Canterlot was quiet. An impenetrable pink shield, cast by Princess Cadance, encapsulated the castle. Royal guard patrolled the empty streets outside with no hint of the invaders' presence. Everything was calm. A couple miles away, two ponies sat in the tiny decoding room inside the Apple family's barn.
King Salvator downed another beer and tossed the bottle to the ground. “Goddammit! All of them? Every single one!?”
The decoder nodded and winced at the stallion's rage. “Yes, my King. All the bots and approximately a thousand troops. Seven ships still inbound.”
Salvator rubbed his eyes and growled. “How could we not have anticipated this? How could we not have considered the freakin' sea ponies!? How did this even happen!? How did she control them!?”
“I don't know, my liege. I - I'm sorry.”
“Sorry ain't gonna pull my soldiers out of the damn ocean, now is it? Sorry ain't gonna bring more troops! Damn it all!” He roared angrily and slammed the table with his hoof several times. He snatched another beer and sloppily broke the cap off on the corner of the table.
“King Salvator, I don't know that that's a good idea,” warned the decoder.
The hulking pony lifted the bottle and chugged the drink down. “You listen to me,” he sputtered. “Until you've taken the life of another pony, until your family's been ripped away from you, until you've been exiled from the very country your life began in, don't tell me I've had too much goddamn alcohol.”
“Yes, my King. I apologize.”
Salvator slumped against the wall and slid into an awkward sitting position. “Just, leave me alone.”
“Your Highness?”
“I said I want to be alone right now.”
“Um, of course. As you wish.”
The decoder stood shakily, bowed, and exited the cramped room. Salvator slumped further and swore excessively under his breath. Of all things, the sea ponies. He lobbed his bottle at the wall in a childish tantrum. It shattered and scattered wet fragments everywhere. The Halcyonic militia was now down to infantry. Salvator sighed and vainly scrounged for another drink. With no results achieved, he closed his eyes and retreated into his bottomless pool of self pity. After a minute or two, the door creaked open and a cool breeze leaked in.
“I thought I told ya to leave me the hell alone,” snapped Salvator, opening a beady eye.
“Must have me confused for some other pony,” replied Applejack from the doorway.
The king smirked. “Oh. It's you. Apple something-or-other. You know, you're a lot less ugly when I'm drunk.”
AJ huffed. “Look ya gutter dwellin' lech! I came in here because I need your help. I hate you, but I need a favor. If you're too sauced to take me seriously, I'll gladly leave ya here to wallow in your own filth.”
“Fine. Whatever. You want me to go kick an apple tree for ya?”
AJ tapped her hooves together nervously. “I want ya to help me bust my friends outta' the castle.”
Her request elicited a snort from Salvator. “Why should I give a damn about your friends? Celestia just sunk five of my ships and now a thousand of my friends are dead.”
“What? Oh...I didn't- ”
“Yeah. Well. Whatever,” he cut her off. “Why should I risk even more of my soldiers' lives to break a couple of your acquaintances out of a highly guarded, extremely fortified castle? Humor me. Please.”
“For one thing, they aren't just my friends,” AJ shot back. “Each one of 'em contains an extraordinary source of magic. When all of us come together, our power is so intense it can expel any evil force. We were chosen by Celestia to be the bearers of this power. In order to draw such an awesome magic, we use six sacred artifacts. The Elements of Harmony.”
Salvator smiled like he was listening to a child. “That's a wonderful fairy tale. Did Celestia used to whisper that in your ear to help ya sleep?”
“I'm serious!” insisted AJ. “I think that's why Princess Celestia wanted us all at the castle a couple days ago - so she could keep us under close watch in case she needed the Elements. If we broke my friends out, we'd only be missin' one bearer – Twilight.”
Salvator found another drink and opened it. “Then why bother if this Twilight pony isn't here? So far ya haven't convinced me I should care.”
His constant cynicism was beginning to agitate Applejack. “They deserve to know what's goin' on! They're my best friends and they're stuck there in the castle, wonderin' if they're safe and when this will all be over!”
Salvator sighed loudly. “Stupid! Use your head! Your friends wouldn't be any safer out here with us. Inside the castle is by far the safest place for 'em to be. Who cares if they don't know what's goin' on? At least they're safe.”
