//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Unicornia // by Yukito //------------------------------// Princess Platinum paced back-and-forth, her maids watching with angst as her crown slowly and steadily began to slip off of her head. "Ooh, what am I going to do? What if I mess up my lines? What if I trip and make a fool of myself?" A blush crossed the princess' face. "What if I trip and Commander Hurricane sees me?" The crown finally fell from its proud place atop the princess' head and landed on the hard stone floor with a resounding clang. The princess gasped and attempted to pick up the fallen headpiece with her magic, but was beaten to the punch by her father, who lifted the crown high into the air as he approached his daughter. "Platinum, you must compose yourself. In just a few short hours, you will become the next Queen of Unicornia. This is what you have been preparing for your entire life, and I would not have chosen you as my successor had I felt you were not ready." "But Father, things are different than they used to be. Unicornia, Pegasopolis and Earth all now live together as one country: Equestria. How can I be expected to lead three different tribes of ponies?!" "You won't be alone." The king placed the crown delicately onto his daughter's head. "Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead will be there to help you. Even despite his recent loss, he is still taking the time to be by your side. You have picked good friends, Platinum." "It's a shame what happened to Smart Cookie. And just when I was beginning to like her, too." Princess Platinum looked up into her father's eyes and pouted. "Can't you remain king for just one more year, Father?" "I'm getting too old, and the dangers from the Everfree Forest require my full attention." The king placed his hooves onto his daughter's shoulders, steadying her shaking body. "I trust you, Platinum. I know that you will become a fine queen." "Your Highness!" Prince Sombra shouted as he burst into the room, startling everypony present and causing the princess' crown to once again fall from her head. "Sombra, what is the meaning of this?!" the king demanded. "On the day of your sister's crowning, you come barging in and-" "Forgive me, Father, but it is urgent!" The urgency in the young prince's voice was noted by his father, who nodded and allowed him to continue. "We have visitors, Father. They call themselves 'alicorns', and they have both pegasus wings and unicorn horns!" The sun was shining bright over Ponyville as the town joined together to make the final preparations for the coming Hearth’s Warming festival. The blazing sun was a glaring contradiction to the overcast and snowfall forecast for that day. Twilight Sparkle had her suspicions of why that was, but was far too busy trying to settle a dispute to track down the weatherpony responsible. In the middle of the town, a stage was to be set up for the traditional Hearth’s Warming play held every year, that would retell the events that led to the founding of Equestria over one thousand years ago. The space, however, was vacant, as the town’s usual sponsor was refusing to pitch in. Filthy Rich stood his ground firmly in the face of Mayor Mare. He was adamant that his idea was better and refused to back down. “I’m telling you, Mayor, this will bring in pools of money for our town!” “Normally I would be inclined to agree with you,” Mayor Mare said, “But this is Hearth’s Warming Eve! The message is more important than the money!” “This same play has been done before, for many years now! We know the story, we get the message! It’s time to take a different approach and focus on something other than the founding of our country!” Filthy Rich held up a sheet of paper, upon which several diagrams of toys and festive-shaped sweets were drawn. “Every other town draws in thousands of bits during the holiday season because they hold big, festive markets on Hearths’ Warming Eve, but Ponyville has always been too small for something like that. According to my calculations, if we scrap the play-” “You’re scrapping the play?” The high-pitched voice that startled the stallion belonged to none other than his daughter, Diamond Tiara, who – despite it being several days too early – was dressed in the regal attire of Princess Platinum prepared by her school. “But I was going to finally play the princess this year!” Mayor Mare grinned and slapped the sheet out of Filthy Rich’s hooves. “Well then, what now? You wouldn’t want to disappoint your daughter now, would you?” No verbal response came from the stallion’s mouth, but the glare in his eyes said it all. Still, the mayor decided to take his silence as a surrender and patted herself on the back. “Now then, please go and file the paperwork for the stage before the post office is closed, Mr. Scrooge.” “Bah, humbug,” Filthy Rich groaned as he turned around and trotted down the street, leaving the mayor and Princess Twilight behind. “I’m terribly sorry to have wasted your time on such trivial matter, Princess,” Mayor Mare said with a bow. “Oh, no. Don’t worry about it,” Twilight said, motioning for the mayor to stop bowing with her hooves. “Still, he does have a point, you know? The play is the same every year, and we all know the message by this point.” “Well, yes, but that is because it’s an important part of our history,” the mayor said, removing her glasses to clean them off with a piece of cloth. “We can’t just change history… er, Your Highness.” “No, but if the whole point is that the lessons of friendship are to be kept alive through this play, then it might be counterintuitive