"As well as devoting themselves wholly unto their duties".
It was extremely early in the morning, and I was tired. But currently I had obligations. Obligations to those that I had failed.
Fire Arc
Ember Ignacia
Ace Strike
Carmen Cassion
Alna Hellfire
All five of them had died to Nightmare Moon several days ago during her return, and from what I had been told it was in an attempt to delay the dark alicorn long enough to give their fellow soldiers time to escape the castle.
"To give their lives in such a matter. Not only for the realm, but for their fellow comrades-in-arms, their friends... is one of the highest honors that there is".
As a royal I had given this speech many times before. As it had been customary since time immemorable for a royal to preside over a Flame Pony funeral.
"And for such selflessness and bravery I bestow them the highest award there is, the Knight's Cross". I then began to descend from the small hastily constructed wooden platform I was standing on and towards the caskets laid horizontally infront of it, Asteria following me with a plank of wood in her magic with the five crosses atop it.
Once I reached the first one both myself and Asteria halted infront of it.
"Fire Arc gave her life in defense of the realm, her comrades, and her loved ones. May her soul find peace in Elysium" I then placed one of the crosses on the casket of the fallen Flame Pony. Moving down the line I repeated this four more times before myself and Asteria returned to the top of the wooden stage, where we both pulled our sabers from our hilts and presented them with our right forehoofs.
"Soldiers... salute" Asteria yelled.
Almost immediately the mares of the fourth legion raised their right forehooves to their chests while their officers presented their own swords in the same way me and Asteria did.
For ten seconds we stood there, the soldiers in formation facing the caskets and stage, with me and Asteria facing them. Once I lowered my sword and they lowered theirs in response the first row of mares then stepped forward and grasped their designated casket. They would load them onto a newly constructed wagon that we would take with us back to Ashen for a proper burial.
I watched them go with a solemn expression. Those mares had sworn their lives to me, and how did I repay them. By getting them killed....
"Mainly by not being there!".
If I had been then maybe we together we could have driven Nightmare off, but I hadn't been there. I had been in Ponyville chasing something that didn't need to be chased at all!
Or... maybe it did. Nightmare Moon had been stopped by those mares, mares that I had helped find the elements with. Maybe it was for the best that we all met... Celestia has proven that we would benefit more with her on Equestria's throne rather than Nightmare Moon, though unknowingly.
Regardless that didn't change my orders. As now that those brave mares' funeral was over it was back to business, infiltrating... re-infiltrating Equestria and stealing the elements. Though I had a plan, and although I had stayed up all night formulating it it was still extremely dangerous. Mainly because I was counting on the fact we've been largely forgotten about by the Equestrians. Though that still didn't change the fact that if we we're discovered we we're done.
Which was why I was going over every single contingency plan I could think of. I was going all out this time, no exceptions! We had gotten extremely lucky beforehoof. This time we had to be successful.
"Prince Flameheart?"
"...Yes commareder?" I asked, slightly annoyed at her interruption.
"Are you going to dismiss the soldiers?" she asked. I blinked, and realized that the remaining mares we're still infront of me and Asteria. Waiting for further orders.
"Oh right, soldiers... dismissed" I shouted. They saluted once more and dispersed to resume their various duties.
"Sir, are you well?" Asteria asked me.
"I am, thank you commareder. Just... deep in thought" I replied, she smiled.
"Very well, just don't lose track of what's directly infront of you my prince" she replied.
"Of course, I just don't want this to happen again" I said, gesturing to the caskets that had been set down. Now awaiting their cart to be built.
"Well then let's not let it, well go slower this time. Take our time, gather intelligence, then strike when we have the advantage" she answered.
"Yes, though I fear even returning to that town will prove to be complicated" I replied.
"Then we'll deal with it, and with any luck we may not even have to return to that town" she said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Why not just go to Canterlot and knab the elements from there, instead of wasting our time in that backwater village?" She replied.
"Because Canterlot, and by extension the castle, will have many more guards than Ponyville... if there's any guards here at all. Not too mention not two but three princesses now. Besides my mother has given us explicit orders to infiltrate the town and gather intelligence about the bearers" I answered.
"Very well" she replied.
"Are we still on schedule?" I asked.
"Yes sire, the mare's you've hoofpicked will be ready to depart in thirty minutes" she replied.
"Good, tell them I'll meet them just before we set off" I said.
"Yes sire" Asteria replied. With that I parted ways with her and returned to my tent to gather what I would be bringing with me to Ponyville... and review my plan for the umpteenth time.
