//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - In space, everyone can hear you talk // Story: On the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons // by The dragon hunter //------------------------------// Chapter 5 - In space, everyone can hear you talk “How many more envelopes remain, Raven?” Celestia asked her secretary, a young white unicorn mare with black hair wearing an office suit and a pair of black thick-rimmed glasses, while she finished signing the last document of a huge pile. It was early afternoon and the princess was sitting under a gazebo in the royal gardens, committed in her paperwork. Sure, it was a boring activity even when done outdoors, but at least the birdsong and the scent of flowers carried by the breeze made it more bearable. “Just five, your majesty,” the mare replied, putting another big pile of sheets on the garden table. A very un-royal groan left Celestia's mouth. “Most of them are noble's petitions.” Another un-royal groan followed the first one. She knew from centuries of experience that most of the time their requests were nothing more than a waste of paper, but unfortunately she had to examine them all, given the probability that in their midst there was something actually important. “Alright, let's take a look,” she said with resignation, starting to flip through the sheets. “More titles, less taxes, more power, less taxes, more power, less work, - WHAT?! 'Relocate the orphanage far from the Royal Park because the noise of the playing children disturbs the matches of croquet.’ ?" she read in complete disbelief. “What kind of selfish idiot would ever- oh, Blueblood,” she deadpanned when she read the signature. “Bah, sooner or later, I'll end up sending him to a training camp. Maybe some drill sergeant will finally teach him that just because he's prince the world doesn't rotate around him,” the alicorn grumbled, resuming flipping through the pages. It took her several minutes to finish reading the other papers, but in the end she found that the only acceptable petition was a request of funds from the duke of Phillydelfia for the restoration of the local Conservatory of Music. “The nobility of these days only know how to waste public money,” she thought annoyed, as the last denied request joined the pile of the others. Gone were the days when the nobles served as knights that defended the young kingdom of Equestria and its citizens from the enemy armies and the mighty beasts coming from the Everfree Forest. With the improvement of diplomatic relations, and the partial taming of the more marginal areas of the ancient forest, Equestria had gradually entered an age of prosperity and relative peace, pushing most of the members of the upper classes to forget their duties toward the country and indulge in the benefits generated by wealth and power. “Shall I take away the rejected petitions, your highness?” Raven asked looking at the amount of papers. A smirk formed on the lips of Celestia. “I think that Philomena is able to handle it.” The phoenix in question was perched on backrest of the other chair across the table. Celestia lit up her horn, enveloping the sheaf of paper with her magic and levitating it in the air. “Philomena,” the princess called, catching the attention of the bird. “Wastepaper,” she simply said. The bird took off and began to fly around the pile of documents, increasing her speed until she became a confusing orange blur. Smoke started to rise from the living tornado; then the paper caught fire. The phoenix ceased flying in circles and stepped aside, observing her work with satisfaction. When the paper became completely ash, Celestia severed her magical link, allowing the ashes to fall in the trash can located below. “Good girl,” Celestia said as the phoenix landed on the table. “You know that there’s a shredder, right?” Raven asked. “I know, but it's more fun this way,” Celestia replied, giving a scratch at the phoenix's head. “You can go fly a bit if you want,” she said to the bird. The phoenix cooed hopefully. “I'm sorry, but I can't come with you. I still have much work to do,” she said with a sad smile. The bird bent her head, cooing disappointedly. Announced by the sound of beating wings, a pegasus guard landed not too far from them. He was a white stallion with azure eyes and a blonde mane slightly longer than allowed by regulation tied up in a short pony tail. “Good afternoon, princess,” Cloud Skipper greeted, snapping to attention. “Good afternoon, lieutenant. What news do you bring?” “The griffon delegation is coming. They will reach Canterlot within an hour.” “Excellent. Anything else?” “Your sister is waiting for you in the map room.” “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said, rising from her chair. “Raven, bring these documents to my office please. We'll finish examining them after the meeting with the griffons.” “Yes your highness,” the unicorn said, enveloping the papers with her purple magic and carrying them away. “Lieutenant, give the order to send a pegasi team to intercept the airship and escort the delegation during the last tract of their route.” “As you wish, princess,” the stallion replied with a nod before flying off towards the barracks. Celestia was about to teleport in the castle but she stopped and looked at the phoenix. She then shifted her gaze at the sky. It was deep azure with the right amount of clouds mostly concentrated around the top of the mountain while the only wind was a gentle breeze almost unnoticeable. She bit her lips. She knew that her sister was waiting for her, but she had been sitting all morning attending her Court and examining documents, plus, as if it wasn't enough, she knew that the diplomatic meeting would certainly be long and tedious. She really needed to release a bit of tension as long as she had the time. 