Aepnet meeting the minotaurs.
The minotaurs clearly warmongering.
Las Pegasus arms dealers getting too bold.
Me and my adopted nation stuck right in the middle of it, which just might be the whole point now that I think about it.
I picked the best time to ascend, didn't I? Of course, half of this is because I ascended, so I guess there was no perfect time to ascend. Well, maybe when Kathyrine was on the throne.
Hmm, would it be wrong of me to assassinate Purgle and Aepnet? Would that solve everything? I don't know. I never know about any of this nonsense. Coming up on two and a half years into my reign, and... gosh, I just don't have all of this figured out yet.
Although, if Celestia was to be believed, I likely never truly would.
It had been a week since the meeting with Purgle, and I had to admit that none of us were optimistic about our chances with avoiding some sort of conflict, particularly if Aepnet threw his hat into the ring. Princess Cadance's Blade Wings worked around the clock to figure out just what in the bloody blue Tartarus Aepnet and Purgle were up to, but were met with limited success. We had nothing solid to go on, which is the opposite of what we needed.
Meanwhile I began wondering if I shouldn't actually gather together a few scientists and engineers to create some human weaponry. If push came to shove came to war, I wanted to be on the side that won quickly, and if that meant human weaponry...
I'd think about that later. But later might become soon if things got worse with the minotaurs.
Oy. Alicorns don't really get headaches, but if we did, I'm sure I'd have a really nice one right now.
The week after the meeting with Purgle found me sitting in one of my private studies, reading over some Blade Wing reports about minotaur movements. We wanted to know what the heck Purgle was up to. I sighed, regretting that I didn't see anything too useful, and pushed the documents aside. Maybe Celestia or Luna would have better luck with them.
I took a sip from the water goblet that I had beside me, and noticed for the first time that my stomach was growling and likely had been for some time, given how long I had been in here. I clicked my tongue and looked down at it. "Yeah, let's go get some food." I stood up and began walking towards the kitchens. "What sounds good today? A five course meal, or grilled cheese and tomato soup?"
Just as I reached the end of the room, my horn firing up to twist the doorknob of the door that would have led me in the general direction of the kitchens, I heard a trio of loud, sharp knocks. I grimaced and sighed, but, considering the political climate, I figured it might be important. My stomach would have to wait, it seemed. I trotted over to the other door and opened it a crack, peering down at what turned out to be Tulip, who bowed when she saw me open the door.
"Yes, Ms. Tulip?"
"Princess Antares, you have a visitor here to see you. It's the Las Pegasus delegate again. She wishes for a follow-up to your last meeting. I put her in one of the conference rooms, but should I tell her you're busy?"
I quietly groaned and rubbed one of my temples, but shook my head. "No, I was just about to have some lunch, though. If at all possible, can you tell Chef Fillet to make me two, no, three grilled cheese sandwiches and some of his finest tomato soup?"
Tulip bowed low again, and I fully opened the door to follow her to the conference room. "Of course, Princess Antares. Also, there is one more matter that I feel must be brought to your attention."
"Yes?"
"That griffin warlord, Sinosis was his name, right? Well, there was a breakout in the griffin jail where he was incarcerated, and..." Tulip flattened her ears when she saw a glare cross my face directed at nothing in particular. "Well... they can't find him. He escaped."
"Of course he did." I scoffed and shook my head. "Of course he did. Because why not? Why not give me that to deal with on top of everything else?" I sighed. "Have Princess Celestia and Princess Luna been made aware of this?"
Tulip nodded. "Yes, the message I received was from Princess Celestia. She's been in contact with Emperor Aepnet about it, but he refuses to say too much, saying that it's a griffin matter. He did say that they know he's still in Griffonia, though."
"I'll hope for it, but take it with a grain of salt." I clicked my tongue as we reached the conference room. "Just what I needed."
"If it helps, I'll tell Chef Fillet to make the soup and sandwiches extra good today."
I smirked and gave a single chuckle with a trace of humor. "Be sure to. I don't see this meeting going amazingly well either."
Tulip bowed to me again and trotted off in the direction of the kitchens, leaving me to stew over the fact that nothing had gone right since I saw this stupid delegate last. Purgle and Aepnet nudging Equestria towards war, and now Sinosis is out and about to wreak havoc? Well, I guess he can do whatever he wants, just as long as he stays far away from Equestria, which my gut tells me he just won't do. I'm going to have to see what troops I can spare to patrol the forest where he stationed himself last time, but I already know that I won't be able to spare too many. Maybe I can talk to Celestia and Luna about it, or something.
