RING-RING! RING-RING! RING-RING!
"The monster approaches! All soldiers to their stations! Secure the civilians within the castle's gates!"
Soldiers marched along the walls and through the castle's courtyard, grabbing spears and swords, crossbows and longbows, and loading cannons and ballistae. The gates sealed when the last guard left and the last civilian entered, and makeshift fortifications were erected in a hurry.
Commander Hurricane peered through her binoculars. The beast approached. It was unlike anything she had ever seen in the old lands. A bear, with a coat that resembled the stars in the night sky, and towering over the very trees that it stomped through.
It unleashed a massive roar, and Commander Hurricane shouted, "Fire!" Arrows and bolts flew. Catapults were calibrated and then flying boulders were unleashed. Many such attacks hit their marks, with only some falling short.
The beast staggered back for a few seconds, but then it only roared louder and picked up its speed. "Our attacks have no effect!"
Hurricane looked through her binoculars again. "It's bleeding! Its hide isn't impenetrable! Keep laying it on!" More projectiles flew, and Hurricane observed the damage that they caused. She bit her lip. "Archers, save your arrows! They have no effect! Abandon the catapults and prepare the trebuchet!"
"It's getting closer," Private Pansy noted, retreating behind his shield. "M-Maybe we should surrender?"
"Never surrender! Soldiers on the ground, trip it up and try to get its attention! If we can't kill it, we'll lure the beast away!"
Soldiers ran out from their hiding places and co-ordinated movements, stretching several lengths of thick ropes in the bear's path and readying their spears. The bear simply trampled the ropes, knocking over the soldiers holding them, and pressed on.
"The air! Tie the rope around its legs!"
Archers assembled at the trebuchet that was erected within the courtyard and readied the device. Pegasi flew up and observed the bear's movements through binoculars, relaying co-ordinates down to the soldiers below.
Meanwhile, Commander Hurricane was shaking with fury as more troops failed to trip the beast, and some had even found themselves unfortunate enough to be trapped beneath its massive feet. "Ugh! You want a job done right, you gotta do it yourself!" Hurricane drew her sword and shouted, "Private Pansy, have my back!"
"O-Okay," Private Pansy said as his commanding officer took off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Reluctantly, the private followed Commander Hurricane, drawing a crossbow that was loaded with an explosive bolt.
Commander Hurricane flew towards the beast's eyes and slashed her sword. The beast blinked, shielding its eyes with its thick eyelids, and Hurricane struck again. The beast blinked once more and she growled. "So it's not stupid, but it doesn't even attack me! What, I'm not good enough for you?!"
"U-Um…"
"Private Pansy, give this creature a reason to feel afraid!"
"R-Right!" Private Pansy fired his explosive bolt into the creature's eye. It blinked, but its thick eyelids were no match against the fiery blast contained with that small bolt. The bear stopped and clutched its eye, roaring for the first time in pain.
"An opening!" Commander Hurricane shouted, weaving between the bear's paws and jabbing her sword into the soft eyeball of the beast. She failed to pull her sword free, though, and barely managed to escape the bear's swatting paw as it stamped on-the-spot.
A blow of a horn announced that the trebuchet was ready to be fired, and the two pegasi cleared the airspace as quickly as they could. A fiery boulder came crashing down upon the beast's head, and it stumbled for a few moments.
"Now!" Hurricane shouted. "Bring it down before it regains its footing!"
Soldiers roared, and together, they charged and jabbed their spears into the soles of the bear's feet. It danced on-the-spot and flailed its forelegs about. One final push from behind by fifty pegasi was all that it took to send the beast falling onto its front. Ponies scrambled away as the beast came down, and Commander Hurricane nodded to Private Pansy.
The private fired another bolt into the air, and it exploded. The soldiers at the castle got the signal, and loosed another flaming boulder from the trebuchet. This one hit the beast's back.
