//------------------------------// // A Warm Reception - Pt. 2 // Story: A World Apart // by Tekkonair //------------------------------// “Welcome to the city of Canterlot!” Exclaimed Luna as the chariot swept around the side of the mountain. All four of the Nephilim had seen sights few mortals could believe, yet few compared to the regal mastery of Canterlot castle. Gold-roofed towers reached towards the sky, surmounted by intricate designs of woven gold, prominently displaying the skill of Equestria’s craftsponies. “We take it you are impressed?” Luna asked Death. “Faintly.” He replied sarcastically, though he had to admit the castle was a work of art, though he wondered how defensible it actually was. ‘I’ll have to ask War.’ He thought. Attempting to judge his brother’s thoughts was difficult at times, separated by a few dozen feet whilst being flown through the air was one such time. “We shall give you the tour at a later date. For now, we must introduce you to the troops.” “What exactly do you intend for us, Princess?” Asked Death. “As we have said before, you will be training our guards.” Replied Luna. Death assumed by ‘our’ she meant hers and her sister’s, rather than referring to herself alone. “Our Guard elites will assist you in training. You will find them more than adequate for the task.” “My siblings and I shall be the judge of that, Princess.” He said, looking at her. “Make no mistake your majesty. We are here to serve the Balance, not you or your sister. We shall assist you in training your troops because that will maintain the Balance. However, go back on your promise of peace, and you shall witness exactly what the Nephilim are capable of.” He warned her, glowing eyes fixed on her blue ones. “We understand, Horseman.” Luna replied warily. “Rest assured, violence towards any peaceful nation does not serve Our interests.” “Not like you’d be able to do much with them at the moment.” Said Strife, flying alongside them. “Not one of them has looked up. Might as well replace them with statues and have done with it.” He sneered, looking back down at the city as they approached the castle. “As We have said, Equestria’s military is in a somewhat dire state.” Luna said, eying Strife cautiously. “Which is why your assistance is greatly appreciated.” “You are welcome.” Said Strife, though his tone betrayed what he really thought about the situation. “But do not make the mistake of attempting to give us orders, for we are not your subjects.” “As your brother has made abundantly clear.” Luna replied. Strife nodded, and swept away from the chariot, most likely to resume his sulking. “Do you believe Equestria will be ready, if anything does befall us?” She asked solemnly, taking Death slightly off guard. “Your Highness, I have brought back a civilisation that was deemed to be completely destroyed, and though some of the wisest beings in the universe had been duped into believing he had committed an unthinkable act, I was able to redeem my brother from blame. If those tasks are possible, then I believe I can bring a few soldiers back up to scratch.” ‘Dear Creator, what have I let myself in for?’ Death found himself asking as they swept over the training grounds, only to see what one could be forgiven for mistaking for a bar brawl. Except instead of random drunkards, a platoon of Celestial Guards and a platoon of Night Guards had set upon each other, launching themselves at each other like animals. Death looked to Luna, who was unmistakably furious, then to War. “Where’s War gone?” He asked, looking around after seeing the empty chariot. Fury swept close to him, grinning and pointing down. Death looked where she was pointing, and sighed. “What is it?” Luna asked, looking to Death and then Fury, before following Death’s gaze. “… He jumped?” “Yes.” “Out of a moving chariot?!” “Yes.” “THAT’S HUNDREDS OF FEET IN THE AIR?!” Luna bellowed, slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice. “It’s kind of his thing.” Said Fury, rubbing her ear and wincing. “He likes to make an entrance.” She said, glancing down again. “Take us down.” Luna said to the bat ponies flying her chariot, turning her gaze downwards once more. The squabbling ponies below were oblivious to the massive stallion dropping from the sky, focussing only on braining anyone who they perceived to be their enemy. As such, he went completely unnoticed, even as he crashed down a scant few metres away. War shook himself, smirking slightly as he climbed out of the small crater he left, before glowering as he observed the chaos before him. “Lunar dogs!” “Sun-loving pansies!” “Mongrels!” “Lard-arses!” “Freaks!” “ENOUGH!” Bellowed War, his voice easily reaching Luna’s Canterlot Voice in volume, bowling over the ponies closest to him and silencing the entire mob of ponies. The entire group fixed their gaze on him, eyes wide as he strode towards them, stopping right in front of one of the Night Guard. “What