With nothing else for it, I open the door to the conference room and see Soaring Skies, my absolute favorite Las Pegasus delegate, sitting on one of the chairs at the table. She quickly slides off of the chair and sinks into a bow when she sees that I'm the one who's come in. I let her continue bowing until I've sat down.
"Ms. Skies, it's nice to see you again." Sometimes being a princess means lying.
Soaring Skies stood up, and gave me a small smile. "Thank you, Princess Antares. I find it lovely to be in your presence again as well." I saw her gaze flicker over to her chair, and I motioned to it. She nodded in thanks and took her seat once more. "I hope that you are well."
"As well as I can be, I suppose."
"Indeed, what with the minotaurs and the griffins doing what they're doing, I imagine that you are under much strain."
I raised an eyebrow and crossed my forelegs. "And what exactly would you know about the minotaurs and griffins, Ms. Skies?"
"You know that ponies in my line of work have to keep their eyes and ears open, Princess Antares. With the minotaurs and griffins both trying to get whatever weapons of ours that they can, it behooves us to keep a close eye on them."
So the minotaurs and griffins were arming. I didn't really like that piece of news, but I couldn't deny its importance.
"Your spy network rivals that of the Blade Wings, Ms. Skies. Any other important information that you'd like to share? Keep in mind that we are talking about national security here."
"Well..." Soaring Skies hesitated for a moment. "I think that the minotaurs want war no matter what. Any victories that Purgle achieves over a pony force will increase his claim to a minotaur throne, and the griffins seem to be backing him up. Our informants estimate that, if everything stays peaceful and on its current path, the minotaurs will be united into a full kingdom within two years." Soaring Skies reached a hoof out to me. "Princess Antares, you know what we need to do with our military before the minotaurs become one nation. If we begin as soon as possible, I think that we can have our forces ready by the time the minotaur clans unite."
"I think you are only considering one side of this, Ms. Skies. The nobility's squabbling over having the military, an organization that they've controlled for centuries. If removed from their control, it would mean re-organizing that would take far longer than the two years you think it would."
"Not if we act quickly and effectively, with you princesses behind the effort!" Soaring Skies crossed her own forelegs. "They wouldn't dare openly challenge you, would they?"
I shook my head. "No, they wouldn't. They'd find far more subtle, damaging ways to challenge us, and we can't be trying to control the nobility and re-organize the military all while trying to avoid a costly war. Maybe in peacetime this plan of yours would be more feasible, but for now, it's just too much."
"But Princess Antares, if our military is weak when the war begins, then we will be at a disadvantage! The minotaurs and griffins will not be so weak, I assure you."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, because the nobility baloney that's a problem with our military is in no way prevalent in the griffin military, and the fact that only two years prior, the minotaur army was made up of separate clans won't be an issue whatsoever."
That got her quiet. Soaring Skies could only look down at the ground while I stared at her, a slight glare on my face that she actually had the gall to come back and once again demand control of the Equestrian army.
"Look, I appreciate your concern, I suppose, but I find it highly unwarranted. Yes, the political climate is a bit... unstable, but if you think for a moment that Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and I are not going to do everything that we can to keep Equestria safe, you are sorely mistaken."
"I do, Princess Antares, I truly do," Soaring Skies muttered. "It's just that me and my compatriots in my field worry about everything, that's all."
"You needn't, you really do not need to." I stood up, and Soaring Skies was quick to copy my move. "Now, I have other things to attend to, so I'm afraid I must end this meeting. I'm afraid that I cannot accept your request to begin removing the military from the hooves of the nobility. I'm sorry, but, while I would like to, it's not the right climate for it."
"I suppose I understand, Princess Antares," Soaring Skies muttered.
"Also, I spoke last time with you about it giving the crown a copy of all of the results of your investigations of the weapons deals. I have come to the conclusion that I would like you to do that." Sparing Skies noticeably flinched, but I ignored it. "I know you might not be completely fond of the idea, but it is truly a matter of national security at this point. You have demonstrated several times that you find out important things quickly, and we need that as much as we can."
"So that's a direct order, is it, Princess Antares?" Soaring Skies muttered.
I nodded. "Yes, yes it is. I expect copies of all of your findings from the past two months to be sent to me or the throne in Canterlot within a week."
Soaring Skies didn't respond for a few moments. She just stared at the ground as if I had told her that she needed to chop off her wings and wrap them in a box for me. I understood that I was playing with fire, interfering with Las Pegasus like this, but I'd rather play with fire here than let other, bigger fires spread.