The bear started to push itself upright, and Commander Hurricane gasped. "How is it not dead already?!" Her brain ran into overtime and she glanced back towards the castle. An idea came to her, and she took off quickly to rejoin the soldiers along the walls. She stopped above a pot that was hanging above the castle's portcullis, and gestured to nearby soldiers. "Grab this pot and come with me! We're gonna make this thing flammable! Prepare the trebuchet for one more round!"
Pegasi assisted Commander Hurricane in lifting the heavy steel pot, and they flew across the battlefield quickly. In the distance, the bear was almost back to its feet. "Keep it down! Use whatever you have to keep it from rising up again!"
The unicorns down below used their magic to push it down. The pegasi flew up and jabbed its limbs, hoping to create an itch that the beast could not help but scratch. The earth ponies wrapped ropes around the bear's paws and pulled. Eventually, their might succeeded, and the beast fell once more. Some ponies were crushed under its weight. Those that weren't quickly cleared the way as Commander Hurricane returned with her support.
Together, they poured the boiling oil onto the beast's entire body. It roared. A deafening, blood-curdling roar that was sure to be in many young recruits' nightmares. But it was still not dead. Private Pansy fired one final bolt into the air. The soldiers at the castle fired one final flaming boulder from their trebuchet.
The beast took one final strike, and its entire body became alight. Flailing, kicking, roaring, and eventually, panting, the beast was sure to stay down this time. Soon, the beast's cries died down, and the only thing roaring was the fire below.
They had done it. They had slain the beast, and they had saved Canterlot.
"Awwww yeah! Don't mess with Equestria!"
Soldiers rejoiced. Cheering filled the air, and pegasi started to gather to extinguish the flames. Commander Hurricane prepared to return to the castle, but the peace was interrupted by more bells ringing through the air.
"What now?!" Hurricane turned around, and found her answer. More bears, some taller, some smaller, some of different hues… There were ten in total. And they were fast. And they looked angry.
"H-How are we going to defeat that?!" one of the pegasi that had accompanied Commander Hurricane questioned. "It took all we had to beat one!"
"J-Just stay calm, Private."
"We don't have any more oil ready!" another pegasus pointed out. "The trebuchet doesn't work unless they're coated in oil!"
"Even if it did, we only have one!"
"This is the end! We can't defeat this many beasts!"
Commander Hurricane swooped down to the charred remains of the first bear and retrieved her sword, thankfully spared from the fire's wrath. "Just follow my lead! We will survive this day, for we have no choice!"
"You're out of your mind!"
"We'll find a home elsewhere! We're not cut out for this!"
"We never should have united with the other tribes!"
Commander Hurricane was about to shout a retort, but there was a sudden explosion of light in the distance. She turned around, and found that the bears had stopped moving.
Squinting her eyes, Hurricane could just about make out the figures of several ponies in the distance. One of them was her friend, Queen Platinum, but the others…
Platinum stared in awe as one of the beasts fell down, crashing onto the landscape below. What had felled such a terrific, ferocious beast? Cannons? Trebuchets? Swordplay? It was none of that. It was but two lone alicorns, and the combination of their magics.
Celestia stood to her side. She couldn't help but wear a proud smile on her face upon seeing the queen's.
"As you can see, we have evolved far beyond the need for conventional weapons," Omnis declared, watching as the beasts hesitated before the assembled army of alicorns. "Well, against such small vermin, in any case."
"'S-Small'?! It took a trebuchet to fell even one of these creatures!"
"Ursa majors and minors are feisty, I will admit. But against our magics?" Omnis clapped his hooves, and the two soldiers nodded their heads. "We will not kill them. They are, after all, living creatures. But we must establish dominance. Show them that this is our – or rather, your – territory."
"C-Can those two alone really-"
"Of course not," Celestia answered. "All six of our soldiers will fight, though only two will actually attack." Celestia motioned towards two alicorns in white robes and pink armour. "Those two are our combat medics. They have studied healing magic that is potent enough to administer quick recovery in battle. That way, our soldiers need not vacate the field to be treated."
