//------------------------------// // VII Rainbow Dash // Story: A Dream of Sunny Days // by Roranicus //------------------------------// Life in the newly formed Cloudsdale military proved more routine than Rainbow Dash initially expected. Her days always started with a training session — she would participate in warm-ups, fly laps with her troops, and lead them in weapon drills. She would often meet with her captains just before lunch and discuss the state of training, assignments for new recruits, and whatever concerns soldiers in her wing might have. Afternoons tended to be a bit more varied. Spitfire usually preferred holding war council meetings right after lunch. When no such meeting was scheduled, there were always special drills she wanted to run her soldiers through. Sometimes, she even took some time to study old tomes detailing ancient battles. The exercise felt boring and often pointless, but Spitfire had insisted on its importance. At least Twilight would have approved, Rainbow often told herself. There was no time for study on this day, however, as an important meeting had been called by Princess Luna. The morning's exercises had taken their toll on Dash's wings and she decided to trot to the mayor's house, where the meeting was set to take place. Ever since the cloudwalking spell had become more widespread, efforts had been made to connect all the clouds in Cloudsdale with bridges, allowing ponies without wings to visit every part of the city freely. Rainbow occasionally chose to use those routes. It gave her a new perspective on the city. Dash was crossing on one of the city's main commercial avenues when she heard a voice mentioning her name. "Oh my gosh, is that Rainbow Dash?" the commander turned her head around as she heard the enthusiastic female voice. A white pegasus mare stood with a huge smile on her face. Her pale green eyes were opened wide. "It is Rainbow Dash! Oh my gosh! I'm so honored to meet you!" Rainbow beamed at the praise. Whatever was going on, she would always enjoy the adoring cheers of her fans. "Yup, it's me! Greatest flyer in Equestria and Wing Commander in the Cloudsdale army," she said as she brushed her mane with an exaggerated gesture. "Oh wow," the mare said, blushing. "I'm sorry to bother you. I'm just such a huge fan. Ever since I saw you perform that sonic rainboom, I've been to every one of your shows. It's just... such an honor to see you in person!" A more modest pony might have brushed off the mare's excitement, downplayed her own achievements, or even pretended to be somepony else. Rainbow was not a modest pony and she would fully enjoy this fan's adoration. After all, being awesome had its perks. "Hey, I can't blame you, I am pretty darn impressive." The fan kept smiling. "There's just so much I'd want to ask you, but I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time. An important officer like you must be busy." "Hey, I'll always take some time for my fans," Dash enthusiastically replied. Truth be told, she could use the distraction only a good session of ego stroking could bring. "By the way, what's your name?" "I'm Minty," she answered, "just an average animal caregiver. I guide birds around and help them build their nests." She pointed to the three doves on her flank. "Hey, nothing wrong with taking care of animals," Rainbow said, "one of my best friends does that. She's really good at it, too." "Oh, is she in your... unit you call them?" Minty asked. "We call them wings," Rainbow explained. "Units are small groups of eight ponies. As a commander I lead an entire wing, that's 512 ponies. As for my friend who takes care of animals, her name is Fluttershy and I don't think she'd enjoy the military life. She would never hurt a fly, and doesn't enjoy flying all that much." Minty's eyes grew wide. "Hurt a fly? You're not planning on hurting anypony, are you?" "I hope not," Rainbow replied, averting her eyes for a moment. "Hopefully we won't have to. Everypony has to be prepared to kick some tail though. I wish I could explain it all, but you know, safety of the nation and all." "Well, I trust you," the mare replied, although Rainbow could hear the hesitation in her voice. "War truly sounds like a dreadful thing. I wouldn't want Equestria to lose its best flyers in such a terrible way." "Hey, I'm way too awesome to fall in a fight," Dash said. "Beside, with the number of pegasi we have, we can create unstoppable hurricanes. Nopony would stand a chance." Rainbow suddenly noticed the horrified expression on Minty's face. "Not that we'll have to unleash the storm. This is all just a precaution, you know." "It's fine. You said you had five hundred ponies, right?" Minty