//------------------------------//
// 48: Peace in Our Time 
// Story: A Clash of Magic and Steam 
// by law abiding pony 
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The sun was setting over the flotilla, casting a beautiful golden light across the sky above and ocean below.  The summons had come later than Geraldy had expected.  However, the pegasus messenger’s nervousness had been frightfully infectious, and he dispensed with making the ponies wait on him for a change.  He and his entourage landed on the Sun’s Last Kiss with a heavy thump thanks to the stress eating he would never admit to while speaking with Novos and Summer Flame. His talks with them had been about as worrisome as they were enlightening.  

With his return, his mood wasn’t helped by the restless crew watching him from the rigging and on deck.  The same table as before was close to his landing site, as were Rarity, Captain Hackleback along with the three Lunarians at the forecastle. Hastily prepared food was set out again, but it stank of sailor fare not fit for an officer, and certainly not royalty.  Granted there were fruits, but the pastries were clearly going stale, and there was a slapdash presentation with the arrangements.  Were it not for the same meal being given to the Lunarians as well, he would have felt deeply insulted, now he was all the more concerned. 

Warlord Char took it all in with a different light, he saw chaos simmering just underneath the scraggly pomp and ceremony.  There is an opportunity here.  

As reintroductions and pleasantries were conducted, Geraldy noticed the two Unionites had been invited to join the proceedings this time around as witnesses. Yet one face was missing.

Everyone had been in the midst of taking their seats when the griffon emperor placed an arresting claw against the table. He looked everyone in the eye before zeroing in on Captain Hackleback, as he was the shipmaster.  “Where is my son?”

Rarity had been standing close to the stallion, and rested a hoof on his shoulder.  “I was the one responsible, I should tell him.”  Hackback gave her a long searching look before firmly nodding, giving Rarity leave to step forward. She took out Sweetie’s report from her coat pocket, and floated it over to land near Geraldy. Unlike the hastily prepared meal, the script on the page was clean and legible.  “I’m afraid he nearly fell victim to an assassination attempt by the doctor that was sent to us.” It was perhaps not the most delicately stated, but putting it out there at once hopefully kept his expected anger directed elsewhere.

“What?!”  Geraldy slammed the table with all of his stress turning to anger, even Char was taken aback. 

Remaining professionally stoic, Rarity pressed on. “Doctor Marigold poisoned him with something she called Treant’s Revenge. I’m afraid I have no knowledge of such a poison, so I petrified him to save his life.”

Geraldy shook with tightly wound emotion, and his claws dug grooves into the wooden table.  He couldn’t trust himself to speak, but his restraint was pressed hard. 

Char on the other hand remained composed and rather aloof over the prince’s fate.  If anything, he seemed pleased.  “Treant’s Revenge? That sounds familiar…”  He tapped his chin and gave a casual hum of thought, an act that caused Geraldy to glare raw hatred at him.  “If it is what I think it is, revenge is slow to kill but is rare enough that antidotes are not easy to come by.”

Geraldy threatened to crack his beak from the strain if he gazed on Char a moment longer and forced himself to turn away.  His murderous gaze shot back to Rarity. “You saved his life by turning him to stone?!”

“Indeed.”  Rarity withdrew two stone tablets from her trench coat. They were the size of her hoof that was coated in protective wax and had a single mana gem in the center. “This is a softening charm. When you are ready to restore him, break one of these close to Gallus’ chest, and he will be flesh and bone once more.”  She floated both over to the emperor. “Time is not a factor, so you can take however long you need to find an antidote.”

Geraldy hesitated at first before taking them. He didn’t trust himself to touch anything without damaging the thing. It didn’t help that his claws were carving grooves into the table.  Even his voice cracked from barely restrained emotion. It took serious effort to regain control over himself so he could rest a claw on the closest one, only to stop. “Why are there two charms?”

Rarity allowed some coy pride to show on her face this time around. “The other is for Doctor Marigold herself. Even though she attacked both my team and your son, I got what I wanted from her, so she is yours to take. I suspect you will have ample reason to inflict your own punishment upon the assassin.”  Rarity pulled the vial of poison out as well and floated it over to the emperor.  “Here, proof that Marigold was indeed an assassin.  This was found in her middle right hindpaw.”

Shoving as much of his raw emotion as he could into a box, Geraldy glared at the vial.  Even in his bewildered state, ravaged by the need act, he recognized the vial.  Not this one in particular, but it bore all the marks of a nail replacement, something he couldn’t imagine the ponies even knowing about prior to today.  He squeezed his eyes shut.  He knew what he must ask, but he dreaded doing so. “Bring them to me.”

