The hunt had begun.
Princess Celestia knew this more than anypony, her sister as well. The moment the letter reached their awaiting hooves, trembling after hearing the devastating news from the Princess of Friendship, the two knew right away where it had come from, where the letter originated.
The Griffon Kingdom. Whatever remained of it, that is. Precisely Griffonstone.
Now Celestia expected some sort of call to action from their neighboring nation, demanding retaliation for the cowardly attack that cost numerous innocent lives. That’s what she expected, Luna as well. Never did they suspect to be brutalized by words of cruelty, of hatred, for those they have lived with for over a thousand years. Because that’s what they received.
A high noble, one they came to know as Gallant, a distant relative to the last known griffon king, objected to the so-called “Equestrian Circus Freaks” having entered into their territory, demolishing what could have been spared from the heart of the entire kingdom. His words were blotted, possibly in anger, as the ink was heavy with numerous slashes and spills across the letter. But the two sisters could still make it out. They could still read it as clear as any given day.
Gallant warned of any more Equestrian intrusion with their own conflicts, especially with the “freaks” they sent to join the Royal Guard in the failed defense. He apparently spoke for the entire kingdom, and didn’t want to see the aliens in their land ever again. He warned of consequences to pay if the Princesses broke this threat, and told them to deal with their own fight. They wanted none of it.
There was no wonder why Celestia and Luna disliked Gallant so much. Not at all like King Guto.
But the letter was useful, more useful than extra paper to burn for the upcoming winter. It gave them a warning, and a reason to stop holding back and actually take action. There was a monster in their land, a monster by the name of Ultron, and he had to be stopped.
So, as ordered from the Royal Sisters hours ago, the hunt had begun.
Squads of Royal Guard scaled Equestria from one end of the country to the other, search and destroy teams hunting on their own birth ground for the beast known as Ultron. Even as Luna crumbled up the letter and tossed it to the floor in front of them, shadows of chariots flew across the dying sunset, their images seen through the windows lining the throne room, hunting, searching.
The hunt didn’t just remain in Equestria alone, it sprawled across as many nations as the two sisters saw fit. A warning was given. There was no holding back the truth. There was an alien army on Equus, and the Princesses informed as many of their neighboring nations, even distant ones, to the possible threat of an alien in their land. After the devastating attack in Griffonstone, the delegates and rulers from the nations sprawling Equus responded in kind, searching their own land for the alien Celestia and Luna had described.
It wouldn’t end soon. That much they knew. What they didn’t know was how Ultron could disperse and hide such a massive army in such little time.
That thought could wait.
“Ignorant little brat,” Luna spat angrily, causing Celestia to slowly turn her way. “If it hadn’t been for those ‘circus freaks’, the heart of the Griffon Kingdom would cease beating.”
“He is simply troubled, Luna,” Celestia replied, her calming tone easing Luna’s judgment, but only for so long. “Fear clouds their judgement. We’ve known this for far too long.”
Princess Luna snorted, staring at the crumbled letter several feet in front of her throne. “The Avengers saved Griffonstone.”
“And they don’t know that.”
“But we do!”
Celestia turned to her sister, her stare as hard as any marble surface within the throne room, perhaps harder. She said fiercely, “All that matters to Gallant and the rest of the Griffon Kingdom is the safety and stability of their already weakened nation. They have no time for heroes, unfortunately. They only care for their own agendas, for their own citizens.”
“The griffons are as greedy as dragons, dear sister,” Luna retorted, turning to her sister so they were staring face to face. With a growing frown, she snarled, “They care not for one another. They merely scrounge up as many bits as their talons can carry while innocent families are slaughtered in Griffonstone. Sickening bunch.”
“And we are to blame the many for the actions of the few?” Celestia replied coyly. Her stare returned, hard as ever. “Princess Twilight wrote it as clear as day, Luna. There were griffons staying for the fight, protecting the innocent, one a certain Rainbow Dash knew personally. I hope you see that, Luna.”
Luna held her glare, not willing to back down to her older sister. She realized soon it was fruitless, sighing and lowering her gaze. “Perhaps it is so,” she mumbled, mane flowing with sparkles of the night sky. “But what of the Avengers?”
