Before Equestria Season One: The War Begins

by StrangeFiction


Episode 2 - The War Begins

East Tower, Neighemburg Castle, Unicorn Kingdom, Evening - Day after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Presto looked over at his young apprentice, who was once again catching his breath after yet another test. Presto floated one of the many vials of liquid scattered about over to Star Swirl.
“You are doing just fine, my colt. Drink some rejuvenation potion and let’s go one more time.”
“Can’t we just take a break? This is exhausting!” Star Swirl quickly downed the potion, perking up a bit as he finished it.
“If we’re going to convince the king to allow you to stay, I’m going to have to give him a full report of your capabilities,” Presto replied, emptying a bucket of water with a spell. “The more we know, the more likely he’ll be inclined to allow me to continue teaching you, for the good of the kingdom and yourself.”
Star Swirl shook his head to clear out the murkiness in his mind that the potion didn’t quite disperse. He then took a deep breath and looked at Presto.
“Okay. I’m ready.”
“Excellent. Now this time I want you to not only turn invisible, levitate that rock, and fill that bucket with water, but I also would like you to teleport to the other side of the room.”
“Four spells at once? I had a hard time doing the three! Teleportation takes a huge amount of concentration…”
“Yes, I’d be very surprised if you successfully do this, as nopony I know of would ever be able to… but I feel that there’s something special about you, Star Swirl. Something especially magical. The talent you showed this afternoon in the King’s Council room was sign enough of that, and you just keep impressing me. I promise, this is the last test, and then you can rest.”
Star Swirl nodded and turned towards the bucket on the ground. Sitting next to it was a hoof-sized rock. Star Swirl’s horn started to glow as he focused hard on the objects in front of him. The rock lifted in the air and the bucket started magically filling with water. Suddenly, Star Swirl could no longer be seen, casting a cloak of invisibility over himself. Presto continued to watch the bucket fill up and the rock float, impressed at that alone. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared where Star Swirl had been standing, and then another flash of light appeared on the other side of the room.
Star Swirl appeared after the flash, collapsing to the floor. The levitating rock fell, hitting the edge of the bucket and causing the water in it to spill out over the floor. Star Swirl was panting hard as Presto quickly rushed to his side.
“Excellent! Truly incredible! I knew you had great natural magical talent when I first met you, but this… this is something else entirely!”
Star Swirl shakily stood up and looked at his mentor. Presto quickly floated more rejuvenation potion over, but Star Swirl lifted his hoof and shook his head. Presto replaced it on the shelf.
“You are already able to do things beyond what I can do, and with additional training… well, we’ll worry about all that soon enough,” continued Presto. “For now, get some rest. Starting tomorrow we’re going to be getting to work. We have so much to do with the war and all…”
“Are we going to the front lines? Fighting there?”
“What? No! We are both going to be needed here in Neighemburg. Our addition to the peace efforts are going to be much less violent.”
“Peace efforts? Do you mean war efforts?” Star Swirl was starting to move towards the stairs to the living quarters on the next floor up. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked back at Presto curiously.
“The end goal is not war, it’s peace. Therefore, all efforts we make are towards peace, not to continuing the war. You are powerful, Star Swirl, and you can be of great help to the three kingdoms in ending this conflict, or you could be a tool used by those who wish to extend it. The choice, ultimately, is yours. Now go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Presto levitated a couple of scrolls in front of him as he headed out the door. Star Swirl walked up the stairs, a million thoughts floating in his head.