"We then have our illusionist," Omnis said, pointing towards a purple stallion in black robes. "He will trick the ursa minors by dulling their senses of smell. The parents aren't so easily fooled, so we will have to block their noses for real. Which is why we have brought an alchemist of much renown."
Platinum turned towards the final alicorn – a small, green mare, wearing naught but a laurel around her head. She watched as the soldiers charged into the pack of bears, neither one wielding any weapons. Their horns flared and their wings extended as they took flight, using the aerial space to their advantages.
They moved as fast and as agile as Commander Hurricane. They fought with the grace of a unicorn, and with the strength of an earth pony.
One was batted out of the air, but then a stream of white magic coated him. Suddenly, his wounds were sealed, and he was fighting once more.
"Alicorns have sturdy bodies by nature," Omnis explained. "We can take quite a punishment, and then a talented doctor can mend our wounds in an instant. The key is to keep our doctors alive, and we can attack our foe with force, and without fear."
"Overconfidence can kill a pony," Platinum pointed out, watching as one of the alicorns held back and waited. Suddenly, something flew by the alicorn and hit the bear's nose. It exploded into a green cloud, and the bear roared and flailed about. "Alchemy?"
"We have been in talks with the zebra tribes for a long time now," Celestia explained. "They taught us much in the ways of their alchemy, and our own magics can amplify these techniques greatly."
The soldier unleashed a spell that hit the bear's forehead. The beam held there for several seconds, before the bear finally submitted and went to sleep.
"We will knock them all out, and then drive them back to the Everfree," Celestia said. "Ursa majors are smart. They will know that Equestria is protected, and will not make any hasty moves against it."
Two more bears went down, followed by their cubs. Platinum gulped as she watched the soldiers work, and she turned to her friend standing to her side. 'Is Celestia this powerful, as well? Father told me to be careful, but I thought that he was just being paranoid. Was it really alright to let a foreign nation this powerful into our country?
'… Would I have been able to stop them, had they insisted?'
"Just one more," Omnis declared. "Celestia, please finish the task."
Celestia nodded her head, and took flight before Platinum could say anything. She moved towards the remaining bear, who watched her approach with caution, and spoke. "I know that you can understand me. And I know that you realise that this battle is hopeless. Leave now, and be aware that this country is under the protection of a foe you cannot defeat or bully away."
The two stood in silence for several seconds, entering a staring contest that made Platinum sweat bullets. Then, the bear turned. It walked away, towards the Everfree Forest, its friends being lifted by the alicorn soldiers and carried behind it.
"They can lift such heavy creatures," Queen Platinum said, astonished. Celestia descended to her side and nodded her head. "You stared it down, defeating it with mere words."
"Well then, now that you have seen what our soldiers can do, perhaps you feel a little more… reassured, in our abilities?" Omnis asked.
Platinum narrowed her eyes at the alicorn and said, "Are you suggesting that I should feel threatened by what I just saw?"
Omnis grinned. "'Threatened'? Why, I was referring to the Diamond Dog situation in Manehattan. Surely you must agree that we can handle it."
"… Very well then. Clear out those mutts and then order your soldiers to leave right away."
"We can also help with-" Celestia began, but Platinum cut her off.
"We can only ask so much of you. I wouldn't dream of imposing on a foreign nation too much – especially when we don't even have any formal alliance in place."
"I understand," Omnis said with a bow. "We would also appreciate Luna being returned to us, so we will resolve the situation quickly. Speaking of which, I trust that she is being kept safe?"
"She and Sombra are kept in the bunker below Canterlot. It is perhaps the safest place in the entire country."
Celestia sighed and nodded her head. "Very well. We shall leave within two days. It should not take any longer than that to clear out the Diamond Dogs."
"If I may make one final request, Queen Platinum," Omnis began. "It was our hope that Princesses Celestia and Luna would remain here, as points of contact between our two tribes. The three of you seem to have been getting along just fine, so I'm certain that it would not be too much of a bother."
"… I will speak it over with the other leaders later. For now, we have wounded that need our attention."