is the meaning of this?” He asked, his voice growling slightly. “Th-they insulted Princess Luna.” Stammered the bat pony, his wings flapping nervously behind him as he quailed underneath the enormous stallion’s gaze. “They called her Nightmare Moon, and said she should have stayed on the moon.” Before War was able to ask who exactly ‘Nightmare Moon’ was, another voice echoed from the building looking over the training ground. “What the buck is going on here?!” An outraged mare’s voice shouted. War looked towards the source of the noise to see a pair of ponies, the first a bat pony mare, the second a unicorn stallion, approaching the group, a white pegasus following them. Judging by their armour, War guessed the unicorn and the bat pony to be officers, or at least of a higher rank than the shivering stallion in front of him. “Oh buck, it’s Wrecker.” Cursed one of the Celestial Guard, already attempting to hide behind one of his comrades. The bat pony, who War assumed to be ‘Wrecker’, broke away from the group to confront War directly. “Who the buck are you and what in the name of Celestia’s sun-kissed flank are you doing on my training ground?!” She bellowed at him. Despite being of above-average size for a pony, War still dwarfed her. He respected her in a way because of that. “Putting an end to this… Squabble.” He said, following his brother’s wishes and trying to be diplomatic. “What business is it of yours?” She asked in a more level, yet still enraged, tone. “Your Princesses have commissioned us to assist in the training of your soldiers.” War said, before glancing up. “And it appears one is on her way now.” The bat pony officer looked up as well, only to see the Princess of the Night swooping towards them. The officer dropped into a bow as she landed, as did the rest of the guards, the Celestial Guards with a hint of reluctance. “Your Highness.” Greeted ‘Wrecker’. “At ease Lieutenant.” Luna said, biting back her anger for the moment. “What happened here?” “According to Bright Wing.” She gestured to the white pegasus who had accompanied her and the unicorn officer. “A fight broke out between the Celestial and Night Guard, and said, in his words, we ‘needed to stop it before somepony got killed’.” “He was afraid that there would be a murder?” Asked Luna, clearly surprised. The bat pony nodded. “I’m as concerned as you are, your Majesty.” “War, what did this one tell you?” Luna asked the Horseman, gesturing to the still-quivering stallion. “He claimed that the Celestial Guard began insulting you Princess, calling you by the name ‘Nightmare Moon’.” He said, looking back at Luna who sighed. “Is she to forever be a stain on my soul?” She muttered quietly, before raising her head again. “Lieutenant Beacon, I leave their punishment in your hooves.” The unicorn officer nodded, before wading into the knot of ponies bellowing orders. “Lieutenant Shard, follow Us.” She said, turning away and walking towards the building, before pausing and looking back. “War, would be so kind as to accompany us?” She asked, careful to phrase it as a request rather than an order. The Horseman nodded, following alongside the Lieutenant. “Lieutenant Shard, meet War. War, Lieutenant Moon Shard of the Night Guard.” “Nice to meet you, ‘War’.” Said Moon Shard, looking at War and smirking. “Likewise.” Said War, examining the mare next to him. Like all bat ponies, she had a dark grey coat, bat-like wings and tufts of fur on her ears. Beyond that, she was larger than the average pony, about the same height as his brother Death. The mark on her flank, which War had already guessed to be some sort of representation of something about the pony, was of a flanged mace shattering a shield. He flicked his eyes back to Shard’s, who had raised an eyebrow. “Checking me out big boy?” She asked teasingly. “Lieutenant, check your tongue around your Princesses.” Luna admonished her. “Apologies your Highness.” Shard said, bowing her head. Luna nodded, turning her attention to the building ahead of them. “Your brothers and sister are already inside.” Luna said to War. “They’re waiting for you so they can begin discussion with the officers of the Guard.” “Then we should not keep them waiting.” Said War, part of him dreading this. Even the forces of Heaven and Hell had bureaucrats, and he felt he’d more than filled his fair share of dealing with them in his days as a pawn of the Charred Council. ‘Once more into the rusted gears of bureaucracy.’ He thought, stepping into the building. A/N: Hey guys. Sorry if this chapter feels a bit rushed, but I wanted to get it out by the end of the week, and today was the last day I'd be able to work on it until Sunday, so here it is. I may come back to it once my timetable is less full if it is truly awful Also, whilst the Horsemen have lost vast amounts of their power, they have gained the use of THE ROYAL CAPS-LOCK in return, so except high-volume hilarity in that regard