if ponies start to grow bored of the same performance year-after-year.” Mayor Mare rubbed her chin in thought. “Then what do you suggest?” “Maybe we can spice it up a little? Special effects, elegant costumes…” “With respect, Princess, Ponyville just simply does not have the budget for all of that. We barely get away with hiring the stage every year, after all of the other decorations around town and the extra heating we need to stay warm.” Twilight looked over to where Filthy Rich had left the area. “But if we could make more money off of the things Mr. Rich was planning on selling-” “Forget it! That would mean moving the play to a small corner where nopony would even see it!” “But there must be something that you can do. You know Mr. Rich; he doesn’t give in easily. It would be best to reach a compromise sooner rather than later.” Mayor Mare sighed. “You’re right, but there’s just so much going on that it’s difficult to think of anything. I’m so glad that you’re here to help with all of the preparations.” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Oh, well, uh… about that, I’m actually leaving for Canterlot today. I want to spend some time with my parents before Hearth’s Warming Eve, you know?” “But you can’t!” the mayor pleaded, dropping to her knees and grabbing Twilight’s forelegs. “You’re the most organized pony I know! You put the ponies in my office to shame! You have to stay and help out, you have to!” “Ooookay.” Twilight awkwardly shuffled backwards, blushing as she noticed the ponies around them looking and laughing. She managed to slip her hooves free and took flight, placing herself out of reach of the frazzled mayor. “Don’t worry, I’ll be coming back tomorrow. Just keep Pinkie Pie from licking the giant candy cane and don’t let the Crusaders near the glass ornaments.” Mayor Mare whimpered as Twilight flew away, leaving her alone in the town square as the alicorn scouted the town for the weather pony who had gone AWOL. The world racing beneath her hooves, the wind blowing through her mane, the tingle along her spine whenever she pushed against the sound barrier. These were the things that Rainbow Dash lived for, and it was for this that she trained each and every day, so that one day her excitement flying fast through the air could land her a career with the esteemed Wonderbolts, Equestria’s fastest flyers. The Equestrian record for clearing twenty-five clouds each spaced equally at one foot apart from each other, starting from the centre, was ten seconds flat. Rainbow Dash’s was twenty. If she could lower that time even by just a couple of seconds, the Wonderbolts would be sure to recognise her greatness, she thought. Speed wasn’t enough. For such a feat, one needed agility, strong wings, the correct posture, and above all, the dedication to win. Fifteen clouds cleared at nine seconds. Rainbow Dash lowered her goggles over her eyes as she felt the winds blowing against them, forcing tears to form. “C’mon, just ten more!” A swift kick that sent a shockwave eliminated two clouds at once, and Rainbow Dash quickly spun around to travel to her next target without a moment’s hesitation. “Eight more…” Plunging through two clouds, Rainbow Dash halted suddenly and performed a flip in order to not only turn around, but to elevate herself at the same time. At fifteen seconds, four clouds remained. Three clouds at sixteen seconds. Two at seventeen, one at eighteen… “No way!” Rainbow Dash shouted. The final cloud was far away from where the last she destroyed one was. She gritted her teeth and flapped harder. Nineteen seconds, and she swung her leg. The cloud disappeared. “TIME!” Fluttershy pressed the stopwatch and slowly opened one eye. “Oh my! Twenty seconds flat!” she reported with a cheerful smile. “I don’t know how you do it, Rainbow Dash.” “ARGH!” Rainbow Dash slumped in the air and allowed her wings to slowly carry her down. “Every time! Every time I try a new path, the last cloud is always too far away and I lose time!” “But… twenty seconds is still impressive, right?” Fluttershy asked as Rainbow Dash landed on the cloud beside her. “I was certainly impressed.” “No offence Fluttershy, but you’re not exactly a Wonderbolt. I’m not gonna impress Spitfire with just twenty seconds!” Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves into her face and fell onto her back on the cloud. “At this rate, I’m gonna have to go through Wonderbolt Academy the slow old regular way.” “At least you’re learning while you’re there,” Fluttershy offered with a smile. “Great,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned. “Well, sometimes there are just no shortcuts in life.” Twilight Sparkle flew in from afar and landed on the cloud next to the two pegasi. “If you really want to impress Spitfire, you should stop slacking off and do the tasks you’ve been given.” “What d’ya mean?” Rainbow Dash asked as she sat up and confronted her friend. “The weather? We’ve been forecast snow and lots of cloud coverage.” Rainbow Dash scoffed the notion away and resumed lying on her back, staring up into the bright, clear sky. “Yeah yeah, I’ll get on that tonight.” “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said in a stern tone. “Look, I can totally handle it tonight when everypony’s sleepin’, and it’s not like we need snow today, so what’s the big deal?” “The ‘big deal’ is that Hearth’s Warming is coming up and we’re still way behind schedule!” Twilight took a moment to compose herself with a deep breath. “The mayor’s been really stressed lately, and it didn’t help when I told her I’m going to Canterlot today.” Rainbow Dash bolted upright and gave Twilight her full attention. “Seriously? You’re going to Canterlot for Hearth’s Warming?” “Oh, I’ll be back for Hearth’s Warming Eve.” “I’d love to go back to Canterlot someday, too,” Fluttershy said. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve visited your hometown.” “You were there last week,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Oh, I meant without going to the castle for some big emergency.” “Anyway, I’m leaving now, and the mayor’s having a mental breakdown, so it would really help if you took care of the sky now, not tonight,” Twilight said, lifting herself into the air as she prepared to take off. “Remember to take it easy in the town square! The town hall is still missing its roof.” “Yeah yeah, I got it,” Rainbow Dash said, stretching her body and her wings as she prepared for her task. “Hey Fluttershy, get ready to time me!” Fluttershy sighed as she reset her stopwatch and slowly hovered off of the cloud alongside Rainbow Dash. “I had plans with Angel today…” she mumbled. “What was that?” “Oh, nothing.” The Royal Guard – An elite military unit trained and stationed in Canterlot, tasked with three perilously important tasks. The first was to protect the royal family at all costs, even if it meant laying down their own lives to do so. The second was to protect Equestria from foreign threats, which would include going to the battlefield should war arise. The third task was what made up most of the Royal Guard’s activities, and it involved protecting the peace in Canterlot. Catching bad guys and locking them behind bars, settling disputes and protecting important ponies were all things that the Royal Guard was expected to do on a daily basis. Shining Armor, a Captain of the Royal Guard, was tasked with the responsibility of leading his troops to accomplish these tasks. His task at present was the protection of a large quantity of jewels that was to be transferred from the Bank of Canterlot’s First Branch to an undisclosed location, a task that would ordinarily be handled by no more than one squad of three or four ponies. The circumstances this time were different, though. There was a thief on the loose, one who targeted only the wealthiest ponies in Canterlot. “Are you absolutely sure that you want to make this transfertoday?” Shining Armor asked Prince Blueblood one final time. “You know of the thief that has stolen over one million bits worth of jewels and treasure in the past week alone, right, Your Highness?” “Of course,” Blueblood answered. “That thief is exactly the reason why we must transfer these jewels as soon as possible! I don’t trust this bank’s security with my wealth whilst this thug is still at large.” “Can you at least tell us where we’re going, then?” “All that you need to know is that I have come into contact with a powerful sorcerer who has promised to safeguard my jewels for a reasonably small share.” “Has it not occurred to you that maybe you are being scammed?” Shining Armor deadpanned. “Perhaps I should check this sorcerer out before we-” “Absolutely not!” Blueblood shouted, startling the captain and the few soldiers behind him. “Er, what I mean is, trust between a sorcerer and his client is important and-” “Wait, don’t tell me… you made a deal with Rumple?!” Blueblood’s silence was all the answer that the captain needed before he facehooved hard. “You know Princess Celestia will have both our hides for this!” “Which is precisely why you will not tell her anything!” “A deal with Rumple can only end badly! There’s a reason the Royal Guard has eyes on him!” “He always abides to his contracts to the word! So long as I give him a mere five percent cut, my jewels will be safe!” Behind Shining Armor, two soldiers were standing guard at the bank’s entrance. One was a large, grey stallion with a buzz cut mane, and the other was a smaller, white mare with her mane completely obscured by her helmet. “Hey, is it okay for the captain to be speaking like that with the prince?” the mare asked. “You must be new here,” the stallion replied with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. Captain Armor is a prince too, even if it’s only through marriage. Prince Blueblood is a distant relative to the princesses, so they hold about the same weight.” The stallion chuckled as he watched Blueblood storm off with a huff. “Sometimes, it feels like they’re brothers.” “I see.” The mare observed Shining Armor checking his equipment one final time. “So, as a veteran, what advice would you give to this rookie for winning the captain’s good favour?” The stallion smirked and nudged the mare lightly. “What, you got a crush on Captain Armor? Y’know the guy’s married, right?” “Idiot, not like that,” the mare deadpanned. “I want to move up the ranks quickly, maybe become a captain myself one day.” “That’s a good goal, but maybe not one a newbie should be thinking about too much.” The stallion rubbed his chin and hummed for a few seconds. “Well, the captain likes his soldiers to be disciplined, but not drones. Follow your orders, but don’t just agree with him on everything. Show him you can think and act on your own as well as with the squad.” The mare tilted her head. “That almost seems counter-intuitive.” “It is, if you’re not careful. It’s easy to go from ‘above-and-beyond’ to ‘reckless endangerment’. That’s why you should wait a few years. Get a feel for how missions work.” The stallion and mare saluted as Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood approached and walked past them. They then began to follow the two, taking up the rear of the group to guard against potential ambushes from behind. “Keep an eye on me. I’ll show you how it’s done!” The mare smiled. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” Twilight Sparkle rang the doorbell to her parents’ house and studied her reflection in the living room’s window. She noticed that her scarf was lopsided and took a moment to adjust it. Now it was hanging too low, so she tightened it. Now her hat was slipping off, and she slipped it back on with a scowl. “Man, I hope your mum’s baked some of those cookies she likes to make,” Spike said as he rubbed his claws together, licking his lips as he imagined the sweet, sugary treats. “It’s not like she knew we were coming,” Twilight responded. “But she’s a mother. Isn’t that, like, what they do?” Twilight rolled her eyes. The door before her opened suddenly, and in the doorway was her father, who gasped upon seeing his daughter. “Twilight! What a pleasant surprise!” He looked down at the dragon beside her. “And Spike, too! I must say I didn’t expect this today!” Night Light stepped forward to hug his daughter. “Well, it’s been a while since I checked in and I’ve kind of missed you guys.” The two separated and Twilight walked inside with Spike, removing her warm, wintery clothes as the door closed. “Is Mum in?” “She’s in the kitchen, finishing a batch of cinnamon cookies.” Spike cast a grin at Twilight. “How’ve you been? Being a princess must keep you busy, huh?” Twilight noticed the look of pride on her father’s face and blushed with a frown. “Dad, honestly, it’s not a big deal.” “It’s not every day that somepony grows wings and becomes a princess.” “Yeah yeah yeah, Twilight’s now Twilicorn, old news,” Spike cut in. “Now what’s the status on those cookies?” “Almost done,” Twilight Velvet called out, entering the room from the attached kitchen and approaching Twilight with a smile. The mother and daughter hugged as Velvet said, “It’s so good to see you again, dear.” “You too.” As the two parted, Twilight levitated some presents from her back and placed them to the side. “I wanted to see you again, and also drop off these Hearth’s Warming presents.” “Oh, Twilight, you didn’t have to go out of your way to-” “It’s no problem, really,” Twilight insisted. “I know you think I must be busy with being a princess and all, but honestly, it’s not all that time-consuming. Ponyville is still run by Mayor Mare and the town’s council.” “You got us two presents each?” Night Light asked, examining the bottle-shaped present with a grin. “I think I spotted one of mine.” “I brought Shining Armor and Cadance’s presents, too,” Twilight explained, lifting the bottle-shaped present and giving it to her mother. “Keep this out of reach until Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Twilight Velvet grinned and took the bottle in her own magic. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep it where I hide your father’s snacks.” Night Light sighed and skulked off into the living room, the rest of the group following after him. “But why bring your brother and Cadance’s presents here?” “You said you were going to visit him this weekend in your last letter to me. I was hoping you could take them to him.” Velvet stopped and said, “Ah. Right, about that… your brother’s been called out of the Crystal Empire and is back here in Canterlot for an important mission.” Twilight gasped and responded with a smile, “He’s here? In Canterlot?” Twilight Velvet nodded. “Have you heard about that thief that’s been striking Canterlot’s nobles lately?” When Twilight shook her head, Velvet explained, “He’s been at large for some time now, stealing money and jewels from nobles, even royalty.” “And the Royal Guard haven’t caught him yet?” Twilight asked with a frown. “He has the support of the people,” Night Light said, bringing a confused look to his daughter’s face. “After every one of his heists, ‘anonymous’ donations are made, all around Equestria, to schools, orphanages, hospitals, and ponies who are deeply in debt or just plain poor. The citizens have reasoned that he’s spreading his wealth to them and rally to support him.” Twilight tapped her chin with a hoof. “So he steals from the rich and gives to the poor?” “Hey, that would make a good catchphrase!” “Hey, do you smell something burning?” Spike asked. “And before anyone asks, it wasn’t me!” Everypony stood in silence for a second before Twilight Velvet gasped and screamed, “My cookies!” “Her cookies!” Spike cried as he followed Velvet into the kitchen in a hurry. Twilight sighed. “Spike, seriously… So, Shining Armor is helping to catch this guy?” Night Light nodded. “Personally I think the guy’s a hero, but theft is still theft and the Royal Guard’s losing a lot of morale every time he gets away.” “Well, if he’s here, it means I can pay him a visit before I leave,” Twilight reasoned with a smile. “Hey, maybe I could even help him out! It feels good whenever I can use my magic to help ponies.” “If you did that, you might wound your brother’s pride,” Night Light responded with a laugh. Twilight Velvet reentered the room, carrying a tray of steaming cookies, some of them slightly-black. “Fresh, only somewhat-charred cookies,” she said in a solemn tone. Beside her, Spike was happily munching away on one. “Get them before he does.” Prince Blueblood held back at the gates of Canterlot with his precious cargo as Shining Armor and a small scouting party scouted ahead to confirm that the path was safe. Upon the captain’s return Blueblood prepared to move out, but was halted by Shining Armor’s raised hoof. “There are too many trees out there. Thieves could be hiding anywhere and we can’t