Thunder Cloud’s Fortress, Approaching Unicorn Outpost Six, Border Between the Unicorn Kingdom and the Earthen Republic, Evening - Day after The Sack of Swirling Creek

General Thunder Cloud was once again standing on the edge of the cloud on which sat the fortress under his command. He looked off into the distance, watching various trees and plants appear on the horizon. Colonel Noble stood just a way off, awaiting the word from his commanding officer.
The Privates should be doing this, thought Noble. Not us. The General is too obsessed with this war. So many of the troops are.
Thunder suddenly looked back at Noble and beckoned him to come stand on the cloud’s edge. Noble complied, and looked out over forest. A stone citadel could be seen looming over the trees a ways away. The target - Outpost Six of the Unicorn Kingdom’s army.
“Look at the pitiful defense we must crush,” scoffed Thunder Cloud. “I have to say, I was hoping for an actual fight. Something more than that Earth Pony village from yesterday.”
Noble looked over at Thunder Cloud’s face, trying to find a bit of remorse, any sort of regret at having ransacked that village. There was none. Noble once again wondered if he had made the right choice in joining the Pegasus Nation Grand Army. It was fine when the three tribes were at peace, but when it came to actual fighting, Noble just found it so unsatisfying.
“Prepare the troops for the attack,” Thunder Cloud finally said. “Tell the troops to expect slightly more resistance than we found yesterday.” Noble nodded and walked towards the fortress, leaving the General watching the outpost slowly grow larger in the distance.
“Finally,” Thunder whispered to himself. “It begins.”


Unicorn Outpost Six, Unicorn Kingdom, Evening - Day after The Sack of Swirling Creek