With a clap of her hooves, a pair of unicorn crew members levitated both petrified griffons out of the ship’s hold and placed them in front of the emperor’s entourage. 

While Marigold looked like she was half stumbling, half trying to attack someone, Gallus rested on his right shoulder with his left wing hanging limply at his side.  A deeply panicked look marred his face as his claws grasped painfully above his chest.  As his father closely inspected him, barely holding back tears, he could even see a small trickle of fossilized blood near the tom’s eyes. It broke his control and he gingerly tried to hold the boy, but he had little knowledge of petrification. He feared anything but the slightest touch could damage the stone. “Bring me a cloth.  I will not suffer him to be seen this way.”

Hackleback gave the fetch order while Rarity tried to give the shaking emperor time to compose himself, but Char was not as considerate. Instead he took the report off the table and began to read it. He lifted a curious eyebrow as he read the names. “Lilja?”  Char looked up to the justicar out of disbelief, and even Geraldy looked up in surprise. “How can you be so sure that conniving little worm is responsible for all this?” 

Geraldy halted his attempt to touch Gallus and listened to Rarity with his beak clenched so hard it creaked. “Marigold might be a half decent assassin, but anyone can be made to talk with the correct incentive.”  Rarity wanted to flash a smug grin, but with Geraldy so unstable, she held it back. “When the queen wants the truth, she turns to ponies like me.”

Twilight Sparkle nervously cleared her throat.  Even though she knew the Equestrians wouldn’t turn on them, she still couldn’t tell who she feared most, what Geraldy could do in that moment, or Rarity.  “We witnessed the interrogation, and abide the Justicar’s findings.”

That was enough for Char, and his assessment of the ponies went up considerably. They're giving up a lot by upholding honor.  Now knowing war with them should be easily avoided, he gave a smirking snort. “Didn’t think she had it in her; a pity she chose to betray us all.  I’d offer her an alliance otherwise.”

Geraldy stood up and marched over to snatch the report out of Char’s claws to read it himself. His already thin control over his fury weakened with each word, and his wings quivered with it all.  “The Horde?  She’s working for the Horde?!” Geraldy was far too furious to think clearly, yet it made enough sense for him to believe it.  In a screaming rage he tore the report to shreds and let the ruined paper scatter in the wind. “I will have her head for this!”

It was roughly the moment Pinkie Pie had been waiting for and she stomped a hoof to get his attention. “Do what you wish to Lilja, we will have words with the Horde itself.”  Her declaration got the two griffons to focus on her, and hopefully the talks to come. 

Char gave a humorless smirk. “Is that so?”  He took a seat at the table, an act that Geraldy should have done first. “What do you propose?”

With his anger still running high, Geraldy locked a claw on Char’s shoulder, and yanked him to meet eye to eye. “Do not presume to speak for the aviaries!”  With a cry, he threw Char from his chair before sitting down on his own. 

Far from being cowed, Char jumped to his feet and was about to challenge Geraldy then and there, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash nearly shouting to be heard. 

“If you birds can’t sit down and talk, we will take our pound of flesh with or without a treaty!”  

Joining her efforts, Twilight Sparkle chimed in with a more aristocratic display of impatience, and fixed them both with an iron stare to match their own. “Whatever grievances you share can wait until after we settle our affairs together.”

Had Pinkie Pie been dealing with other ponies, working with Geraldy being so distraught were grounds for a recess. However she was not conducting business for her house, but on Luna’s behalf. An unbalanced opponent was an opportunity not to be wasted. 

Snorting disdainfully at his emperor, Char righted his chair and sat down. “But of course.  We are all civilized beings here.”

Embarrassment flooded Geraldy in equal measure to his fury.  He looked away in shame as he tried to compose himself. He wanted nothing more than to take his son and leave, but as emperor, he had to remain here.  “Speak your piece then, ponies.”

Pinkie Pie nearly sighed in relief as she claimed her seat with Rainbow and Twilight doing the same. “Very good. Now, Luna desires the Brown Plains and the central forests in their entirety.”  That got a rise out of the griffons, but Pinkie didn’t let them get a word in just yet. “I have more to offer than just silver and gold.”

That gave Char a reason to wait, but Geraldy was still too unbalanced, and constant glances at his son only worsened it all.  “We need the region to keep you at bay. You won’t get a single blade of grass from me!”

“I want to hear your offer,” Char countered firmly, even in the face of Geraldy seething at him. 

Pinkie Pie started to focus her attention on the more placating warlord, something Geraldy noticed quite quickly. “Our peoples share a great deal of bad blood, but that does not preclude the possibility of friendship. And to that end, I am offering a peace treaty of fifty years.”

