Chapter 7
Twilight Sparkle stood at the door of the throne room of Princess Celestia’s castle, she was hesitant to go in, and rightfully so, she had no idea how the Princess would react to the request. Equestria had been refusing ambassadors from the Commonwealth of South Island for years, and Twilight knew not why.
Reluctantly, she entered the door and approached the princess. “Your Highness. I apologise for asking to see you on such short notice.”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia said with a smile, “I can always clear a busy schedule to see you, my most faithful student, and I know that you would not ask if it were not of the upmost importance.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “I’ve come here ferrying a request... for a friend.”
“A friend? I see that they did not accompany you, most unfortunate, is this a new friend?” Princess Celesta said.
“Yes,” Twilight said. “Relatively new yes, we felt that it would not be... appropriate for him to accompany me.”
“Oh? It’s a he?” Celestia said, smiling playfully.
“He is also a kangaroo,” Twilight said, Princess Celestia’s smile began to fade, she knew what was coming.
“He has asked me to request that you accept an ambassador from the Commonwealth of South Island,” Twilight said, she swallowed hard, things were either about to become very bad, or very good, and Twilight frankly did not know which.
“Has he?” Princess Celestia said plainly, Twilight was worried, but ended up being caught off guard by what Princess Celestia said next: “Tell me Twilight Sparkle, do you think I should accept an ambassador from South Island?”
“You... you’re asking me Princess? That’s such an important choice!” Twilight proclaimed.
“Indeed it is,” Celestia said, nodding her head in agreement. “A decision that I would make with my sister, however as she is... indisposed, at the moment. I turn to your counsel.”
Twilight didn’t like that she’d been put on the spot like that, she was afraid of making the wrong decision, and what the Princess would do if she made it. She weighed the options carefully, as she thought about it, she realised that Blackthorn’s request had been that, a request. He hadn’t demanded it of her, he’d asked, politely in fact!
“Yes, yes, I think you should accept the ambassador,” Twilight said. “The kangaroo that asked me is an honourable individual with noble intentions, his request was genuine.”
“Very well then, I shall accept an ambassador from the Commonwealth of South Island into my court. I thank you for your council, my faithful student,” Celestia said regally.
Twilight felt as if she’d had a boulder lifted off her shoulders, she relaxed, and bowed respectfully towards her mentor. “How is Princess Luna?”
...
Twilight and Princess Celestia were standing outside Princess Luna’s room, in her private ward inside the Royal Hospital. Two guards were posted at the door, not willing to let anyone in without Princess Celestia’s explicit order. (Apart from the doctors who were treating her.)
They stood aside and allowed them entry. They opened the door, and Princess Luna was lying on the floor in the corner of her padded cell, bound in a straight jacket, rocking back and forth.
“Fly me to the moon! Let me play among the stars...” she sang, but stopped as she heard the door open. Rolling around to face the door. “Stay the fuck away from me!”
Twilight stepped back in surprise at the Princess’ profane outburst.
“Luna?” Celestia said sweetly. “It’s me! Tia and Twilight Sparkle!”
Luna gasped. “Twilight Sparkle! Twilight! Twilight! Please! Come here! Come here!”
Twilight looked to Celestia for guidance, the Princess ushered her forward, but gave her a look that emphasised caution.
Twilight slowly approached the fallen Princess, kneeling down in front of her.
“Hi Luna, how are you?” Twilight said, realising almost instantly as the words rolled off her tongue that she likely didn’t want to hear the response.
“They’re hurting me!” Luna cried out. “They eyes! They’re hurting me so much! Help me Twilight, please! Save me from them! They won’t stop hurting me!”
“Who are they Princess?” Twilight asked.
“They eyes! They are them! They hurt me, torturing me! They always have, and always will! Help me! Please!” Luna cried out.
Twilight rose and stepped back from the Princess in fear.
“No! Twilight! Don’t leave me! You have to help me! Please don’t abandon me to them!” Luna cried out.
Twilight couldn’t bear to watch any more. She and Celestia backed out from the room, Luna screamed her name, shouting for them to come back and help her.
The guards closed the door, and Twilight looked to Princess Celestia. “She’s... insane.”
Celestia nodded sadly in agreement. “My poor sister, she thinks her doctors are torturing her.”
Twilight watched as a tear ran down her mentor’s muzzle, her sister was in pain, and there was nothing she could do to help.
...
Rainbow Dash felt someone brush up against her. No, now they were fully embracing her. She opened her eyes and groggily asked: “Twilight?”