"Thank you, Your Highness." As Queen Platinum left the area, running towards the castle where her friends waited for her, Omnis approached Princess Celestia and whispered into her ear, "I will be leaving the two of you alone at this point. Do not forget your mission."
Celestia frowned. "I will not trick my friend into-"
"No tricks, Princess. Simply… persuade her. It is, after all, in her best interest. How long can a country like this last without alicorn intervention?"
"… I will watch out for my friend. More than that, I cannot promise you." With that, Celestia took off, leaving Omnis to ponder his thoughts alone.
Shining Armor sighed as he arrived the scene of yet another derailed train. This one was carrying sugar, salt, rice, flour, and much more. Most of it was spilled onto the ground. Whatever survived had been pillaged by the terrorists that caused the explosion.
"Unicornia is getting serious," Shining Armor said as he entered the train, which was being examined by members of the Royal Guard. They saluted him upon his entry, as well as the mare following his lead. "This is their sixth attack on a train, and they've even attacked buildings and banks owned by nobles and party leaders that don't support them."
'That abuse their powers to oppress the poor,' Trixie thought, but she kept her face even. "They're cutting off our supplies. All of these trains were bound for Canterlot, and most of them were going to our outposts around Equestria. We should be thankful that no airships have been targeted… Yet."
"We're going to have to stop transporting goods by train, but transporting by carriage may be even more dangerous. Not to mention slow."
"At least there are zero casualties," Trixie pointed out.
"Directly," Shining Armor retorted. "Who d'you think runs these trains and checks all the cargo? Where d'you think all this stuff comes from? Jobs are at stake, and the farmers that sell us this stuff can only part with so much."
"…" Trixie simply nodded, not sure how to respond. "Sir, if I may ask, why did you select Trixie as your escort today?"
"Because you were helpful in defeating Robin Hood. I thought that you might be able to offer some help here, too."
"It was just good fortune, sir."
"No. I know the difference between skill and luck." Shining Armor turned and smiled. "I also know when somepony is just being humble."
"Why do you think that Unicornia is suddenly being so bold in their attacks?"
"Because they're getting stronger. Anypony who tastes power suddenly gains confidence, and the more power they get, the more they want to use."
"They must be preparing for something big though, right?"
"Either that, or they've got no clue what to do but don't want to lose their followers."
"We should assume the worst though. We don't want to risk an attack that we are not ready for."
"We also don't want to spread undue panic or chaos. That's exactly what they want, and it makes our jobs of protecting the people harder."
Trixie clicked her tongue. This stallion had an answer for everything.
"So tell me: why did you join the Royal Guard?" Shining Armor asked as he walked further into the train, Trixie following behind him.
"I wanted to protect this country."
"That's a stock answer. What was your reason?"
Trixie gave him a look, and then looked down at the charred and dented floor. "I… had a rough childhood, and the Royal Guard did not help me. I wanted to change that. To make sure that nopony else ever felt abandoned by the ponies meant to protect them."
"… Right. Then, you're like me." He glanced over his shoulder, and caught the inquisitive look on Trixie's face. "When I was young, I admired the Royal Guard. Knights of justice, dedicated to protecting the weak and strengthening our country. Who couldn't admire such a romantic lifestyle?
"But because I was so enamoured with them, I was able to see what nopony else could through my research. The Royal Guard was corrupt. High-ranking officers accepted bribes, and low-ranking officers averted their eyes because they were afraid to speak up and risk being fired.
"One day, I saw a filly being arrested by the Royal Guard, for breaking into a rich old stallion's house and stealing his gold. This filly, I had seen her before. She was poor. Like, lived in the alleys between houses poor. But she was old enough to be sentenced to community service, even if she clearly wasn't healthy enough for it. I broke the law that day to save her."
Trixie nodded her head as she listened.
"For a while, I lost my motivation. I wanted nothing to do with knights that would allow the rich and the powerful to bully the weak. Who would only join the Royal Guard to pose in armour and claim to be making a difference, when ignoring the pleas of ponies who needed their help.