Applejack stamped her hoof. “They'll only be safe when they're not somewhere you're plannin' on attackin'! They're in danger of your soldiers! In a few days, you're gonna get your sorry ass off my property and march off to Canterlot. If ya die, that's a bonus. When ya get up there, I want my friends right here with me. Not in the middle of your battle. Ya owe me that much.”
Moments passed while Salvator tried to form a cogent response. “Let's get one thing straight,” he finally said. “I don't owe ya nothin'. Your opinion doesn't matter to me. I don't care what ya think we should do. I'm not basin' my decision off of anything you've said to convince me so far. Now hypothetically, if I were to send a couple of unicorns with ya to get through the castle's shield, they would not protect ya. They would not save ya if anythin' happened. They would not wait for ya or hold your hoof in any way, shape, or form.”
Now it was AJ's time to snort. “I wouldn't expect 'em to. What do ya think I am, a coward?”
Salvator blinked at her through bleary vision. “Ya don't wanna know what I think of ya. But because you're as giddy as a schoolfilly about this little idea of yours, I suppose I'll help your sorry ass out. Not because I care about all this 'elemental melody' mumbo-jumbo, but the thought of ya gettin' caught and detained by a pair of royal guards is just too good to pass up. I shoulda' let 'em take ya the first time. Oh well. I suppose this stupid little 'rescue mission' will get ya out of my hair for a while either way.”
AJ almost smiled. “Thank ya. That's the most reasonable thing you've done since ya got here.”
“Don't get used to it,” muttered Salvator into his bottle.
“I certainly won't," she retorted. "When do ya think we could make this happen?”
“What do ya mean 'we?' This is your crackpot idea. You figure it out. I got enough garbage to deal with.”
AJ calculated her moves. “Fine. Tell two of your boys to meet me at the edge of the farm in twenty minutes. It'll be best if I can pull this off today.”
Salvator offered a mock salute. “As ya wish. By the way, if my soldiers come back with so much as a scratch, I'll peel off your skin in strips and decorate the barn with your intestines.”
“Duly noted. Thanks,” breathed Applejack as she left. She scanned the area outside the barn for her brother. No luck. Big Mac had taken quite a fascination to the Halcyonic weaponry the soldiers brandished. She assumed he was trying to get his hooves on one of their fancy gun thingies.
“Hey Granny, ya seen Mac around here?” AJ asked as she trotted into the house. The elder knit contentedly in her rocking chair.
“Hi deary,” said Granny Smith with a beam. “Let's see. Eh, hmm. Big Mac... Where did he go... Oh! I think he scampered out to the back orchard. Said something about target practice.”
“I expected as much. Thanks Granny.”
“Anytime, deary.”
Behind the Apple's house, a gunshot split the air. The noise echoed over the hills of the orchard. Applejack observed her brother standing between a row of trees. He steadied his hoof and took aim once more. His target: a fully intact bottle sitting on a stump. He honed his concentration. The next bullet grazed the tip of the bottle, blowing the lip off.
“That one was great!” cheered Applebloom from the sideline. “You'll get it this time for sure!”
The soldier who was supervising the practice nodded in agreement. “Gettin' better indeed. Ya got one more shot.”
AJ cantered down the path. “Hey! Big Mac!”
The stallion turned to his sister. “C'mere. Try this.”
“What? No, listen. I need your help with somethin',” said AJ.
Big Mac's excitement over the gun was obvious. “In a minute. Come try shootin!”
“Yeah Applejack!” added Applebloom. “It looks real fun, but I'm too young to try it.”
“Not right now, guys,” she protested. I have somethin' important to-”
“Oh, just try it,” Big Mac demanded. He stuffed the metallic piece of silver in her hoof.
“Fine,” she conceded. “Just one try. That's it.” She inspected the unfamiliar weapon. It had some sort of revolving chamber where she suspected the ammunition was housed.
“Like this,” explained the soldier. “Let me show ya.” He demonstrated the proper posture and technique while handling the firearm. “Okay now, take a deep breath and just pull the trigger. Keep your grip tight. Relax, but stay focused.”
AJ squinted in the afternoon sun. She stared down the sight at the shining bottle.
On three. Take a deep breath. One... Two... Three!
She screamed as the gun exploded and rocketed out of her hoof. The bullet whizzed off into an unlucky tree. “What was that?” she shouted. “Felt like a damn train hit my hoof!” She shook her sore appendage and glared at her brother. “That wasn't very fun at all!”