The outpost commander was trying his hardest to keep the panic among his troops to a minimum. The pegasi were coming, and it was completely unexpected. Intelligence had been sent saying that the fortress was headed towards Outpost Seven, not Six, and so Six had sent a large portion of troops out that way to assist in the defense. Now the outpost’s troops were going to be outnumbered and unprepared.
The commander was older and experienced, and his words were able to keep his troops from fleeing, but there was still an air of uneasiness about the entire fortress. Unicorns ran left and right, putting on armor and sharpening their various weapons. The commander himself was making sure that his broadsword was clean and pointed. A mare approached him, already fully armored.
“The Pegasus Fortress will be close enough for them to mount their assault in about ten minutes, sir,” she reported, standing at attention.
“Very good. Tell the casters to meet me on the South Wall. I want to give them special instructions for the upcoming battle.”
The mare nodded and walked off. The commander once again turned his attention to his sword. He saw his reflection in it, and noted once again the gray in his hair. He’d been commanding troops for years, and had hoped never to have to command them in battle. He remembered in his youth when he longed for a fight, but the years had made him wiser.
He stood up and walked to the South Wall, closest to the border with the Earthen Republic. Most of the casters were already there, and he didn’t have to wait long for the rest of them to show up. There were only fifteen of them. Fifteen, as the first line of defense against hundreds of enemies. The commander didn’t like the odds.
“Okay, everypony,” he began, trying to sound as confident as he could. “You are going to be set at intervals along this wall, and are to blast any Pegasi you can out of the sky! You are the ones trained for this, and you have a longer range than our archers. You have to take out as many as you can before they get within range to return fire with their bows.”
The Unicorn Army had always been lacking on the side of trained casters. Of course, all unicorns could perform basic spells, but when it came to combat casting, almost nopony was trained, especially since the tribes had been at peace for so long.
The commander looked back across the tops of the trees at the approaching square cloud. There were only minutes left before the attack.
“To your positions!” he shouted, drawing his sword with his magic. “Get as many as you can, and we’ll take care of the rest!” The commander saw a few other soldiers come in from the Southeast Tower, ready to defend the casters from the Pegasi that got through. Troops lined up in front of the Outpost’s Fortress, ready to drive the Pegasus Army back. They didn’t have to wait long.
Bolts of magic sliced into the air as pegasi began leaving the fort and rushing towards the unicorns below. The casters sent up shot after shot, but were missing almost every shot. They were panicking, the Commander could see that. They were unfocused and scared by the sheer numbers coming from the Pegasus fort.
An explosion sounded on the battlefield below. The commander looked up in shock. The pegasi were dropping bags full of combustible materials down onto the battlefield! This was Earth Pony technology that they had agreed never to use for anything other than mining operations. If the pegasi had developed it themselves, or stolen it…
Another explosion sounded, but this time it was on the wall. A few casters went flying off the wall, plummeting towards the ground. Two of them were able to cast spells to save themselves, one levitating and the other teleporting back to the top of the wall, but the third hit the ground, their screaming stopping abruptly.
“Aim for the explosives! Those are our priority!” The Commander shouted. Immediately, the bolts changed from the nearest targets to the pegasus bombers. Several bags exploded from being hit by magical bursts, taking out the ponies carrying them. The pegasi bombers quickly caught on and retreated further from the outpost’s walls, allowing the soldiers to begin heading towards the casters.
The commander blocked a pike coming towards a nearby caster, giving that caster a chance to finish the attacker with a spell. Explosions started sounding again as the casters became occupied with the onslaught. The commander and the others assigned to guard the casters were putting forward their best effort, but already half the casters had been killed.
The commander slashed the wing of a swordsmare, causing her to fall at his feet. He turned around and bucked her off the edge of the wall with his hind hooves. She frantically tried to flap her wings to no avail, and fell into the crowd of fighters below. The commander continued slashing at the attacking pegasi, keeping them at bay and allowing a couple casters to continue attacking with their magic.
Suddenly, the attacking pegasi backed up and made space. Confused, the casters stopped launching spells and braced themselves, preparing for what was about to happen. The commander took this moment to look around, assessing the battlefield. It seemed that the explosions had stopped for whatever reason, and all that remained was the sound of clashing metal and battle cries. The unicorns seemed to have the upper hand, and the pegasi were no longer pouring out of the fortress. Most of the casters were dead, with just the two behind the commander and three others still alive.
A figure swooped down and landed on the wall near the commander. The casters were now driving off the pegasi that had retreated to make room for their leader. Thunder Cloud wore armor that made him look more intimidating, but no helmet. He looked at the Commander, sword held in his hoof.
“We have the upper hoof,” the commander shouted over the sounds of battle. “Your invasion has failed.” Thunder Cloud smirked, and then looked up and nodded. The commander followed his gaze to a young pegasus with a horn. Dread came over the commander as the horn was blown. Immediately, another wave of pegasus ponies poured from the gray cloud above, coming quickly and subduing the defending unicorn army. Thunder Cloud lunged at the outpost commander.
The commander successfully dodged, and swung at Thunder Cloud’s wing. The pegasus flew up into the air and thrust at the unicorn, who teleported over Thunder Cloud in the air, successfully causing them both to tumble to the ground. After a short grapple, Thunder Cloud ended up over him, sword at his throat.
“You still have the chance to surrender,” Thunder Cloud said, nicking the skin of the unicorn and drawing blood. The commander kicked him off and leaped forward, only to be quickly disarmed. Two pegasi immediately grabbed him and lifted him in the air.
“Same result either way,” Thunder Cloud finished, turning and walking to the edge of the outpost wall. The battle was won, the pegasi were rounding up the survivors and keeping them in check. Noble flew up from down below, landing next to the Pegasus Commander.
“Sir, the cages are being flown from the fortress and we can use this outpost as our prison.”
“Good. Search the inside and capture any remaining unicorns within. Nopony can escape to tell what has happened here.”