“Are you mocking us?” Geraldy spat bitterly as his wits crawled back to the fore bit by bit. 

Pinkie eyed Char and Geraldy both with a salesman’s smile. “Fifty years is only what is written on the tin, but the duration is not fixed. You see, the era of Harmony is upon us, and with it, the opportunity for friendship between our people.  In spite of what some of us would like to admit, Celestia has been making strides to mend the gulf between ponikind.”  Whether any of it sticks is anypony’s guess.  “If prolonged peace is possible between Equestria and Lunaria, then there is no reason to think the same can not be true between us as well.”

Char made to speak, only for Geraldy to grab his claw with an iron grip, but kept his gaze locked on Pinkie Pie. “Well I suffer no such delusions. I need more than just time.”

“Such as?”

Char ripped his claw free and growled at his emperor, but Geraldy ignored it for now. His first demand stopped at the tip of his tongue, but he had recollected himself enough to amend it. “A reason to keep the peace beyond just words on a page.”

Rubbing his sore claw, Char was left curious enough to wait for the ponies to answer the question. The three mares shared glances between each other. “We are open to suggestions.”

It was an opening Geraldy had prepared for on the journey to the talks. He wrested control over his voice and managed to speak with a level tone. “If Harmony is as strong of a movement as I have been led to believe, then I’ll permit more missionaries into the aviaries.  However,” he hit the table with his fist. “No more ranking members of your church or whatever you call it are to set foot in the aviaries. And the crown will not be held accountable should any of them face death or injury.”

“Nor any warlords,” Char added quickly to speak his peace.  “And they must abide by griffon law while they are here.  Any failure to do so will result in immediate banishment.”

“I would hope that would only extend to crimes warranting imprisonment or worse.” Pinkie Pie gauged Char’s reaction, and it wasn’t a disagreeable one. “Abiding griffon law is… Acceptable.  But need I remind you that we are not here because of crimes perpetrated by the missionaries, but because they are the victims of it.”

Char was quick to answer as if his word carried equal weight. “This was a preventable tragedy, wasn’t it?  How about this?  The perpetrator of any crimes against missionaries convicted in our courts will be forced to pay monetary compensation to their victims.” 

Pinkie eyed Geraldy closely. He seemed furious again, but was not openly refuting the provision. Satisfied both griffons were some semblance of agreement, she turned to Rainbow Dash.

The captain had been hoping she could speak on this, and jumped at the chance with fire in her voice. “Money!?  I would rather have a person not a wad of slips. Do you really think we sailed half a fleet out here for money?  That may fly with you greedy bastards, but not us!  You don’t want bishops and deacons here, so be it, but we’d string up our own nobles if they committed murder.  So don’t think you’re going to pay your way out of a short drop and sudden stop!”

“I can speak with confidence that the nobility sees the matter the same way,” Twilight added firmly. She suppressed the need to level a worried look at her friend. 

Seeing Char’s misstep as an opportunity to undermine the warlord in front of his tensing entourage, Geraldy spread his wings in a placating manner.  “Your objections are more than reasonable.  Perhaps a joint investigation into such incidents will be sufficient, and the punishment matches the crime?”

Pinkie felt like the griffons might stop seeing her as Luna’s voice and spoke up without consulting the others.  “Then your condition is acceptable.”

Geraldy leaned heavily towards the ponies. “And just to put it to paper, you leave Lilja to us. This is a griffon matter now.”

“Naturally.”  Pinkie Pie glanced at Rainbow. “We care more about the mastermind behind it all anyway.”

An idea struck Char so hard he couldn’t hide the grim smirk in his eyes. “If that is the case, then perhaps you can do more to punish the Emerald Horde through more than just strong words.”

Huffing disdainfully, Rainbow Dash pointed a wing at the nearest battleship.  “Do we look like we’d settle for sharing harsh words?”

A feral grin crossed the warlord’s face. “You and I speak the same language, as does the Horde. The liberal application of force is what they respect. But the promise of force can be equally destructive. If you guarantee the independence of the Union, I’m sure we can part with more of the northwestern reaches up to and including the Glittering Coast.”

“That is not yours to trade away!” Every inch of Geraldy’s being regretted dragging Char along for these talks.  He half hoped the ponies would try to fight them, and his biggest threat would die in battle.  “The lands surrounding the Brown Plains are mine to do with as I wish, not you.”