“Applejack said a swear word!” chanted Applebloom gleefully. “I'm tellin' Granny!”
“Hush,” commanded Bic Mac. He chuckled and retrieved the gun from the dirt. “Sorry 'bout that,” he apologized to the soldier.
The Halcyonite sheathed the gun. “Don't worry. This old girl has seen better days. It's about time I got a new one anyway.”
“Eeyup. Alright AJ, what do ya need?” asked Big Mac.
She was still upset over the mini detonation that occurred in her hoof. “Huh? Oh yeah, let's head over this way and I'll tell ya.”
Mac obliged and followed his sister back toward the house.
AJ began to explain the current situation. “I talked to Salvator a few minutes ago. I'm gonna make a trip to Canterlot Castle so I can break my friends out. I really need your help, though. If anythin' happens, nopony's comin' to rescue me. Salvator's troops ain't gonna stick around and fight on my behalf. Do ya think maybe you could come with just to make sure nothin' happens?”
Mac thought deeply. “That idea is stupid. But, I'll come with. We tellin' anypony?”
“Probably,” said AJ. “Wouldn't hurt to let Granny know. She'll worry, but at least she'll know where we are if somethin' does happen.”
“Don't worry, sis,” Big Mac responded. “It's a stupid idea, but we'll be fine. Ain't nothin' gonna happen.”
---
The laboratories underneath the bulk of Canterlot Castle were a maximum security clearance. The brightest minds from all Equestria toiled day after day to achieve the next scientific breakthrough. The labs held several departments: genetics, pathology/medicines, advanced magical research, and engineering. Princess Celestia was interested in the last.
She greeted her top teams of scientists with cheer as she arrived. They smiled and waved back before promptly returning to work.
“Good afternoon Your Majesty!” said a bright eyed zebra with thick glasses. He approached Celestia and bowed. “How may we be of assistance?”
Celestia scanned the room eagerly. “Good day to you as well. If it's not too much trouble, I'd quite like to observe the progress of the Mark-I prototype.”
“Of course. I must say,” the zebra started to drone, “I couldn't be happier with our progress as of late. We've never been able to reverse-engineer with this degree of success. Simply amazing. Follow me.” The two trotted down the sterilized hallways.“We're currently running diagnostics on the model's capacity to analyze probability and react accordingly. We've improved its motor control drastically, and hope to finish programming basic AI within a few days.”
“Excellent news! Have any of the other models shown such potential?” asked Celestia.
The zebra shook his head. “Not so, Your Highness. Only the Mark-I prototype has passed alpha phase. We've taken the liberty of nicknaming it 'Helper.' I have to say, Princess, those Halcyonites aren't going to believe their eyes when they see what we've done with their bots! Ah, here we are. Right through this glass.” He pointed.
Celestia peered through the reinforced window. Inside was a white rectangular room. The floor was striped with red paint to signify distance measurements. On the other side opposite them was a second darkly tinted window. Standing precisely on one of the red lines was the clunky automaton known as Helper. It appeared as a pony in nature, although the vague semblance stopped there. It had a crude sheet metal skin and its eyes were composed of glass hemispheres laced with tiny diodes.
The zebra located a small cube jutting out from the wall and cranked a knob on its side. “Pendragon is overseeing the test. He's on the other side. We'll all communicate via intercom here,” he explained. The box crackled as he held down the speak button. “Everypony say hello. Celestia is here to watch this one!”
Several engineers' voices relayed back.
“Welcome, Princess! You're just in time.”
“How do you do, Princess.”
“Salutations.”
“Prepping the independent variables. Will begin shortly.”
Celestia shifted her attention back to the robot. A faint hum emanated from its silver body. Well-oiled cogs clicked together in harmony at key joints in its armor.
“There are four main protocols the bot operates in,” said the zebra, observing his brainchild. He jotted something down on a clipboard. “For all intents and purposes they've been labeled 'standby,' 'active,' 'caution,' and 'threat.' They're all relatively self-explanatory. No need to get into the technicalities.”
“Intriguing,” marveled Celestia. “That's what you're currently running diagnostics on?”
“Correct. We're calculating its ability to switch modes with accuracy. It will be a civil nightmare if it runs around trying to shoot everything that moves.”
Celestia looked surprised. “You've already equipped it with ballistic weaponry?”
“Not for this test. That's still a bit farther down the line.”
