Be diplomatic ... thought Princess Luna, nodding to herself. I can be diplomatic ...
She mused again on her sister's instructions as she cut through the sky in the Midnight Chariot.
She loved her Midnight Chariot.
It had been based loosely upon the chariot the Viprallan warlord Tirek rode to his defeat at Midnight Castle, some six thousand years ago. As a young filly, Luna had seen pictures of that chariot, pictures taken soon after its capture and preserved for millennia by the magics of the Rainbow. It was made of black titanium steel, a long lean four-wheeled vehicle, with a sleek dagger-like nose Luna had modeled on the supersonic jet fighters Moondreamer remembered from the Age of Wonders; two millennia after the defeat of Tirek, twin vaguely draconian tail-fins springing from over the rear axle, inspired by some of the more extreme and impractical motorcars she remembered from a bit earlier in that same general period. Some essentially-unnecessary spikes rising from the rear body, which looked as if she might choose to impale heads upon them, but which she generally used for flags, completed the exterior appearance. It was drawn by two Night Guards, attached by metal chains as if they were dangerous beasts liable to tear apart spectators if not kept well-restrained. The whole was done in glossy black, with a green cat's-eye symbol on the front.
The Midnight Chariot was very diplomatic. Back in the day, some pony lords had been so terrified by the mere appearance of the Midnight Chariot, which implied that its owner tortured puppies and ate foals for dessert, that they surrendered the moment she rode it into the scene. One can't get much more diplomatic than that, Luna reasoned, with some satisfaction.
Inside the chariot was lined with soft light-purple velvet, just perfect for lying upon and sparing wear and tear to the royal backside. Not much point in riding to possible war in an uncomfortable chariot: that might reduce my battle-prowess, which would be bad for the Realm. Also, it would make the whole idea of a chariot pointless, and waste the efforts of my loyal Night Guard, she thought virtuously. Besides, I really like light purple velvet on black; the only better color choice would have been the deep blue tone of my own fur -- and that would have just been shameless vanity.
Deep blue on light purple velvet makes a nice contrast, anyway. She wriggled happily into the light purple velvet.
Luna had been more than a little touched to discover that her sister had kept, tested and piece-by-piece replaced every part of the Midnight Chariot as needed over the last thousand years, obviously in the hopes that Luna would be coming home again to use the vehicle. Declarations of sisterly love are one thing, thought Luna, but I knew she really cared when I found out she'd kept my Midnight Chariot.
Luna was perhaps the merriest mood she'd been for over a thousand years. She was all dressed up and ready to go, wearing a spidersilk war-harness to which was attached her half-helm, breastplate, spiked sabatons, battle-axe, mace, crescent-blades, a brace of javelins and two target shields. I dare any cur to say I'm not feminine, she thought to herself Behold my fine garments, and all my nice accessories! I wager I have the prettiest armament in all Equestria! She giggled. Somepony should make a fashion doll of me!
In addition to the two Night Guard pulling her Midnight Chariot, she had an escort of ten more, making up a full squadron. They were clad in the same light mail that was standard for this era: half-helm, breastplate and sabatons. They bore spears and crossbows; their sensitive hemeralopic eyes were goggled against sunlight and dragonfire alike, and she had fireproof shields for them strapped to the chariot, if the need arose.
If it comes to fighting, though, I'll try to hold them in reserve: I can live in a close fight against a dragon; they can't, and I want no dead Night Guards today.
There might not be any fighting. Princess Celestia's instructions had been clear in this regard.
***
"We are not yet at war with the Dragons," Celestia explained. "And I would avoid war, if possible."
"What wouldst thou have me wreak upon them, sister?" Luna asked.
"Visit them," Celestia explained. "Make an impressive entrance, so that they know who you are and what you could do to them."
Luna nodded. She knew how to do that.
"Then announce yourself, read this command from me that they quit our realm," she said, handing Luna a scroll, "and see to it that they do."
"That I shall most assuredly accomplish!" said Luna.
"The scroll's been fireproofed," Celestia told her, smiling slightly. "Just in case of ... trouble."
Luna grinned back. She knew exactly the sort of trouble to which her sister referred.
Celestia handed her an envelope. It contained a marked map and some other notes.
"This shows the locations of the dragons I want you to evict, color-coded by urgency. The other papers are the descriptions of the exact locations and incidents. Fireproofed too, of course."
Luna scanned the map, briefly examined the notes.
"Remember -- we have a treaty with the Dragons now. You mustn't hurt them unless they resist, and only to the extent necessary. And they get to keep their hoards, unless they've been stealing them from us since their arrival. That's important"
"Certes I know Dragons," agreed Luna. "Have no fear, sister, I know better than to come between a Dragon and his hoard, lest I mean his demise. And I shall start no quarrels with Dragonkind."
"I know I can count on you," Celestia said. "Good venturing!"
"And good fortune to you too!"
***
This is so much like the old days, Luna thought, with a cheerful smile.
The river wound below through an old limestone formation -- the perfect terrain for caves, even before the world had changed. She remembered there were some nice ones in here, and wondered how many of them still had unpleasant inhabitants. She'd had some interesting times in caves.