“And yet we have done nothing with that land for generations under your family’s rule,” Char countered smoothly.  “You are blind if all you can see is time and faith.”  Char snatched an apple off the table and took a moment to enjoy the rare treat. “What say you, ponies?  We give you the land stretching up to the Glittering Coast in exchange for guaranteeing the Union’s independence.”

Novos and Summer shared a stunned but hopeful look.  The ponies were equally taken aback by the offer. Twilight brought up her mental map of the continent to gauge just how much land that included. Rainbow was deeply conflicted and a scowl developed on her face. Only Pinkie Pie managed to keep her thoughts from displaying on her face. “That is a tall ask, Warlord Char.”

Char leered at Geraldy, silently mocking him before turning back to Pinkie Pie with a much more polite expression. “The Emerald Horde wanted you to fight us. A sternly worded letter and some fuss is not enough. You want to punish them? Strike at the very reason they did this in the first place.”

Chewing on her lip, Pinkie turned around and brought the other two into a close huddle and whispered as quietly as they could. “What do you think, Twily?”

The pegacorn was still neck deep in her calculations, which wasn’t helped by the lack of a nearby map. “Honestly, I am not sure. But if we accept, we more than double what we wanted in the first place.  If we play it smart, there’s no reason we can’t get some one-sided trade deals out of it.”

“Hey, don’t go wrapping your head around mountains of slips,” Rainbow warned while giving her purple friend the evil eye she learned from Granny Smith. “Smacking the Horde around for retribution is one thing, but there ain’t a pony on Equus that would shed blood for the Union.   For all we know, once we settle matters with the Horde, they could prove to be better friends than enemies.”

Twilight balked at not having considered that, and gave it some thought.  Twilight of all people forced herself to think ahead. Years and decades meant as much to her as months and years did to others.  Yet at this moment, she realized she lost the present.  “That is a good point…  But consider this, if Celestia and Luna make good on a prolonged peace between us then the military will grow restless.  There is no way of knowing what direction the winds of Harmony will push us. Less scrupulous generals may try to reignite our hatreds.  I say by directing our warriors’ energies towards a new goal will help the Sisters’ aims.”

Rainbow Dash wanted to refute her, but couldn’t think of much to say. “I still don’t like it, but…”  She sighed heavily. “I see your point.”

Through it all, Pinkie sighed in disappointment in her sister. “Are we forgetting the Merchant’s third rule? ‘Never pay more for an acquisition than you have to.’”  Rainbow expectantly gave her a mix between confusion and annoyance, but Twilight’s eyes went wide at the realization. Not wanting to leave the thestral out of the loop, Pinkie tapped her with a hoof. “Char never said it had to be indefinite,” Pinkie Pie added with her inner tycoon coming to the fore.  “We could give the Union a month or even just a week. It’ll be up to them to make it worth our while.”

Twilight was finding it difficult to keep her voice to a whisper. “We get some serious trade concessions out of the Union if we play it smart.” Her sister nodded in agreement, yet Rainbow was hesitant.

“You know, if Applejack were here, I think she’d agree that this sounds really dishonest.  Shouldn’t we follow the spirit of the agreement if we agree to it at all?”

Humming in thought, Twilight couldn’t argue against it. “I think you’re right…  Ummm…  How about we bring it up with Luna and let her decide?  We can take the land now, and let her figure out how long we make the agreement.  The people can take comfort in the extra land we secured them.”

“Except for those who are busy protecting the Union.”  Rainbow remained firm, and silently glared at both sisters so they wouldn’t try avoiding her point again. 

“Perhaps we can offer a signing bonus or perhaps set land aside for anyone sent abroad,” Pinkie offered with only the barest beginning of a plan. “It’s not like anyone has a claim to any plots just yet.”

“We can have Luna and her ‘non-field’ advisors work out those particular details,” Twilight added, finally earning a hum and nod of agreement out of the resolute captain. 

Pinkie sat back up straight to speak to the griffons, an act followed by the others. “We retain the right to determine the length of that guarantee dependent on the Union’s offer.”

Eager to retake command over the conversation, Geraldy tapped the table with a fist. “Agreed.”





The talks continued long into the night and through the following day until they all retired for sleep and food. Such a respite was hardly soothing for Queen Novos. 

Presently, she was pacing in her ship’s stateroom with Summer Flame lounging near the window to bask in the late afternoon light. The hippogriff flagship was more akin to a floating palace rather than a true warship, an indulgence from her predecessor. As such, Summer Flame had a full balcony to enjoy the sweltering summer air, an activity that proved too humid for the hippogriff. 

Novos was nursing a local brew that was weak enough that she could justify drinking it like water. At this point, she had already imbibed a case worth of the thin grog and she had not even worked up a buzz. “Accursed swill,” she vented her frustrations and threw the cup at Summer Flame. The irritating kirin was far too relaxed for her liking. 