“Very well. I'm still not sure that Equestria is ready for such violent force, but recent circumstances have overshadowed my hesitation. I have full faith in you and your team. You know what needs to be done,” said Celestia.
“Thank you for your trust, Princess,” said the zebra. “Ah, here we go. Watch what happens now.”
The door to the test chamber slid open. A unicorn equipped with a heavily padded suit walked into the room. “Now switching to active mode,” he disclosed aloud.
“Affirmative. Proceed,” said Pendragon over the intercom.
The unicorn made his way to the idle bot and fiddled with a mechanism under its stomach region. The thing's eyes flashed green twice and it let out a loud beep. “Active,” stated a pre-recorded voice. Its humming grew louder as the intricate inner parts whirred to life. The unicorn walked back in front of it. “I will now initiate a cautionary display. Bot should react with appropriate command.”
“Affirmative.”
With his magic lit, the pony drew a short sword from a sheath in his suit. The end was sawed off and the sides were dulled for safety. “The bot should identify my weapon and -”
“Halt!” demanded the bot's taped message. Its eyes flashed yellow and it let out another loud beep. “Halt!” With a clunky step forward, the mechanical pony advanced upon the “armed attacker.”
“Keep going. You're doing fine,” assured Pendragon.
“Now initiating threat mode!” declared the tester with heightened emotion.
“Is he in danger?” asked Celestia with a worried look.
“No,” said the zebra. “Helper bot is unarmed. The worst it can do right now is incapacitate him.”
The robot beeped and its eyes changed to red. “Surrender!” it bade. A lunge and a quick swing of its front hoof knocked the unicorn to the ground. The nonliving beast reared up and pinned its target to the ground with heavy metal hooves. “Do you surrender?” asked the taped voice.
Pendragon's voice came over the intercom again. “Tell it no.”
“No!” barked the grounded scientist.
The bot vibrated slightly, then clicked three times.
“What was that?” asked Celestia from her vantage point behind the window.
The zebra looked up at her. “That was Helper employing its 'deadly force'. If it had been armed, it would have fired three shots.”
“Goodness. Well, it cuts straight to the point. I suppose that's what we need. Very well.”
Two engineers entered the testing chamber and hastily switched the bot back to standby. The unicorn on the ground rubbed his head and climbed to his hooves.
“Y'allright?” asked the service ponies.
“Yep! Feeling fine,” the unicorn answered. “I don't think that could have gone any better. Let's head back to the lab for analysis.”
The three exited the room and left the bot humming quietly. Celestia nodded slightly to herself. Equestria's defense was about to get a massive overhaul. The tide was turning.
Once more the intercom came to life. “We'll be conducting more tests in a few minutes. You're welcome to stay and observe if you wish, Princess.”
Celestia smiled and pressed the talk button. “Thank you. Perhaps I shall.”
---
The door opened softly. Fluttershy meandered into the library with a satisfactory smile. However, it appeared that the news she carried was in vain, as only Pinkie Pie was currently awake. The earth pony sat atop a table and fiddled with her hair. She yawned out of boredom.
“Hey Pinkie Pie,” chimed Fluttershy. “I have great news! The royal guards said we can go outside to the gardens. They finally declared the area safe.”
Pinkie shook herself awake and cheered. “The gardens huh? Sweet! Anything would be more fun than mucking around all day in this boring old library!”
“I'm really excited. Would you care to accompany me?”
“You bet!” exclaimed Pinkie. “Should we wake the others too?”
“I'm don't know. It's probably better to let them get their rest,” Fluttershy rationalized.
“Okie dokie lokie. Fine with me. I just want to go outside!”
Fluttershy nodded happily and beckoned to Pinkie. “Me too. Let's get going.”
Pinkie leaped from the table and eagerly tailed her companion. The two made their way through the largely empty halls of the castle. Ever since the initial attack, very little had happened. The invading nation seemed to vanish completely after the first day's blitzkrieg. The guards were left on edge. They lay in wait at various outposts for any sign of conflict.
Pinkie and Fluttershy approached the gardens. The buddies threw open the doors and stepped into the leafy oasis. Fluttershy welcomed the chill of the approaching winter. She flapped her wings and grinned in the crisp air.
“Aaahhh,” sighed Pinkie dramatically. “This feels sooo good! I love being outside!”
“Me too,” agreed the Fluttershy. “Pretty soon all the critters will be in hibernation, so this might be my last chance to see them for a while.”