'Surely Luna wouldn't mind waiting a couple of minutes...' she thought with a guilty smile, before she approached Philomena. “I know it's a short route, and that the time at my disposal is short, but... would you like to accompany me to the castle?” Philomena tilted her head and flapped her wings twice hopefully. “Of course, by flying,” she nodded with a smile. The phoenix chirped happily and soared in the air, fluttering around her. The alicorn closed her eyes, spread her majestic white wings and, with a single powerful beat, she darted in the air. Finally! Freedom. When she opened her eyes, she was already dozens of meters from the ground, beyond the level of the tallest tower of the castle. Followed by her dear feathered friend, Celestia kept rising in the sky, until they reached the layer of clouds that ringed the peak of the mountain. Celestia flew through the white mass, enjoying the soft touch of the clouds that caressed her face; then she wrapped her wings around her body and began to spin on herself, popping out in the blue sky with an explosion of wisps of clouds. She then opened her wings to their full extent without beating them, hovering in place without effort thanks to the help of the powerful updrafts. The sight in front of her was breathtaking. Everywhere she looked she found forests, mountain ranges, rivers, fields, and cities, all of them bathed by the sunlight. A warm smile formed on her lips. It wasn't just her reign. It was her home, as well as the home of her beloved subjects. Celestia enjoyed the sight for a couple of minutes, before she decided that it was time to resume her duties. She and Philomena descended toward Canterlot by flying in large circles, until thery reached the level of the roofs of the towers, where the princess gave her farewell to the phoenix. “Thanks for the flight, Philomena, I really needed it. See you later, my friend.” The phoenix croaked happily; then she flew away toward the Everfree Forest. Smiling, the princess continued her flight toward the main building of the castle. She landed with grace on a wide terrace and folded her wings, adjusting her dress to make sure that it had not wrinkled. Once sure that she was presentable, she closed her eyes and sighed with satisfaction. 'I'm sure that Luna will not notice my slight delay,' she thought confidently. The sound of approaching hoofsteps from behind her proved the contrary. “You're late, Celestia,” Luna said monotonously. The elder sister snapped her eyes open. 'Oops, spoke to soon.' Turning toward the source of the voice, she saw Luna standing on the threshold of the glass door with her arms crossed. She seemed to have recovered her forces, as indicated by her mane and tail once again in their ethereal shape with twinkling stars. “Moi?” Celestia asked with fake indignation, putting a hand on her chest. “Never. If anything, you're the one that is in advance.” The dark alicorn shrugged. “Then I presume that we are both on time.” Celestia chucked. “I suppose. You look better. Have you slept well?” “Like a log,” Luna confirmed with a satisfied smile. “How was your morning?” “The Day Court was rather uneventful today, while the paperwork has been almost completely a waste of time and paper,” Celestia said passively while they left the terrace and went inside the castle. The two alicorns walked through a series of hallways, Celestia informing her sister about small political facts until they reached a big double door guarded by two unicorn guards armed with halberds and pistols holstered on their hips, one wearing the golden armor of the Solar Guards while the other the dark blue-purplish of the Lunar Guards. Both stallions snapped to attention then, at the nod of Celestia, they opened the doors using their magic, closing them again once the princesses were inside the room. Unlike the rest of the castle, which was richly decorated, the room was bare of almost any kind of furniture. The walls were made of light gray stone, while the wooden ceiling had visible beams from which hung a great round chandelier made wrought iron with several enchanted candles. Their bright and homogeneous light lit up the room with the same efficiency as light bulbs, but with the advantage of never burning out. Hanging on the side walls were several heraldry flags, those to the left represented Luna's cutie mark, while those on the right represented the one of Celestia. Almost at the end of the wide room, located on the right, there was a large circular pedestal made of dark stone and metal, roughly as tall as their hips. The head of the pedestal was slightly inclined, and at its center there was a crystal ball surrounded by two concentric series of glyphs. On the wall in front of the pedestal there was a detailed painted map of the world that rose from the ground to a height of about four meters. Celestia looked at the familiar shapes of land. Equestria was one of the bigger countries, occupying a good portion of the continent of Epona, but it wasn't the only state. North of Equestria there was the Crystal Empire, while to southeast there was the peninsula of Saddle Arabia. Going further south there was the continent of Zebrica. East, over the sea, extended the vast archipelago of the Griffon Empire; dozens of islands of different shapes and sizes that run from the tropics to the northern latitudes, almost touching the eastern coasts of the Crystal Empire. On the other side of the map, beyond the west coast and divided by the vast ocean, there was Tauren, the land of the Minotaurs. The confines between nations were marked in red lines, while a series of black marks indicated with perfect accuracy