The cup fell short and rolled underneath his lounge chair. He did however pull the blinders off as he heard the cup roll to a stop against a chair leg. “You worry too much. Relax and sit with me.”

Dragging a claw across her face, Novos was an inch from finding something heavier to throw. “How can you sit there without a care in the world?!  You saw what happened yesterday!  Char has removed our saviors from the field. When word of this gets out, the Horde will be upon us in a week!”  Sitting on a desk was a book she thought quite poorly of, and threw it at him.

He casually knocked it aside with a touch of magic, and the book fell open onto the deck. While on any other day he’d bask in her indignation, even he knew Novos was on the brink when she started throwing things. So, acting against his nature, Summer dusted off the rust from his placating tone of voice. “Then we should make the most of the requirement that the ponies lend us their protection.”

“I don’t know if you paid attention to their history, Summer Flame, but Lunaria is the kind of empire that expels you from their conquered lands. At least the Horde stops short of supplanting your culture.  You remember how Deradian used to be the crown jewel of your people. Now it’s nothing more than ruins.”

The mention of his hometown struck a nerve and Summer’s eyes burned like fire. “I know full well what the Horde will do if they conquer us.”  He violently shook his head to calm down. 

If anything, Novos was glad to have irked him so.  

When his vision returned to normal, Summer let off a brief smirk of respect for the verbal lash. “But I have little reason to believe the ponies will do to us the same they did to the aviaries of old. They just acquired a massive stretch of virgin land to occupy, so they will have little cause to come to us to do the same.”

Barely even half hearing him, Novos joined Summer on the balcony, sea spray washed over them both. The warm waters bore no good tidings this day. 

She leaned heavily onto the railing, staring out east to her homeland. For his part, Summer Flame leaned back in his chair to catch the last good rays of the day. He held no illusions that matters would happen quickly when he returned to the capital, so he chose to relax while he could. 

Novos dearly wished for some gin or one of Summer’s cigars at this point. The empty cup rolling on the deck in tandem with the waves still felt bitter on her tongue. “I can’t believe we have to put our faith in Lunarian restraint and generosity.”

He sagged in his chair, the blinders slipping a bit from his eyes. “I know exactly how you feel.”

Snorting at the kirin’s perceived faux empathy, Novos looked at Summer, only to realize he was dead serious. The scowl dropped from her lips, and into a sullen expression of desperation.

A knock on the door went unanswered at first. Novos suspected what it was, and wanted no part of it. Summer however, felt like he needed to lighten the mood and called out anyway. “Enter!”

A kirin emerged from deeper in the ship and bowed. “Begging your pardon, but word arrived from the Equestrians. Business with the aviaries has been concluded and the griffons will break camp in the morning. The Lunarian fleet intends to escort us back home, and their delegation requests your presence tomorrow evening at six sharp.”

The two remained pensively silent for a moment until Summer noticed the kirin was waiting expectantly. “Was there something else?”

“Yes, sir. Given the Equestrian’s findings, Geraldy gave the prisoners an indefinite stay of execution. One of them wishes to join Novos’ court or at least her army.”

“Stay of execution?  That doesn’t sound like a pardon to me.”  Summer Flame sighed in disappointment. He looked to Novos who knew the griffons best. 

“Discommendation is… Difficult to undo. Given how things are, I don’t know if I can blame Geraldy for the half measure.” 

Hardly satisfied with her answer, Summer turned back to the messenger. “We need every sword we can get. Let him know he and the others are welcome among the kirin at the very least.”  Summer shivered as his future darkened all around him. Doing his utmost to remain strong for his people, he was left with a heavy heart and a lackluster, “thank you, may your heart remain alight.”

“And to you,” the messenger replied before stepping out. 

Novos watched the door click shut and rubbed her brow in a vain effort to ward off a growing migraine. “A single hopeless griffon won’t do us any good…”  she stared up at the shifting clouds above where the sky was beginning to turn to dusk.  “Do you think the Lunarians can save us?”

Summer pulled himself up with a grunt of effort and gazed out onto the metal warships glinting in the sunlight. They bristled with cannons he could only dream of having. “Can is not the word I would use.”





A thunderstorm raged when the time came for the two Union leaders to arrive on the Lunarian flagship. Unlike the Union vessel, the Lunarians made no effort in magically shielding themselves from the storm.  Instead, the warships seemed to plow through the squall with little difficulty and with no regard for the wind. 