asked as she brushed some of her hair away from her face. "That's a lot of ponies to create a storm." "Oh no, that's just one wing," Dash continued. "I lead one, so do Fleetfoot and Soarin. If ponies keep volunteering we might have a fourth wing soon, too." Minty's eyes opened even wider, as her ears twitched in excitement. "Oh wow, I'm sure nopony will try to hurt Equestria with that kind of force on our side." Rainbow grinned. "We'll be fine, trust me," she said. "I really should get going though, important commander business and all. You want an autograph first?" Minty had a notebook and a pen out before Dash even finished her sentence. The commander happily signed the small book before handing it back while nonchalantly throwing her mane back. "Oh, thank you so much Rainbow Dash!" Minty said before flying away. Rainbow smiled and gave her a confident little salute. Now that's a pony who knows awesomeness when she sees it. Dash continued on her way, absentmindedly whistling one of Pinkie Pie's tunes. She had a good feeling about the day. She had respect, authority, and Princess Luna's confidence. Sure, she still needed to find Twilight and kick Blueblood's flank, but she had no doubt they would soon go to Canterlot and place the Princess of the Night on the throne. They would then devote all the kingdom's energy to finding Dash's missing friend. Was it so bad to be the hero for once? No tiptoeing around pretentious nobles, no incomprehensible egghead stuff. The day would be saved by good old fashioned flank kicking. Rainbow loved her friends dearly and completely trusted them, but she sometimes wondered if they would give her the same level of trust. How often did they hold her back or dismiss her solutions to problems as too "brutish?" The pegasus had to admit to a certain level of satisfaction regarding her current situation. Rainbow spotted the mayor's house in the distance. As usual, it was well protected; nopony would get in or out without Fleetfoot's elite feather knowing about it. The senior Wonderbolt had built this team specifically for Luna's protection, choosing ponies known for their vigilance and quickness to react. A few were former royal guards who chose to follow their princess in exile. Others grew up on the frontier, where defending one's home was often necessary. Each was hoof-picked by Fleetfoot herself, and had to be interviewed by the head of Luna's royal guard, Lieutenant Moonshadow. Cloudsdale's youngest commander nodded at the guards as she crossed the bridge leading to the mayor's house. A unicorn stallion stood at the building's entrance and nodded at Rainbow, who sighed. "Alright, get it over with," she said as her body was enveloped in a magical hue. While she understood that changelings could pose a threat, there was no indication that they were in any way involved in the current conflict. Rainbow walked inside and made her way downstairs as soon as the unicorn was done, grumbling to herself at the annoyance of having her identity questioned. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the lack of light in the basement. Why the princess insisted on keeping her quarters so dark was beyond Dash, but it wasn't her place to complain; this was Princess Luna, and their duty was to obey her. Luna herself wasn't present, but muffled voices came from the office she kept in the back, indicating she was probably debating some issue or other with Mayor Breezefall and General Spitfire. The three of them often met before war council meetings. Only Lieutenant Moonshadow was in the room. The head of Luna's personal guard was one of the rare bat ponies; he looked like any other pegasus except for his bat wings and feline eyes. "Sup," Rainbow said as she arrived next to him, leaning against a wall. "Commander," he replied with a nod, maintaining a rigid composure. A moment of silence passed as Dash couldn't think of anything to say. Like most guards, Moonshadow betrayed little emotion and didn't seem too keen on small talk. Rainbow studied his bat wings. They seemed larger than her own, certainly thinner. She wondered what it would feel like to fly with such a set. Was he even born with them, or were they the result of magic? Maybe it was a version of the spell Twilight had once used to give Rarity wings. Rainbow was bored and her curiosity got the better of her. "So, what's with the bat wings?" she asked. The lieutenant raised an eyebrow. "What's with yours?" "You know what I mean," Dash continued. "Is it some spell? Are you part dragon? Were you accidentally hit by a spell attempting to keep vampire fruit bats from destroying an orchard, turning you into a bat pony?" "I was born this