Both new princesses looked up as the doors to the newly finished throne room opened and a tired-looking kirin trotted in. “Ah, Storm Vine, you’re back!” Celestia called out, waving with a wing for her to come closer. “How did everything go with the buffalo and the Flame Clan?”
“Fine; everything has been settled,” Vine said, coming up to them and sitting down, her back legs practically giving out. “Once again everything is happy-hunky-dori and everyone likes each other again.”
The two alicorns shared a looked. “I hope that was the last of the issues?” Luna said questioningly.
“For now,” Vine said, “but it wouldn’t surprise me if flare-ups happen again later. Feeling betrayed makes for a Tartarus of a roadblock to forgiveness.”
That was certainly something they all understood. If they were to be asked right then how long it would take for them to forgive Discord for what he’d done, they’d all say it would take at least a thousand years before they’d even consider it. The population of Equestria was having similar issues forgiving but not towards Discord, who they all presumed to be dead. Their problems laid with those who sided with the draconequus during his reign and who were now asking for forgiveness and to be allowed back into their old communities.
Most were being granted this wish as all they’d done had been to bow down and proclaim him their new king for the sake of their own or their family’s safety and had just existed as best they could under his rule. A hoofful, however, had truly turned on their neighbors and actively helped the chaos tyrant in any way he asked, be it chasing down those fleeing the encroaching chaos, raiding bases the resistance thought were secret, or even torturing those they captured. To Vine’s dismay, most of those had been non-ponies and most of their victims had been ponies, their “justifications” being that they’d suffered under the speciesist Queen Platinums and now it was the ponies’ turn to suffer. As one could imagine, this had caused interspecies issues and even groups that hadn’t had anyone join Discord were being discriminated against. Practically the day after Luna and Celestia were crowned Vine and the rest of the kirins had been running around Equestria to apprehend these criminals and mend relations as best they could. Sometimes all it had taken was a cool head of a third party to settle things. Other times… there were now several new communities popping up around where the wyvern clans called home and the few jails there were now had more than just those who sided with Discord in them. It had been more than a month-long ordeal and Vine was starting to wonder what the next nightmare was going to be and when she was going to find peace again.
“Well, let us hope that they won’t happen for a while and they won’t be as bad,” Celestia said gently, laying a snow-white wing on the green kirin comfortingly. “You’ll be happy to know that the houses for the kirins in the new castle town have been finished,” she smiled conspiratorially, “and that Tempest Flame is already getting your new house to feel like a home.”
That did make Vine’s weary frown morph into a smile. “I’m sure he’s doing a great job. As soon as Bright gets back it certainly will be.” She shook her mane and flapped her wings then stood back up. “So, what else needs to be done?”
“Nothing but boring political matters,” Luna said, lifting a document into view with her magic. “Hardly something that needs your immediate attention. Go and spend time with Tempest and Bright when she gets back; you’ve more than earned it.”
“Unfortunately, we both know that some of the most important things for the country are wrapped up in those boring political matters,” Vine reminded her with a sigh, “and since I’m essentially one of the founders of this new era of Equestria, I should really know what’s going on.”
“True,” Celestia said, “but, as your friends, do you trust us to give you a detailed report after you’ve gotten some rest?”
Vine chuckled. “I suppose I do and… thank you,” she said with a nod.
The alicorn sisters nodded as well and turned back to the paperwork they’d been going over before as the kirin slowly trotted back out.
It would have been nice if General Steel Spark could have helped with the small, social brush fires that had been cropping up as of late but he was in Canterlot, putting down fires of his own. Had he not, the remaining and new nobles of the country would have been breathing down their necks about every petty thing they could think of. Everyone was doing their part.
-----------------------------
Tempest stepped back and admired his work. He’d just put the finishing touches on their new house, located in the still developing castle town, and hoped Vine would come back soon. He’d done his best to recreate the home they’d lost in Canterlot but only so much had survived and the new home had a different layout. Even so, it still looked close enough and that, he knew, would be good enough for the mare he loved. He was just thinking of what he should cook when she finally did arrive when something heavy gently fell onto his hips. Whipping his head around, he saw a familiar green and black mass and smiled. “Can I help you?” he asked, shaking his hips gently.
“Shh,” the mare said tiredly, “comfy hips don’t talk… or move.”
“You’re pretty quiet for someone so tired; I didn’t even hear you open the door. Nor do I have any idea how you knew this was our new house.”
Vine grumbled and nipped at Tempest’s hip, which only made the male kirin chuckle. “Left door open, saw you inside, need ears checked,” she mumbled.
