Canterlot's halls were heavily hung with solemnity, the very stones saturated with dread that left none of the ponies within free of its cloying grasp; as it was, this was caused by the quietude within the walls of the castle, tangible to only those who knew of the severity of the conflict facing the nation…
Celestia sat up in her throne in the center of it all, struggling to maintain the calm and collected facade that she cultivated over the past centuries of ruling the nation. Yet, try as she might, the distant laughter and chatter from the approaching mares from outside in the halls, she found it more difficult emotionally to keep her composure. And yet there was no other choice, she knew her words were due to bring terrible fear and pain to the mares that she owed everything to; if the nation were to stand a chance against this new threat, she was going to have to remain truthful.
Even with the heavy burden weighing down on her both consciously and within her heart, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but lift a fraction of an inch as Twilight’s friends entered through the doors on the other side of the room, the eager and happy chatter that passed between them was a welcoming sight and a knife to her heart simultaneously, knowing that the positive mood was about to be shattered. Spreading her wings, the tall mare stood up from her throne and began walking down the short line of steps.
“Welcome, my little ponies.” She managed to keep her voice leveled as the collection of mares came to a stop and bowed before her. “Please rise. You five have more than earned the right to see me without such pleasantries being necessary.”
The group lifted their heads as one, with Rainbow Dash being the first to speak as she gently took to the air, “So what’s going on, Princess? We got another big bad that we need to kick into next week?” She said, kicking the air with emphasis several times as she hovered above her friends’ heads, their eyes drawn away from the grimace that crossed Celestia’s face.
“It is rather sudden that we were called to the palace,” Rarity added, then quickly added, “n-not that we aren’t delighted to see you, Princess. It is just that it is unusual for us to be here without Twilight.”
“Speakin’ of,” Applejack drawled as she looked around the throne room, “where is Twilight? Didn’t she come and see y'all a few days ago fer somethin’ important?”
A sigh escaped Celestia’s lips as she lowered her head, “Yes, I did send for Twilight several days ago, and it is in part because of that situation that I have called you five here now. I am uncertain what she told you before she left, so I would like to hear your understanding of things as they are now.”
“Well, she seemed super worried about the visit but at the same time not.” Pinkie said as she bounced next to Fluttershy, “Like the kind of worried that you don’t know what is going on but not too worried about it.”
“She didn’t tell us why she left,” Fluttershy added, “only that she was called to the castle to see you about something but that you hadn’t said what it was.” One bright blue eye met Celestia’s gaze as the timid mare asked, “Did something happen to Twilight?”
That brought the mood down in an instant, with all five mares turning to face Celestia, their worried expressions driving the knife deeper into her heart for being the bearer of bad news.
“I’m afraid something has happened,” Celestia said softly, “but in order for you to fully understand the situation, I must first explain why I called for Twilight in the first place. You see, Equestria is in a state of war…”
“Wha–? Pfft! No, it isn’t!” Rainbow waved off her words but paused as she realized that she was now the center of everypony’s gazes, “Um, I mean, we would have heard about it if the country was in a war…wouldn’t we?”
“For now, the word of what has happened is being kept under wraps,” Celestia replied, “and those that are involved are instructed not to share anything about the situation until a formal declaration from the crown has been issued. But yes, Equestria is at war. Manehattan is currently under the control of the gryphons, with more of their troops landing on our shores by the day.”
“WHAT!?!” The cry escaped the mouths of everypony present echoed as they recoiled in shock.
“That can’t be true!” Rainbow Dash cried, “Gilda would've told me about something crazy like that when we wrote letters to each other last month!”
“I’m afraid it is the truth,” Celestia countered, “and because of the new technology they possess, we are losing ground rapidly as they move further inland along with expanding up and down the coast.”
“But why would they attack us?” Fluttershy asked, “What have we ever done to them?”
“While the exact motives are still unknown, we do know one thing, and that is the reason I sent for Twilight before, and why I have called on all of you now.” Celestia’s wings spread wide once again as she addressed them, “Princess Twilight was sent on a mission to discover and capture the source of the new technology the gryphons now use against us. Since she has not returned and has been unable to contact any of our agents with news, it is assumed that she has been captured by the enemy and is unable to escape. I need you five to rescue her from the gryphons and assist her on her mission to the best of your ability.”
“You mean we’re being sent into a warzone to try and save Twilight, along with tracking down whoever is behind this new technology the gryphons are using against us?” Pinkie clarified, “Can I bring my party cannon?”
“I don’t think this is the type o’ situation that would work fer, sugarcube.” Applejack said as she laid a hoof over the pink mare’s withers, “Unless ya got somethin’ a might more than balloons and cake in yer cannon.”