the locations of various settlements, from the smallest village to the biggest metropolis. The capitals were indicated by a four pointed star circled by a combination of seven different glyphs of the same kind of the ones on the pedestal. Celestia touched the crystal ball, which almost immediately started to glow softly, shortly followed by the glyphs that surrounded the ball; she then proceeded to press seven symbols, following a precise sequence that matched the one in correspondence of the Crystal Palace. Once completed, she pressed the crystal sphere again. The map started to ripple like the surface of a pond in which a stone was thrown, then the distorted image began to shine, lightly at first then more and more, until it was just a white surface. The painting in front of the two alicorns wasn't just a map of the planet. It was a mana window. Invented in an era far before the unification of the pony tribes, the mana windows were enchanted artifacts that allowed the users to communication instantly by transmitting not just their voices, but also their life-size images in real time. Each capital had one of these magical artifacts and together they formed a communication network that allowed the rulers of the planet to communicate privately without risk of interception, thanks to a special encryption spell. The glowing surface began to fade away, revealing a huge room made of azure crystal, decorated with purple heraldic flags hanging from the ceiling and pillars made of a pinkish crystal. Right in front of them there was a pink alicorn mare, with her mane and tail colored pink, purple, and soft yellow, wearing a long yellow dress with cerise sleeves. Her height was lower if compared with Celestia or even Luna, but was still taller than most stallions. Judging by her expression, she seemed a bit tired, but her face brightened when she saw the two royal sisters. “Auntie Celestia, auntie Luna! How nice to see you again,” she said with sincere happiness. “Hello Cadance,” the elder sister saluted, giving her a warm smile. “Greetings, dear niece!” the night princess exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm. “Luna, please, indoor voice,” Celestia reminded her. Luna rolled her eyes. Clearly it wasn't the first time that her sister reminded her to control the volume of her voice when excited. “It's nice to see that some things haven't changed,” Cadance said giggling. “How are you?” “We are fine, thanks. It has been a rather eventless week,” Luna said serenely. Celestia gave her a quick confused glance, but Luna responded by darting her eyes shortly. The elder sister caught the message. Cadance seemed to already have enough problems on her own. It wasn't needed to worry her about something that had already been solved. “How are you?” Celestia asked. “The situation in the Empire gets better day by day. A few more days and the curative spell will complete its work.” About a week before, a large portion of the crystal ponies had been hit by a serious case of influenza. After an initial panic for fear of a new kind of virus, further studies had demonstrated that it was just a common form of flu. The reason why the symptoms were more severe than normal was because the immune system of the crystal ponies was exactly the same they had a thousand years ago, making them more vulnerable to modern diseases. The natural healing process would have required weeks even with the help of modern medicine, leaving the crystal ponies still debilitated for a long period, but fortunately Cadence had come to a solution. Using the crystal heart as an amplifier, the pink alicorn was spreading the curative proprieties of her health shield all over the empire. “I'm pleased to hear that, but that's not what I was asking. I was referring to you. You seem tired. I hope that the spell didn't require too much energy from you.” “Oh, not at all. Compared to the dome I created to keep out King Sombra, it's a breeze. It's just that last night I didn’t sleep at all.” “Problems with nightmares? Why didn't you say so sooner? I could help you,” Luna said with confidence. The younger alicorn gave a sad smile to Luna. “Thanks for the concern auntie, but unfortunately I don't think that you can help me. The fact is that I'm worried for Shining Armor.” “What happened?” Celestia asked worriedly. Cadence lowered her head and sighed again. “Yesterday afternoon, in the eastern region of the empire, a train that carried a load of gems destined to the Griffon Empire was attacked by a band of raiders. They derailed the train by blowing up a tract of tracks so that they could steal the load undisturbed.” “Oh, my. Have there been victims?” Celestia asked with concern. Cadence remained silent for a moment. “Eight guards and both train drivers were killed by the derailment or the subsequent firefight with the raiders,” she said sadly. “Shining was furious. We already have security problems in that zone, but never of this entity. He felt like he had betrayed our subjects, not taking his duty as prince and protector of the empire with enough seriousness and diligence.” The princess stopped her narration abruptly, putting a hand in front of her muzzle. Her voice was shaking and her eyes teary. She was on the verge of crying. “I tried to convince him that it wasn't his fault, but he refused to listen to reason. Our discussion degenerated and we ended up arguing. The last thing he said before he left for the barracks was that he would personally handle the matter.” “What did he do?” Luna asked, having the feeling that the prince had decided to do something that was brave while at the same time stupid. “He personally guided an expedition composed of Crystal Guards and members of the contingent of Royal Guards