“I’ll have to be more careful from now on before anymore weird mares come inside and hug my hips,” he said playfully, patting Vine on the head with a wing, “which, by the way, are less comfortable than a couch or bed I would imagine.”
“You’d be surprised,” Vine grunted.
“Well, it’ll be a lot harder to get dinner started with a full-grown kirin hanging onto me,” he told her and the flick her ear made told him he’d gotten through to her.
“Rainbow gem stew, extra rubies and meat,” she finally said, “and an extra helping of you for dessert.”
Tempest chuckled. “You sure you’ll have energy for dessert?” he asked in a smooth, sultry voice.
The side eye she gave him reminded him of times they hadn’t shared since Discord took over and it sent good feelings to all the right places. “A nap in my own bed and a belly full of good food made by my loving husband? Oh, I think I will.”
They both growl-purred as she got off his hips so they could kiss.
-----------------------------
Steel Spark starred out of his office window in Canterlot Castle towards the city below. The streets of the old castle town were busy with ponies and, thankfully, only ponies. Of course, that had pretty much been the way it had been before Discord’s Folly but there had always been the odd non-pony standing out like a sore hoof. It rankled him to call it the “old” castle town but with the new capitol moving out into the Everfree Forest there was little he could do about it. Even if his plan went perfectly, he doubted the new princesses would move back to Canterlot. At least his plan to appear busy in the old capitol appeasing ruffled nobles was working just as hoped. They’d never expect what was coming.
He looked up from Canterlot and out past the mountain and the plain to the forest. The new castle couldn’t really be made out from here, not by anyone save possibly a harpy and their raptor-like eyes. “Everfree…” he muttered darkly before turning back to his desk, grabbing a glass of amber liquid and taking a long draft of it. Probably the only reason that chaos monster set up his capitol on the edge of it was because of its name as a way to mock the queen and the rightful rulers of Equestria. Well, he certainly wasn’t free anymore, was he?
As he put the glass back down his gaze shifted to the open letter he’d read earlier and he felt his chest ache. His wife, his beautiful, graceful, loving wife had written, begging him to come home, that the war was over and their son, his son, wanted to see his daddy again. A son he thought he’d never get to see and had viewed his birth as a miracle, being been born in the midst of chaos taking over the world. He missed them terribly and almost hurried out the door the second he finished reading. The sight of the reports from his “special division” had frozen him almost as still as Discord now was.
Things were coming together quicker than he’d expected and he would need to act soon. He was doing this for his son after all, so that he and his children and his grand children and his many times great grand children would never have to live in fear of the world being turned inside out by a seemingly all-powerful lunatic, of being on the run from chaotic corruption, of living in fear of once neighbors turning on them and putting them through makers knew what before putting them out of their misery. No, his son needed him here and focused on what needed to be done, so he’d stay where he’d do the most good. He’d understand. They both would. Equestria would.
A soft knocking at the office door and Spark shook himself out of his musing. “Enter,” he said once he positioned himself back behind his desk.
“A report, sir,” a sergeant said, entering and quickly closing the office door behind him. Spark knew the stallion and appreciate that he knew the value of privacy. If anyone outside their circle of conspirators learned what they were up to, there was a high chance they’d be stopped and punished severely. They were most likely going to be punished afterwards, too, but with the deed done at least they would know Equestria was safe. The stallion hoofed him a slip of paper with only a few lines on it. “The last ones are coming home to roost,” he said quietly.
“I’m actually impressed,” Spark muttered, “either our agents were slacking or the kirins are just that good at diplomacy.”
“I hate to say it, sir, but reports lean more towards the later. All our agents needed to do was drop a few words in ponies’ ears and whatever resentments they already had easily flared up. While it looks like some put an end to things through intimidation, most really were able to talk everyone involved down.”
“Almost makes what’s going to happen next seem like a waste. Almost,” Spark said. “Everything is ready?”
“Besides a few officers like yourself not in position to keep up appearances, yes, everything is in position and ready. Even the special weapons have been moved into place without any questions being raised. Someone would have to trip over us to find us,” the sergeant confirmed.
Spark nodded and dismissed him. In a few days time, they’d set the final plan into motion. In a few more days, it would all be over.
-----------------------------
Vine hummed to herself as she made early preparations for dinner that night. Tempest had suggested a large kind of stew he’d learned about from some of the far-flung marshlands of Equestria called “jambalaya” and wanted to see how they’d like it. When he told both Vine and Bright, who had just returned the night before about it, they’d both been hesitant at first but quickly changed their minds when he’d told them that he’d tried it with meat before and a proper pot called for a lot of it. Both mares were instantly hooked and the promise of some gems added in as well sealed the deal. Right then Vine was currently chopping up the vegetables that would be going in while Bright and Tempest gathered the meats, the fresher the better.
