculated," Celestia stated defensively while moving in front of Luna, maybe out of instinct to protect or perhaps simply by miscalculating her steps and not accounting for her sister. "Don't worry, we've been over this, sister," Luna reassured her older sister as she moved away from behind and back towards the table they previously stood at. "We know what you did. Equestria may pride itself on being built on harmony and friendship, but everyone in this room knows this is a half-truth. There were surely countless kingdoms and tribes who did not want to become subservient to Canterlot. Yet with arms and subterfuge, Equestria spread widely and far until becoming the largest nation on Equus, and let's not even mention the buffaloes who were driven back by pony settlers until but a few years ago." "We have decided these groups deserve states of their own, and we are not negotiating for it." Seheset finished with a stern voice and face. In disbelief, Celestia slowly shook her head before stating: "You are destroying the careful balance that we have built over so many years!" "A balance I can commend. Few nations in this world have been built on the cooperation of so many client races, however, the future waits for no one. If you want to stay in the past, we have provisions for that too in the ultimatum. You can retain your government and administrative structures with very minor changes. It's all there," she said in an attempt to assure the two equines of the treaty's guarantees of security as she pushed the tablet that lay on the table back towards their side of the room. Celestia began reading once more while her sister seemed lost in thought, something the Princess of the Sun paid momentarily little attention to before noticing her sister's absentmindedness and lack of response. "Luna, what do you think? I think the ultimatum looks... acceptable." A pause followed in which she trotted in a circle before facing the diplomats and Celestia again. "Luna?" "I have been thinking..." "Maybe... the reason you are not attacking us like Stalliongrad or the Changelings is because we are alicorns! You fear us! That's why you talk with us! We could just blast your vessel out of the sky." Luna ranted with blazing anger and joy at the elation of having come to this conclusion! Why else would they seemingly attack their neighbours but not Equestria if not for the Alicorns in leadership positions? While all were initially surprised at Luna's sudden outburst, Seheset chuckled before revealing to all, "I believe you two are under a misconception, the misconception being that what you do or say today matters, that you somehow have any importance now. You don't. Your opinions are inconsequential." "E-excuse us?" Luna asked, taken aback at how little the alien cared for her threats. "The universe is vast and dangerous, with countless predatory alien empires who are all too eager to take a bite out of the galaxy in which we live. Empires that would exterminate your race without so much as a thought. Predatory races and hiveminds who have only consumption in mind, and whose long existences are marred by a life of sorrow and pain. The Sylanian Empire is the oldest and only fortress against these intergalactic threats. Our Empire has endured for aeons, and you have not been the only primitive world to resist our offer, but what differentiates you is the origin and history of your planet. There are truths about the nature of your existence that would tear your society, systems of faith, political systems, and nation-states asunder, if you had unfettered access to them." A short pause followed in which the High Admiral caught her breath quietly and rearranged the last words in her mind so the remaining speech would have the largest impact on these ponies. "We have not decided to negotiate with you because you have leverage. The Empire is, in fact, not seeing this as a negotiation but rather as what it is - an ultimatum. The only reason we give you two the option to work with us is to prevent an unnecessary war. However, given you have shown barely any willingness to cooperate, I doubt that's even possible. What we are giving to you is the ultimate guarantee of security. Your people will know neither war, hunger, disease, nor even mortality itself. No matter what you do or say, soon, ponies, griffons, zebras, and deer will walk among Sylanians together into a better future. We are uplifting you, and what you are trying to prevent is inevitable. We have ships in orbit that could turn Equestria into a wasteland very quickly and easily, and billions of souls ready to fight in every possible theatre for Her Empress's Holy Cause. By signing this ultimatum, you will see a peaceful transition into an interstellar society with you still able to rule Equestria however you see fit, but with the added benefit of accessing our technology. All our goals will be achieved without war and death. But in case you refuse, I can promise you that our forces will not hold back. For all countries that have refused the ultimatum outright - so far only Stalliongrad and the Changeling Hegemony - will witness their capital being annihilated, and all other cities being sacked to the foundation. Our soldiers will burn every city, desecrate every single pony they can get their hands on, and destroy a millennia's worth of history, so your people may never rise from the chains of slavery again. Eventually, pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns would simply be our thralls, and we will have gotten everything we want from you anyway." "Of course, you may revert into your primal forms from sheer emotional immaturity and kill us, but if you do that, I can only promise you an eternity of servitude for your people. I would not want that for you. So why make it so hard?" The two diplomats were no fools. The muscles of the Princesses were tense, their eyes clenched, and their faces marred by offence and pure visceral hatred. Seheset had poked the beast, but the High Admiral was not about to burn herself. Instead, she moved to be more... persuasive. "You could attack us, but that would leave your people as unfortunate victims. No, what we want is to elevate pegasi, unicorns, thestrals, earth ponies, and Alicorns." The High Admiral continued, seemingly unfazed by the two angered alicorns in front of her. "To give them a chance at living their lives in an interstellar society, for if one wishes to stay solitary, that choice is viable. The greatest gift we wish to grant your race is that which you have long sought. There will be no more invasions from the Changelings, no more deadly civil wars in Griffonia and precious few genocidal empires intending to eradicate ponies and their way of life. Our gift to your race is perpetual peace and to you two something that both of you have yearned for millennia. A cure for your... violent side, for your primal forms, for what you refer to as Nightmare Moon and whatever you could turn into, respectively. This is our generous offer. We expect you not to squander it." "Wha- What, how would you even know?!" Celestia asked with horror upon her snout as they realized they knew what she could become. The keyword being 'could'. The Princess herself was never sure if what happened to her sister could befall her too nor how it would occur. Nightmare Moon came about from her personal failures to properly care for her sister and recognize her insecurities, jealousy and fear of being supplanted, but the fact these aliens, clearly very knowledgable, at the very least theorize - believe it to be a possibility - fills her with shock. All the hatred that had built up over the last few minutes subsided as questions ran abound. Are they meaning this or are the diplomats simply trying to sow and exploit her fear? Are they trying to trigger what could be her transformation? Luna too was taken aback, but less surprised by her case as she took a step back, glancing at her sister before returning to eye contact with the aliens. Luna straight-up refused the offer, opting to berate them for their supposedly failed attempt at persuasion, "We don't need any of your cures to something we don't even know could happen to anyone but myself! It was my personal victory over evil to refuse the temptation of giving in!" Luna stated with pride while pointing to where her heart was. "And you two never wondered about why you are alicorns, why you have these primal forms, why your sister, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, her daughter and Princess Twilight could have these forms too and what can be done to permanently destroy them?" Only further aggravated, Luna approached her before looking the alien deep into her red pupils, "Look, alien! I don't care what you think you know about our nature! Why should we not just blast you and your ships out of existence? Why should we even believe you not to be bluffing? Do you have any evidence for this... tape you've shown Celestia not just to be a fabrication?" "Sehy, please," she muttered beneath her breath, with neither Alicorns having been able to properly hear what she said. "What did you say?" Without warning, the pale alien female returned to answering her question, "Because you two are in no negotiating position, no matter what you say. We are offering terms of immense privilege to your race, so I'll ask you one last time to sign that treaty." "We demand it." "Luna?" Celestia asked as she noticed her sister's eyes becoming heavy; however, the Princess of the Night quickly snapped out of the short moment of tiredness and moved to Celestia before pleading with her, "Sister, please... what will the people think of us?" Celestia dismissed any thoughts in favour of answering her sister, admitting truthfully and with a regretful tone, "It would be nothing positive. They'll think we sold out to aliens we barely know. But-" "But what?" Luna asked. "But... as Princesses, it was always our responsibility to look out for them, to protect them in times of need, even if it means from threats we never could have anticipated when we founded this..." It took Celestia uncomfortably long to even come close to pointing to what she was referring to. Of course, she meant Equestria