with the intent on tracking down the bandits and stopping them before they could hurt anypony else.” Cadence bent her head, and soon she was heard sobbing softly. “I wanted him to take more soldiers with them, but unfortunately many Crystal Guards are still debilitated and those who remained healthy, along with the remaining Solar Guards, are needed to defend the Empire from eventual threats.” She looked up, showing them the tears that ran down her cheeks forming darker lines of fur. “I'm worried, aunties. When I married him I was well aware that even if he was the best soldier of the Guard, one day something bad could happen to him. But despite this, the possibility that one day he might never come back to me, it's one of my worst fears.” “Cadence, I know that it's not easy for you to simply sit and wait for his return, but you have to believe me when I say that nothing bad will happen to him,” Celestia said with the most reassuring tone of voice that she had. “I've seen Shining Armor face far worse situations when he was Captain of the Solar Guard, and he has always managed to get out victorious.” “I know, but what if this time-” “Cadence. Does he love you?” “Of course he does, as much as I love him!” Cadence replied without hesitation, clearly hurt by the question. “Then there's no force, neither in heaven nor on earth that will be able to prevent him from coming back to you,” Celestia said, giving her a motherly smile. The effect of her words was almost instantaneous. Cadence's expression softened, losing most of the sadness and worry that were painted on her face. It was clear why so many people saw Celestia as a sort of motherly deity, able to comfort and inspire courage in her children even in the worst moment. Luna noticed however that her niece still showed traces of insecurity, despite the words of her sister. The night princess tapped her finger on her lips thoughtfully. “Now that I think about, there is a contingent of Lunar Guards located not too far from where they are. I could order them to send some reinforcements to help Shining Armor in his mission.” Any residual negative emotion disappeared from Cadence's eyes, which lit up with joy and relief. “I think that he would appreciate it,” she said with sincere gratitude. “Thank you, Luna.” “It's the least that I can do to help my family,” Luna said with a kind smile. Then, the more analytical part of her mind decided to ask a question that she had kept herself from asking. “Are there any clues regarding the nature of the aggressors? So far you referred to them just as raiders.” “The witnesses of the attack said that most of the band was composed by Diamond Dogs, but they also said that they saw the outlines of various figures that flew in the sky, occasionally swooping to shoot at the guards before rising again in the air. Unfortunately the sky was cloudy and it was twilight, thus that's all that they could see.” “Pegasi?” Celestia suggested. “More likely griffon mercenaries,” Luna replied bluntly. Given their adventurous nature and their love for the commerce, the griffons were famous to be excellent explorers and warriors, as well as skilled merchants, but it wasn't rare to see these features distorted, so many griffons in search for adventure and wealth decided to take the road of piracy or to serve as mercenaries for the best bidder. “Who else knew about the train, beside you and your ponies?” “The only others aware of the transport were the griffon empire's authorities.” “I see. Given the level of corruption inside their government, I wouldn't be so surprised if the leak of news had come from their side. We'll have a meeting with the griffon delegation within an hour. I'll make sure to bring in an examination to the problems of corruption inside their government,” Luna said. Their chat continued for several minutes, shifting to more pleasurable topics, including a possible visit from the two sisters in the Crystal Empire in the next future, but eventually they had to say goodbyes. The arrival of the diplomats was imminent, and Cadence seemed to need some rest between the last events and the prolonged use of her magic. The two parts said goodbye to each other, agreeing to remain in contact in case of developments; the surface of the mana window started to ripple and glow again, becoming a painted planisphere on the wall. “What do you think, Luna?” “It's obvious Celestia. It's surely what our subjects would call, uh, an inside job? Is that the term?” Celestia nodded, pleased that her sister was starting to grasp the modern idiom. “Maybe the Diamond Dogs are the ones who initiated the attack, but there's the high probability that the planning was made by some griffon aware of the nature of the load. The problem is, who? A greedy member of their commercial guild? Or some warlord of the northern islands?” “It doesn't matter. I intend to mention this incident at the meeting and I swear, they will listen to us and take action, even if it means that I have to use the Voice and be heard up to the stars.” As second in command and highest officer on the ship beside the shipmaster, Haka was fulfilling the role of commander while Vraal rested. So far the situation had been quiet, and given the lack of relevant developments in the study of the planet, the Ultra decided to take a little break and observe the hologram of the planet. “Wonderful,” Haka muttered while marveling at the sight of the huge forest that crossed one of the continents from northwest to southeast. Thousands and thousands of kilometers of land covered by trees, surely full of mighty and dangerous creatures, and hidden places that just waited to be explored. His gaze brightened under his elegant helmet as memories of his infancy flowed in