Pinkie waded through piles of fallen leaves, inadvertently scattering them every-which-way. She plopped herself on a patch of grass and took a moment to really observe the scenery. The view was serene, to say the least. Under the magic dome, the area felt like its own miniature biome.
“This place is so peaceful,” voiced Pinkie as she sprawled out on her back. “I'm surprised there aren't any guards out here. It almost makes me forget about the invasion.”
Fluttershy faced away from her. Her gaze stretched beyond the shield and into the late evening horizon. The sun was beginning to dip, bathing the courtyard in a soft shade of amber. “Yeah...” she finally replied.
“You're still worried about Twilight and Applejack aren't you?”
Fluttershy turned and took a seat next to her friend. “Of course! I don't know where they are, or if they're safe, or anything. I'm worried for Princess Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, everypony. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Sure we've fought powerful villains in the past, but none that actually wanted to harm us directly. I don't know why anypony would want to hurt us or Princess Celestia. Why is the world so hostile?”
Pinkie mulled her words over.
“It's just so sad,” Fluttershy continued. “Just when we truly learn how powerful cooperation and friendship are, somepony hateful wants to rip it away from us. What purpose is there for violence when we know that that harmony works just as well? I wish everypony could see how easy it is to tolerate others if we just try. There's just too much hate in the world. It discourages me. Tranquility shouldn't have to be so agonizingly hard to find.”
The conversation was too somber for Pinkie's taste. “Gosh Fluttershy. I never thought of it like that...”
“It's alright,” said Fluttershy. “I suppose that as long as I can make even the smallest difference, I'll be happy.”
Pinkie nodded and said, “That's true. I never thought of it like that either. You're a really talented thinker.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, thank you. I just want to help. That's why I love Princess Celestia so much. She's so calm and thoughtful. I can't believe how privileged we are to be under her rule. She treats us fairly – like we all matter. I really wish there were more ponies like her out there in the world.”
“She is pretty great, isn't she?”
“I think so,” said the Fluttershy with a smile.
When only a thin orange corona peaked over the horizon, Pinkie shivered and stood up. “It's getting kinda cold. I'm gonna head inside and find something warm to eat. Maybe a nice soup. They have lots of soups here. Chowders too. Did you know soups and chowders are different?”
“Yes Pinkie, I knew that. I'll be in in just a bit. I'm going to visit the animals for a little while.”
Pinkie trotted away. “Alrighty! It was nice talking with you, Fluttershy. I'm sure that everything will be back to normal before you know it, and you won't have to feel sad anymore. See you inside.”
Fluttershy sat and continued to peer off over the miles of rural Equestria. The rich beauty of the landscape held her eye, reminding her of everything to be thankful for. A tiny movement outside the shield broke her trance. Several hundred feet away, four shadows approached the magic barrier at the corner of a spire. They stopped for a moment before getting back to their task. Fluttershy couldn't believe what happened next. The figures somehow ripped a large elliptical hole in the shield – and stepped onto the castle grounds.
Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat. She slowly got up and kept watching, panic creeping in.
The castle is breached!
She weighed the idea of rushing inside and raising the alarm. The figures didn't move; they must have been discussing something. Fluttershy had to get closer. Something in her gut wouldn't let her leave, so she started walking. Her movement was a snail's pace. She crept rigidly along the lines of topiary and trees, terrified of being spotted. The low Fall sun blocked any chance of perceiving the interlopers' defining characteristics. Slowly, tediously, she moved down the garden. She crouched behind a shrub once the intruders' voices could finally be heard in the distance. It only took a split second before her eyes went wide and her heart stopped. Their voices.
“Alright. Let's get 'em outta here quick.”
“Eeyup.”
“Applejack!” Fluttershy screamed. She quickly covered her mouth and glanced around. Sporadically screaming in a garden usually attracted unwanted attention.
It's Applejack!
Suddenly, any notion of stealth evaporated. Fluttershy bounded towards the spire. “Applejack! Big Macintosh!” she called with more restraint. Her friends looked up. Their faces were shrouded by the umbra of their shadows, but she could tell they were looking at her. The two figures still unidentified stepped forward. They lit their horns and sent a green rocket of magic hurtling straight toward her.
She squeaked in terror as the magic struck her. The shot dispersed, ensnaring her in a large green bubble. It flung her off the ground and suspended her several feet in the air.