possibly protect you from all directions,” Shining Armor reported. “I insist we take a different path through the city’s western exit. It’s open terrain that makes it impossible for anypony to get close without us noticing.” “That would take all day! I have an appointment to keep at the Wonderbolts' Derby.” Shining Armor sighed. “Then what if we hide your cargo in a hay wagon? We would have to take fewer guards, but it might be enough to throw off-” “You are not going to dirty my jewels by placing them into some farmer’s wagon!” Blueblood shouted, turning around and motioning to the guards behind him. “We’re going as we are! If you foals can’t even catch one thief, then perhaps you aren’t deserving of your statuses!” As the group moved hesitantly past Shining Armor, the disgruntled captain watched with restrained anger at the pompous prince trotting towards the forest. The stallion and the mare bringing up the rear passed him, and the mare stopped for a moment to say, “Captain Armor?” Shining Armor faced the mare and took a calming breath. “… Don’t worry. Keep moving.” The mare shook her head. “No, sir, it’s not that. I have a suggestion, if I may?” The forest outside of Canterlot was famous for its tranquility and for being a soothing, leisurely hike through nature. The large trees all around made one feel that they could connect with the planet, whilst the bright rays of the sun piercing through the treetops gave one a sense of warmth and peace at heart. The critters that lived in the forest lived peacefully with the ponies, and the wind rustling through the trees was the only sound that could be heard save for the chirping of the birds. It was the perfect place to catch somepony off-guard. Not only did the many trees provide perfect cover, but the general peacefulness of the area served to lower one’s guard. Shining Armor, though, was not one to let his guard drop during a mission. He kept his ears focussed for any unnatural sounds that could indicate an enemy presence stalking them through the forest. “It’s not much further now,” Blueblood spoke up as he wiped a bead of sweat from his head. “We’re leaving the forest at the next fork, going left. Rumplestiltskin agreed to meet at the waterfall one mile from the forest.” “Is it really okay?” one of the soldiers asked, turning back to face his captain. “Making a deal with that suspicious pony?” Shining Armor didn’t answer, instead focusing on picking up unusual sounds. “He’s not a wanted criminal or anything, is he?” the mare travelling beside Shining Armor at the rear of the group asked. The stallion shook his head. “Then there’s no problem, right?” “That kind of naivety will get you in trouble one day,” the stallion retorted, earning a laugh from a couple of the other soldiers. Shining Armor and the mare both stopped at once, prompting the rest of the group to do the same as they turned back with concerned looks. “What are you doing?” Blueblood asked in a huffy tone. “Everypony, protect the prince,” Shining Armor said, drawing his spear. Blueblood’s eyes widened and he gasped. “W-What is it? No, more importantly, my jewels-” “It’s just one pony,” the mare beside Shining Armor said, facing a tree to her left with an intense look. “What’s he gonna do? Lift it out with an airship?” “That’s strange,” Shining Armor muttered. “Robin Hood usually has at least one or two accomplices. Why is he out here alone?” After a few seconds of silence between the group, the captain stepped forwards and shouted, “Come out, now! If you surrender quietly then you won’t be harmed!” “Alright, you got me!” A stallion stepped out from behind the tree and every soldier’s weapons were immediately trained onto him at once. His face was obscured by a green hoof attached to a cloak that hid much of his body. All that could be identified were his grey-furred legs and a cutie mark of a horizontal bow and a vertical arrow, shaped to resemble a pair of weighing scales. “Please, please! I’m surrendering!” Shining Armor raised a brow. “Just like that? The great Robin Hood is giving up without a fight?” “I guess the stories were just that after all,” the mare scoffed, earning a laugh from the hooded stallion. “Yes, well, I do have one condition.” Robin Hood said. “And what would that be?” Shining Armor asked. “You claim to be keepers of justice, right? Protectors of society? Trained to defend the innocent and bring the guilty to light?” Robin Hood looked over the group that sneered at him and gave a devilish grin. “Well then, perhaps you might want to prove that claim. In your midst, at this time, is a traitor. One of my own stallions.” Everypony exchanged nervous looks and started to lower their weapons anxiously. All but Shining Armor. “You’re lying.” “Am I? I assure you, I have never once told a lie in my entire life. I may be a thief, but I am an honest and honourable stallion.” Blueblood scoffed. “There’s no such thing as an honour among street rats.” “There is certainly more than you condescending nobles have,” Robin Hood retorted. “In any case, I challenge you to find the traitor in your midst in five minutes. If you do, then I will gladly turn myself in and accept that you are true keepers of justice. If not, then I will take my prize and you will have to accept that only I can protect this town from villainy.” “And what is stopping us from simply taking you in right now?” Shining Armor challenged. “Naturally, the bomb that has been placed in with the jewels,” Robin Hood responded, causing everypony near the wagon to scramble backwards immediately with sharp gasps. “It will detonate when my partner hits the switch. I