his mind, bringing him back to the countless times he had went to hunting in the forests of Sanghelios along with his brothers, armed just with wooden spears and bows. He wondered if he would have the opportunity to hunt in those forests and again practice his skills as an archer, once the situation would have allowed it. “Commander Guwakai, we detected a new kind of communication frequency,” the communication officer informed him, bringing him back to reality. “Of what nature?” the Ultra asked. So far they had intercepted hundreds of communications, from the sport channels to the military frequencies. “Impossible to determine, sir. The frequency is encrypted.” “Really?” he asked with increased interest. “Can you decipher it?” The officer looked at the monitor before shaking his head. “I don't think I would be able to, at least not within an acceptable time. They're using a really complex algorithm.” This was unexpected. Apparently, they were more advanced than they had presumed. “Can you at least determine the source of the transmission?” “Affirmative. The origin seems to be the same as the energy pulses,” the officer informed him. “Show me,” the Ultra ordered, facing the hologram again. The image shifted from the whole planet to a small portion of territory. A city, to be exact. Years of experience allowed the Ultra to instantly recognize the strategic position of the settlement. The city was built on the side of a mountain, allowing a perfect view of the territory below, while the steep sides of the mountain almost made it impossible to reach it easily. The only overland access by ground was a railroad and a cobbled road, and both the communication routes crossed several torrents from which a waterfall originated thanks to a series of bridges made of steel and stone. On the opposite side of the city, just before the slope, there was what seemed to be a landing zone for what according to the radar were airships. But the most notable feature was the castle or fortress located in the higher point of the settlement. “What can you tell me about this settlement, Huru?” the Ultra asked the other Sangheili with a thoughtful tone. “The amount of radio broadcasts is very high, like in all their big cities, but besides the normal civilian transmissions we also intercepted several signals of military origin.” Haka put a hand under his jaws, reflecting. The large amount of military radio broadcasts and the strategic position was a clear sign that the city had some kind of coordination function, while the design of the castle, clearly built more to impress rather than for actual military purposes, suggested that some important member of their society lived there. The encrypted radio frequency strengthened his theory. Encrypted communications were usually used to transmit confidential material. While this kind of procedure could be used sometimes by common citizens, given that this was the first time they detected this kind of frequency, the chances that the source of the message was some political or military authorities were really high. Not to mention the mysterious energy emissions. All these elements put together, led him to believe that the city could be with high probability the capital of the Pony race. “Do we know with whom they are talking?” “Another settlement, located in the northern hemisphere of the same continent. That sector hasn't been completely mapped, so we don't yet have high resolution images of the territory.” Haka nodded. They would have to investigate further about that later. “Excellent. Keep monitoring the transmission, maybe the Huragok will be able to crack the codex. I'm going to inform the Shipmaster,” the Ultra said, leaving the bridge followed by his billowing red cloak. 'Even though it might not be their capital, it remains a good point to start our investigation. Besides, we may have finally found a way to contact them,' he thought as he crossed the door. 'Where is Luna?' Celestia wondered nervously as the griffon airship appeared on the horizon as a black dot. Now, here she was, standing alone on the far end of the long red carpet that extended from the private landing zone of the castle. Well, she wasn't exactly alone. Besides her, there were a dozen members of the ground personnel and over twenty members of the Royal Guard of both the orders, disposed behind her. But this didn't change the fact that her sister still wasn’t there. Right after the conversation with Cadence, her sister had excused herself to change her clothes. Before the solar princess could even point out that there wasn't enough time, Luna had vanished in a flash while she teleported herself to her room. Celestia huffed discreetly. The airship was coming closer. “I hope that she'll manage to arrive in time,” she said to nopony in particular. The last thing that she wanted was to risk a diplomatic incident with the dignitaries of a cocky and proud race just because her sister wanted to change her own attire. “Fear not, dear sister! I am here by your side,” the night princess declared proudly. The white alicorn closed her eyes momentarily and allowed herself a sigh of relief. “I really hope that your waste of time was well worth it, because if you had delayed just a few more minutes-” Celestia wasn't able to complete her sentence because when she turned, the choice of clothing her sister chose left her speechless. Instead of the blue sleeveless dress with a high neckline that she was previously wearing, Luna was now wearing a midnight blue uniform composed by a pair of trousers with a red line that ran on the sides and a jacket with silver buttons. She still had her tiara and her silver horseshoes, but instead of her usual necklace with her cutie mark, she was wearing a