"But eventually, I made a decision. I decided to continue my dream, and I would change the way that the Royal Guard works. I would climb the ranks and turn the Royal Guard into what I always saw them as: knights for justice!"
Trixie barely suppressed a chuckle, and a surprised Shining Armor stopped and turner to face her. "Sorry, sir, but you have to admit, that sounds pretty lame."
Shining Armor blushed, but grinned regardless. "About as lame as trying to protect everypony by yourself. But you and me, we have the same goals. We want to help ponies. Unicornia does, too, which is why I can understand where they're coming from. But their ways of going about it are all wrong."
"Maybe they have no other ways to 'climb the ladder'. Not everypony can simply join the Royal Guard these days."
"There's always another way. A better way. One that doesn't involve anger or revenge. And I want to prove that to them."
Trixie nodded with a smile. "I'd be happy to help however I can, sir." 'If only to see your face when you inevitably fail.'
"I'm glad you said that, because your performance review is coming up and I was planning on putting you forward as my personal lieutenant."
Trixie's eyes widened. She was not expecting that at all. "B-But you've only worked with me one other time, sir!"
"That's why I invited you along today. I wanted to have this talk with you, and find out where you stand. I don't know what it is, but something in the back of my mind tells me that there's more to you than meets the eye."
'You have no idea.'
"Truth-be-told, I'm also hoping you could help me out with my other assignment," Shining Armor sighed.
Trixie raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"Well, the thing is, somepony's been leaking information from the Royal Guard."
Trixie's eyes went wide. "A spy?" she asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Shining Armor said in a grim tone. "You're the only one I've told about this, so keep it under wraps."
'In other words, if I spread this and start a panic, he'll know right away that it's me.'
"You showed a bright mind and sharp analytical skills when you helped us capture Robin Hood. Maybe you could help us again."
Trixie laughed nervously. "Well, I can't make any promises."
"Even Senator Darwin was attacked yesterday," Shining said with a dejected sigh.
'Darwin? I didn't leak anything about him. One of Sunset's 'sources', maybe?'
"Sorry, I shouldn't have put all that on your shoulders. Obviously, it's all your choice in the end."
Trixie shook her head. "It's perfectly fine, sir. Just, maybe you should consider it a bit more before you try to recruit the first mare that catches your eyes?"
"I have a good feeling about you," Shining responded. "A feeling that you'll go far, and my feelings are usually correct… But, well, I suppose you're right that I need to give it more thought. Which is why I've also requested some more missions with you." Shining Armor continued to walk through the train, Trixie following him. "I hope you don't disappoint, Private."
"I'm happy that you think so highly of me, sir, and will do my best not to let you down."
Shining Armor spotted something along the wall and stopped. "Okay, pop quiz! What's that?" he asked, pointing to the small, charred box.
"Uhhhh…"
"It's a bomb."
Trixie gasped and backed up, tripping over some debris and falling onto her flank. Shining Armor laughed as she collected herself and said, "Calm down. It's been checked and declared safely inactive."
Trixie narrowed her eyes and said, "I-I knew that."
"Then, you know what type of bomb it is?"
"I'm afraid I'm not an expert in such things, sir."
"Hmmm, neither am I," Shining replied. "I suspect that whoever made this isn't, either. It appears to be a dud."
Trixie nodded her head. "That would certainly appear to be the case." 'Even though our expert used to be one of your own.'
"But that doesn't make sense," he pointed out, "Considering the number of successful bombings, none of which reported any duds at the scene."
Trixie shifted her eyes to the side. "Maybe it's a one-off, then?"
Shining Armor opened the case and looked inside. He smiled. "Nope. There are corners that have been cut everywhere. To me, this suggests that Unicornia is running low on supplies to make these things with." He closed the case and added, "We have something good to report, at least."
"That's great, sir." 'Damn! He found out! Can we still bluff further bomb threats?'
Trixie heard the sounds of hoofsteps to her side and turned to investigate. A pony ran past her, a knife in his hoof. "DIE, YOU ROYAL GUARD SCUM!"