Outside the Capitol Building, Earthen Capital, Earthen Republic, Noon - 2 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Firebreath still lay on her cloud, deep in thought. The future was uncertain, with a war starting up and the Earthen Republic being caught in the middle of it. She just wished that her government would give her more information, but secrecy had always been of great importance to the Council of Admiralty. All she could do was wait for the doors of the Capitol to open and somepony to bring news.
Smooth Speaker paced down below, her guard standing a little ways off, giving her the space she needed. Smooth paused every once in awhile to stare at the Capitol’s door, as if trying to will it open. She would then resume pacing. The ambassadors had been waiting all morning for news from inside, but the doors had only opened once, an earth pony messenger running out with a scroll in his mouth.
Suddenly, the messenger returned, with several others following behind him. Firebreath immediately recognized them as being some of the refugees from Swirling Creek. The senate had probably called them in to testify about what had happened in the Sack. Firebreath quickly thought about what this could mean for the Pegasus Nation, and nothing she could think of was good.
The delegation entered the building quickly, and the door shut before Smooth Speaker could follow them in. One of the guards at the door stood in her way as she approached the closing door, shaking his head. Smooth Speaker resumed her pacing.
Another hour passed before the doors opened again, and the group from Swirling Creek came out. They were accompanied by some guards who once again kept Smooth Speaker away as they returned to the camp that had been set up for the refugees. Firebreath chuckled at how annoyed Smooth got at being denied conversation with the Swirling Creek ponies. Smooth had always been a bit overeager. Smooth glared up at Firebreath for a quick second before returning to her back and forth in front of the Capitol.
Finally, the doors opened and the delegates began pouring out, tired and quiet. Chancellor Frank Furter headed straight for the Unicorn ambassador.
“Before you ask, no, a decision hasn’t been made.” Firebreath perked up at the Chancellor’s voice, making sure to catch every word he said. “We still intend to listen to the stance of each of your nations tomorrow morning, and then we will vote.”
“The usual two-thirds majority required?” Smooth Speaker inquired.
“Calculating your chances, Smooth? Yes, the usual majority is required.”
“What did the refugees say? Was it particularly damaging to my chances?” Firebreath swooped down and landed next to Smooth Speaker.
“It certainly seemed that way at first,” Frank Furter frowned. “But then a mare stood out of the crowd and told an interesting story that was related by her daughter. Others in the group had seen evidence that not all the invaders were on board with what was happening. One even reported hearing a couple of pegasi considering mutiny against their commander for attacking Swirling Creek. I actually feel as though, after talking to the refugees, it’s likely we will be able to come up with a peaceful solution after all.”
Firebreath breathed a sigh of relief, this being the only news all day. She was thrilled it was as good as it was.
“Your decision will likely decide the outcome of the war,” Smooth stated dryly. “Both our nations depend upon the Earthen Republic for all kinds of trade goods, not the least of which is food. Whoever you side with will likely be victorious.”
“Who says they need to pick a side? Surely trade can continue with both sides, with limitations, of course,” Firebreath retorted.
“A side must be chosen.”
“The Earthen Republic shouldn’t suffer because our nations are at war.”
“Suffering is part of war.”
“These ponies have suffered enough because of our war!”
“True, they have suffered enough; at your hooves.”
Firebreath was silent. Frank Furter was looking at the two ponies with sadness in his eyes. Smooth Speaker began walking away.
“Thank you for the update, Chancellor. We will see you tomorrow morning.”
Frank Furter just looked after her, and then turned to Firebreath.
“I’m so sorry. It must be hard.”
“I’ll be fine, Frank. Thanks for your concern.” Firebreath flew back up to her cloud, her guards wisely choosing to let her be.


Throne Room, Neighemburg Castle, Neighemburg, Unicorn Kingdom, Sunset - 2 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