belt with a buckle resembling her emblem. Attached to her belt was a cavalry sword inside a black scabbard with astronomical decorations made in silver filigree. The uniform, combined with her higher stature than even the stallions, and her athletic yet at the same time feminine physique, gave her an appearance that was a perfect combination of beauty and authority. “Err, why that choice of clothes?” Celestia asked with confusion. “It makes you look rather... intimidating.” More than usual, she dared to think. “You know how the griffins are. Being predators, war and violence are part integral of their nature and they respect those who are strong and self-confident. The uniform is a good way to remind them of our power.” “And the sword?” Celstia asked, nodding at the weapon. “Tia, you surprise me! You know that it's not a real uniform without a sword,” Luna said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She then gave Celestia a thoughtful look. “Something's wrong, sister?” Celestia asked curiously. “You know, it's been a while since the last time you wore a uniform,” Luna noticed, putting a finger on her chin. “Now that I think about, since my return to Equestria I had never had the opportunity to see you wear something that was not a dress when we are in public.” “Indeed,” the elder sister conceded. “The last time I wore one was over two centuries ago during the ceremony of the treaty of non aggression with the minotaurs. In truth, I can't say that I miss to wear them. I don't feel very comfortable wearing military attire. It makes me look too aggressive.” “That is really a pity, in my opinion,” Luna replied. “The mere sight of you in your armor was enough to make entire enemy armies flee in terror, frightened by your power.... while your sexiness was able to cause wing-boners en masse among our pegasi ranks.” “Luna!” Celestia exclaimed in a whisper as to not attract attention. Her white fur was barely able to hide the massive blush on her cheeks. “What?” she asked innocently. “There was a reason you usually were the one to lead the infantry.” “... You're making me pay for this morning, right?” “Maybe,” Luna said smugly. Celestia merely rolled her eyes. Fortunately, their guards were too far to hear their conversation. The griffon airship soon became clearly visible in the sky, its design impossible to confuse with the wooden nacelle similar to a brig hanging from a semi-rigid balloon. The ship had two long side fins that not only helped the maneuverability, but also allowed it to exploit the wind, giving the airship additional speed without wasting fuel. Another distinctive feature was that their engines, instead of using electric energy like the Equestrian zeppelins, were fueled by natural gas. Sure, the smell wasn't the best, but at least it was better than the naphtha used by the minotaurs. The airship approached closer and closer to the ground, until it reached the metallic docking tower where the crew, with the help of a pegasi team, docked the airship. The propellers slowed their pace until they stopped; a ladder was aligned to the exit of the nacelle. From the airship descended six griffon soldiers wearing a light armor made mostly of leather and a light helmet; they arranged themselves into two parallel rows and assumed the port arm position. “Here we go,” Luna muttered, wearing the stoic face that she usually wore when she was in public. The griffon that had gotten off the airship was a middle aged griffon with black plumage, wearing a red and blue uniform and a metal chest plate. General Edwin Sharpbeak, rising star of the Griffon Army, was the son of a rich merchant who often brought him with during his business travels in Equestria. Thanks to these experiences, and to the period of study spent in one of Trottingham's colleges, Edwin had emerged with a positive opinion regarding the pony race as well as good knowledge of their culture and society. These factors have played an important role for his career, allowing him to become an influential element in the imperial court. Luna was rather pleased at his presence. The general not only was in good terms with the princesses, but was also a discreet swordsman. Surely he would agree to a fencing match with her after the meeting. The happy mood given to her by the prospective of a duel was completely washed away when she saw the next griffon that came down the gangway. The plumage of his body was brown while the feathers of his head were white; his frame was quite massive, not much for muscles, but rather for a clear problem of obesity, as indicated by his fat belly. He wore a leather sleeveless jacket over a white shirt and dark pants, while a cavalier hat adorned his head. 'Oh, no,' Celestia thought worriedly when she recognized the duke Dominique Ironclaw. She quickly glanced at her sister and noticed how she was glaring at the duke with an expression of pure wrath, unconsciously tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword. “Of all the dignitaries that the emperor has, he had to send that perverted drunkard,” she hissed venomously, keeping her teal eyes fixed on the griffon in question. The princess of the night had a personal grudge with the griffon. Two years before, during the Grand Galloping Gala, the duke had shown a poor image of himself, getting horribly drunk and starting to ramble a series of remarks about the other guests that spaced from the offensive to the obscene. When Luna had intervened in person to make him stop and make him assume a civil and decent behavior, Ironclaw had began to flirt in a harassing way with her, before stumbling and falling into a nearby fountain... dragging the princess with him into the water in a clumsy attempt to remain standing. When