"This is insane!" Rainbow shouted. "You want to call them here?!"
"Are we even ready to fight them?!" Twilight panickedly questioned. "We should wait and prepare until they arrive."
Luna cleared her throat loudly, all eyes shifting to her. "What made you come to this proposal?" Derekosh looked to Jaqeluu, who nodded for him to explain.
"If we wait, the horde will mass even more of what they have." He opened up a hologram of the planet, conjuring ships in atmosphere. "They will send horde after horde at us. With every wave we'll lose more and more of our forces, and if not then we will run out of energy and munitions." He created another image of the planet, this time with a bigger fleet hovering over Equestria. "The Iikro will be compelled to finish us as soon as possible, which will force it to throw everything it has at us and bring more later."
The girls and princesses, along with a silent table of rulers, pondered the situations. Celestia sat up and turned to Derekosh. "Why would it want to come so soon? What will your device do?" she asked.
Derekosh pulled out another hologram of the satellite. "It's a distress beacon we used cycles ago," he began. "Any species that could translate it, more preferably our allies, would have our coordinates and receive a cry for help. They know we are the best chance to finish this horde, but I'm not sure which races can afford to reinforce us. Even so, we have a chance to destroy their homeworld and finish them once and for all... even if it's the death of many."
The rulers all looked to one another, anxious about provoking this enormous war. "Are we even ready?" Applejack silently asked. "This... this ain't gonna be pretty... can we fight 'em? Even with what we got?"
They could all hear the fear in her voice. The Signa didn't blame them, since this would be their biggest battle since the defeat of Drepshol. "Whether or not we survive is not what we should be concerned about," Figanti said. He rested his blade on the table, running his fingers over its markings. "What every Signa has pledged... is to die so that others may live. Today we must know if you are willing to do the same. This is more than your world... it's the fate of this galaxy. We will all die to secure the safety of countless lives, die in vain, or live to tell the tale. I prefer living, but I know that I will die with corpses on my blade. If you cannot pledge this, then we've already lost."
The idea of death scared the rulers and Elements. Figanti admired their innocence among the galaxy's races. He closed the holograms and sat back, waiting for an answer.
"...I don't want to die... none of us do," Twilight murmured, looking down at the table. "I have so much to learn... so much to do... we all do." Derekosh sighed softly, believing he knew her answer. "We aren't Loki'irian. We can't set aside our moralities and beliefs like you can. But... I'm still going to fight my hardest." She took a quivering breath and smiled to her friends. "I'm fighting to stop the death of other races... but more importantly I'm fighting for my friends and family. I'm fighting for fillies and colts that still have a whole lifetime to spend. I'm fighting... I'm fighting for tomorrow."
Celestia smiled as she nodded. "If there is one thing I can say about your kind, Signa, it's that you are too faithless." The men shared smirks and shrugged. "My student has learned much these past few years... but I think she knows something your kind is forgetting."
"To fight for your own lives," Luna stated. "It is noble of you to lay down your lives for others... but a bit of self-preservation never hurt anypony."
"It's... actually kinda depressing," Rainbow admitted, scratching her mane. "I mean, sometimes it sounds like you guys just don't care."
"Trust me... we do... but it is hard fighting for yourself when so many others can suffer for your failure," Jaqeluu grimly remarked. "If you can't swear to our oath... then we will pledge to yours."
Each Signa raised his hand, their marks and eyes glowing.
"As Signa of Loki'ir, vanguards of the mother, we pledge to fight not only for the sake of others, but for the continued existence of ourselves," Jaqeluu declared, his energy pulsing through the room.
"I accept," Derekosh said.
"And I as well." Their energies faded, and Figanti bowed humbly. "We will fight for the tomorrow we all seek. Is that sufficient for the rest of you?"
The girls all agreed simultaneously, followed by the princesses, the changeling Queen, and the other nation's rulers. "It's better than theirs," Chrysalis snickered.
Jaqeluu grinned, then stood up to keep their attention. "We will give Reku'un a month to reach for final phase of his Illness before using the satellite," he announced. "Will you fight when that day comes?"
Heads turned, rulers agreed, and they all turned to Celestia as she stood to speak for them. "If it means finishing this fight... then we will be ready."
Figanti smiled and gave another bow. "Thank you... we will be ready for that day." He headed for the door as the meeting came to an end. "...we will win... I promise you all."
He exited the meeting room and made his way to the chambers of his nephew. There, his nephew's lover cared for their daughter, but they both looked to him when the door opened. "Figanti," Ember said, perking up immediately. "Is Reku'un-"
He put up a hand to stop her. "There is one month left... we will see him on the day of the battle." Ember nodded and closed her eyes, her daughter gurgling at the behemoth she would know as an uncle. "At least someone is happy."
Figanti chuckled as he sat down in front of them, letting Dawn play with his hand. "When he returns, he will have everything he needs to fight and win. This is it, Nogora (lover of my nephew)" he assured her.
She wasn't at all familiar with him, but she truly hoped to one day grow accustomed to knowing they are family. "I know... I know," she sighed. Dawn exclaimed suddenly when she found Figanti's mark, then belched a flame in his face. "Dawn, no!"
"It's fine!" Figanti laughed, rubbing his eyes. "It's a small burn. Her flame is strong!" The burns on his face healed away, making the small dragoness reach for his face. "She's a strong child... you must be proud."
"As a runt, it's good to know," she admitted with a bittersweet laugh. Figanti grinned as well.
"Reku'un is a runt as well... and look at what's he's accomplished," he reminded her. "You are strong. You are a strong Nera'akat, and a fine warrior. My nephew is fortunate to have you as his love, and he knows as much." Ember smiled as she stroked the spines of her daughter, who wriggled with giggles as her mother played with the little scales. "And your wedding... he will be there to marry you after this is over."
"The only question I have is whether it will be a dragon wedding, an Equestrian wedding, or a Loki'irian wedding," she chuckled, wiping her eyes with her tail.
"Perhaps all three?" They shared another laugh, entertaining the idea before falling to silence. "It will happen, Ember... it will."
She nodded. "I hope so," she whispered. "I just abhor knowing I can't fight with him out there."
"He'll fight harder knowing you and your daughter are safe," he told her. "Where he goes, none can follow... not when he's fighting as a god among men."
Ember looked to a picture beside her bed, one she cherished for so long. It was the picture Moon had taken... when they were teens. Well, he was technically a child, but he was still older than her.
We're almost there...
...give it your all, Draco.