She’d just finished when the other two kirin of the house came in with the meat. However, Vine noticed some of it wasn’t butchered correctly. “Just because this is a new house doesn’t mean that I’ll let butchering be done inside,” she scolded, leveling the knife she’d been using as the nearest carcass.
“Sorry Vine, but there’s a problem,” Tempest said, looking back towards the door with a mix of worry and curiosity.
“There are members of the Equestrian army going around saying that they need all of the kirins to come to a nearby clearing. General Steel Spark wants to talk about the recent problems around the country and he wants to talk with everyone at once,” Bright explained.
Vine was about to ask why he didn’t just have them all meet up in the new castle when there was at least the main audience chamber finished that could fit all of them but she remembered that Celestia and Luna had been called back up to Canterlot about something to do with Queen Platinum XVI. On the one hoof, she actually hoped the queen would get better because she couldn’t imagine not being in full control of herself and wouldn’t wish it on even the general. On the other hoof, she hoped that the nobles had come to their senses and simply declared the two alicorns the rulers of Equestria no matter what happened to the queen and end the rumors she and the other kirins had heard about her coming back to power and punishing those responsible for everything that had happened during Discord’s Folly, a.k.a., cracking down on non-ponies for the benefit of ponies. It was part of the reason why so many problems had cropped up right after Discord was defeated. It was highly doubtful it was the later but the queen had been so far gone when they finally got her back the former didn’t seem likely either.
More than likely, Steel Spark just wanted a large enough area to get all their testimonies and then hurry back to Canterlot. She’d even bet there’d be a chariot right behind him ready to go the second he was or that he’d even be sitting in the chariot when they saw him. Well, the sooner he left the sooner they could get on with their own lives. She and the general may not have been at each other’s throats anymore, too busy for that anyway, but there was still an undercurrent of dislike that neither would be willing to stamp out soon. Maybe one day when all of it was regulated to history.
“Well, better get this over and done with then,” she huffed, putting down the knife. “The sooner he gets his reports, the sooner you two can properly handle the meats.”
Bright and Tempest smiled apologetically and followed her out the door. The soldiers who were letting everyone know about the meeting were already flying away over the treetops, probably to let Spark know that the word had been delivered. As they walked through the castle town, they greeted other kirin that they hadn’t seen in some time.
“Ah, Frost Flame! How are you?” Vine asked as a powder blue kirin joined them, the last group of houses falling behind them as they entered the forest. “You were recently by that forest to the northeast, right? The one with those peculiar trees that absorb light?”
“Yes,” the mare said tiredly, “and I have to say that I think an expedition needs to be organized sometime in the future. There’s something in those woods that might be some kind of remnant of Discord’s magic because I’ve never heard of it before. The harpies there can’t explain it exactly but it attacked them after they tried to set themselves up there. No pony settlement should have meant that there wouldn’t be a problem but…” she shook her head. “I just want to relax for a few days. Can’t the general just wait for us to send in our reports?”
Vine sighed. “I know. Stallion stays quiet almost immediately after we announce Celestia and Luna are the new princesses while he “handles” the nobles up in Canterlot and now he suddenly wants reports. Sounds to me like he knew what was going on in the rest of the country and was leaving it all for us to clean up.”
Frost gave her a raised eyebrow. “You think he might have something to do with it?”
“He doesn’t have the resources to cause this much trouble and if he did it we’d be having even more of a headache than what we’ve been dealing with,” Vine said with a shake of her head. “More than likely this is just him remembering we exist and wants to show he still has some kind of power over us. Let him blow hot air and posture like a demented rooster; in the end he’s only making himself look bad.”
The group of more than thirty kirins continued to traipse through the woods until a clearing opened up before them and they could see General Steel Spark and the soldiers who had told them to come waiting for them in the center of it. Wonder of wonders, Vine couldn’t see a pegasus-drawn chariot anywhere in sight despite the soldiers who were with him being all pegasi.
“We have arrived, general,” Vine called out, getting the ponies’ attention when they were close, “let’s get these reports over with as I’m sure you’re a busy stallion, not to mention we have things of our own to take care of.”
Steel Spark looked over at her with a blank expression; an odd look for him even before Discord’s Folly. “Yes, good… I trust everyone is here?” he asked, looking past her as if counting.
“Yes, every kirin is here after putting out fires all over the country, as I’m sure you’re aware of,” Vine told him, letting some of her frustration leak out.
He nodded, sighed, and his eye became cold. “Then we can get this over with.” He nodded to the soldiers with him and they all snapped their wings open.