way, the same way you were born a pegasus," he answered with a sigh as Rainbow excitingly grinned. "So is there a huge city of bat ponies somewhere? Is it on the moon?" she continued, walking in front of him. "Just a few of us, living around Equestria." "And all of you are guards?" Dash kept going. "Is every pegasus a Wonderbolt?" Moonshadow replied as a light chuckle escaped his lips. "Uh, I guess not," Rainbow admitted. "I don't think you'll get a lot out of our royal guard friend," a female voice said coming from the entrance. Rainbow turned around and saw Fleetfoot, accompanied by Soarin. "Hey there," Dash said awkwardly offering her hoof. She still had difficulty considering the senior Wonderbolts her equals, especially considering she used to sleep with a Fleetfoot plush only a few years ago. "Rainbow, good to see you again," Soarin said, giving her a hoof bump. "How's training going with your wing?" Fleetfoot asked. "Most ponies are giving it their all," Rainbow said, "but it's starting to get hard motivating the troops when they don't know what they're fighting for." "We can't just tell everypony about Luna," Soarin replied. "Not before we're ready." "I gotta agree with Rainbow," Fleetfoot said as she sat on one of the chairs surrounding the central table. "None of those hay brains in Canterlot could do anything to stop us with the amount of ponies we have. Also, the moment they see the princess, everypony should flock to our side." "I wouldn't be so sure, Fleetfoot," Soarin continued, sitting next to her. "You know how manipulative the Canterlot nobles can be. I bet half the ponies there actually believe Blueblood's story." "I'm not worried," Rainbow said, taking the third seat, next to Soarin, "My friend Rarity's over in Canterlot. She'll help take care of those nasty rumors." Fleetfoot frowned. "You certainly put a lot of trust in this friend of yours. I hope it's justified." Rainbow rolled her eyes. This wasn't the first time Fleetfoot expressed doubt regarding Rarity. "Rare will come through. She always does." "What we'd need from her is intel," the senior Wonderbolt continued. "But you have yet to arrange that." "Hey, find me some way of getting in touch with her and I will," Rainbow argued as she glared at Fleetfoot. "Alright, stop it, both of you," Soarin interjected, moving forward on his chair as to get between the two mares. "Spitfire already ordered us not to contact anypony on the outside. Talking to Rarity would be too risky either way." "Soarin's right." Everypony turned around as Spitfire walked out of the back room, accompanied by Breezefall and Luna. "Your Highness," Lieutenant Moonshadow said with a bow as the princess sat on her throne, silently and severely looking over the ponies in the room. Spitfire and the mayor both sat at the table opposite the three wing commanders. As for Moonshadow, he stood next to the princess, his face as impassive as it had been since Rainbow entered the room. Rainbow expected Luna to begin, but the princess remained silent as Spitfire started the meeting. "Alright, we might have a big decision to make today. I'll get you all up to speed later. For now, I need to get an idea of where the troops are at. I assume you're all up to date on the status of your wings?" She took a deep breath and pointed at the white-maned commander. "Fleetfoot, let's start with you." "Sure thing, General," Fleetfoot replied with a grin. "I have six feathers filled with eager ponies. They're training hard every day. A seventh is being formed. As per your orders, I've sent units in the surrounding villages to recruit." Spitfire nodded. "Good, so I take it you'll have a full wing soon?" "It would help if I could recruit further," Fleetfoot said. "Not that many decent flyers live in the villages around Cloudsdale. The few pegasi there are too weak to even fly up to the city. Let me send my units to Vanhoover or Las Pegasus. They might even be able to recruit enough to form a fourth wing." The general shook her head. "Too risky. Maybe once we revealed Princess Luna to all of Equestria we can do as you said. For now, better to play it safe." As Fleetfoot harrumphed, an idea came to Rainbow. "Hey, Fleetfoot, have any earth ponies or unicorns asked to join in those villages you mentioned?" The senior commander turned toward Dash. "A few, I think. I had my soldiers note down their names, but I'm not sure what to do with them." "Send them my way," Rainbow replied with a grin, "I still have three feathers I need to form. I want to dedicate one of them to non-pegasus ponies." Spitfire raised an eyebrow at the youngest commander. "Mind explaining your idea, Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow smiled as she stood. "It's simple. I was thinking about all the adventures I had, and I was always glad to have ponies like Applejack or Twilight backing me up when I got in trouble. I was thinking a support feather could be useful. Unicorns can create shields and support us with weather magic. Earth ponies are pretty tough, too. I'd wager a whole herd of them would be hard to stop." "I like the idea," Soarin chimed in. "The EUP used to be made of all three breeds, after all." Rainbow beamed at the praise, also noticing Luna nod in approval. "It would help our image, too," Spitfire added. "Alright, Dash. Take Fleetfoot's list and do your thing. Outside of that, I take it training goes well?" "Well enough, but ponies are starting to ask questions. They want to know what they'll be fighting for, and I can't blame them," Rainbow said as she settled back on her seat. "I get security and all, but we can't keep it up forever." "I gotta agree with Rainbow," Fleetfoot said as she turned toward Spitfire. "Knowing what the hay they're fighting for would help motivate ponies. Recruitment would get easier, too." "And it may push Canterlot into an aggressive move," Soarin argued, his ears twitching in annoyance. "We have to be sure that we're ready before we reveal our true intent to Equestria. Our goal is for the Canterlot ponies to relinquish the throne to Luna without a fight, not start a civil war." "Something we're completely ready for," Fleetfoot said dismissively, waving her hoof in Soarin's direction. "Canterlot has nothing but a hoof full of guards while we have an almost fully formed army. We could reduce the city to dust if we wanted to!" "Please don't let it come to that," Mayor Breezefall, who had so far remained quiet, added. "I'm sure nopony here wants to be remembered as a murderer. I agree with Commander Soarin. Let us be careful." All eyes turned toward the Princess who was still sitting quietly on her throne, listening in to the conversation. "I cannot hide in his hole forever. Action must happen soon," she said after a few moments' thought. "I wish to keep things bloodless, but will not allow these traitorous nobles to remain in power. In the long run, a few ponies getting hurt now will pale compared to generations suffering under the kind of dynasty Blueblood would build if left unchecked." "We will do as you command, Your Highness," Spitfire said as she bowed her head in the monarch's direction. "Before we move on, though, Soarin, do you have anything to report?" The stallion shook his head. "As you all already know, my wing is fully staffed. They're training hard, but while they're all decent flyers, few ponies here have actual combat experience. It shows." "We should just start doing tornado drills, like I suggested," Fleetfoot said, banging her hoof on the table. "I will not have ponies destroy the city by throwing tornadoes around," the mayor said. "If you want to attempt such exercises, do it away from Cloudsdale." "Which we can't do for now, since we don't want to alert Canterlot to our tactics," Soarin said before turning toward Dash. "Rainbow, you've seen actual combat. How do you feel about our combat readiness?" "Nopony will be ready for it until they actually live through it," the young commander explained. "I suppose most of our soldiers could use more training flying in sync and throwing spears. We should also include hailstorms in the training course. If I wanted to hurt somepony, I'd hurl a tornado at them with chunks of ice flying in it." "Nasty," Soarin replied with a wince. "I like it," a grinning Fleetfoot added. "It's exactly the kind of thing I'd expect Canterlot's weather mages to throw at us, too." Luna nodded at her officers. "You should expect unicorn mages to try and freeze whatever water is present in the clouds. They might also use fireballs or other heat-based spells. Unicorn magic is very efficient at managing temperatures, but controlling the wind is difficult for them." "As you say, Your Highness," Spitfire said. "Unless there's anything else, the mayor has something he'd like to say." When nopony objected, she nodded at the older stallion. Breezefall coughed lightly and adjusted his small glasses before addressing the officers. "I'm afraid I have a bit of bad news. It's really something we've been expecting, but I'm not sure how it should be handled. A diplomat from Canterlot showed up at town hall this morning, accompanied by royal guards. She asked to speak with me and immediately demanded a justification for the military buildup." "And what did you tell her?" Fleetfoot asked. The mayor nervously stroked his balding blond mane. "Nothing for now, I assure