“No! It's me, Fluttershy!” she yelled. “Let me down!”
The figures approached.
“Who's this? That ain't no guard,” one of them retorted.
“Let 'er down! That's one of my friends!” exclaimed the familiar southern voice. “Set 'er down gently!”
Fluttershy felt herself descend back to earth. The magic prison relinquished her.
“What are ya doin' out here in the garden, ya silly pegasus?” asked AJ with a laugh as she stepped forward and threw her hooves around her friend. “Shoot, I can't believe how lucky that was! We came here to bust y'all out!”
Fluttershy's heart was beating a mile a minute over such a dramatic turn of events. “Applejack I – thank goodness you're safe! We've been so worried about you! This is unbelievable! Are you all okay?”
“'Course we're okay. We made it here in one piece didn't we?”
“Yeah I suppose. So, wait, you came here to... break me and the others out?”
“Eeyup,” said Big Mac. “We've got a lot to tell y'all.”
One of the random unicorns tapped the ground impatiently. “Yeah about that, we don't have a lot of time. These little beauties only have enough juice for a few minutes. It'll take 'em forever to recharge on their own if they go out.” He pointed towards the hole they'd tore open in the barrier. Two peculiar generators sat on the ground, pumping an electrically charged magic into the barrier.
“For the record,” the second unicorn added, “we coulda' punched right through this flimsy shield ourselves. All these suckers do is prevent the tear from bein' noticed.”
“Er, yeah, whatever,” AJ said. “Look Fluttershy, just go get the others. Like Mac said, there's more to this whole mess than ya know. Hurry, and don't let Celestia know we're here.”
Fluttershy turned to leave by frowned and stopped. “Why? Won't she be happy to know you're okay?”
AJ sighed. “It's just not a good idea to let her know. She'll want me to stay here, but it's not safe. We all need to get to Sweet Apple Acres.”
Fluttershy certainly didn't like the plan, but she wasn't about to argue. “Alright,” she said. “If you say so. This just seems kind of shady. Is this the right thing to do?”
Applejack moved her hooves back and forth to shoo her off. “Yes. Trust me. Now go.”
Fluttershy hugged her friend once more before taking flight and jetting up towards the castle.
“Casual!” AJ hollered after her. “Act natural like!”
“Okay!” Fluttershy said. “I'll be back soon!”
---
The mess hall had only just been tidied up from dinner. As the last cleaning maid retired, Celestia sat next to Princess Cadance with a plate of steamed vegetables. She urged the guards to leave her and her niece in peace. The two royal alicorns watched as the last guards reluctantly exited. With solitude achieved, Celestia spoke to Cadance.
“You're looking quite well this evening. I trust you're feeling fine? Listen, I wanted to thank you for coming down all the way from the Crystal Empire. I've been pretty occupied with wartime matters as of late and I realized that you may not be well-informed on the situation. I summoned you so we could get you caught up on what's going on.”
“Thanks Auntie,” said Cadance warmly. “I appreciate it. Hopefully all this nonsense will be over soon.”
The air between them was friendly and unstressed.
“Oh, indeed,” agreed Celestia. “We're taking all the necessary measures to remove the threat. Everything will be returned to normal within a week. Good news for the little one!” She patted Cadance's belly. “He won't have a care in the world except lunch time.”
Cadance giggled. “I hope it's a he. We'll find out soon enough I suppose. Oh you know what, that reminds me. Have you seen Shining Armor? It's been a few days and I'm beginning to worry. He came here with me but disappeared soon after. I know I should be used to this, but he's not usually gone for more than a day at a time.”
Celestia took a minute to finish her bite. “Mm, yes, nothing to fret about. I've sent him on a special operations mission to an undisclosed location. My apologies for not informing you much earlier. It must have slipped my mind. Unfortunately, there aren't many details I can release at this point. Rest assured knowing nothing has happened to him.”
“Ah, alright then,” said Cadance with a sigh. “So I take it he's safe?”
Celestia smiled. “Oh come now. We both know your husband is more than capable of fending for himself.”
Cadance dug into her food then replied with, “You're right. It helps to know he's just on a mission. Do you think he'll be back when the baby comes?”
“Oh yes. He won't take more than two days.”
“Wonderful. I'll feel better once he's back here where I can keep an eye on him. Keeping him out of trouble is hard enough on its own.”
Celestia chuckled. “Most certainly. But I digress - how much do you know about the invaders?”