Vine quirked at eyebrow at both the response and display but a shout from behind made her turn around. Behind them the path they’d come to the clearing on was now full of fully armored, fully armed soldiers, standing as if to block them. Turning back to Spark, Vine saw him unsheathe his sword as well as the soldiers with him. Behind him, at the other end of the clearing, more soldiers were spilling out of the woods, all of them also armored and armed. They came from both sides as well, encircling the clearing and the kirins within. Pegasi took off to block them from the air as well.
“What are you doing, Spark?” Vine asked, calmly getting into a combat stance. Most other kirin were doing the same but confused and angry shouting were prevalent. Tempest and Bright bunched in close to either side of her, whether for assurance or to form up for the fight they just walked into Vine wasn’t sure. Probably for both.
“Discord was the greatest threat Equestria has ever seen,” Spark called out so that even the kirin who were becoming more panicky could hear him. “I know how he was made. For the safety of every pony in Equestria that is and ever will be, I CANNOT let another Discord be born.” He pointed his sword straight at Vine. “That means driving all non-ponies out of Equestria. They won’t leave as long as you all are here, so you have to go as well.” He looked Vine directly in the eye. “And there’s only one way to do that with any kind of assurance.”
“You’re insane,” Vine called back, “any idiot would know that if, by some miracle, another draconequus was born tomorrow we’d never treat it like Discord was. And killing us won’t change anything; everyone was here before the ponies came and none of them, especially the wyverns, are going to leave. If anything, they’ll hunt you down instead and kill you all in retribution, possibly even your families, too! Your own son isn’t even five years old yet; are you ready to condemn him to a wyvern’s fire!? You’re going to start a civil war with this!”
“Equestria will understand!” Spark retorted, “and my son and future generations will thank us!”
“SCREW THAT!” Quartz Stone yelled, he and his sister jumping into the air, “AND SCREW YOU!” Both became engulfed in flames and were wyverns in seconds, roaring at the ponies around them in defiance. In response, what looked like tree trunks flew out of the tree line and impacted Marble. The wyvern’s pained cry died in her throat as she fell back to the ground. “MARBLE!” Quartz screamed.
That seemed to be the signal as the hoard of ponies around them charged and more tree-sized bolts came flying out of the woods. Vine had just enough time to realize that Spark’s attackers had somehow managed to hide anti-dragon weapons in the forest before turning and bringing her tail blade forward to block Spark’s sword. The noise of erupting battle around them seemed to deaden for a second as they glared at one another.
“You should have kept Discord on a tighter leash,” Spark said, still eerily calm, “then you might have lived longer.”
“I will enjoy ripping your traitorous throat out,” Vine growled back, her mouth glowing as fire poured out.
-----------------------------
Xerxes winged his way over the Everfree Forest, lazily catching the thermals as he made his way to the new castle and town being built there. A private in the Equestrian Air Corps, he was on patrol over the plains between Canterlot Mountain and the forest. “Just because Discord is dead doesn’t mean we can slack off!” His gruff, perpetually ticked sergeant had said before sending him out to scout. The new princesses and the leaders of the wyvern clans being in Canterlot was probably why he was out here at all, with the base commander needing to show a presence in the area to look like he was doing his job. It did, however, give him the perfect excuse to slip over to the castle town to visit a certain kirin, so he couldn’t complain too much.
He’d met Bright Storm before the end of the war with Discord and had gotten a ribbing from his squad when they caught him staring at her. He’d finally worked up the courage to talk to her only for the final battle to begin and he thought he’d lost his chance. Then nearly a month later he’d gotten a letter from home telling him about the problems between his rookery and the local farm ponies and how a certain kirin had helped smooth things out between the two sides. Now he felt like he had the perfect excuse to see her and thank her for how she’d helped his family. Maybe some fresh deer and some flying by moonlight?
His daydreaming was interrupted when he heard a loud yelling and roaring coming from ahead. Looking, he saw a pair of wyverns in a clearing not too far off, one falling to the ground with several things sticking out of it. A second later some more of those large things flew out of the forest to either side of the other one and it, too, went down roaring in pain. Flying closer in, he saw what appeared to be a battle kicking off, with a lot of soldiers quickly closing in on a smaller group right were the wyverns had gone down. His eyes went wide with amazement when he saw that the group was made up entirely of kirins and had started coming to blows with the soldiers.
He spotted a green kirin fighting near what had been the front of the group and realized that it was the Platinum Knight Storm Vine. Near her and fighting off several soldiers herself was a yellow kirin he also recognized and his stomach suddenly had a hole in it. “No, no, no, no, no, no!” he yelped, immediately diving down towards her. He didn’t know what he could do with that many soldiers wading into the fight but he had to do something!