There! A great cliff-face beetled up where the river turned. From a large mouth in that rock surface, thin grayish-black smoke curled lazily up into the sky.
Time to make her entrance.
"Circle loose left," she commanded her Guard. The Midnight Chariot began to describe a lazy arc around the target, the others of her squadron remaining in formation on her.
Luna reached out and tickled the sky. Air molecules ionized, clouds gathered and darkened in a broad zone around her squadron. The clouds swirled, darkened. Lightning flashed, thunder rolled.
I miss electronics, Luna thought, for far from the first time in her current incarnation. This could be so much more dramatic with a good musical theme. Moondreamer's formative years had been spent in an age of vinyl records, but she had taken well to the newer solid-state acoustic technologies, and had often provided appropriate accompaniment to her thoughts. Princess Luna had been forced to do without that luxury, save in pitched battle. She'd always had an excellent memory for music, though, and it had to do now. Wagoner's "Ride of the Sleipnirsdotters" played in her head as she summoned the storm.
Every dragon within a dozen miles had to have noticed what she was doing by now. She judged the sky sufficiently ominous. "Stoop and low hover," she ordered.
She composed herself, scroll and weapons ready. An immediate attack as she landed was unlikely: dragons were creatures of ritual and not even a hostile dragon would miss the chance for a formal confrontation. If I were fighting diamond dogs, or griffons, now ... She didn't trust either these days, though she'd rather liked griffons, when this incarnation had been much younger. Trottingham and similar memories had spoiled that.
"INTRUDING DRAGON!" she cried out in the Royal Canterlot Voice, full volume, as her chariot descended. "KNOW THAT WE ARE PRINCESS LUNA SELENA NYX, PRINCESS OF THE MOON, AND HIGH LADY OF WAR OF THE REALM OF EQUESTRIA, WITHIN WHOSE BORDERS THOU TRESPASSEST! WE DEMAND THAT THOU IMMEDIATELY VACATE OUR REALM, TAKING WITH THYSELF THY HOARD COMPLETE ..." that was a very important point, and phrasing it as part of a demand made it sound less conciliatory. "...ON PAIN OF OTHERWISE BEING CONSIDERED TO HAVE DECLARED PERSONAL WAR AGAINST OUR REALM, AND BEING TREATED BY US AS OUR ENEMY!"
The wind howled. Lightning flicker-flashed. Thunder growled continuously.
A dragon peeped out of the cave. A small adult green. Gasser, she thought.
"Deploy skirmish line, port arms until my command!" she told her troops. She did not actually expect combat, but her response was almost automatic, Skirmish formation would negate the dragon's ability to use its breath weapon against more than one of them at a time.
The dragon gasped as it saw her response, then turned its head and carefully belched off to the side.
Luna relaxed slightly. That body language meant "peace" among dragons -- that drake had just temporarily disarmed his own breath weapon. While this could still be a trap, it meant that actual fighting was now unlikely.
She landed, and alighted from her chariot, walking calmly toward the dragon. She was armed, but had her weapons in harness rather than loose in her telekinetic grasp. She was confident in her ability to block, dodge or otherwise survive any attack of which this dragon was capable, should it prove treacherous.
The dragon shook a little as she approached, but stood its ground. She stopped and regarded it. Male, she thought, though it was hard to confirm without a graviton pulse strong enough that it might be felt and considered exceedingly rude by its target. Dragons kept such vulnerable parts well-sheathed in armor far thicker and less revealing than the sheathing for the equivalent equid anatomical structures. Her sister could tell the difference at a glance; Luna had never been as socially perceptive.
"DOST THOU YIELD TO THIS DOOM?" She reduced her volume a bit, since she was standing right in front of him, but the dragon winced anyway.
"If ... if you mean do I agree to go and take my hoard ... yes," said the dragon.
"GOOD," said Luna. "THOU SHALT LEAVE SCATHELESS."
The dragon thought about what she'd said for a moment, then nodded. "I'll get the first load." It went back into its cave, disappearing for about five minutes, and emerged with two large and heavy chests under its arms. "Your Highness, I can come back for the others, right?"
"YES," said Luna. "WE SHALT NOT REAVE THY HOARD." The dragon was about to take off when Luna said "HOW ART THOU CALLED, GOOD DRAKE?"
"Lifefang," the dragon said. The name revealed nothing about its sex.
"MAY YOU COME IN PEACE ANOTHER TIME, AND HAVE GOOD GUESTING," she said. There was no point in hostility now, that the dragon had aceded.
"Oh ... same to you, Your Highness," said the dragon, relaxing a bit.
He beat his wings -- Luna felt the flare of paramagnetism -- and he took off for the southeast.
Luna smiled. One dragon down, she thought with satisfaction. Five more to go.
***
Luna fared much the same with the next three dragons. Some were bolder, some more timid, and one actually had the temerity to glare at her. The Moon Princess met its gaze coolly and it gave up in about a minute. None seemed particularly interested in doing battle with her, which she supposed meant that she was being sufficiently diplomatic. Or terrifying, which was much the same thing.
The pattern broke with the next two dragons.