Looking over her shoulder as Novos stepped onto the rain slicked deck, she saw the iron battleships plow through the choppy water with only minor difficulty. The storm was no monsoon, but it certainly wasn’t a good day for sailing. After being ushered below decks and through a maze of narrow metal corridors, they arrived at the officer’s mess. Everything felt coldly utilitarian. There was no woodwork, save for a single panel depicting the ship silhouetted by a full moon. Everything else was iron or steel. Novos broke into a cold sweat upon seeing the three Lunarians already seated and waiting. 

Pinkie Pie stood up, prompting the others to do the same. “Queen Novos, First Citizen Summer Flame, always a pleasure to speak with you.”

Twilight and Rainbow offered similar meaningless pleasantries that Novos was too nervous to even hear. Makeup and a very dedicated attendant made the hippogriff queen give off a regal appearance, but no amount of mascara could ever hide a jane one wrong turn from a nervous breakdown. The very weight of the warship felt oppressive. 

Her head buzzed with the kaleidoscope of horrid news ever since that day at the races when Gilda first appeared. This was all supposed to be a peace and reconciliation mission. Now the aviaries will run red with blood, no matter what the centauri do now.  The Lunarians will hang us out to dry, and the Horde will roll over us with a vengeance.

“Your highness?” A mildly perturbed voice from across the table called out.

Novos snapped out of it and held a claw to her head. “My apologies,” she blurted out, revealing her frayed nerves from under the mask. “I’ve been feeling under the weather as of late.”

“Quite literally today it seems,” Summer teased in that insufferable tone of his. 

Pinkie Pie hummed aloud as she tapped a few folders sitting on the table. “It will still be a few days before we reach your homeland. Do you need another day to rest?”

It may have been spoken in a business-like manner, but Novos saw contempt where there was none. “No. Thank you. Better we complete our business in a prudent manner, so that I may rest afterwards.”  And give me more time on how to tell Saleena the horrid news to come.

“If that is your wish.”  Pinkie Pie shuffled three colored folders and separated a red one from the stack before pushing it towards them. Summer was quick to take it into his magic,  but didn’t open it just yet. “As I’m sure you must have noticed, Warlord Char failed to iron out a duration for our guarantee of independence.  We consulted at length with Empress Luna last night, and she is not without empathy for your plight.  The red document will offer our military protection to the Union for exactly one year starting today. You will only be required to grant us basing and coaling rights for the imperial navy for twelve months, along with access to shore leave amenities.”

“That’s all?”  Novos grabbed the folder out of Summer’s magical grip and pulled it open to read. Sure enough, the draft read as the earth mare had stated.  It was more than she had hoped. A month or maybe a season at most, but a year was worryingly generous.  That’s when it hit her. She looked up towards Rainbow Dash. “What of the army?  When the Horde comes for us, it won’t be by sea.”   

“That will cost extra.”  Pinkie Pie slid the blue folder over to Rainbow Dash. “Our soldiers would vastly prefer to be preoccupied.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled a rolled up map and unfurled it across the table. It was of the brown plains and the territories beyond it. A massive swath of it was dotted in blue ink that encompassed just over two hundred thousand square miles.  In fact, all of the unused land, save for a thirty mile wide strip on the aviaries’ borders was included.  “This is the territory the griffons have agreed to hoof over to Lunaria in exchange for increasing the peace period to a century. It is completely virgin land which means a whole host of prospectors, surveyors, botanists, and an army of other experts will be needed.”

Rainbow Dash jumped in with a firm slap on the blue folder. “And the actual army’s going to comb the place from dirt to clouds. The aviaries may not have had any sanctioned settlements there, but that much open ground doesn’t go without squatters or malcontents creeping in, not to mention any number of monstrous beasts that don’t know to fear a rifle yet.  The army’ll be needed to ensure our settlers go unmolested.  If you want us to pull soldiers away from this duty, you’re going to have to make some concessions.”  At that, Rainbow shoved the blue folder across to the Unionists. 

Summer Flame was grateful some glasses of water had been provided and had to take a long drag of it. He eyed the blue folder with trepidation. “Such as?”

“All of the minutia is written in there, but to keep it simple,” Twilight started while adopting a warmer tone than Rainbow’s gruff posturing.  “We need you to make some trade concessions along with regular payments. Nothing egregious I assure you.  We would require the right to stage troops in your major cities, along with embassies that are considered Lunarian soil.  The important thing is that you denounce the assassination as a Horde plot, and make a declaration of friendship with Lunaria.”

That was what Novos had feared, and she firmly slapped the blue folder out of Summer’s magic and planted it on the table. “You want to vassalize us.”