It wasn’t Twilight.
Vinyl Scratch was lying in bed with Rainbow Dash, snuggling her. “Please don’t be mad, today was a rough day,” Vinyl said seriously.
Rainbow Dash looked at the off-white unicorn in surprise. She’d been woken up by Vinyl Scratch’s surprise snuggles before, but this time she wasn’t messing around.
“What’s wrong Vinyl?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I met Pinkie Pie,” Vinyl said, giving a small sniffle. “Actually, I met her the other day, but I met her again today... it didn’t end well. She said she would kill me if I ever came looking for her again.”
“What?” Rainbow Dash asked in surprise, that didn’t sound like Pinkie Pie at all!
“I’ve had ponies threaten to kill me before, Dash, that’s not the issue, she’s just so... sad and there was nothing I could do,” Vinyl said. “I’m a terrible friend Rainbow, I always have been.”
Rainbow Dash rolled over on her side and gave Vinyl a hug. “No you’re not! You proved that you were a good friend in the Hoofson bay! You’re dependable! You stood by us when we needed you... and while I hate to admit it, you’re actually funny.”
A small smile formed on Vinyl’s face.
“I don’t know what we’d do without you Vinyl Scratch,” Rainbow Dash said, she took her hoof to Vinyl’s mane, messing it up. “So no crying! You’re a good friend!”
Vinyl squeezed Rainbow Dash, giving her the biggest hug she’d ever gotten.
“Thank you.”
...
“Check the reserves! How much do we have?”
Sergeant Archibald Wilkes, Commander of Mark VIII Cruiser tank Iron Hoof of Cromwell sat on the turret of his parked cruiser tank, watching over the gryphon prisoners he and his crew had chased into Equestria from the Hoofson bay.
“Let me put it this way, sir, it’s nothing short of a miracle that we got here. That prototype engine is really something sir!” called the kangaroo from inside the tank, checking over the fuel gages.
“Not in earshot of the enemy! I’d rather not have to execute the lot of them because you can’t keep your mouth shut, Sapper Dougan!” Wilkes called out.
“Might as well,” one of the gryphons said. “We were all deserting when you jumped us anyway; we’re already dead to the kingdoms.”
The other gryphon prisoners groaned loudly, yelling at the first one to shut his mouth.
“That’s enough!” Wilkes called out. “You’re all prisoners of war, and shall be treated as such... unlike you lot, we have standards, but I won’t be shedding any tears if your government executes you when they get you back, which will happen eventually. Look forward to your prospects in life.”
Sapper Dougan popped his head out of the tank’s turret, shaking his head; there was no possible way for them to get back to get back to their operational area in the Hoofson Bay.
“Wonderful,” Wilkes said. They were stuck here in this damned forest, he’d seen the wildlife, and while it was something that the tank’s 7.55mm Sesa machine guns could handle, they couldn’t actually use them effectively. Unless the stupid creatures ran at them from the front, one of the machine guns was useless, the other one was mounted on the turret, and assuming that the batteries powering the turret didn’t go out, which without running the engine, they eventually would, it took more time than they usually had against a swift manticore.
Wilkes cursed the commandos; they’d brought them right in the middle of a death trap. It wasn’t a complete loss, however, as Captain Blackthorn had generously provided two of his commandos for defence.
Wilkes spat sarcasm silently at the Captain. As much as he hated to admit it, he was just as much caught up in something he didn’t want to be as the ponies of Equestria were.
...
“Are you sure that you don’t want my guards to fly you back Twilight?” Princess Celestia asked.
“No thank you princess,” Twilight said respectfully, “I rather enjoyed the walk through Whitetail Wood on my way here, and it will be nice to walk through it again.”
Princess Celestia nodded in understanding; she too, loved the beauty of Whitetail Wood, though she rarely ever got a chance to see it any more.
“I’ve sent a letter to the Commonwealth of South Island personally, I think they will be most excited to finally have an ambassador visit my court, don’t you think?” Celestia said regally.
Twilight nodded in affirmation, however she did not have a chance to reply, bursting through the doors to the throne room as a red coated earth pony, clad in a doctor’s coat. The Royal guards moved to intercept him, grabbing him and forcing him to stop before he could get any closer to the Princess.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!” the doctor pony called out. “I bring word from the Royal Hospital!”
“Guards release him!” Celestia called out, they responded promptly. Allowing the doctor to fall to the ground.
“I bring word from the Psychiatric ward! Princess Luna has escaped!”