King Golden Mark stood silently by the window, watching as the sun slowly set in the distance. He had always enjoyed watching the sunset, and had never missed watching one since he inherited the throne room from his father. It allowed him to relax for a moment and think about things. The king had come up with many a problem’s solution during these moments.
The door to the throne room opened, and Presto walked in. The king didn’t turn as he entered, but continued watching the sunset. Presto stood near the door as the guards closed it behind him, waiting for the king to speak. After a couple of minutes of silence, Presto finally broke the silence himself.
“Your majesty?”
The king didn’t turn to face Presto. “I wanted to speak to you about some things, Presto.”
“Of course, sir. Anything I can do to help.”
There was a moment’s pause before the king continued. “Why does the sun go down so slowly? The Unicorns at the Alicorn Castle… why do they spend so much time on the falling and rising of the sun and moon?”
Presto was taken aback by the seemingly non sequitur question. “Well, my King… I’m not sure. I’ve spent very little time at the Alicorn Castle, as the Unicorn Monks there are a bit too… reserved… for my taste. I’ve never had the opportunity to ask.”
“But… surely they get bored? I mean, taking down the sun… bringing up the moon… then taking down the moon… bringing up the sun… day after day, month after month, year after year… Don’t they get tired? If they did it quicker, and just left the sun and moon in the same spot while not raising or lowering them… surely they wouldn’t have any issues.”
“Well, natural magic forces take care of the movement of the sun and the moon when they aren’t being raised or lowered. The raising and lowering takes about two hours apiece, and they do it in shifts. Ten are required for each one, and there are a couple hundred unicorn monks at the Alicorn Castle. I’m not very well versed in the ways of the monks… is this what you wanted to talk to me about?”
The king finally turned around, chuckling a bit. He shook his head. “Excuse me for a King’s wonderings, Presto. I suppose I just want my mind to be anywhere but on this war. I just received news that the Pegasus forces have crossed into the Kingdom, and already have taken one of our outposts. It’s comforting sometimes to let my mind wander to less demanding things.”
Presto smiled, mostly to himself. “I completely understand. I’ve been guilty of the same thing myself.”
The two looked at each other, and Presto realized just how old and wise the king had become over the years. To think he was just a colt when Presto started working as the court magician really made him feel ancient. The king turned and went to his throne, beginning to speak in a more formal way as he did so.
“First of all, that student of yours…”
“Star Swirl?” Presto knew this moment was coming, and had prepared for it.
“Yes, him. I don’t appreciate that he chose to eavesdrop on a private meeting of the King’s Council. He’s lucky I haven’t had him arrested. I expect you have plans of dismissing him?”
“Well, no…”
“Then your plans must change. I want that pony out of my castle, out of the city preferably. I’m sure he’ll be grateful I’m that kind to him after his idiocy.”
“I can’t in good conscience buck him out. The boy is young and foolish, true, but it was a mistake - one that he does regret, and…”
“Mistakes cause the loss of wars and the fall of kingdoms. I am fond of this kingdom and don’t want damned idiotic fools like him causing it to fall!”
Presto flinched at the king’s harsh words. “Well, I was hoping to research more with him before telling you, but…”
“I do not like my council keeping secrets from me, Presto. From the rest of the council, fine… but I should know all the doings in my kingdom, especially my own castle.” Golden Mark glared down at the old wizard from where he sat on his throne.
“Of course, your majesty. Star Swirl shows a massive amount of magical potential - more than I have ever seen before. I think that it is possible that he could become the most powerful, skilled magic user in the entire world. With the exception of an alicorn, of course, if they are still out there somewhere.”
King Golden Mark allowed this to sink in. Presto waited patiently as the king thoughtfully let his eyes wander back out to the sunset.
“But he requires training?”
“In both magic and, as you know, discipline. Star Swirl could potentially be the means by which peace is restored, and kept, in time. Please, allow me to continue to help him.”
There was another pause. King Golden Mark didn’t stop watching the sun drop below the horizon, and didn’t speak until the golden orb was no longer seen, the bright colors now just reflected on the distant clouds. He then turned back to his court’s magician.
“Very well, he may stay. But keep him reined in. I don’t want him causing trouble in our capital in a time of war.”
“Thank you, your highness.” Presto bowed, relieved that the king was understanding. “I’m assuming you have more to speak to me about?”
The King once again straightened up and took on a formal tone in his voice. “Yes. Your apprentice interrupted our meeting yesterday before I was able to tell you your responsibilities for the start of the war. Other duties have kept me from speaking to you before now. I need the best spell casters in the kingdom if we are going to fight off the Pegasus invasion. You need to find them, train them, and then send them directly to General Hound to be sent to the lines. I need the first batch as soon as ponily possible. The amount of spell casters we currently have will simply not suffice.”
Presto nodded. “Of course, King Golden Mark. I’ll send out the call. Floren Daisy should also be helpful in spreading the word.”
“Good. Start in the morning. Get some rest tonight.”
Presto once again bowed and began to leave the room. King Golden Mark returned to his spot by the window, watching the colors fade away from the clouds. The doors had not yet opened signifying Presto’s absence from the room, so the king turned around.
“Is there something else, Presto?”
Presto stood by the door, seeming to be hesitant to ask his next question. Presto just looked at the floor a few moments before answering, his eyes meeting those of the king.
“Yes… something has been bothering me. This parcel of land… there have been land disputes between the three pony nations in the past, but… they have always been settled calmly and diplomatically. Why has this parcel of land led to war? What about it is different? I feel like there’s something you’re not letting on.”
Now it was Golden Mark’s turn to look at the floor. He contemplated it for a moment, and then looked up. His eyes told Presto that he was going to say something, but the expression soon hardened and the king turned back to the window.
“That discussion is for another time, perhaps. Get your rest, you’ll need to start early tomorrow.”
Presto eyed the king for just a moment longer before knocking to let the guards know to open the door. He glanced back at the king once more, the final lights of the sun fading outside as the sunset ended. The king continued to stare into the darkness as Presto turned around and made his exit.