Princess Luna was not having a good morning by any stretch of the imagination. Ney scratch that, the last thousand years had all but been utterly horrid. She had thought that having been freed from Nightmare Moon's control would at long last usher her into a new era. One where she was looked up to and beloved by her subjects, just like her sister.
Instead nothing had seemed to change. Although her sister had done well in suppressing the legend of Nightmare Moon, rumors and tales from that era continued to persist throughout the centuries and even into the modern day.
Once she had returned to Equestria's new capital city, Canterlot. Celestia had been beset upon by royal guards, nobles, and frightened commoners. While she had been left utterly alone. While Celestia had quickly noticed this and introduced her to them their best reactions had been wariness, while some stallions had practically dragged their mares away from her.
Nothing had changed it seemed, in fact if anything it had only gotten worse. For now she was not just the mysterious and frightening princess of the night. Now she was more commonly referred to as The Nightmare, who had come to conquer the world and plunge it into eternal night.
On top of that her actions in Ponyville hadn't helped either, especially with what she had done to that poor stallion. Her memories of that fight and of the last few days in general we're pretty hazy at best. But thanks to what the new bearers of the elements had told her she now knew she had beaten him, broken one of his legs, and then sent him out of a multi story window. The fact that he hadn't been injured more was in itself a miracle. Not to mention that it seemed that those particular actions wouldn't make it to the Equestrian public's ears, thank Faust.
Alas however it seemed like she was descending right back into the same situation she had been in one thousand years prior. Except now armed with the knowledge of what would happen if she we're to make a deal like that again...
"We art a damn fool..."
Thinking back she honestly didn't understand why she had trusted that... demon. During their many conversations before Luna had let the dark mare fully into her mind and corrupt her something in the back of said mind had repeatedly told her that if she accepted that mare things would only get worse, and they did... fast.
The few friends she did have we're now all dead, along with any respect her subjects ever showed her. Now all she saw in them was fear and anger. Directed directly at her, and the worst part was that she deserved every single ounce of it.
The war, the death, the famine, the countless souls she had led astray...
"No, we art more than a mere fool, we art a monster" she thought.
At least she still had Celestia. Though that was of little solstice in her current situation. She couldn't even count on her loyal Thestrals now, as they had all been but expelled from Equestria during and after her rebellion. In addition to her whole trained army now stuck on the moon. Though thankfully they would survive without her direct supervision.
From her bed the alicorn then found herself looking towards the silver celestial body. It had been so long since she'd seen it from Equus, so long since she'd been able to fully see the one thing in the world that was truly hers.
She didn't even want to look at it anymore.
Tossing and turning also reminded her that she had been unable to get any sleep at all, which was unfortunate as the ceremony where Celestia would pardon and reinitiate her as a Princess Of Equestria was later today... why did they listen to Starswirl when he insisted that their royal titles should be princess and not queen?
...Heh We suppose that perhaps We simply wanted to please thy silly stallion as he always referred to us as his little princesses... no wait, wasn't it Celestia whom still fancied the colt and made Our titles a royal decree out of her devotion to him? Or... mayhaps it was that tyrant Queen Simaneu who's actions soured the word... Probably a combination of all three.
While her reminiscing about simpler times did bring a smile to her face it was short lived as a small clock in the corner of her room struck twelve. This meant she now had to get up and prepare for Celestia's announcement at one, and if there was one thing that she hadn't missed during her thousand year exile it was politics.
A few hours later myself, Delilah, Fire Strike, and four other mares arrived once more back at the outskirts of Ponyville.
Suffice to say I was not looking forward to having to deal with this town again. Though at least I would have a decent amount of guards to help with that now. Though of course that raised even more concerns, what would the town think of us. They already knew who me, Delilah, and Fire Strike we're. Or at least to an extent...
They could take my sudden return as that I had changed my mind about wanting them to pursue courting me. Which would be... suboptimal, to say the least. Along with several other concerns were those six mares as well. Twilight I now knew had personal connections to Princess Celestia herself. That by itself was bad but now with Princess Luna's return from her banishment made our return to this town even more dangerous.
Then there we're the other bearers of our coveted elements. They may be less important mares but they we're still element holders. Along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash both being quite fit if I remember correctly, Rarity could also have connections in Canterlot as well. She did tend to act a bit like a noblemare.
"Always assume that your enemy has the ability to counter you, and be prepared to counter them" Stirrup Sword - The Art Of War.