you. I said it was only a precaution, but she didn't buy it. I managed to stall her, but I don't think we'll be rid of her any time soon." "What do we know about this diplomat?" Soarin asked calmly. "Her name is Silver Tongue," the mayor said. "She's supposed to be one of Canterlot's top negotiators — extremely sharp and observant." "She was hoof-picked by my sister," Luna explained, prompting everypony to again turn toward her throne. "Celestia always said that nopony was more dedicated to peace than Silver Tongue. She's also very thorough in her work. I know she will not hesitate to use deception to find out what she wants." "Can we convince her to join our side?" Rainbow asked, prompting everypony to stare at her as if she had just suggested they surrender. "Wait, hear me out. She was hoof-picked by Celestia and is dedicated to peace. Surely she can see that she's backing the wrong team. Let's just tell her the real princess is here. I'm sure we can gain her as an ally." Spitfire was the first to answer, "That's risky Dash, even for you." "I like it," Fleetfoot replied. "You would," Soarin said as he rolled his eyes. "Of course I would," Fleetfoot said, getting up as she slammed her hoof on the table again. "I'm tired of your cowardice, Soarin. We need to take risks if we want to win this war!" "And that's your problem," Soarin replied, standing up as well and meeting Fleetfoot's fuchsia eyes. "You're already calling it a war, and looking for any excuse to start it!" Rainbow wanted to chime in, but dared not. Soarin and Fleetfoot often argued over such issues and the younger pegasus had quickly learned her interventions would only add fuel to the fire. She could see Spitfire felt the same as she slammed her face with her hoof and mumbled something Rainbow couldn't hear. "Enough!" Luna yelled, prompting the two arguing ponies to quiet down. A glare from the princess made both of them instantly sit back on their chairs. "I've had enough of this arguing and hiding. I am a princess of Equestria and I should stand proudly in front of my ponies. We will do what Commander Rainbow Dash suggested. I want all of you to gather your troops at the stadium tonight, spread the word amongst the peasantry as well." "Your Highness, are you certain this is wise?" the mayor asked as he timidly raised his hoof. Luna dismissed the balding stallion with a hoof gesture. "Tonight, I will raise the moon in front of everypony and reveal myself. I will denounce the Canterlot traitors for what they are, and offer Silver Tongue a position here, in Cloudsdale." Nopony dared say a word. They were here to serve Princess Luna, and she had just made her decision. Even if Rainbow had any objections, she would have kept them to herself. She slowly turned her head toward Soarin to see how he was reacting. His drooped ears and downward gaze gave Dash all the information she needed. Spitfire broke the silence. "As you command, Your Highness," she said before turning toward her three commanders. "Rainbow, Soarin, Fleetfoot, you heard the princess. Go gather your respective wings. We only have a few hours before the sun is planned to go down." Wing Commander Rainbow Dash met her captains as soon as the meeting had been called to a close, passing on the order to gather the troops. Her excitement at the news that all would be revealed proved contagious; her officers all eagerly flew toward their respective feathers, gathering everypony under Rainbow's command. Two hours later, most soldiers had gathered in front of their barracks. A few were still in town, though their sergeants had dispatched volunteers to inform them of their orders. Rainbow had decided she wanted her troops to enter the stadium in style, flying in perfect formation so they could impress this Canterlot diplomat. When she saw the Cloudsdale military in action, she would have no choice but to bow to their awesomeness. Dash was in the middle of a last-minute inspection of Captain Whirlwind's troops when she heard coughing behind her. She turned around and came face to face with General Spitfire, wearing her full uniform, including the ornate helmet denoting her rank. "General Spitfire, ma'am," Rainbow said with a salute, her troops mirroring the gesture. Rainbow puffed up her chest in pride when she noticed a familiar figure behind the general. White coat, green mane, three doves for a cutie mark; there was no mistaking her. Spitfire was accompanied by the fanfilly who had asked Rainbow for an autograph earlier. "Seems you have a fan following you," Dash whispered as she winked at her superior. "What are you going on about, Dash?" the general asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm here to show the lady Silver Tongue around. She's the diplomat from Canterlot." Spitfire motioned for the white pegasus to step forward. The so-called 'fanfilly' wore a completely different demeanor than earlier. She stood straight, kept her eyes trained in front of her, and gave Rainbow a smug little smirk the commander did not appreciate one bit. Behind her were two white pegasi wearing Canterlot guard uniforms. "You!" Rainbow snapped, flying in front of the diplomat. "What the hay was that all about earlier?" Spitfire positioned herself between the two, pushing Rainbow away. "Whatever it is, stand down, Commander. This is no way to talk to a dignitary." The general glared severely at the Ponyville pegasus. "No, I'm the one who should apologize to the dear commander," Silver Tongue replied as she trotted around Spitfire. "I did lie to her after all, although I did so with the best of intentions." "You pretended to be a fan just to fish information out of me," Rainbow spat. "Well, surely you can't blame me. As an experienced commander, you must understand the importance of gathering intelligence." The diplomat winked at Rainbow, no doubt poking fun at her lack of experience. The blue pegasus bared her teeth, wanting nothing more than to clobber this featherbrain to the ground. "We'll talk about your lack of discipline later, Rainbow Dash," Spitfire whispered with a sigh. "For now, I'm just introducing my officers to our Canterlot friend." Dash took a deep breath. Gotta stay cool. She glanced at her troops. They all stood at attention, none of them outwardly reacting to their commander losing her nerve. "Yes, General," she forcefully said, struggling to meet her superior's eyes. The general glared sourly at Rainbow one last time before taking a breath and returning her attention to Silver Tongue. "Well, I see you've already met Wing Commander Rainbow Dash, so no introductions are necessary. What you haven't seen are her troops — some of the best trained pegasi in Cloudsdale. Under the protection of this growing military, everypony can be guaranteed safety." "Everypony in Cloudsdale, or all of Equestria?" the diplomat asked. Rainbow noticed Spitfire hesitating a moment before offering a reply. "What we're doing is for the benefit of all of Equestria. You'll see later tonight." "Ah yes, your grand announcement," Silver Tongue said as she brushed her green mane, "I certainly look forward to it, as do the ponies of this city, I'm sure." Rainbow decided it was time to redeem herself. "It will definitely prove to everypony that what we're doing here is necessary," she said, earning her a frown from Spitfire. "We shall see," the diplomat replied. "Lady Silver Tongue, perhaps we should continue our tour?" Spitfire suggested as she pointed toward a different cloud with one of her wings. The direction seemed random to Rainbow. Silver Tongue nodded. "Lead the way, General." Both ponies left the cloud, flying in the general vicinity of Soarin's wing. Dash sighed as they left, her ears flattened and her muzzle drooped toward the ground. "Darn it," she mumbled to herself. She took a deep breath before turning toward Captain Whirlwind. "Alright, let's finish this inspection. I want everypony's armor to shine before we head out." "Yes commander," he replied with a salute before lowering his voice. "If I may ask, what was that all about?" "Nothing you should concern yourself about," Dash said, forcing her hooves to stay still. "Just make sure your troops are ready. I'll go check on Captain Buzzfly's feather." It took all of Rainbow's self-control not to scream in frustration as she flew away to the next cloud to continue her inspection. While everypony in the newly formed Cloudsdale military usually trained around the stadium, Rainbow Dash had not seen them all standing at attention together before. It was an impressive sight, a few ponies over a thousand standing in ranks, each with their own unit, each unit within its feather, and every feather organized in the three wings making up the Cloudsdale army. Dash herself stood on the royal balcony. Additional clouds had been connected to it in order to turn it into a stage. She was accompanied by her fellow commanders, Soarin and Fleetfoot, as well as General Spitfire. "This is gonna be awesome," Rainbow whispered to Soarin, unable to contain her excitement. The older Wonderbolt smiled at her before returning to attention. One thing the elite flyers seemed to have experience with was keeping their cool in front of a crowd. Rainbow's joints ached and it was becoming hard not to flex her wings or otherwise move her muscles. From the other side of the stage, Mayor Breezefall and