Celestia lowered her stare as well, the fire in her eyes cooling down to warm cinder. “Let them do what they must. If we have any luck, we will inform them immediately of Ultron’s or Starlight Glimmer’s whereabouts.”
“And if we fail?” Luna prompted, tilting her head Celestia’s way.
Her older sister shook her head. “We won’t.”
Luna faced her once more, holding a new type of strength in her eyes. She said, “With every effort we put out, sending guards, guards with families of their own, to the wilderness to hunt for a beast they will have little to no chance of defeating on their own, what then can we do, dear sister? What if we find him?”
It was several seconds before Celestia actually gave Luna her full attention, the warm cinder now a full flame, now a flaming forest burning bright in her stare. The strength of the sun, of the solar goddess burned fury, determination. It was a look Luna had seen very few times. And each time was either horrific, powerful, or both. Each time was unforgettable.
Celestia said, “With the combined efforts of our armies…and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes…we will see his end.”
That fury died as a loud bang echoed across the throne room.
Jolting forward, the two sisters ceased thought on the current situation and brought their eyes to the twin doors at the end of their throne room. The guards to the left and right gripped their spears, taking a few steps away from the pounding doors with mixtures of worry and confusion in their eyes. That mixture was added with a bit of fear as painful cries erupted from behind the doors. It was even more terrifying to know it was the cries of their fellow guards.
They gripped their spears tighter, slowly pushing forward. Further down, Luna and Celestia took their stand, eyeing the doors cautiously and readily. Their horns were ignited in their own respected auras, ready for any sort of fight that might fall down. The cries fell silent, leaving the throne room just as it once was.
And they slowly opened.
And a hooded pony trotted inside.
The clip-clopping of the pony’s hoofsteps echoed throughout the throne room, slowing only once the two guards jammed their spears in front of the pony.
“Halt!” one of them ordered, anger evident both in tone and eyes. The other guard gasped, spotting the two from behind the door lying unconscious at the doors’ edges. The first guard growled, tightening his grip once more. “Who are you, and what are you—?”
He soon found himself hurtling towards the wall.
A gust of magical release from the hooded pony’s horn sent both guards flying to the wall directly in front of them, knocking them unconscious upon impact. As their helmets rolled from their heads, their spears spanking hard against the marble floor, the pony continued onwards, straight for the two princesses.
“Be still!”
And then the pony stopped.
Luna glared at the intruder with the intent of incinerating the pony then and there, the foal actual having the audacity of breaking into their throne room unannounced and harming their guards. Celestia could have shared her sister’s feelings, but held back, and stared curiously at the pony standing so very far away from their thrones, stopping only once Luna ordered her to.
She then turned back towards the two fallen guards, her anger returning.
With her wings outstretched, one pushing Luna back slightly, Celestia turned and narrowed her gaze on the pony standing before them. She asked, loud and vocal, “We have specifically ordered no visitors during this time.”
The pony did not respond with words, but with gestures. The pony lightly bowed, coming back up and staring forward to the two sisters.
“I have bowed out of respect for the two rulers of Equestria. You get that often; hear the same thing over and over. Now, hear my plea,” the pony spoke, low and raspy, the tone indicating a female under the dark hood.
Luna would have none of it. Slamming her hoof down, she yelled, “Thou have entered with the intent of harm, injuring several guards in the process, and you expect us to simply hear your plea? We have no desire to hear you, wretch! Be gone, or face dire consequences…”
Celestia was soon to intervene, but stopped. Shockingly to both, the mare only chuckled. It sounded more like a giggle. Quick, precise, to the point. She was not threatened. With the shadows covering her face, her muzzle coiled into that of a knowing smile, saying, “I believe you have bigger problems than little ol’ me. Perhaps you wish to know more of this…‘Ultron’ character?”
And just like that, Luna’s angered dissipated, but not for long. Celestia focused on the mare, her eyes narrowing. She lowered her wings, her horn dimming, as she asked, “What do you know?”
“And it had better be important…” Luna threatened, not risking canceling her magic.
The mare chuckled once more, reaching up and pulling down her hood. The two sisters stared in disbelief, their breaths simply falling silent and debating whether to return. Luna snarled. Celestia held her contemplating stare, simply lost for the right judgement.
“Trust me,” Starlight Glimmer said, her black eye seen from the thrones, “this information will save the world.”