Fluttershy and Pinkie we're well, Fluttershy and Pinkie. One was a poor, shy, little mare who couldn't hold a sword even if her life depended on it. The other was a potentially insane madmare with unknown variables that could make things complicated.
All in all not an ideal situation, though I had seen and been in worse ones. My surprising victory over Princess Sharn in the battle of Youstergof was testament to that.
I would pull through... we would pull through. One way or another.
"Are you all ready" I asked and my entourage.
They nodded.
"Excellent... and remember. While in this town you are not my guards, you are family of mine that I am traveling with and due to circumstances we do not want to talk about we decided to settle here in Ponyville for the foreseeable future" I added.
Once more they nodded their understanding and we entered the town proper. While Delilah and Fire stayed by my side the other four mares separated off just before the first few residents noticed us. They would be blending in for the time being, so as not to arose too much suspicion.
As we trotted throughout Ponyville, three things became apparent very quickly. The first was that the mares of the town seemed surprised that I had decided to come back. The second was that they we're, as predicted, very happy to see me back, and the third and final were the saddened expressions on their faces when they once again saw Delilah and Fire Strike walking very close alongside me.
I wont lie and say a small smirk didn't come to my face when I saw that ...though perhaps that was a bit cruel. Mares we're well, mares. I had learned long ago that they couldn't help what they we're... though I was still annoyed at their actions from the previous days.
Regardless we made good time towards the town hall. Our first step in settling in would be to purchase a home or if need be build one, though that would require land.
The building looked the same as it did the night Nightmare Moon had returned to Equestria, only now without much of the fanfare it had sported during that night.
While I did somewhat hesitate just as we walked in. As my eyes we're momentarily drawn to the balcony Nightmare had appeared upon, and the memory brought a shiver to run down my spine. However I got over it quickly and managed to spot the mayor who seemed to be in conversation with another mare.
"... Thank you very much Miss Inkwell, it shouldn't be a problem" she said. The other mare, a black maned white unicorn mare who sported glasses and had a cutie mark of some writing utensil I couldn't recall. Though I could see that under it was an inkwell.
"Excellent Miss Mayor, though the guard will still do their best to keep away from the town" the white mare answered and began to trot off, nodding to me and my entourage as we advanced past her and towards the mayor.
"Well that was an interesting sentence". Meanwhile Mayor Mare had turned to head off in a direction that wasn't toward us, though I quickly rectified that.
"Excuse me, Miss mayor" I called.
"Hm, oh hello there dearie. You are uh... Night Storm... if I recall correctly?" she asked.
"Wow, she learned my name fast".
"Indeed, I hope I'm not interrupting something important" I gestured toward the main door that Miss Inkwell had just left through.
"Oh no we we're just wrapping up actually. What can I do for you and your mares?" she asked.
"They're not my! ...Oh for buck's sake just go with it, it's not worth the trouble at this point..."
"We we're hoping to purchase a home here in town. Or, if there's not one available currently then a plot of land to build one" I replied.
"Oh, I see, we do actually have a couple available right now. Do any of you have a creditor?" she answered.
"Um... no, I was hoping to just pay for it" I said.
"Very well" she answered slowly. Almost like she was suspicious of something, which of course set off alarm bells in my head.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, to which she seemed confused by my question.
"Well yes, its just that when most ponies want to buy a house or land they put a down payment on it first or just lend the money entirely" she explained. "...Most ponies can't afford to pay for that big of a purchase immediately unless you're quite wealthy" she added at my confused expression.
"I see... how much would that cost then?" I asked.
"Depends on a lot of things, square hoofage, condition of the building, location, current market prices, among other things" she replied.
"Okay... I, uh..." I wasn't really quite sure where to go from here, as I seemed to be way out of my field. Especially because Ashen didn't really have an economy. Though the mayor didn't wait for any response that I would be able to formulate and turned her attention to my guards instead.
After looking at them for a few seconds she seemed to become irritated for some odd reason, to which after a few more a scowl began to form on her muzzle.
"Are you both just going to sit there and leave your stallion to struggle in a subject he clearly doesn't know?" she finally asked. This took all three of us by surprise.
"Ah, that's what this is then... bucking mares and their chivalry...". I sighed.
"No no, it is fine Miss mayor. I actually asked them to let me do all the talking you see, moving here is kind of a new start for us and I want it to be perfect. That includes finding or building the perfect house" I smiled.