the princess had come out from the fountain, dripping water from head to hooves, she had found all present staring at her in a mix of embarrassment and shock. To her horror, the white evening dress that she was wearing had become almost translucent in the involuntary bath, showing more than what it was supposed to. Blushing furiously with embarrassment, the princess had teleported to her room and remained inside for a week, coming out only thanks to the efforts of her sister and her friends. Regarding the duke, the emperor had given him a severe scolding, but besides that there had been no other repercussions to him or his family. The Ironclaw clan not only has a big economical and political influence in the empire, but also belongs to the Northern Alliance, a group of nobles and warlords of the northern islands who had the habit of rebelling almost periodically to the central authority. Provoking them would have just destabilized the already precarious peace and led to a new civil war. “I'm sure that the Emperor didn't send him without a good reason,” Celestia tried to reason. “Oh, sure. He wanted to give me the chance to have my vengeance on that fool,” the blue alicorn whispered with anger while the two diplomats began to approach, completely unaware of the discussion between the two sisters. Luna held her hand on the hilt of the sword, but Celestia gently put a hand on her shoulder. “Luna, please,” Celestia whispered with a pleading tone. “Sister, you know that I'm the first to say that what the duke did you was absolutely indecorous and humiliating, but I beg you to not do something that you will regret.” “I regret that I will have to clean the mess.” “Think of the consequences. Our relationship with the Griffon Empire is already difficult. You don't want to start a war just because of that idiot, do you?” If Luna was a dragon, she would have snorted smoke from her nostrils, but eventually she ended up closing her eyes and bowed her head slightly. “No, I don't. You have my word, sister. I will not do anything that may harm our kingdom,” she solemnly promised. “But just because I love you and our subjects too much. Celestia gave her a warm thankful smile. “Thank you, Luna.” The two ambassadors soon reached them, followed by their escort from a certain distance; not too far in case of a sudden threat for their charges, but neither too close as not to be seen as a menace to the two princesses by the equestrian guards. Once they were just a few steps away the two ambassadors stopped and bowed, mirrored by the princesses. “Greetings, general Sharpbeak,” Celestia saluted him with welcoming smile. “Duke Ironclaw,” she said with far less enthusiasm. “Your majesties,” the duke said, taking off his hat with an elaborate gesture. “Your majesties,” the general saluted politely with a friendly smirk. “It's a pleasure to see both of you again.” “Likewise, general,” Celestia said, before addressing the other griffon. “How was the travel?” she asked, more for education rather than real interest. “Somewhat long and boring, princess, but your mere sight is a relief from the fatigue of our long journey,” the fat griffon said in his best flattering tone. 'Now I remember why neither Luna nor I can stand this sneaky, slimy toad,' Celestia thought annoyed, fighting the sudden urge to roll her eyes. If he thought that a few compliments were enough to gain her sympathy, he was wrong. “And of course, I obviously wasn’t forgetting about your dear sister,” he hurried to add nervously. “How are you, your highness?” he asked with the biggest grin he could gather despite the situation. “I felt better until the moment that I remembered about your existence,” was her cold reply. “Oh. Are you still mad about that little accident?” he asked uneasily. “You are lucky that you are protected by diplomatic immunity.” The duke gulped audibly, noticing her sword. “I propose to head to the meeting room, so that we can start the meeting,” Celestia proposed. “Er, I'm sorry to bother, but I wanted ask if I can take a moment to smoke before the meeting?” Ironclaw asked sheepishly pulling out a cigar from a breast pocket. “You know, for security reasons its forbidden doing it on our airship.” “On the contrary, allow me to light it,” Luna offered, surprising everyone for her sudden kindness toward the duke. “I didn't know that you smoke, princess.” “In fact, I do not.” Luna's horn glowed briefly, and the tip of the cigar caught fire. “I just like to set things on fire,” she said with a mischievous smile. The cigar nearly fell from the griffon's beak when he realized the implications. “I- I think I'll go smoke over there,” he said, pointing almost at the other side of the yard. “To reduce the risk of a fire, of course. You never know when you’re too close to the airships.” He walked away with a gait that seemed a compromise between the need to maintain a certain dignity and control, and the desire to run away in fear. Once the duke was at a safe distance the general Sharpbeak let out a breath that he had unconsciously held the entire time. “For a moment I feared we would have smelled burnt chicken,” he admitted with a hint of amusement. Luna smirked. “Nay, although the temptation was high, his reaction alone was priceless.” “I agree. It almost compensates for the hassle that I have to suffer traveling with him. Almost,” he clarified, causing a short chuckle from both the princesses. “Well, general, what news do you bring from the Empire?” Celestia asked, putting aside formalities. “Besides the sincere regards from his Majesty? The usual good news: piracy is increasing, while the phenomenon of mass desertion continues in our Army. Apparently, the warlords pay better.” “We think we have an idea about where