wouldn’t try to disarm it, either.” Shining Armor ran towards the wagon and threw out the jewels inside of it. “What are you doing?!” Blueblood cried as he scurried to pick up his precious jewels from the dirt. He looked up at the soldiers around him and shouted, “Well?! Don’t just stand there!” As the soldiers joined the prince in securing the jewels, Shining Armor found a small device hidden at the base of the wagon. Shaking, the stallion turned to his group and demanded, “Who was in charge of filling this wagon?!” “We all were, sir,” one of the soldiers reported, before turning to the mare and stallion at the rear of the group. “All but those two.” “But they could’ve slipped something in at any time,” another soldier said. “Being at the rear and all.” “H-Hey!” the stallion at the back shouted as he began to sweat. “If either of us did anything the other would’ve seen it!” “But how did she know that Robin Hood was here?” All eyes turned to the mare, who stood as still as stone under the accusing glares. “Yeah, that is strange.” “It was the trampled leaves,” Shining Armor explained. “There were leaves trampled around the tree, but no hoofprints in the dirt. Somepony took the time to remove their tracks, and that somepony could only have been the thief waiting to ambush us.” The soldiers began to murmur to each other. “Maybe the captain could see that, but her?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” the mare asked. “That because I’m a mare I shouldn’t have noticed something like that?” “T-That’s not what I-” “It’s not her, in any case,” Blueblood spoke up as he returned the last of his jewels to the wagon. “He said one of his stallions was among us, right?” “True,” Shining Armor agreed, though his eyes were still fixed on the mare acting cool under scrutiny. “Was there anypony who was ever alone with the wagon at any point?” “We’ve been together the whole time, sir,” one stallion answered, his hoof around his partner’s neck. “Right?” “Y-Yeah…” “Wanna give up?” Robin Hood asked, casually walking closer towards the group. “If you can’t even tell your own kind apart from imposters, how could you possibly protect us?” “… What did you just say?” Shining Armor asked. “‘Imposters’?” Robin Hood stopped and snapped his eyes to Shining Armor. “What about it?” Shining Armor gasped and looked over his group once more. He eyed each and every pony carefully, paying particular attention to each and every detail. Hooves, coat colours, eye colours, sizes and builds. But there was nothing that stood out. “Captain, perhaps we should just take the jewels and flee?” Prince Blueblood suggested. “If this bomb explodes, we could all die!” “Then flee,” Shining Armor said in a flat tone. “I’m not going to-” Shining Armor turned his head to Blueblood, who was standing beside his wagon staring at his jewels. Blueblood raised a cloth to wipe a little dirt off of one of his jewels. “… I’m ready to answer now.” “You’ve found the traitor?” Robin Hood asked. “Then by all means, answer away.” “The stallion masquerading as one of us is… you.” Shining Armor pointed a hoof at Prince Blueblood, who gasped and took a sudden step back. “H-How dare you?! This is treason!” “Not really, since you’re not the prince,” Shining Armor retorted. “The real Prince Blueblood would have fled the instant that he heard there was a bomb in the vicinity. Even at the cost of his wealth, Blueblood values his own life more than anything. There is also the fact that you replaced the jewels before cleaning them, mixing the filthy ones with the clean. For that matter, you got down into the dirt yourself to pick them up. “The reason you insisted we go through this forest wasn’t to make good time, but to ensure we met Robin Hood. You’re the imposter.” Silence fell, and the Royal Guard froze as they waited for an answer. They didn’t want to doubt the captain, but they also didn’t want to risk angering the prince, either. Finally, ‘Blueblood’ smiled. “It seems you got us, Captain,” he said. The mare at the back of the group was the first to run forwards with her spear pointed towards the fake prince, but she stopped as Shining Armor stepped between the two. “Scarlet’s the name. Will Scarlet.” “What have you done with the prince?!” Shining Armor demanded. “He’s safe,” Scarlet answered. “Right about now he’s getting his hooves polished, courtesy of an anonymous coupon for a full spa rejuvenation treatment.” “Well, we passed your test,” the mare said as she turned to face Robin Hood. “That means you’ll turn yourself in, right?” “As promised,” Robin Hood assured, walking forwards slowly. He extended his hooves and allowed the mare to slap on a pair of hoofcuffs. “As promised, he turned himself in,” Will Scarlet announced, his horn glowing before firing a spark that cut the chain connecting the hoofcuffs. “And now, I’m breaking him out!” Robin Hood turned around and ran quickly into the forest, accompanied by Will Scarlet. The soldiers prepared to give chase but were stopped by a cloud of smoke coming from the wagon of jewels. “Honourable thief my flanks!” the mare shouted. “Captain, what should we do?!” another soldier asked. Shining Armor stamped a hoof and answered, “We withdraw!” “But Captain-” “We need to return the prince’s jewels safely and make sure he’s okay! Then we need to report this to the princess, that there’s an master of disguise working for Robin Hood’s band of thieves!” “… Yes, sir!” As the cloud of smoke began to die down, the soldiers turned around and marched solemnly back the way that they had come from. All but one soldier who should have been travelling at the rear of the