Unicorn Outpost Six, Unicorn Kingdom, Night - 2 Days after The Sack of Swirling Creek

Colonel Noble watched the final lights fade away in the distance. The previous day had been spent scouring the surrounding area and securing the unicorn prisoners. Nopony had escaped, and as far as the Pegasi could tell no news had gotten out to the unicorns about the victory at Outpost Six. Noble had paused to watch the sunset after sending out yet another patrol. Two other pegasi had joined him as he watched.
“Looks just like it does back home,” stated one of them. “Even in war, there are some things we can depend on.”
“Something to be grateful for,” responded Noble. He heard hooves land on the stone behind him.
“I was told I could find Colonel Noble here,” came the voice of a female pegasus. Noble turned to look at her. Her armor suggested that she was a messenger of some kind, as it was light and made for quick travel.
“I’m Noble. What can I help you with?”
“I come with a message from the Council of Admiralty.”
Noble took the message in his hoof. “Thank you. I will get it to General Thunder Cloud immediately.”
“I was told that this is specifically for Colonel Noble, and nopony else.”
Noble gave the messenger a glance as she flew off into the night, and then unrolled the scroll. The two other pegasi with him looked at him curiously as he began to read.

Inside, General Thunder Cloud was walking among the cages in which they were keeping their prisoners. Many unicorns had been confused when the pegasi didn’t use the cells already in the outpost, but they soon discovered why.
Thunder Cloud soon passed by a young unicorn soldier who had recently been captured by a patrol. He was quite the bold one, as he spoke up as the pegasus general was passing.
“Oh, come off it! You think we’ll be held forever by these cages? You forgot we’re unicorns! We can use magic! Typical idiot move by a cloudhead.”
Thunder Cloud stopped walking and turned to the loudmouthed youth. The young unicorn seemed unphased by the dangerous look in Thunder Cloud’s eye and looked right back at him. The general smiled at the youth’s bravery. He would be a fun one to break. Thunder Cloud approached the cage and removed his sword.
“Perhaps a demonstration is in order. Open the cage.” A pegasus guard unlocked and opened the cage. Thunder Cloud left his sword outside as he entered and faced the unicorn. The door closed behind him. “I’m defenseless. No sword, and I’m just standing here. Zap me with your precious magic.”
The unicorn was taken aback by the whole situation, a bit unsure about what to do. Finally, he took a bracing stance and focused on Thunder Cloud. Nothing happened. The unicorn's eyes widened as he realized that he couldn’t cast any spells.
“What… what did you do to me?”
The general smiled. “Nothing. All we did was put you in this cage.”
The unicorn suddenly charged Thunder Cloud, horn aimed at the stallion’s heart. Thunder Cloud sidestepped and tripped the charging soldier, who face planted into the floor of the cage.
“Well,” elaborated the pegasus, “the cage is made out of an interesting material. An extremely rare substance called Dragmite. When in its presence, a unicorn may find themselves a bit more defenseless than they were before.”
The unicorn hopped back up and tried to buck his aggressor with his hind hooves. Thunder Cloud dodged and grabbed hold of the unicorn’s leg, easily flipping the poor young stallion over onto his back.
“A pity the material is so rare. I would love a set of armor made from it. Protect me from your scummy magic.” Thunder Cloud walked over his victim on his way to the cage’s door. “Oh, and one more thing… speak again and I will have you killed. Understand?”
The floored unicorn looked at the general for only a moment before diverting his gaze to the floor and nodding, but it was long enough for Thunder Cloud to see exactly what he wanted - fear. He smiled as he exited the cage and continued further down the hall. He was nearly to the door to his office when he was suddenly blocked by a small group of three pegasi, the lead of whom was Colonel Noble. All three had a look of duty and determination on their faces, and all were looking right at their general.