Silver Tongue were discussing something Rainbow couldn't hear. A half dozen Canterlot guards stood behind them. The pegasus tried not to look at the diplomat; her blood still boiled whenever she thought about how she had been manipulated. Rainbow looked up in the sky, attempting to distract herself from her bitter thoughts. The sun was nearing the end of its arc. It would soon need to be hidden away, making room for the moon and stars. For the first time since all this madness started, it would be done in a proper ceremony, ponies cheering for their one true princess. Rainbow's heartbeat accelerated at the thought. She couldn't wait to see the reaction on this mule of a diplomat's face as Luna revealed herself. The mayor stepped forward in front of the microphone that had been placed in front of the stage. He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses before speaking up. "Fillies and gentlecolts, citizens of Cloudsdale and all of Equestria, as you all know, our city has been on high alert these past few weeks. You've seen the recruitment posters, and the officers in the streets. You've been told it was necessary, that Cloudsdale had to arm itself for the good of the nation. One question many of you have asked is a simple one: 'why'?" Breezefall paused for a breath. Rainbow found herself turning her head toward the crowd. While a few soldiers managed to maintain a disciplined composure, many were whispering to each other. She spied knees shaking and wings twitching in anticipation. Her own heartbeat raced, her excitement unable to be contained. The mayor continued his speech, pride evident in his deep voice. "The reason for this secrecy is simple: we were protecting the very future of Equestria. As you all know, our beloved ruler, Princess Celestia has passed away. The matter of succession should have been a simple one. However, ambitious politicians denied the throne to its true heir." A few ponies from the crowd gasped as they no doubt started to realize what the mayor was building up toward. The sky darkened as the sun gave way to the moon. "Fillies and gentlecolts, I give you Equestria's one true ruler, bringer of the sun and moon, mistress of the dream world, her Royal Highness Princess Luna!" As the mayor announced her, the midnight blue alicorn flew from behind the stadium high in the sky, following the moon. The stars lit up as she landed at the center of the stage, between the mayor and the officers. Rainbow couldn't keep herself from cheering, her fellow officers accompanying her. The crowd gasped in shock, but many of them chanted Luna's name, welcoming the princess with open hooves. As for Silver Tongue, her mouth gaped wide, and her eyes were the size of melons. She was staring at Luna like an idiot while her guards looked around in panic. A few even glared angrily at the Princess of the Night. Luna seemed to bask in the adoration of her subjects for a moment. Rainbow could see a satisfied smirk on her face, and hints of tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Once the cheers calmed down, Luna addressed the crowd. "Your Princess of the Night has arrived!" she announced proudly. As the excitement calmed down, Rainbow got to look at the crowd some more. Not everypony seemed as resolved as she hoped. A few were exchanging nervous glances, whispering to one another. The commander turned her attention back to the princess, who began her speech. "Citizens of Equestria," Luna began loudly, using the full power of her royal Canterlot voice. "A great injustice has been done. Prince Blueblood, Captain Silvermane, and a score of other conspirators falsely accused me of the most heinous of crimes. They falsified evidence and attempted to arrest me before I even had the chance to grieve my beloved sister. This will not stand, and thanks to all of you, the brave ponies of Cloudsdale, Equestria will be ruled by its rightful princess and not by the traitorous pretenders currently occupying Canterlot!" Rainbow cheered again, raising one of her legs in the air. She beamed with pride as the crowd screamed in delight. If anypony still had doubts, they weren't showing it. The one exception was the diplomat staring at Luna with a severe expression, having regained her composure. The Princess turned toward Silver Tongue. "You have been serving traitors, Lady Silver Tongue, but today you have a choice. Join us as we demand that the Canterlot nobility honor the laws of succession, and allow me to take the throne." The diplomat walked forward, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you for your offer, Your Highness. It's a pleasure to see you again," she said calmly, but loud enough for most