His dive was cut short when he realized his fall was taking him right towards the pegasi keeping air cover over the fight. He pulled up, just missing a few of them as he shot pass. There was a yell and the next thing he knew a few of them had started chasing him back up into the sky, looks of murder clear on their faces.
“Oh feathers, what the Tartarus, what the Tartarus!?” Xerxes yelped as he beat his wings furiously to stay higher than his pursuers. His mind raced, not understanding what was going on down below and not knowing how to help now that he was being chased away. Who could help so quickly against those numbers, anyway? Then he remembered why he was out here in the first place.
With three pegasi hot on his tail feathers, he bee-lined for Canterlot.
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“We are tiring of these games, lieutenant!” Luna snapped, her wings spreading wide in agitation. “The five of us have important work to do that does not involve twiddling our hooves and claws while we wait for General Steel Spark to discuss with us about the queen’s health!”
Behind and above her, the three wyvern leaders snorted out their own agitation. “He’s been up here since the princesses were crowned doing makers only knows what,” Hearth Stone grumbled, “what possible excuse could he have for being late to a meeting he put together?”
“And where is the Platinum Knight?” Firestorm asked, eyeing the pony in front of them with suspicion, “she should have been here now as well.”
“The general had a last minute emergency that he had to attend to,” the lieutenant explained, “he said he would come back to start the meeting as soon as he was able. As for the Platinum Knight, he sent a messenger to collect the report of what’s been happening around Equestria lately. The general is just as worried as anyone else but has his hooves full with the nobles here in the old capitol.”
“The nobles,” Sea Flame practically snarled, “are nothing but a waste of space and hot air who sit in their manors, getting fat, and complain about the most idiotic things.”
“These past few weeks have been stressful,” Celestia said, fanning her own wings for attention and taking a step between the wyverns, her sister, and the lieutenant, “for everyone by the sounds of it. Keeping level heads will help see us through this and with far less fighting.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Truly, sister, they should have named you a saint rather than a princess.”
The alabaster alicorn simply followed her own advice and didn’t respond.
Frustrated, Hearth went out to a nearby balcony for fresh air as the lieutenant also excused himself. He didn’t like how things had been going since Discord’s defeat and while all the kirins had finally made it back home he had an inkling that the problems facing them all weren’t over.
As he mused, he absently focused on a speck in the sky, probably a bird of some kind. As he watched, though, the bird seemed to get closer and, in fact, it seemed to be a small flock of birds. The birds soon became too big to be birds and he suddenly realized that what he was looking at was in fact a harpy and several pegasi, all beating their wings like mad and it looked like they were aiming at him directly. “What in Tartarus?” he said loudly enough that the other wyverns and alicorns heard him. They all followed his gaze out the windows and their own eyes went wide.
“Are they the castle guard?” Sea asked.
“No, they’re the ones getting airborne now,” Firestorm said, pointing out a different group of pegasi getting airborne.
“Wait, that harpy is in the air corps,” Luna said, seeing his uniform, “what are they-?”
“PATRIARCH HEARTH STONE! THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL ME! THEY’RE TRYING TO KILL ME!” the harpy screamed as he flew like a rocket towards the wyvern.
Seeing they weren’t going to catch him, one of the pegasi readied the spear he had and threw it, attempting to take the harpy out before he could get to the Stone Clan patriarch. Hearth quickly reared up and beat his wings furiously, making a buffer of air that threw off both the harpy and the spear, which shot into the hallway and bounced harmlessly of the castle stones respectfully. The three pegasi pulled up while Hearth roared at them. He stayed on the balcony to keep himself between them and the harpy the others were now attending to. They were intercepted by the castle guards who they started fighting with.
“What in Equestria was that about!?” Sea demanded but the harpy was panting so hard he couldn’t speak and seemed on the verge of passing out. Celestia’s horn began to glow and the harpy was engulfed by the golden glow and almost immediately his breathing became steadier. Once he seemed able to he reached into a satchel on his chest, pulled out a canteen, and took a long pull from it. Only then did he seem able to speak.
“They were… they were chasing me from over the Everfree… I was on patrol and I heard a roaring… I saw two wyverns over a clearing in the forest but… one went down and then the other one… they’d been hit with anti-dragon bolts…”
The two patriarchs and one matriarch looked at each other in shock. Only the army had access to those weapons. “Who were they!?” Hearth demanded, coming back inside once it was obvious the castle guards were going to win and detain the others. As far as any of them knew, no-one from their clans were near the new castle except for the kirins. Two wyverns could only mean…
The harpy shook his head and continued. “In the clearing was a large ring of soldiers and when I saw them they were charging a smaller group in the middle.” He looked up at them, eyes pleading. “The smaller group had kirins in it. I don’t know how many, but I recognized the Platinum Knight and her daughter. They were fighting when those pegasi began chasing me. I… I knew I needed to tell you as soon as possible and…” He stopped as Firestorm whirled from the group and pushed past Hearth to the balcony where he took off without a word. Hearth followed quickly behind him as did Sea Flame.