group, whose absence was noticed by her partner quickly. “Captain, we’re short one guard!” The rest of the soldiers turned around and the murmuring started up once more. “Is she a traitor, too?” “She was suspicious.” “Did anypony even get her name?” Shining Armor stepped forwards and motioned towards one stallion. “You come with me. The rest of you return to Canterlot.” Robin Hood and Will Scarlet stopped to catch their breaths by the side of a large lake, hidden deep within the forest. The sparkling, clean lake was a source of refreshing water that the two drank to refresh themselves. “Seems they’re not so hopeless after all,” Will Scarlet said as he pulled out a bottle and started to fill it from the lake. “But they couldn’t even tell a smoke device from a bomb.” “As I thought, this country lacks the force it needs to protect itself,” Robin Hood declared. “If that is the best that the Royal Guard has to offer, then Princess Celestia will-” The tip of a spear pressed itself against Robin Hood’s neck, startling the two as Scarlet dropped his bottle. “Yes?” a female voiced asked, pushing the spear further forward to keep Will Scarlet at bay and then pressing a dagger to Robin Hood’s side. “What were you about to say? Go ahead. I wouldn’t mind adding ‘conspiracy against the crown’ to your list of crimes.” “How did you find us?!” Will Scarlet shouted, raising his hooves as his horn glowed. “I wouldn’t try that,” the mare said, pressing her dagger closer to make Robin Hood wince. Scarlet’s magic faded out, and she smiled. “What was that about the Royal Guard lacking force?” “How did you find us?” Robin Hood echoed Will Scarlet’s question. “A tracking device,” the mare answered, using her magic to pull a small bead from inside the keyhole of Robin Hood’s hoofcuffs. “I discussed this with Captain Armor earlier. A little unorthodox, but we had planned to place this in one of the jewels and letting you take them. Then, we could track you down, wherever you went. When I suspected foul play as you turned yourself in, however, the plan changed.” “Excellent work, Private,” Shining Armor called as he approached Will Scarlet from behind, a pair of hoofcuffs levitating beside him. Another soldier was tailing him, carrying a pair of rings in his hoof. “You can lower your weapons now. If they try to run, I’ll catch them.” “Yes, Captain.” The mare lowered her spear and stowed her dagger, stepping back as the two stallions hoofcuffed the two thieves added magic-restraining rings onto their horns. “So he was a unicorn this whole time.” “Doesn’t he usually travel with a bow?” the stallion beside Shining Armor asked. “Looks like he left it behind this time,” Shining Armor said. “Let’s move out. You lead on.” “Yes, sir!” The stallion set off, leading Robin Hood and Will Scarlet through the forest whilst the female soldier and Shining Armor followed with caution. “Be careful,” Shining Armor said. “There could still be more hanging about.” Shining Armor turned to the mare travelling beside him. “You did well today, Private.” “Thank you, sir,” the mare responded with a smile. Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. “I don’t recognise you. I thought I’d dedicated all of my soldiers’ names and faces to memory already. What is your name, Private?” The mare stopped for a second to salute, and answered, “Sir! Returning to active duty after maternity leave for two years, I requested to be transferred from the western border to Canterlot so that I could stay close to my child! My name is Trixie.” “Aah, you were from the border.” Trixie nodded. “A boy or a girl?” Trixie resumed walking and said, “A boy, sir.” “Well, it’s no wonder I don’t recognise you, then. Tell me, how did you think to plant a tracking device on the prince’s jewels?” “At the border, sir, smugglers were getting crafty. We planted tracking devices onto suspicious ponies’ carts and then followed them for a bit.” Trixie shot a sly grin to her captain. “Ponies get careless when they think they’re in the clear. I thought the same strategy would work for common thieves.” Shining Armor chuckled. “I’ll admit, I hadn’t considered using Blueblood’s jewels as a means to catch them. Keep that up, and I might just say some good things about you to the princesses.” “I’m honoured, sir.” A flake of snow fell onto Trixie’s muzzle, startling her as she snapped her head upwards. There was a lone cloud hanging above them, through an opening in the treetops. “I guess the pegasi have begun work over the forest, now.” “Good timing,” Shining Armor said. “I guess the Three Tribes are watching over us.” Trixie stared forwards at the two thieves in the distance, nodding her head and responding, “Yeah, I guess you could say that…” “Princess Platinum, I asked you to wait in your room.” Princess Platinum bowed to her father and said, “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but as soon-to-be queen, I thought that maybe I should introduce myself to our guests.” The king approached his daughter and leaned in to whisper, “The idea was that, if they were our enemies, you could flee.” “You think they’re here to attack us?” Princess Platinum asked, looking over the two tall ponies dressed in fine clothing and jewelry. Neither of them had any weapons, but their horns suggested that they could use magic like the unicorns could. “I don’t know, but that’s not the point. As the queen, you would do well to remember: always show courtesy to strangers, but never trust them.” Princess Platinum nodded slowly. “M-My apologies.” “Is there a problem, Your Majesty?” the tall male visitor asked, attracting the king’s