ponies to hear. "One question, if I may ask: how do you intend on taking the throne?" "It is quite easy," Luna replied in a less powerful tone. "We have the greatest military Equestria has seen in years. We will demand Blueblood abandon his claim to the throne and proclaim me as the lawful princess of Equestria. He will then be given a fair trial for his crimes." Silver Tongue tapped her chin with her hoof and raised an eyebrow. "So you would take Canterlot by force? Might makes right? I wonder, is that the message you want to send to Equestria, to other nations?" Rainbow's blood boiled. She wanted nothing more than to clobber Silver Tongue again. She would question the princess over a principle, ignoring the dire situation Equestria was in? The commander put a hoof forward, wanting to intervene but Spitfire blocked her path and gave her a stern glare. Rainbow looked down. Clobbering would have to wait for another day. Luna ignored the officers and turned toward the crowd again. "This is the message we're sending to Equestria: do not think us weak! We will not tolerate corruption or lies, in Canterlot or anywhere else." "I agree, which is why I have a counter-offer to make," Silver Tongue said as she pointed toward her guards. "Come with us back to Canterlot. You can answer the accusations made against you in front of a lawful court. If you believe the evidence is false, then you will have the opportunity to prove it. Please, do not let violence and military action dictate who we are." Rainbow could not take anymore of this pony's manipulative arguments. "Come on, it's an obvious trap!" she yelled, earning her another glare from Spitfire as well as Luna's attention. "You are quite right, Rainbow Dash," the princess replied. "I will not return to Canterlot and submit myself to whatever travesty of justice Blueblood has in mind. You may tell them that nopony has to get hurt. They can yield the throne to me and honor Equestrian law, or face the wrath of Cloudsdale and every other city who wishes to join us." Silver Tongue calmly nodded before turning toward her escort. "Lieutenant, I believe our work here is done. We will return to Canterlot tonight." She then faced Luna one last time. "I beg you again to reconsider, Your Highness. War is not the answer." Luna remained silent, as did everypony else while the diplomat and her escort flew away. The crowd grew restless again, whispering to one another. That accursed Silver Tongue had managed to sow doubt into the ranks. This was not the time! The troops had to remain strong and loyal. Rainbow's wings twitched again in frustration. Dash and her fellow officers shared worried glances. Would it really come down to war? Surely Canterlot would surrender once the Cloudsdale army was in sight. Spitfire eventually took a step toward their ruler. "Princess?" she asked. Luna raised a hoof and turned toward the crowd. "Citizens! Our message has been sent. I know nopony wants to see war come to Equestria, but rest assured that even should it come to that, we shall make it swift and decisive. I am a veteran of a hundred battles, and I know I have the strongest military force in Equestria right here in front of me!" Some cheers resonated within the crowd as a few hooves raised in the air. Rainbow still saw too many ponies shaking their heads or whispering to one another. "I still see doubts on some of your faces," the princess continued, her confident voice unwavering. "Fear not, we will not charge without being prepared. Now that I have revealed myself, I have no doubt ponies from all over Equestria will line up to defend their true princess. As for the Canterlot nobility, we will show them that they do not stand a chance. Starting tomorrow morning, I'm ordering tornado drills to begin outside the city!" The cheers grew louder, and Rainbow noticed a smirk forming on Fleetfoot's face. Princess Luna took a moment to take a breath and sweep the crowd with her eyes. A subtle grin formed on her face as she continued. "This is our moment of glory! Future generations will remember this night as the moment Equestria refused to bow to tyranny. Will you let a few unicorns in Canterlot decide your fate?" "No!" the crowd yelled. "Will you allow their words to scare you into hiding in your clouds?" "No!" the crowd yelled again, even louder. "Then we will make them hear us!" Luna continued, flying up in the air as her voice projected to every corner of the stadium. "And we will take back Canterlot!" Rainbow's wings flapped excitingly as she began cheering, "Luna, Luna, Luna!" Spitfire quickly joined her, alongside Soarin and Fleetfoot. Soon, everypony in the stadium cheered for their one true princess.