“If that is how you chose to see it,” Twilight Sparkle stated with a disappointed head shake.  “But that is hardly the intent.”

Rainbow Dash took her air corps cap and presented the emblem of her service branch to the pair. “The imperial military is not a mercenary force. We don’t fight just to get paid. We protect our homes, our families, and our friends.”

“It is that last part that you should keep in mind,” Pinkie Pie stated firmly, her businessmare smile partially slipping to a stern one. “Trade facilitates connections.”  She tapped the table with her right hoof.  “Connections lead to acquaintances.”  She tapped the table in front of her, before punctuating the rest of her words with a tap further to the left. “Acquaintances. Become. Friends.  Stationing our soldiers in your cities may look like an occupation that you’re being taxed for, but you must look at it from the perspective of the rank and file. If our troops mingle with your people, there is a chance personal friendships could bloom. As they are rotated back home, that sentiment follows with them. As stated, a pony will fight for a friend.”

Their words struck a chord with Novos. She didn’t trust these ponies to light her cigar let alone see her people as anything other than subjects to be conquered. But there was a chance it could work. “How long would this offer last?”

“Five years, with a provision of renewal.”  Pinkie Pie tilted her head and pushed the white folder over. She pressed it heavily with a hoof before letting go. “If that is too short for you, Empress Luna is willing to formally incorporate the Union as a domain of Lunaria. You will be subservient to the Throne in all matters, and we would in turn protect you as our own indefinitely.”

Summer Flame snorted with smoke leaving his nose. “I’m sure that extreme will be unnecessary.”  He took the white envelope and burned it to cinders. “My people will die before accepting foreign rule.”

The act did not seem to move the two sisters, but it got a curt nod of respect out of Rainbow Dash. Novos might have been surprised by the fiery act, but she remembered well how dangerous kirin could be. In an effort to cool him down before the nirik could surface further, she pulled the blue one in close to read it, brushing the ashes away in the process. “I agree. The Union will stand side by side with its allies, not on its knees before an overlord.”

“As you wish,” Pinkie Pie said without reservation. “We are merely offering fixed terms, not twisting your leg to sign it.”

You may not be, but the centauri are twisting us for you.  Summer leaned over her shoulder to read it as well. Novos had been quite conservative to the Lunarians weeks prior when they had asked her about the Union’s mineral wealth, but the treaty floating before them spoke of a knowledge she had thought evaded the ponies. “Not egregious!?  The terms you’re demanding are worth eight times what the griffons required!”

“That hardly matters to us,” Twilight assured her with an unnerving grin. Taking a page out of Rarity’s playbook, Twilight took the pitcher of tea and went about pouring herself a cup. “You see, your highness, we are actually being quite generous not charging you more.”

“Generous?!  We could hire the entire griffon military for half of this!”  

“You’re more than welcome to try.”  Rainbow’s tone became disrespectfully dismissive. “But I doubt they’ll be in any position to help you now.”

Pinkie on the other hand, maintained her businessmare’s courtesy and toothy smile, even as her words were colored in a harsh light. “How about we clear the air?  You didn’t travel to Tranquility to help us or truly even the griffons. You came only because without them, you are at the Horde’s tender mercies. Over the years, you may have been courteous on the surface, but you imposed exorbitant tariffs on food exports, flatly forbid any business ventures into Union territory, deliberately delayed a number of our merchants from going to market until after others already offloaded similar products. You deny our merchants to set hoof beyond the first row of businesses to the docks. There is a laundry list of petty grievances against your port authorities for this year alone.”  Pinkie’s ever present smile fell into an iron glare. “You have made it abundantly clear that you are not our friends.  The Emerald Horde by contrast has been rather honorable with their dealings with us. The only reason we haven’t made our displeasure known in more certain terms is because Equestria and recovery were our chief concerns.”

“Now wait a minute,” Novos tried to rebuke with a thread of panic setting in. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same to us if our positions were reversed.”

A humorless half grin fell over Twilight as she dropped some sugar cubes into the tea. “That’s not what we’re saying in the slightest. The tariffs and the travel restrictions are standard practice for Tranquility. Especially with the famine we suffered,” she added with a grim look that lasted a moment. “But what we are saying, is that we have no goodwill between us. These trade agreements and tribute payments are simply here to balance the books between us. You made us pay a wing and a leg for grain and meat, now you will do the same for our blood and thunder.”

For a long moment, Novos was left speechless. She remembered personally signing the tariff laws into place.  The order to have Lunarian grievances stop reaching her ears. The wealth she had squeezed out of Lunaria had been instrumental in rebuilding her armies and fortresses. Now though, the crows were coming to roost. 