“Colonel,” Thunder Cloud said, nodding at Noble.
“I need to speak with you, sir.” The term “sir” didn’t have the usual tone of respect that accompanied it. Thunder Cloud noticed this and tensed up a bit.
“I am busy at the moment, Colonel Noble. Please just wait until the morning.”
“It’s important. The Council of Admiralty sent a message with new orders.”
General Thunder Cloud looked right into Noble’s eyes, and quietly chuckled.
“I know what they are, Noble. I’ve known this was coming since the attack on that Earth village.” Now it was Noble’s turn to tense up. The pegasi at his sides also tensed up. Thunder Cloud whispered so that only the three pegasi he was facing could hear him. “I am not going to be relieved of duty, by you or anyone else. I do what I have to for the good of the Pegasus Nation. The Council of Admiralty knows this, and thus in time will understand those actions I made in the Earthen Republic, and the actions I will take right now.”
Thunder Cloud reached to his side, only to find his weapon was not there. He quickly turned his head to look back, and saw his sword still leaning against the cage of the outspoken unicorn soldier. He looked back to Noble and the others, all three of whom had their weapons drawn.
“I’m the commanding officer now. You will stand down,” Noble said as his two allies went to either side of Thunder Cloud.
“Mutiny!” shouted the general. “Colonel Noble is committing an act of treason against the Pegasus Nation! Kill him!”
Several of the nearby pegasi began running over, drawing their weapons. Noble quickly spoke up.
“By order of the Council of Admiralty, Thunder Cloud is relieved of duty and to be arrested! I am now the commanding officer of these forces!”
The charging pegasi stopped, looking between Noble and Thunder Cloud, unsure of what to do.
“I have the orders right here,” one of Noble’s assistants stated, holding the scroll up for everypony to see.
“Obviously faked!” Thunder Cloud yelled.
The other pegasi with Noble spoke up. “I saw the letter delivered, directly from a council messenger into the hands of Noble! The orders are legitimate!”
Thunder Cloud turned and bucked the soldier in the throat, taking him gasping to the ground. He then stomped on the downed pegasus’ head, killing him.
“Take action! Now!” yelled Thunder Cloud. “Kill the mutineers!”
The other soldier arresting the general swung his sword at him, only to have it blocked by another pegasi. Thunder Cloud turned as another soldier threw his sword to him, and stabbed Noble’s only other ally in the side.
Noble saw that the troops had made their decision, and it was not in his favor. He fled. Thunder Cloud had forced him to do this publicly, and had forced the troops to choose. Noble had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, and that he could arrest the general quietly without issue. Now, the only two who saw the message delivered were dead, and the loyalty of the stallions and mares were made clear.
He was running up the stairs as he heard the general shout out new orders. “Find Colonel Noble and bring him to me! He will suffer for his crimes!”

Noble didn’t stop running until he found a safe place to hide in the nearby forest, well hidden from eyes both on the ground and in the air. He was able to peek out and see several groups flying overhead, beginning the search for him. Two stopped directly overhead, scanning the ground below. He quickly ducked his head back into the bushes, hoping they hadn’t spotted him.
“There’s no way we’ll find him in the dark!” one of the pegasi said.
“General Thunder Cloud won’t be happy about this. Do you think Noble was telling the truth? About the orders from the Council of Admiralty?” the other pegasus stopped scanning the forest and looked intently at his companion.
“Does it matter? I mean, would you really want Noble leading us? The pony’s soft, won’t do what needs to be done.”
“He’s a good pony…”
“Good ponies don’t win wars. Ponies like the general do. Come on, let’s keep looking.”
The pegasi flew off, leaving Noble holding still in the brush. After a couple of minutes of silence, he began to move further away from the outpost, darting from hiding spot to hiding spot, silently watching for pursuers.