but far more than that, not just the state structure they had created and evolved over centuries, but also its people, generations who knew nothing else but the friendship of magic and the achievements that had been reached by a hundred ponies or more of millennia. The Gothenburgs printing press, James Wutt's electricity or the combustion engine, and radio communication among a millennium's worth of innumerable other inventions, all owed to ponies that grew into Equestrian citizens. When she meant to say Equestria, she was not just talking solely about Equestria, but at this point, she even questioned if her sister knew how much she truly felt heartbroken about the notion of signing away the sovereignty of their little ponies. "After years of fighting for the freedom and liberty Equestria holds dear, you are willing to sign it over now?" Celestia couldn't stand to have her sister think she did not care and moreover hated how direct she was, even if by principle she was entirely correct and so with the discussion heating up Celestia tapped the wooden floor with her right hoof with increasing speed, all the while the General and Admiral watched the two respected heads of state arguing back and forth, "Luna, you know I always think about my ponies! But I don't think it gets any more favourable than this. If we resist now, the terms of the treaty will only worsen and with them the treatment of the populace!" She furthermore continued adding on top of a pile of statements Luna could only feel disgusted for, with wild movements of her hooves, "We need to do what we got to do to survive!" "And how is that? Consigning a nation of millions, that existed for over a millennium and has fought tooth and nail in the last years for every inch of ground against invaders only to just sign everything over!? I will have no part in this!" Luna declared before both her sister and the diplomat. Yet before it could get any more heated, the General and Admiral shared a glance before taking a stance themselves. "That will not be possible. Both of you rule this country together and thus must both sign this document." Seheset interjected, interrupting the heated argument between the Princesses. "I said no. My sister might be so far gone to give up, but I will not dishonour this country and its soldiers in this way. I am willing to exile myself if it spares Equestria." Upon hearing her sister's proclamation, Celestia peered at her sister with visible anguish. If this were not a meeting, she surely would have let loose tears and begged for her to stay. "But the times when the two argued over who was the more mature and which decisions were the best for the country had long since passed, and a gulp and deep but weak breath later, in resignation, she agreed... conditionally. "If that's what you deem necessary, then do it, Luna, but at least sign this document! For the sake of Equestria," Celestia pleaded, with the diplomat interjecting once more not long after. "You may leave as long as you sign the treaty with..." "...an additional clause that ensures mutual trust between signatories of this document: 6.6 All members of the Alicorn Race are exempt from any temporary restrictions imposed upon citizens of the protectorates and reservations and are immune to traditional criminal prosecution. No physical harm is to come to them under any circumstances." Celestia's face turned towards them, equally shocked and surprised, "Y-you would grant us immunity? Why?" The Alicorn could simply not picture a reality where they would grant them such a provision. Especially in a moment where she knew Luna would leave to organize some sort of resistance, but they would not just let her but incentivize her sister? There was no hope or joy at this prospect but maddening bafflement by the ancient Princess of the Sun. Why would these aliens shoot themselves in the foot like this? Perhaps, she was simply not able to think clearly, but of course, the High Admiral would grant her an answer with benevolence which she knew instinctually to be a farce. "You heard right, Princess. You two are rulers and religious figures for your people and combined with the knowledge of the Sylanian Empire's superiority, we see no reason to believe you would exploit this in any way upon signing this treaty." "That is quite the opportunity," muttered Celestia below her breath, out of the hearing range of the two Sylanians. Luna's reaction was far more negative in contrast to that of her white-furred sister. She rolled her eyes and spoke with clear disdain, "For the love of the mother, this is-" "Sister, please!" Celestia once more bargained with her. "This goes against everything I have fought for since my reformation. I can't betray the countless soldiers that bled, suffered and died for this nation's survival, that trusted in me to lead them to victory only to have them end up empty-hooved, without the catharsis, the right of defeating the hated enemy and being stabbed in the back by us, the Princesses they have fought for all these years! I can't..." "And I can't not do what's best..." Celestia mumbled while