Summer magically pulled the blue folder and treaty out of Novos’ grasp. If she was too paralyzed to speak up, he’d do it for her. “Well, if we’re all about mending bridges, then I will be the first to lay stone.”  He was about to put pen to paper when Novos stopped him. 

She pulled his ear in close and whispered harshly at him. “Are you mad?  If we sign this without Saleena at least getting a word in the sphinxes will be madder than retired hatter.”

Despite the pain of having two claws digging into his ear, Summer Flame was enjoying Novos’ desperation, if only as means to subdue his own. “Then she should have joined us instead of being a layabout for wine and races. The two of us have the majority, so anything we sign binds us all.”

Novos’ decorum was slipping and she grew louder. “Give me time, I can work on easier terms.”

“Perhaps you misunderstand us,” Pinkie Pie declared, breaking Novos’ grip on Summer’s ear. “Each deal will stand as they are written. If the blue plan is not to your liking, the red one is still there.”  She paused and raised a warning hoof into the air. “But I should mention the red one has no renewal clause. We give you the one year and then Luna will wash her hooves of you.”

“We will still expect basing and coaling privileges of course,” Twilight added with neutral firmness.  “The Emerald Horde acted in a rather ugly manner, true. However, both Equestrian and Lunarian ponies have been rather horrid with each other for centuries, and we always reopened trade shortly after our wars ended. The centauri will be no different if you refuse a deal.”

“Would you genuinely come to our aid if we signed?” Novos countered quickly without thinking it through. “Or is this some elaborate way to drain our coffers before the invasion comes?”

“Are you questioning Lunarian integrity?” Rainbow asked with a harsh growl. “Another word like that, and I’ll rescind the people’s support right here, right now.”

Laughing sheepishly, Summer pushed Novos back a little so focus was brought to him. “There’s no need for such drastic action, I assure you. Queenie here lacks a filter sometimes.”  He glared at Novos with a single burning eye, making her avert her gaze. Squashing the fire by rubbing his eye, Summer flashed the same believable smile he did to his political opponents when he won election.  “Now then, since the terms are fixed, I believe I can safely speak for the Union that the blue plan is acceptable.  Where do we sign?”






Luna waved a wing, and the reenactment of the interrogation and follow up negotiations was swept away and replaced by the distant light of Tranquility as seen from Talon Point in the dead of night. It and the surrounding farmland reminded her of an old perch she loved before assuming the throne, and the stars shone through the light pollution as if it wasn’t there. More importantly though, it limited what Celestia could see of the city itself. 

Celestia conjured up a sofa, and sat down with an inelegant whump, having misjudged the height of the sofa.  “It seems our little ponies can be quite devious.”

“I fail to see much of a difference from our time. The magic is certainly more refined at least.”  Luna opted to remain standing on the balcony, her gaze fixed on the view beyond. She was reluctant to say anything further, but to leave her sister in silence felt rude. “I must thank you for insisting on sending your justicar…  Had she not been there, it is likely the truth would have never come to light and I would be at war with the wrong people.”

Giving an unseen nod, Celestia tried to summon some grapes. And while the fruit did manifest, they tasted like nothing but air. How does she do it?  “I’m glad things worked out for all parties concerned. Although, it is likely you’ll end up in another war regardless.”

Huffing in partial disdain for the pacifist leanings her sister, Luna boasted proudly. “We both know our ponies are not afraid to shed blood. That being said…”  Luna grimaced as she turned her gaze to the northeast, and partially in her sister’s direction. “I can’t say I am quite so eager to fight such a distant foe. The griffons were already going to be challenging, but the Horde?  We would make your overextension along the Cresting Ridge look paltry by comparison.”

Scowling bitterly at the comment, Celestia let it go as she realized there was an opportunity here. The fleet was to go their separate ways at first light, which meant… “Lulu, just how badly do you wish to punish the Horde for this misstep of theirs?”

Sighing heavily, Luna returned her gaze to Tranquility in the vain hope the name alone could imbue that peace upon her. “I - I admit, while I want justice for Faithful Hymn, it was the perfect excuse to claim territory. The Horde is far too distant. It has nothing I want save for the pound of flesh they owe.”

It was as Celestia hoped, and it was hard to remain only partially contemplative rather than conspiratorial. She had the cooperative momentum going with Rarity’s aid so far, now it was time to see if Celestia could push it further. “If that is the case, would you be opposed to a bit of theater?”

Giving her sister a suspicious look, Luna let it go for a faux jovial expression. “It is all theater. However, your agent has had her fun, the stage belongs to me now.”