Trixie ran between this pony and Shining Armor and blocked the attack with her spear. She gasped. The pony was a member of Unicornia.
"Out of the way!" the pony shouted. "This is for Unicornia!" He nodded to Trixie, and she gulped. He knew who she was.
Trixie swept the pony off of his hooves and slammed him against the ground. "Shut up! You're under arrest!"
"AH! What are you doing, Tri-" Trixie knocked him out with a swift chop to the neck, and sighed.
"Good work, Trixie," Shining Armor said as he put away his sword. "But you didn't have to knock him out."
"He seemed agitated, sir. I was afraid he might try biting his tongue."
"Well, let's get him back to Canterlot and interrogate him, then."
Trixie bit her lip. 'Blasted idiot! How well can you hold up under interrogation? Long enough to not spill our secrets before we strike?!' Trixie pulled out some hoofcuffs and secured the pony's hooves.
As she carried the pony outside and followed Shining Armor to the chariot, she looked around for any way to escape the predicament. None came to mind. Shining Armor spotted her moving slowly and asked, "Is he too heavy? I can carry him, if you'd like."
"Ah, that's…" Shining Armor clearly wasn't asking. His magic lifted the downed pony off of Trixie's back and into the air. As she looked up, she was showered in something red, and she blinked a couple of times. "Eh?"
Shining Armor erected a shield that surrounded the two and dropped the dead pony to the floor. A bolt protruded from his head, blood leaking from the wound and onto the ground. "Get down! We're under fire!"
Trixie turned to where the bolt seemed to have come from, and caught sight of something orange moving through the bushes. She turned back to the bolt that had killed the stallion, and she felt her legs beginning to shake.
"Trixie, let's go!" Shining Armor shouted, pursuing the assassin.
"R-Right!" Trixie replied, following Shining Armor towards the nearby woods. 'This is bad! I have to lure him away from Sunset Shimmer!' "Captain, I think I saw-"
"Damnit!" Shining Armor shouted as he stopped, catching his breath in a small clearing. "We lost her!"
Trixie cocked an eyebrow, and then looked around. There was certainly no sign of Sunset Shimmer, nor of any paths that she might have used to escape. "Where could she have gone? Did she teleport?"
"If she did, we must have missed the obvious flash of light," Shining Armor replied. "It must have been a pegasus that flew away."
"But-" Trixie caught herself, and then nodded in agreement. "Yes. That must have been the case."
Shining Armor turned to Trixie, and then approached her with a stern look on her face. Her eyes darted around as he neared silently. "S-Sir?"
"… Hold still." Shining Armor took out a hoofkerchief and wiped the blood from Trixie's face. Her squirming didn't help, but she at least didn't put up any fight. "There. Now, let's go report the bad news to Princess Celestia."
"… Sorry, sir."
"Nah, it's not your fault. I'm just glad that you're alive."
As the two left the forest, Trixie couldn't help but look back towards the small clearing, and she thought to herself, 'I guess that wasn't Sunset Shimmer after all. So then, who was it?'
Queen Platinum and Commander Hurricane paced about as Princess Celestia watched them, before shifting her eyes to the map of Equestria laid out on the table before them. A model of Canterlot sat at the centre, with train tracks reaching out from it and stopping after a few scaled metres. A model of a large grizzly bear stood to the west, and a model of a harpy stood to the east.
"The griffons chose the worst possible time to attack. We have to deal with the hydra before it gets too close, but the griffons are stealing our crops and killing our ponies!"
Commander Hurricane slammed a hoof onto the table. "I say we take every last one out with a huge lightning storm!"
"Griffons can control the weather, too," Platinum pointed out. "And we want to reach a peaceful resolution with the griffons. For now, their forces are too great."