Finally, Soaring Skies slowly nodded and managed to look up at me. "Y-yes, Princess Antares. I will, of course, give you the documents you desire. I will let my colleagues know of your order."
"Please do." I walked over to the door and opened it with my magic. "Now, I must get to my other duties, so I will speak with you later, Ms. Skies."
"Indeed you will, Princess Antares." Soaring Skies bowed to me again. "I wish you the best."
"And I to you."
With that, I exited the room, leaving Soaring Skies to stew with her thoughts. I have to say that the meeting went as well as I could have hoped for; which is to say, not very well at all, really, but it didn't dissolve into a declaration of open rebellion. I could only hope that Las Pegasus would be obedient to my order and that their reports would give us some critical piece of information that could help us in our time of political strife.
Because when have I ever been that lucky? But a guy can dream, right?
The calm before the storm...
Wow, this was a quick update! Any reason for the speed, bro?
4522850 I really, really want to get to the next chapter.
4522875 First off, SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE AUTHOR REPLIEDTOMEI'MSOHAPPY!!!!!
*ahem*
Well, that sounds legit. Any hints (besides bloodshed) on what's to come?
4522875 I know how that feels.
4522883 From the very title of the chapter George R.R. Martin will bow to me and start asking me for advice on how to write Game of Thrones. Every moment you read, you'll think to yourself "he didn't just do that, did he?" all the while realizing "oh yes he did."
4522930 So, basically... World War One for ponies? Sounds legit. Also, why did you not remember the shipping between TD and Tia?
4522942 World War One for ponies? Is that the limit of your imagination? I remembered it because they're both going through a stressful time and they need to unwind a little.
4522959 Right, but, I don't watch that show, so I have no idea. Any other reference that might be more common? Doctor Who, possibly? I can think of a few...
Why do I have the feeling that the Las Pegasus arms dealer Soaring Skies works for is manipulating everything?
4522978 From what I have heard, game of thrones is supposedly the greatest piece of literature written in the last decade which is what I believe he is referring to
4522875 Who doesn't?
4522930 Oh no. Oh my fing god no. If what you jsut said is true, this could quite possibly make me go into a state of pure euphoria and throw myself into a gaint metal fan at the same time.
4522978 I got you. Doctor who you say? Take all the images and combine them into one feeling. That's what you'll feel (approximately).
empireonline.com/images/uploaded/doctor-who-doomsday-rose.jpg
37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0pcuggpU31r8058ko1_500.gif
botisrpg.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/grave.jpg
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4523028 Basically, yeah.
4523049 That was back when the minotaurs were just a bunch of nomadic tribes. As one unified nation, however...
I CAN NOT BE THE ONLY PERSON WHO THOUGHT OF WARRIOR CATS?
I do miss the old TD from the earlier stories. While I do understand that characters must eventually develop, I still miss everypony's favorite asshole trying to get back home. On an unrelated note, YES! HE/SHE GETS TO KILL PURGLE AGAIN
I find it funny that, in the other timeline, human TD essentially nipped this whole war in the bud on accident...twice.
4523069 YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE
4523280 MAY STARCLAN LIGHT YOUR PATH
4522979 Because of the one rule that has been around so long, even Cavemen knew of it: Corporations Are Evil!
4519522
I'm not entirely sure what that statement entails. However, if you could be so kind as to explain the context, and if you would be so gracious, the meaning behind your words, I would be very appreciative of your actions.
(In short, I have no clue what you mean. Please elaborate.)
So, maybe, for profit and revenge, Las Pegasus feeds the throne a few white lies to help trigger the war, sells lower quality weapons to the minotaurs and griffons for increased profits, and then reveals all the heroic bits to make the Princesses look bad and gather support for their aims. Then, a little propaganda, and suddenly, Hitler's Germany.
4522930
"Game of Thrones," eh? In that case, who are you going to kill off first? One of the princesses? Maybe one of the mane six? One of Antaes's captains (whose names I don't remember at the moment)? Cheerilee?
4523681 Hard to turn a firework into a machine gun. It's slightly different, wouldn't you agree?
So, if the arms dealers don't like TD's plan they might rebel and start a civil war while the gryphon's and Minotaur's are fighting an actual war. troll.me/images/pissed-off-obama/hey-you-fucked-up-son.jpg
4523703 Oh absolutely. Maybe a rocket launcher though...
But if Find a Pet is to be believed, Equestria already has its fair share of weaponry. "I need something real fast like a bullet to keep up with me". Then there's the name Rainbow Dash eventually chose for her pet.
4522930 So how many ponies are going to start flopping their weiners all over the place?
And are the dragons coming?