staring at the wooden floor. "Princess Luna, I understand your concerns, however, I can promise you that all the soldiers you care about will not be seeing the next week if you don't stand down, nor is military force the only way of enforcing our demands. I'm sure you can see that there is no value in honour when there is no one left to perceive that honour?" the High Admiral argued with authority on the matter while still as tranquil as at any other point in the meeting. Luna's expression turned sour as she began to insult her armies, "Like you and your quiet confidante would know anything about honour. From what you've told us, in fact, your soldiers don't have any semblance of discipline, acting more like a horde of rabid beasts. The only thing this horde truly reflects is your intentions." She, however, then looked her opponent in the eyes, "But fortunately for you, that horde of beasts is more powerful than any army we could muster." "So you admit defeat?" "Defeat? No. There was never a fight in the first place nor true negotiations. This is an unjust dictate, alien, and history will remember it as such." the warrior princess promised her before putting her right hoof with momentum onto the meticulously clean surface of the tablet, so immaculate that she could see the reflection of her mane on the glass illuminated by the machinery of unknown capacity below. Catapulted across the table by Luna's signature, closer to a smack than the carefully considered conclusion to a conundrum neither alicorn had been able to escape. The alien seemed unimpressed and soon satisfied as even Celestia approached the table on which it lay and put her hoof upon it after several seconds of hesitation. A deep sigh followed. And so both ponies put their right hooves upon the holographic section of the tablet assigned to their signature. As such, the treaty was signed and agreed upon. "Then we have a deal. We will make sure you won't regret your decision." And now, at the end of the road for the Equestria of yore and the beginning of a new age, the High Admiral, for the first time, showed joy, not the facade put up to appease the rulers of the most powerful nation on the planet or machinations to exploit the emotional vulnerability, but genuinely heartfelt joy at this treaty having been now signed, with only a warm smile following. The black automobile rushed down the concrete freeway, into the valley and away from Canterlot, the ship, and the Princesses, the silhouette of the castle becoming ever slower and occasionally covered by the scant cloud. Twilight's lower leg was twitching almost vibrating and her heart aching, bleeding from the knowledge that the Princesses may very well choose to resist. She feared the outcome, let loose sweat even and tried to distract herself by looking at the landscape, at Canterlot, at the occasional passing car or thinking about her friends, all in futility. All in futility, except for one possibility, one that did not leave her mind, for it could not. Her friends... scattered all across Equestria. Perhaps she could organize... something as Celestia ordered. Rainbow Dash, last she heard of her she was engaged in some air battle of Fairflanks. Applejack served with distinction so far and has even become a general, currently supporting Prince Blueblood's efforts in Olenia since Operation Dawn. Fluttershy still lives in Ponyville giving a home to her animals. Pinky Pie is a hard one and Twilight shook her head, at the thought of what happened to her old cheerful friend. What she heard from her was not pretty. When she joined the war effort she became a Major General, and she supposedly had several times become violent towards her own subordinates. Since then the only thing she heard from her was that she was demoted before being dishonourably discharged from military service. Where Pinky Pie has been since then Twilight does not know and she shudders at the thought. Twilight does not believe this was just a result of the mess that was the army at the beginning of the invasion. She must have been falsely accused, but either way, she must join her. As for Rarity, after the failure of the School of Friendship Rarity left for Manehatten and has now become a popular fashion designer contracted by different fashion firms including those producing military uniforms of all kinds. And Starlight, while not an element of harmony is still immensely powerful however after her school closed she went into politics to become a leader for the Confederation of Trade Unions and a spokesmare for a social democratic movement in Baltimare. She too was too hard to reach. No... Twilight shook her head. If the Magic of Friendship won't be able to solve this requires a wholly new approach, one that requires more force, but whom could she possibly contact now? Almost all her friends are out of reach and have built their own life. But then an idea came to her mind. Yes, she would be possibly willing to help, but for that, she would need to return to Canterlot, for only there could she find a way to pierce the veil between worlds and go visit an old friend...