East Tower, Neighemburg Castle, Unicorn Kingdom, Morning - 3 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Star Swirl was pacing back and forth in the lab, glancing every couple of minutes at the door. Each time he did, he stopped moving, staring. He’d then give an impatient sigh and continue pacing. He’d woken up hours ago, wanting to know how Presto’s discussion with the king the previous night had gone. He was disappointed to discover Presto had already left for the morning.
Star Swirl walked up to the window and looked out. He could tell from the sun’s position it was nearly mid-morning, and he was once again tempted to go looking for Presto. He knew he shouldn’t… he wasn’t certain he was welcome in the castle anymore. If he was, though… there shouldn’t be anything to fear, right? He thought for a couple more moments before laying his forehead on the windowsill, giving another exasperated sigh, and then resumed his pacing.
Shortly afterward, the door finally opened and Star Swirl’s mentor exhaustedly walked in. Star Swirl ran up to him immediately, his mouth moving as fast as his questions popped into his head.
“Where have you been? How’d the conversation with the king go? Do I have to leave? Am I welcome to stay? What took you so long this morning? Why didn’t you leave a note? Why are you so tired? Any news about the war? How…”
“Quiet!” shouted Presto, rubbing his forehead. “You are giving me a headache.” He walked over to the potions table and began mixing together ingredients. “I’ve been gathering spell casters to start training for the war. I’ve also made sure messages were sent throughout the kingdom calling skilled spell casters to come and train. Floren Daisy was very helpful in writing those messages. Remind me to send her a bouquet to thank her.”
“Can I join the forces? I want to help! Wait, am I even allowed to stay?”
“Yes, you’re allowed to stay, but no, you can’t join the army. It would be a waste of your talents, and you and I need to continue to work on your training.” Presto cast a spell on his concoction, and quickly downed it, giving a satisfied sigh.
“But…”
“Do you want to be my apprentice or not? Part of that is doing what I tell you to do.”
Star Swirl went silent and turned his eyes to the floor. Presto could tell he was unhappy, but willing to accept that what Presto said was right. Presto went over to a nearby chair and sat in it. Star Swirl cautiously approached him, and when Presto didn’t say anything, asked his question.
“Will you have time to train me? It seems you’ll be busy training other spellcasters…”
“I’ll make the time. After a while we’ll go to the Alicorn Castle to have you study with the monks. I could probably let them take over your training for a while. Despite their eccentricity, they do know quite a lot about magic. I’m sure you’d be able to learn a lot there, and they’ll be very interested in you and your talents, as well. Maybe they could shed some light on your advanced magical powers.”
“I’ve always been interested in the monks. They raise the sun and moon, right?”
“Yes, and hold no allegiance to anypony other than themselves. If anypony wants to find a peaceful place to ponder things, the Alicorn Castle is the place to go. But we still have some time before we go there. At least a couple of months. In the meantime, let’s review the sources of magic.”
Star Swirl was about to protest, but shut his mouth at a glance from Presto. They began their lesson.


Outside the Capitol Building, Earthen Capital, Earthen Republic, Afternoon - 3 Days after the Sack of Swirling Creek

Both the pegasus and unicorn diplomats and their entire staffs were outside the capitol building. They stayed separate, whispering and making sure they were not heard by the other group. The tension was thick in the air, as members of both parties glanced at the other group.
All became silent as the door to the Capitol opened and an earth pony guard walked outside. She glanced at both groups quickly before looking straight ahead and stating, “It is time.”
Smooth Speaker and Firebreath quickly whispered some final words to their staffs before leaving and approaching the doors. The guard turned and entered the building. The diplomats followed right after her, and the doors closed behind them, their staffs now left awaiting their return.