Twelve days after Colgate and her forces set sail Lyra was having a meeting with those troops who stayed behind. She looked at her generals and said, "You know guys, I have a feeling that Colgate and her minions have not only set sail, but that they are closing in on us."
Black Rocks asked, "How do you know this? Are you developing a sixth sense or something?"
Lyra replied, "Yes, I have. I believe we need to sail tomorrow and meet them in battle. We will sink their fleet, I will capture Colgate and punish her severely."
Green Eyes asked, "How do you plan on punishing her?"
Lyra replied, "I don't know yet. I will make sure it is painful. I will see to it that she endures ten times as much physical pain as the economic pain every Neigh Zealander has suffered because of Equestria's selfish economic practices."
Green Eyes asked, "You really hate her don't you?"
Lyra began to cry, "Yes, I truly hate her. Before they started producing their own wool they had to import it from us and we were doing so well. Everypony was prospering, there was no poverty, there was no hunger, there was no sadness and there were plenty of jobs for everypony. Now ponies have to fight to the death for jobs, the unemployment rate is high, the wool producers are barely making it by and I had to beg Alicorn Island to buy our debt."
Green Eyes commented, "Well I don't blame you. I would hate her if I were in your hooves too."
While Lyra and her generals headed to the throne room to have some lunch Colgate and her fleet continued to sail to the southwest. A nice tailwind was pushing them along nicely. Fluttershy was standing by Colgate's side and said, "This tail wind should help us get there much sooner. Perhaps we can catch them off guard."
Colgate replied, "We very well could. I have a feeling though that we will encounter them before we reach their coast."
Fluttershy added, "It would make sense for her to send ships out to keep us from getting there but you know what? We will sink their fleet, we will capture Lyra and make her beg for her very life!"
Colgate said, "Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves Fluttershy. I know you are as determined as I am but we can't go getting overconfident. Remember how Twilight's overconfidence caused her to lose not just once, but twice?"
Fluttershy replied, "Yes, I do remember that. I guess when I set my mind on something I tend to get this aggressive mindset."
Colgate said, "Well keep that overly competitive mindset for the Alicorn races once they resume. War isn't like a race. You can't just go in for the kill immediately."
Colgate looked over at the other carriers and asked, "Fluttershy, could you go and make sure that the other soldiers know to expect us to run into our enemy at any moment?"
Fluttershy replied, "Sure thing."
While Fluttershy was notifying the other soldiers to expect to run into the enemy at any moment Colgate had her hoof over her face. Dark Night saw this and asked, "Colgate, you seem awfully stressed. Are you ok?"
With the way she was at this point she normally would not tell anypony how she was really feeling but given that Dark Night has served her for over 4,000 years she knew he was one she could trust. She asked, "You won't tell anypony a word of this will you?"
Dark Night replied, "Not a word of this will be told to anypony."
Colgate said, "Thanks." She then continued, "Well I just have this really bad feeling that something horrible is going to happen, and it doesn't involve Lyra. I just feel like something far worse is going to wind up breaking out. You might think I am crazy but I have a feeling that SHE will return."
Dark Night had a confused look on his face. He asked, "SHE? Who are you talking about?"
Colgate replied, "Twilight Sparkle. I am worried that she will somehow return, will be invincible and will crush everypony, including myself."
Dark Night had an unsure look on his face. He was worried about Colgate and her worries but he also wondered how in Equestria Twilight could return from being unmade. Fluttershy returned to a suddenly paranoid Colgate. She could tell she was upset and decided to find out. She asked, "Colgate what is wrong?"
Colgate snapped, "Nothing is wrong, I'm fine."
Fluttershy said, "Well then why are you burying your face in your hooves? Why are you biting your hooves? You know that a commander who goes into battle nervous like this is almost certain to lose."
Those words hit Colgate like a ton of bricks as she realized Fluttershy was right. She replied, "I am sorry for snapping at you Fluttershy. I just have a feeling that the dark goddess will somehow return to our world."
Fluttershy asked, "How could she do that? Brevity unmade her and it is impossible for anything to return from being unmade."
Fluttershy's words really reassured Colgate. She replied, "You're right. We have nothing to worry about." She stopped and then laughed, "Yeah, nothing to worry about except hearing Lyra cry and whine!"
Fluttershy said, "Now that is the Colgate that all of Equestria knows and loves!"
It was getting late so most everypony went to bed, except Fluttershy who volunteered to keep watch for enemy ships that night. Colgate, while being somewhat reassured, still had trouble sleeping and when she did sleep, she dreamt about the dark goddess returning and banishing her to parts unknown.