“Next to nothing,” Cadance admitted. “That's why I've been so worried lately. I feel as if I'm helpless against a threat I can't even see. I hate to say it, but I'm pretty useless.”
Celestia tried to console her. “Don't blame yourself for anything, my dear. Nothing is expected of you. Honestly.”
“I know, but still. I can't really do anything besides keeping the shield up. That's what annoys me.”
“You don't have to do anything else. I'm always the one that gets stuck with messes like this,” Celestia joked. “In all seriousness though, would you like me to give you a brief overview of what's going on?”
“Positively,” affirmed Cadance.
“Alright. Well, let me think for a second. It's an awfully complex story.”
“No worries, Auntie. Take your time.”
Celestia fidgeted around to get more comfortable. “First thing's first, the stallion leading the attack is named Gaius. Or apparently 'Salvator' now. He must have changed his name somewhere down the line. Anyway, he's the king of a faraway nation called Halcyon. Candidly, I don't know precisely why he's attacking Equestria. I just know that ever since the beginning, he's bore a searing grudge against us and our people. Our countries have had countless squabbles over the centuries and now his anger must have finally reached a fever pitch. I still can't say for sure.”
Cadance picked at the food on her plate, now too deep in thought to eat. Her eyes shifted back and forth as she absorbed her aunt's explanation. “Interesting that you said 'since the beginning.' What does that imply?”
“Ah,” said Celestia. “Now you're asking the right questions. You see Gaius is -”
The echoing sound of a door creaking open interrupted their conversation. Celestia growled in annoyance under her breath. “I thought I told you to leave us alone. We can protect ourselves, thank you.”
Cadance shook her head. “No Auntie, it's only Fluttershy.”
Sure enough, the yellow pegasus timidly approached the two alicorns. “Forgive me, Your Majesties,” she squeaked. “I-I didn't mean to interrupt you. Um, I was just looking for Pinkie Pie. Have either of you two seen her?”
“Actually yes,” replied Celestia. “She took some soup back to the library a few minutes ago. When you see her, please tell her not to spill it on anything.”
Fluttershy managed a shy smile and nodded. With a final apology she turned to advance in her quest.
“Now then,” resumed Celestia in a hushed tone. She made sure Fluttershy was out of earshot. “About Gaius, or Salvator now...”
---
Applejack watched her breath exit as a ghostly puff. She leaned against the spire as her brother scratched at a patch of dirt.
“Where the hell are your friends?” snapped one of the unicorns. “Every second we stand out here freezing our asses off is a second closer to getting caught.”
AJ scanned the castle grounds. “I think that's them up there. Flash your horn a couple times so they'll know where we are.”
The soldier made a snotty remark but obliged the request. Sure enough, four ponies emerged into the pink light of the shield.
“APPLEJACK!” Pinkie Pie screamed.
“Ssshh! Quiet!” insisted AJ. “Don't yell! I'm really happy to see ya too! Just don't yell!”
Pinkie nodded quickly and squeezed her friend tightly. “Ohmygosh I can't believe it's you! We've been stuck here in the castle for days and it's so boring and-”
“Sssh. I know.” AJ interjected. She smiled and chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity stood to the side, also grinning happily. Thankfully, they were a bit calmer.
“Hey you two!” said AJ. “How y'all doing? It's been a while!”
“Feeling awesome! Happy to see you!” exclaimed Rainbow.
Rarity shivered but kept her smile. “It's a bit cold but – I'm glad you're here! We were worried sick! How ever did you find us?”
“All thanks to Fluttershy. She made it easy,” AJ explained. “We didn't even have to search the castle!”
Fluttershy blushed upon receiving credit. “It was nothing.”
“Well either way, we're all quite happy to see you, Applejack,” said Rarity. “Wasting away in that library was a nightmare for my complexion.”
“Heh. I can see that,” piped AJ with a chuckle.
Rarity spat her tongue out mockingly.
“Now what?” inquired Rainbow. “Are we leaving? Does Princess Celestia know? Where's Twilight? Is she with you?”
“We are leavin'. Yes. But we gotta keep this on the down-low. It's real important that we don't get noticed. That may sound kinda off, but trust me. Well explain everythin'.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac chipped in. “There's a lot y'all need to hear.”
The posse carefully stepped back through the shimmering rip in the shield, their dormant premonitions bubbling beneath the surface.