their finance comes from,” Luna said darkly. “Oh, yes. That deprecable episode in the Crystal Empire,” he said seriously, all his humor completely gone. “I presume that princess Cadence has told you the details.” “Indeed, our niece has informed us just today,” Celestia confirmed. “I won’t even try to deny that members of my race are involved in the attack. Unfortunately, as you well know, the corruption and the presence of un-loyal elements in our government are serious issues that we're trying to fight unsuccessfully for decades, while the northern warlords acquire more and more power with each passing day.” “It's unfortunate that your Emperor had to reject our offer of help.” “An intervention of your Guards would have only caused an escalation of hostility, as well as exacerbate the relationship among our countries. And then, you know how we are us griffons. Accept help from the outside to resolve an internal matter would be seen as a sign of weakness.” The griffon seemed suddenly interested by something behind the princesses. “Although, I wouldn't mind if in this meeting it were possible to review the normative regarding the commerce of weapons,” the general admitted, eyeing with interest the SAR5 rifles of the Royal Guards. Semiautomatic, accurate up to 350 meters using the iron sight, and with a magazine containing fifteen bullets, the equestrian ordinance rifle was far superior to the bolt-action rifles with which the griffon soldiers were equipped. “We could really use more firepower.” “I'm afraid that is out of the question, general. You know our policy in this regard. The fewer guns around, the less the risk of a conflict is likely.” “It’s a shame that the minotaurs don't see the things the same way,” the griffon commented bitterly. “What do you mean?” Luna asked with confusion. “Are you aware that those hot heads are doing what seems to be an arms race?” “Yes, and I don't hide the fact that neither I nor my sister are in any way pleased about it. But I can't see how this is related to the topic.” “You see, to fund the retrofitting of their army, the minotaurs are selling to half of the world their old military equipment.” “What?!” Luna exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise. “And not just melee weapons and crossbows, but also old muskets and muzzle-loaded cannons,” the general continued. “How is that we weren't aware of this?" “The black market is not exactly on the advertising flyers, and even our intelligence managed to discover about it just recently. Between the various buyers, there are Diamond Dog raider bands, as well as several griffon nobles of the northern islands,” he said in a confidential tone, eyeing the duke that was still intent on smoking, completely unaware of their conversation. “I'll give you more details during the meeting. In this regard, it's better if I go call that sweaty turkey, before he submerges Equestria with a secular pall of smoke,” he said, heading toward the other side of the large terrace. “Are you alright, sister?” Luna asked with concern when she noticed the concerned expression of her sister. “No, Luna. I'm afraid I'm not. His words have troubled me. The world is becoming a giant powder keg, and it needs just a spark to explode,” Celestia said grimly. 'Why did I leave the Guard?' Blue Cirrus thought with annoyance while sipping his coffee, walking through rows of control stations for the usual inspection tour. After his service in the Solar Guard had ended, the gray pegasus had become Chief Weather Controller at the Weather Co-ordination Center (or WCC for short) thanks to his previous experience as Air Traffic Controller in Canterlot. The task of the WCC was to coordinate the work of the various weather teams scattered all across Equestria and assign them the schedules coming from the Weather Factory. An important task, essential for the prosperity of their country, but by Celestia's glorious butt, it was far from being exciting. All around him there were several cubicles, each one containing an operator that controlled an enchanted monitor that viewed in real time the weather of his sector of Equestria. He was about to return to his office and fill out some backlog paperwork, when one of his subordinates called him. “Hey boss, could you come here one sec?” the blue mare with a red mane asked. “Sure. What's up, Cloudy Sky?” “We may have a problem.” “Where?” “Greenville,” the mare pegasus responded, making him frown in confusion for a moment. “Oh, right, that new town at the edge of the Unicorn Range.” It was no wonder that it took him some moments to remember the location of the settlement. The town had been founded just one year ago due to the discovery of a mana spot. With the increasing request of power geodes, it was natural to build a recharging plant there, soon followed by a settlement for the workers and their families. Cloudy Sky nodded. “There's a big rainstorm coming from the western Everfree that they are supposed to redirect toward Trottingham, but instead the clouds are still heading towards them.” The monitor showed two trajectories, one for the real time position of the storm, and another for the supposed itinerary. The gap was evident. “Strange indeed. Have they said why they haven't diverted the storm yet?” “That's the point. Their weather center not only hasn't called us, but they have also missed the last two radio updates.” “Problem with the radio?” The mare shook her head. “No, I've already tried to contact them twice. Their radio works perfectly, but it's like nopony is there to answer to our calls.” Blue Cirrus frowned. His instinct and his years of service in the Guard told him that something was fishy. “Alert the Royal Guard. Tell them that something's off,” he ordered.