"They're mad that we 'stole their hunting grounds'," Hurricane stated. "Maybe if we give 'em some of our animals-"
"We're short on animals as it is," Platinum cut in. "Chickens, pigs, dogs and cats…"
"Y'know, we still haven't decided what we're gonna do with that defeated ursa major," Commander Hurricane pointed out. "How long d'you think that'll keep the griffons fed?"
"A long time," Celestia offered. "But not forever. They will still want their hunting grounds."
"For now, we'll use it as a bargaining chip to enter talks," Platinum said. "After that, we'll have to work something out. Maybe we can convince them to give us some time to breed some livestock."
Hurricane turned to Celestia and asked, "You've dealt with griffons before. Have any of them ever asked you for meat?"
"Of course," Celestia said with a nod. "Food is about all the griffons think about. Food and fighting."
"What did you offer them?"
"All the things you can't afford," Celestia answered, before she cast her eyes down in thought. "Wait. We also trade fish to one tribe."
Platinum rose her head and stared into the space before her. "What's the status on the pier?"
"Slow-going, with the griffon attacks," Hurricane replied.
"Let's see if we can't change their minds. If we can get the pier up-and-running, we can gather fish from the ocean and offer them as tribute."
Celestia smiled. "That might work. Griffons love fish, but hate fishing, since they can't dive beneath the water."
"Then, we just need to stave off the hydra until the negotiations are over with. Commander Hurricane, have your troops engaged it yet?"
"We've lost two squads already," Hurricane reported. "If you thought the ursa was tough, you haven't seen anything yet."
"If I may," Celestia offered. "I have experience dealing with many such monsters and ferocious creatures. My sister and I can-"
"You are our guest here, Princess Celestia," Queen Platinum said, emphasising her title and her name. "Please just wait here. Commander Hurricane and I will go and speak with the griffons. Prepare the castle's defences and fend off the hydra until we return."
"But…" Celestia sighed and nodded her head. "Very well, Queen Platinum. I will respect your wishes."
Upon her return, Queen Platinum was outraged when news of Celestia's triumph over the hydra flooded the castle. "Did I not ask you to remain in the castle?" Platinum asked once she and Celestia were alone in her chambers.
"Please forgive my actions, Platinum, but your soldiers were in danger and I felt that I had to act."
Queen Platinum took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "… Thank you, Celestia… for saving the kingdom… but I gave you an instruction. Please understand that, as our guest here, I cannot have you risking your life in our name. If something were to happen to you, what would I report to your father?"
Celestia bowed, and said, "I will be more mindful of your feelings in the future."
"Well, what's done is done. Please leave me be. It has been a long day, and I would like to get some rest before tonight's gathering."
Princess Celestia nodded, and then wished the queen a good night's sleep as she left. Shortly after her departure, Prince Sombra entered the room, carrying a newspaper in his magic. "Sister… I mean, Your Highness… have you seen the newspaper that they are printing for tomorrow?"
"No, but I can guess what the headline is going to be." To confirm her suspicions, Platinum took the newspaper into her hooves and unrolled it. The headline spoke about Celestia's defeat over the hydra, and how the ponies of Equestria were praising and cheering for the virtuous alicorn princess.
"They're questioning our abilities to defend the country from these threats," Sombra reported. "Moreso, there are whispers from those who would rather see the alicorns lead us than any of our current leaders."
Queen Platinum crumpled the newspaper in her hooves and threw it into her fireplace. "This is why I wanted her to stay put," she growled, holding a hoof to her forehead. "That princess, she knew exactly what she was doing! Father must have seen this coming long before he passed on."
"Sister?"
"At the rate things are going, the alicorns won't simply be trading with us. They'll rule us!"
"Sister, maybe she really did just want to help."
Platinum gazed at her younger brother for several seconds, and then released her breath. "Yes… Yes, I'm sure that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have no such intentions… Though for now, I want their actions within the kingdom to be limited, and I want to be notified of every move that they make."
"Sister, I am going camping with Princess Luna tomorrow night. Perhaps I could try to coax some information out of her?"
Platinum considered her brother's proposal, but then shook her head with a sigh. "No… No. I cannot do that to your first date, Brother."