Luna hesitated only a second before she, too, took off out of the castle.
“You’re sure it was the army attacking the kirins?” Celestia demanded.
“Yes, your highness. The ones chasing me had been flying cover; I saw the uniforms clear as day and there were too many to be a camp of bandits with stolen equipment. There’s a good five hundred of them against just about thirty; they need help!”
Celestia nodded. “The Storm Clan is closest. Go to them immediately and tell them what you told us. We’ll have everything settled by then but we’ll need support for the aftermath. They’ll send their own messengers to the other clans.” The harpy nodded and took off with her out of the balcony, peeling away towards the direction of the Storm Clan.
As she attempted to catch up with her sister and friends, the alicorn felt a knot forming in her chest.
-----------------------------
Vine panted and tried to ignore the stinging pain from the many cuts she’d received from Spark’s blade. She could still hear fighting going on all around her, from the clang of steel on tail blade to the whoosh of fire being breathed to the screams and shouts and curses of combatants as they attacked, defended, became injured… and died. There was no way either side wasn’t going to have deaths by the end of this and she wondered how many friends she was going to lose today besides Marble and Quartz, who lasted long enough to take down a great swath of solider with a blast of fire before another volley finished him. While all those sounds were there, she could also tell they were slowly but surely starting to lessen.
By some small miracle, both Bright and Tempest had managed to stay with her instead of getting lost in the sea of battle but that didn’t mean they were any safer. She’d heard them make the same battle noises as everyone else and more than once she wanted to turn and rain Tartarus on whoever was coming after her husband and daughter.
However, Spark just wouldn’t let up, wouldn’t let himself be taken out so she could face a new opponent. It also seemed like everyone was letting the two of them face off against each other exclusively. With how many soldiers there were she should have been fending off attackers from all sides but not another blade or sharp point came for her except his. She suspected he’d told his troops just that and cursed that his ego, bravado, or whatever could be backed up this well.
He was paying for it, though. Like her, his wounds were starting to accumulate. His armor was dented and singed and where there wasn’t armor he bled and patches of fur were burned away. “Damn half-breeds,” he panted, raising his sword again, “just die so Equestria can be safe again!”
He lunged and Vine side-stepped, bringing her tail blade around to catch the blade as he shifted to follow her movements. The blades hit and slid past each other to create yet another wound on each of them. “It will be once you’re dead!” Vine snapped back, forcing Spark back with a gout of green fire. That, too, was becoming less powerful and she knew that if this particular fight didn’t end soon, things would get worse very quickly.
A sudden roar from behind told her it already was and despite herself she snapped her head around to look. Tempest was throwing a soldier away, his jaws ripping a hole in the pony’s whither as he was sent flying but the soldier had done his work and spear was lodged deep into the kirin’s side. Vine felt her blood run cold as he staggered to face the next opponent coming after him.
“DAD!” Bright yelled, briefly knocking back her own foes to turn and help him. Another group of soldiers bore down on the young kirin as she went to help her father and Vine snapped back into action. She caught movement out of the corner of her eyes and whipped her body and tail around, catching Spark as he charged and knocked him away. She cursed as she felt her tail blade only hit metal but ignored it and rushed the soldiers aiming at her daughter. She jumped over Bright’s tail and bowled into them, flaming, biting, tearing, stomping, and generally being a whirlwind of motherly rage as she reduced her daughter’s attackers into screaming casualties.
When she was done with them, she turned back to where he husband and daughter were. She began to rush over when she saw Tempest slumping to the ground as Bright held off his attackers when she saw Spark again. This time he was rushing towards Bright who was too preoccupied to see him coming and Tempest was losing focus as he got closer to the ground.
Once again, everything around Vine seem to dull as she focused in on what was taking place in front of her. She kicked off the ground, not noticing a spear that shot under her as she leapt forward, quickly gaining speed as she charged. Her mouth opened, fangs extended, but to breath what was probably the last of her fire or scream a mother’s war cry she didn’t know. All she did know what that as she closed in Spark suddenly spun to face her, his sword thrust in her direction.
Collision was inevitable but she swore to herself that he would not touch Bright, Tempest, or any kirin ever again. She bit down.