“I believe what Applejack is trying to ask,” Rarity added with a nervous expression, “are we expected to fight our way through the soldiers between us and Twilight? We aren’t exactly warrior material.”
Celestia nodded, “I understand that Rarity, and it would be foolish in the extreme to send civilians into a war zone without any training or help. Unfortunately, there is only so much we can do to assist, given it is believed that Twilight is being held aboard the gryphon’s new flagship off the shore of our eastern coast.”
“Why do ya believe she’s bein’ held there?” Applejack asked.
“Because that was the location she designated as her primary target prior to her disappearance.” Celestia replied, “She was going to look for clues as to the location of the gryphons’ outside source there before reporting back. Thus, we believe that her attempt to gather information ended badly before she could return.” Celestia paused for a moment to let the information sink in before adding, “Given pegasi scouts have not reported any craft leaving or joining the flagship in the time since Twilight’s departure, we believe that she is still on the ship, so that is where you are going to attempt a rescue.”
“Alright,” Rainbow’s voice had calmed drastically after hearing Celestia’s explanation, “so when do we leave?”
The others stared at the pegasus like she had grown a second head, “Oh come on, you know we can’t leave Twilight hanging. We wouldn’t be very good friends if we didn’t try to save her, right?”
“But won’t the gryphons try to hurt us if we attempt a rescue?” Fluttershy squeaked out as she hid behind her mane, “And Princess Celestia did say that she was being held on a ship out at sea. How are we supposed to get to her?”
“Leave that to me.” Celestia’s smile didn't look as reassuring as it normally did for the mares, “I placed a tracking spell on Twilight before she left in the event something happened. It is a very subtle spell and is still active as we speak. I cannot do anything to help Twilight directly, but I can use the location to help you get close without needing to use additional resources or extended travel time.”
“What do you plan to do, Princess?” Applejack asked. Celestia was proud beyond measure that the mares before her were already stepping up to help their friend. Then again, what should she have expected from the Bearers of Harmony?
“I will be placing an invisibility spell on all of you, along with a cloud-walking spell for the non-pegasi.” Celestia explained, “Then, I will teleport you to a location near the ship with a cloud to act as both transport and cover from the enemy troops. The flash of teleporting that distance will be bright, but with you five invisible to everypony but each other, they will assume that it is a false alarm. I will also be sending you just after my sun has risen, to help hide the flash of the teleport from the gryphons aboard.”
“So, once we find Twilight and free her,” Rainbow raised a hoof above her head, “how do we get back to shore?”
“Twilight is a powerful magic caster in her own right.” Celestia’s pride in her former student showed as her smile softened into a motherly grin, “She will be able to teleport you all back to shore once you free her from whatever is preventing her casting. Most likely an anti-magic ring has been placed on her horn, so removing that will allow her to transport you back.”
“Well, Ah say we get this show on the road!” Applejack yelled as she lowered the brim of her hat over her eyes, “Let’s git ready girls, and show these varmints who’s boss!”
“I couldn’t agree more, darling.” Rarity added, swiftly followed by Rainbow’s “Aw yeah!” Pinkie bounced on her hooves with her usual wide grin and Fluttershy did her best to look brave, even while shaking like a leaf.
Celestia smiled as she nodded in acceptance, “Then rest, my little ponies, for tomorrow morning will be a difficult one. The castle staff are aware of the situation, but do not share anything with others outside these walls. I know that it will be hard to keep a secret, but right now we need to keep the ponies of Equestria calm so we can face this threat with level heads. In the meantime, please enjoy the palace facilities as much as you like. It should help to take your mind off things until our plan can be put into motion.”
The Bearers nodded and turned as a group to exit the throne room, leaving Celestia behind as they chatted about what they were going to do once they got Twilight back. It did her heart good to see her ponies so optimistic, even in such a dire situation, but guilt still clung to her for leaving the mares in the dark about her sister.
While the situation with Twilight was a dreadful thing and needed to be handled as quickly as possible to avoid disaster, the fact that Luna had been in a coma for the last several weeks with no signs of waking up worried her on a primal level. Luna had said that she would be searching the dream realm for the source of their troubles… and had not awoken since, leaving Celestia to ponder in fear that only grew with each passing day just what kind of threat they were dealing with, and how could they stop a being that could trap a pony in their dreams if they so choose?
Only time would tell if her gamble would prevail, and she prayed that the defeat of this mysterious benefactor would free her sister from her current state. Woe be to the creature that had harmed her ponies, especially to those that would dare to hurt her family.
Woe to her as she had no idea that it was not any creature she had ever encountered…or had any hope of predicting…