"Oh, that... makes sense I suppose" she said after a few seconds of processing what I said. Though she still scowled somewhat at my guards.
"Well come on then dearie, let's get you that perfect house... you do have the bits to pay for it right?" she added.
"Welp here goes nothing".
"I have this" I said as I pulled out a gemstone known as a Fire Ruby out of my saddlebag. I knew that they we're quite rare outside of the Firelands and we're therefore very valuable.
"I... is that a f-fire ruby!?" the mayor nearly yelled.
"Uh... yes" I replied.
"N-Night Storm, you do understand how valuable this is correct?" she asked.
"It seems that I do not based on your reaction, I know that they go for a decent amount but - Are you serious!?" she cut me off.
"Night Storm, you could literally buy all of Ponyville with what this gem is worth. Where did you even find this? From what I understand they're only found in the farthest corners of the Badlands" she added.
"When I was a colt I found it in a forest one day in a small sack and just kept it" I lied. I had actually received plenty of them as gifts over the years, and had amassed a decent collection of them back home in Ashen.
"Okay... okay then, let's just, let's just get you and your mares settled in town" the mayor calmed down.
"Very well, how does this work?" I asked.
"Please follow me" she said as she gestured towards what I presumed to be her office. "I'll show you what we have for sale".
"Well hopefully this is the most exciting part of my day".
Mayor Mare was in probably one of the weirdest situations of her entire life. Everything about it was utterly baffling.
She was currently going over the legal requirements of owning a house in Ponyville with the new stallion in town, Night Storm and his... entourage of mares that had arrived with him. Both of which didn't have any sort of knowledge about owning and taking care of a house outside of pure maintenance. Not one knew about building codes, regulations, or even taxes!
Well except for the stallion himself, who did seem to know what a land tax was. But besides that and that you needed money to buy a house or plot of land, that was it! That was literally everything he knew. Which was absurd.
Everypony knew that stallions didn't have a head on their shoulders when it came to money, much less economics. They typically went more by their emotions first and foremost. Which when the house they wanted cost more than what they or their mares had available in their bank account bad things happened to the ears of said mares in close proximity to them.
Which is how she found herself going over building codes and certain requirements with the ponies infront of her.
"I really need to have any building 'insulated' in order to be able to live in it?" the stallion asked.
"Well yes, having an insulated building will keep the interior warm when it's winter. You may not be able to tell currently with it being the middle of summer. But believe me when I say that when we get to the winter months it gets cold, and you'll be very thankful that your house is insulated" she replied.
"Couldn't a simple fire solve that issue?" one of the two mares that had arrived with Night, she believed her name was Fire Strike, asked.
"Well yes, but as soon as the fire goes out the heat is not being replaced anymore, and with no insulation to keep it in it will escape a building in any way it can. At windows, doors, the roof, even the smallest of cracks matter" she explained.
"In a nutshell you're always going to lose heat, but having insulation drastically slows that process. As well in keeping the costs down in firewood or electricity if you live in Manehattan or Canterlot" she added. At that the mare looked confused.
"What is el - Ahem, thank you for the explanation Miss Mayor but would it be alright if we got back to the topic at hoof?" Night Storm asked her.
"Oh sure, anyway you don't have to worry about all that. Ponyville has a small contractor service which keeps the houses in order. In addition to fixing any issues that may pop up as well" she said.
"Alright, which houses are for sale again?" he asked.
"Three currently, or we have two three thousand by three thousand square hoofage plots of land for sale as well if you want to build your own house" she replied.
"Lets look at the prebuilt ones first" he asked.
"Very well" she said and trotted over to a filing cabinet titled Ponyville Housing. Where after procuring what I would come to know as three file folders she walked back over to her desk and set them down on it.
The first two we're close to the center of town, while the second was placed farther away. Close to the zoning limit.
"Hmm, the third one looks nice" the stallion said.
It was a nice house, built by a farming herd around some forty odd years ago. Which after about twenty years they had left for Vanhoover. The house had been sold to the town and had ever since been in the town governments care.
"I like it, how about you girls?" the colt asked. The mares nodded their replies.
"Alright, I think we'll take that one" Night confirmed.
"Wow that was fast, usually takes stallions hours to choose stuff like this" Mayor thought.
"Perfect, though we will have to go over the issue of payment. For the time being we can get the paperwork out of the way and get you and your herd into your new home" she said cheerfully, and leaned under her desk to get said paperwork. Failing to notice the mares' looks of surprise and shock along with the stallions left eye twitching.