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1They flew over the treetops, wings pounding as hard as the harpy’s who told them what was happening. They thought they heard distant shouting as they finally crossed over the first line of trees but hadn’t heard anything in the past minute. Was the battle already over? Who was left? Thin wisps of smoke guided them in the direction they needed to go and soon they could see a break in the trees. Firestorm was still in the lead so he reached the wood line first. When he did, he suddenly pulled up with a shout of horror and bewilderment and hovered at the edge. Hearth, Sea, and Luna stopped at the edge as well, making similar noises and when Celestia reached them she pulled up short as well, but any kind of noise escaped her at what she saw.
It was a field of death.
Hundreds laid on the ground where they’d fallen, almost every single one of them still. Small fires still burned on the grass and on bodies while dark red blood was splattered everywhere, staining everything, and pooled in large puddles in the grass. All over where places where ponies had seemed to have died in large groups, where, in the center of those groups…
Fire, Hearth, and Sea dove down into the clearing, followed by the two alicorns. Even though the battle had to be over not a few minutes before, the metallic smell of blood was pervasive and Luna was already looking unwell. The smell didn’t seem to bother the wyverns any as they flew, each seeming to have picked out a different spot to aim for.
Hearth was heading to the far end of the clearing where they could now see two wyverns laying on the ground with what looked like tree trunks sticking out of them. Sea was aiming for a spot off to the side, almost to the edge of the clearing, where Celestia could just make out a powder blue patch among dark red blood and metal armor. Firestorm, meanwhile, was diving into the very center of the massacre. Where he was landing, both sisters could see a green body draped over a yellow one.
They landed with Firestorm, who made a keening, horrified sound as he bent down to inspect his baby sister, who had a sword sticking out of her chest. Beneath her, Bright Storm laid unmoving. While there didn’t seem to be much wrong with her on the side they could see, a pool of blood was under her and her wings and legs were splayed out at unnatural angles. Next to them, equally still, was Tempest, a hoof extended toward them as if reaching for them. They hadn’t been aware how quiet everything had been until a quiet, pained squeak came from Vine and they saw her side slightly rise and fall.
Sound came back quickly as Hearth let out a defining, anguished roar and Sea offered up her own shriek of rage as she let out a broiling wave of magenta fire where she was, burning the ground in front of her and giving the scent of blood a new smell to mix with.
“Vine!? Vine, I’m here!” Firestorm said, gently nudging the kirin. Miracle of miracles, her yellow eyes opened but they were unfocused.
“Fi…re…?” she croaked, barely audible over the noise the other two wyverns were making as they found more dead kirin. The wyvern and alicorns moved in closer to hear her as there’d be no way to silence the others.
“Yeah, it’s me. Me and Luna and Celestia. We’ll get you help, so don’t-!”
“Sp…ark…” she continued as if not hearing him, “Spark.. did… he… order…”
Firestorm’s and Luna’s eyes grew wide, then cold. Celestia closed her eyes and grit her teeth. “Steel Spark…” Firestorm growled in a murderous tone neither alicorn had ever heard him use before.
As if in answer to the name, there was a metallic rattling noise behind them. They all looked and their eyes grew wide as General Steel Spark shifted as if trying to get up. The massive bite wound just below his throat, almost cartoonish in how much of him was missing from it, prevented him from rising. It did not prevent him from gasping out some words, however.
“Equestria… is safe…” he told them, “never another Discord… never more chaos… Equestria is-!”
He disappeared as a huge, taloned foot came down on him, a furious sound rising up Firestorm’s throat as he ground his foot into the place the general once was. Celestia and Luna did their best to block out the sickening sound but they’d seen, heard, and smelled too much already, and they had to turn away to be sick. When they were done, Firestorm was nuzzling Vine, tears running down his leathery muzzle.
Vine was still breathing but it was getting slower. Eyes still unfocused, she just barely lifted her head up as they approached. “I’m… sorry… so… sorry… don’t… let… stay… vain…” She laid her head back down on Bright’s body and a few tears fell. “So… sorry… baby… brother… love…” she finally trailed off and her chest stopped moving. They were all silent again, even the noise the other two wyverns were making seemed dull then.
Firestorm raised up his head and let out a roar of loss that seemed to echo through the forest and beyond. Celestia and Luna held each other as more wyverns and other creatures began approaching the horrific scene.