Sombra blushed, and blurted out, "It's not a date! Not in the romantic sense, at least."
Platinum giggled. "You can't fool me, my dear brother. No, do not worry yourself over this. Now that things have quieted down somewhat, I can regain control of this kingdom and soon enough, Celestia's victory over the hydra will be old news!
"You'll see. Years from now, the alicorns will simply be things of mere legend, and Unicornia will be able to become great all on its own! They'll look back on the founding of Equestria and label us the heroes that saved this country."
Sombra smiled. "Then I pray that that day will hurry up and come sooner."
"Patience, Brother. For now, let us keep our guests entertained, to stave off potential alicorn attacks."
Trixie stood nervously as General Morgan read over her report. The general hummed, tapped his hoof, stroked his beard, and sighed. Trixie gulped as he placed the report down and glanced to his side, where a set of photographs of the murdered stallion lay scattered about.
"You hesitated," Morgan said. "According to some of the soldiers that were there, you moved slowly towards the chariot and hesitated exchanging the prisoner to Shining Armor when commanded. Was the task too much for you?"
Trixie shook her head. "I was simply being cautious, sir. I didn't want to risk harming the prisoner and being held accountable."
"And instead, the prisoner is now dead, and we have no way of retrieving information out of him."
"… I did not anticipate an assassin."
"No one does. That is why you carry out your orders quickly, and keep your eyes open at all times." Morgan stroked his beard again. "You were assaulted by one stallion. Did it not cross your mind that others may have been lying-in-wait?"
Trixie frowned. "I have no excuses, sir."
"That won't do, Private. Captain Armor has high hopes for you, but this recent incident leads me to believe that those hopes are simply misguided."
'You old bastard. Don't you think this is already hard enough?' "Sir, I would like to be given a chance to redeem myself."
"If I decide that you are worth it, I will assign you to a mission to prove yourself. Until then, I want you to remain here, at the palace, guarding the princesses' bedchambers. Consider yourself lucky that we are in a state of emergency, otherwise, you would be given time off without pay."
"That seems rather harsh, General," Prince Charming said as he entered the room, startling the general into a salute.
"Sir, the death of a prisoner due to negligence is a serious error."
"We all make mistakes, General. What's important is how we act afterwards, and this soldier is willing to make up for her mistake with extra work. Aren't we pressed for motivated soldiers at the moment?"
"Prince, if I may be so blunt, what business draws you here so late?"
"The princess wishes to speak to you regarding tomorrow's mission. Please stop by her chambers as soon as you are finished up here." Prince Charming nodded to Trixie, who simply saluted back, and then took his leave.
General Morgan sighed and slumped into his seat, and Trixie asked, "Is tomorrow's mission bad?"
Morgan waved his hoof and said, "I gotta escort some VIP and a zebra chieftain to Canterlot." Morgan glanced to Trixie with a glare and added, "But that's all you need to know. This mission is need-to-know only, meaning me and the royal family! Now go on. You're relieved of your duties."
Trixie saluted and responded, "Yes, sir!" She turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder to confirm that Morgan's attention was drawn elsewhere. He was gathering paperwork together and arranging it in order. With her magic, Trixie slipped a thin envelope from her cape and placed it into the general's desk, through a crack in his drawers.
She left the room, grinning from ear-to-ear.
Pinkie Pie grinned from ear-to-ear as she looked over her completed checklist. "Okay, Gummy! That's invitations for everypony I'm inviting to Applejack's birthday party! Now to just send them out and-"
She looked down at the bottom of her checklist, where she found Gummy's paw wrinkling the paper. "Oh, my family? I thought I'd invite them, since Applejack and I might be cousins! Even if we're not, it's been such a long time since I've seen them! I wonder how they're all doing? Especially Maud. I heard she got dumped pretty hard by some big jerk."
Pinkie Pie sighed and rolled onto her back. "Seriously, who could breakup with somepony like her? Whoever it was better hope I don't find them!"
Gummy blinked in agreement.