attention. “Not at all, sir. My daughter is to be coronated soon, and so I had intended for her to get plenty of rest. It seems that the idea of meeting ponies with both the powers of flight and magic excited her too much, though.” The two visitors laughed. “Yes, we get that a lot. Ponies are always surprised when they see an alicorn for the first time.” “You mean there are other tribes out there besides our own,” the king surmised, rubbing his beard as he hummed in thought. “I had always suspected as such.” “Indeed. There are many pony tribes all over the world. Some have advanced in technology far beyond your own, and some have some… unusual customs. Some have strong xenophobic attitudes, unfortunately preventing us from getting close to them.” “So, what exactly is an alicorn?” the king asked. “You say that all of them are surprised to see your kind.” The visitor nodded. “Yes, that is because our kind had been in isolation for thousands of years. In recent years, though, we have begun to reach out to kingdoms such as your own to offer our knowledge and our power in return for peace.” “Excuse me, but may I ask your names?” Princess Platinum asked. “Of course, Princess,” the male visitor said with a bow. “I am Omnis, and this is my lovely wife, Twilight.” The female alicorn bowed with her husband. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” Princess Platinum returned their bows with her own. “And I am Princess Platinum, soon to be Queen of Unicornia.” “Let’s get down to business,” the king said as he looked up to the clock behind the two visitors. “What is it that you have come here for?” “As I have explained, we are trying to reach out to foreign nations,” Omnis repeated. “The two of us today are here to introduce you to our representatives, princesses of our tribe, who hope to engage in talks with you to form an alliance between our tribes.” Omnis turned around and shouted, “You may come in now, dears!” From the doorway behind them, two tall figures stepped out from the shadows. One was a white-coated alicorn with a flowing, shimmering mane of rainbow colours and a cutie mark in the shape of a sun, and the other was a slightly-smaller, yet still tall, dark-blue alicorn with an even darker mane that flowed just like the other mare’s. Her cutie mark was in the shape of a crescent moon. “These two mares are our daughters. Introduce yourselves, girls.” The king huffed and turned around before the two mare could speak up. “I am sorry, but I am already late for a meeting as is. If it’s all the same to you, perhaps we could save the formalities for another time. My guards can show you to a guest room if you intend to stay.” “Father-” Princess Platinum could only watch as her father turned around and stormed past her, stopping only for a moment to whisper something into her ear. “They’ve brought royalty, yet no weapons. They must either be hiding their forces somewhere, or else, they are more powerful than they seem. Do not drop your guard.” As the king trotted away down the long corridor behind her, Princess Platinum bowed and said, “Please excuse him. With my coronation coming up, my father has been busy lately.” “It seems that we came at a busy time,” the white mare said. “Still, it is quite alright. We’d be delighted to stay and learn your customs.” Princess Platinum smiled. “May I know your names?” “Of course. I am Princess Celestia III, and this is my sister, Princess Luna XIV.” “We are pleased to make your acquaintance,” Luna said, the two bowing in unison. “As am I. As a Princess of Unicornia, I officially welcome you all to Equestria.” Deep within the dungeons of Canterlot, a thief was sitting in his cell, with naught but a pebble to keep him company as he waited for his captors to summon him questioning. Robin Hood sat in quiet meditation as he waited, and waited, until finally, he could hear the sounds of hoofsteps making their way towards his cell. As he opened his eyes, the thief was treated to the sight of his captor standing proudly before him, carrying a large bag on her back. He scowled as he spat, “What, come to gloat?” “Not at all,” Trixie said. “Capturing you is nothing to gloat over. It’s only to be expected… of the Great and Powerful Trixie.” Robin Hood’s eyes widened as he scrambled to his hooves. He stared disbelievingly for several seconds until the mare reached up and removed the mask covering her blue-furred face, when he finally returned the soldier’s grin. “So, it’s you… Darn it, you scared me there, Trixie.” “Princess Trixie.” Trixie looked around before slipping her mask back on. “I wasn’t aware you had infiltrated the Royal Guard yet.” “That was the point. To fool your enemies, you must fool your friends.” Trixie removed her bag and threw it into the cell. “There’s a false block in your cell. Hide your bow and arrows in there until I break you out.” “So, the plan stands?” Robin Hood asked, feeling around his cell for the block mentioned by Trixie. “I stay silent while you earn the trust of the captains?” “Yes. I’ll slip out information and get myself promoted. Shining Armor already seems to trust me after capturing you.” “Don’t be careless around that captain,” Robin Hood cautioned as he pulled out a block at the back of the cell. He slipped the bag with his bow inside into the cavity and then replaced the block. “… The time is near. We’ve come so far, but all it takes is one mistake to destroy everything that we have worked for.” “There will be no mistakes on my end,” Trixie said. “You just focus on staying strong, Prince. Unicornia will rise again.” Robin Hood turned around and saluted. “Unicornia will rise.”