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2The open air grove had not been in the original plans for the new castle, in fact where they were all standing was originally supposed to be a grand hall meant to entertain the nobility that would inevitably visit the new capitol. The new princesses, however, insisted, quite forcibly in fact, that the space be used for something far less cheery but no less important. It was constructed quickly and the grass and plants now growing in it had done so just as quickly with the aid of earth pony techniques. Around the edges of the grove were more than thirty brand new statues, all unique and of one species in particular. Celestia and Luna stood in front of the statue in the center of the half circle, which depicted a very familiar face. There had been some debate as to how to portray the statue’s representative, be it as the exalted warrior in full armor or the more humble mother and wife. It had ultimately been decided to make it a little of both; a proud, defiant stance that was also as if it was protecting something behind it, the look aided by the two statues immediately to either side. They all agreed that the sculptor had gone above and beyond for it, making them almost seem alive. They all felt their friends deserved such magnificent graves, with how things ultimately ended.
“This grove will be from now on known as the Kirin’s Grove,” Celestia said to the assembled crowd of mourners. As if in defiance of the late Steel Spark, the gathering was a complete mix of species, both pony and non-pony, each there to show respect to the now extinct species. They weren’t just random representatives, either, but the leaders of colonies, rookeries, packs and other groups including the two patriarchs and the matriarch of the wyvern clans. They stood with the remaining family members a few of the kirins had, as most had either married another kirin or had no family beyond their clan. “It will stand as a solemn testament to those who helped guide Equestria through the good and especially the bad times. We will never forget what they all have done for us, what they meant to us, and how their passing has hurt us. May we live by their example and aim for a future they would be proud to see.”
Behind her, Celestia could hear the soft *tink* of Storm Vine’s pendant as a soft breeze jostled it against the stone chest it now laid on.
“A noble effort at the end,” Firestorm said a little later once the ceremony had ended, “but minds have already been made up. I am grateful we were allowed the time to be here.”
“Can you truly not stay?” Luna asked, almost begging. In the sky outside the castle, three large, distinct groups were forming in the air, centered around hovering wyverns while non-pony fliers circled them. Below and out of sight, non-ponies that couldn’t fly were also gathering for the long journey they were all about to make. With the death of the kirins, trust between ponies and non-ponies that had been strained by Discord and then the conflicts afterward had broken. Hearth Stone and Sea Flame wanted nothing more to do with ponies and had declared their intention to leave Equestria. That announcement had created a cascading effect to the point that only a few non-pony groups were going to remain. All the others were going to follow the clans. The one possible condolence for all of them was that the kirins had put up one Tartarus of a fight and in the end only a few ponies survived the battle. Those that did, however, had been swiftly taken care of by the heads of the clans or those that came soon after and found ponies breathing. The few not at the battle who knew of it, such as the three pegasi and the lieutenant, had already been executed.
“While I am the patriarch and know my sister’s wishes, the call to leave is almost unanimous, even among the wyverns,” Firestorm said, “there might even be a call to overthrow me if I force the clan to stay, then I’ll have even less of a choice in the matter. Then there are the others under our protection to consider.” He suddenly looked angry. “And what of the traitor’s wife and son?”
“They, or should I say she, was interrogated, and it has been proven she had no idea what her husband was doing. She’d even sent him a noted begging him to come home and see his son,” Luna said. “The same is true for all families of those in the plot.”
“Would you truly take your grief out on the innocent?” Celestia asked.
“My sister and niece were innocent!” he growled harshly. He looked up at the statues of his baby sister, his brother-in-law, and his niece and sighed as the anger blew out of him, replaced by tired grief. “The fool hurt everyone in the end. Perhaps, one day, we can return and I will see them again. For now…” he bent his head forward and the two sisters put their heads against his. When he withdrew he turned and took off into the air, growing to his normal size once he was clear of the castle.
Luna and Celestia watched him go, wings around each other, feeling lonelier than they ever had before.
In the sky, Firestorm saw the Flame clan already leaving in a south-western direction. His own clan was going north by north-east while the Stone Clan was going almost due east. Speaking of the Stone Clan, Hearth flew up to him. “Have you made your goodbyes?” he asked not unkindly.
“I have, though leaving like this feels like betraying Storm Vine and the others, like Steel Spark won in the end.” He took another look at the castle and the grove in the middle of it. “Do you think we will ever come back to Equestria? Will we ever mourn over their graves again?”
Hearth hovered, looking back down at the grove again for a second before diving and banking back towards his clan and their wards. “When the kirins return to Equestria!” he called back.
Firestorm watched him and his clan begin to fly away, then finally returned to his own clan to lead them on their own one-way migration. ‘When the kirins return, eh?’ he thought as they flew. To some it might have sounded like a promise or even a kind of prophecy. Firestorm knew his friend better, he knew what he was really saying:
Never.
In the grove, empty of all but the two alicorns who were comforting each other, Storm Vine’s pendant continued to sway in the breeze, still gently going *tink* against the stone. For a brief moment, it seemed to glow, as if it had caught the light from the fading sun, then went back to normal.
Night would soon fall on a much changed Equestria.