(And with that, I can't take this story any more seriously than I take GoT.)
The problem with making human WMDs is that it isn't hard for the other side to reverse-engineer the things. But Equestria has it's own WMD in Canterlot, a single stone that can increase the disharmony between the minotaurs and griffins to the point Kathrine will be begging for her own room in Baltimare to avoid the bloodshed. I eagerly await to see where our favorite chaos spirit fits into this particular story.
Oh, and Ms. Skies is totes a 'ling, btw. But keep it on the DL, TD don't k-n-o-w 'bout that yet. #Cheezelegsbestprincess
4523887 I take that with a grain of salt. You've never taken anything seriously. I've never read a serious comment from you unless it's ripping something apart and telling the author how awful he is.
So like I said, grain of salt.
4523911 Well, until the griffons and minotaurs have some reasonable method of moving the Sun by themselves, seriously trying to kill the alicorns is rather a suicidal action.
Neither one of their races possesses the magic to do that. Only the ponies do.
That's what we call 'leverage' in diplomatic circles.
Unless both races really are just that stupid. I mean, if that's the case then I can understand it! There's no fixing stupid, after all.
4524357 Unless, of course, they enslave the ponies and the ponies do it. You know, like they did before the princesses came along. Heck they don't even have to win. They just have to get Equestria to back down. That'll be victory enough. And no, they can't just move the sun onto Griffonia or Minos. That would affect Equestria very negatively as well.
You know TD/Antares could compensate Soaring Skies either monetarily, or with weapon ideas inspired by humanity. Nothing major, but things like tear gas or sleeping gas would certainly pique their interest. That should keep the Las Pegasus manufacturers happy.
4524417
Or they could move the sun and moon in conjunction with each other and keep Griffonia and Minos in a state of perpetual eclipse, while Equestria is not subject to the eclipse. Thus crops fail and morale decreases amongst Griffon and Minotaur populations, break their wills.
And if all else fails, give Discord a free pass if he removes the wings from all Griffons. That would cripple them.
4524476 How exactly would that work, given that, again, the two countries are just a few hour's flight from each other?
4524484
Ever seen an eclipse from space? It doesn't cover the whole globe. Not even close. Places a few hours apart can have drastically different experiences with the same eclipse.
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4524522 I know an eclipse doesn't cover the whole globe, but how long do they last exactly? For it to make a real difference, it would have to last days; weeks maybe, and that would be Celestia and Luna not moving the sun and moon, correct?
I have to wonder if the Las Pegasus weapons dealers are allied with the Minotaurs. I mean, think about it- they stand to make ALOT of money if war does break out, given that they're selling weapons to all three nations (well the Minotaurs aren't a nation yet, but they're getting there), and gaining full control of Equestria's military would allow for Purgle to win key victories and lose other key battles all for the purpose of: 1. Making Purgle look like a good choice of leader, thus solidifying is position and ensuring he's s constant customer and 2. Forcing TD to design guns to 'gain the advantage' over the 'surprisingly talented Minotaur and Gryphon army'. Eventually the design would be given to the most qualified weapons manufacturer who is- oh! the Las Pegasus arms dealers, who then could at an outrageous price, sell it to anyone they wanted (discreetly, of course, and in such a manner that it seems that they're just making their own version after looting the dead after a lucky victory over Equestria's armed forces). Eventually the royals would be forced to get involved directly, thus ending the war between the three nations (albeit violently) with Equestria still on top, Purgle still king of a nation in need of their leader to get them back on their hoofs (and has gained his reputation of a good strategist through the planned won battles even though they lost the war), and the arms dealers' wallets bulging with profit.
The only thing I don't have a decent theory for is where the Gryphons benefit from this. Perhaps some expanded territory that Equestria is too weak standing-forces wise to defend? Aepnet, for all his flaws, doesn't strike me as a fool. Unless there's something substantial for him to gain when he knows that if Equestria goes to war that Saddle Arabia and probably the Crystal Empire will join and that regardless of which nation he fights that he stands to lose quite a bit if his nation is attacked directly I don't think he'd just jump into it with wings tied to his back.
4524536
Heh, anywhere but Equestria that would be true. In this case they just have to move the sun and moon in tandem. While both travel through the sky, and everywhere else gets their days and nights (although in this case it would likely result in moonless nights for a while), the shadow would remain fixed on the target territory for the duration of daylight hours. The result for either the griffons or minotaurs would be both sunless days and moonless nights.
It would likely require some serious coordinated effort on Celestia and Luna's parts, but it could be done.
4523069
Wut?
4524445 I'm thinking the whole war is being set up by the weapon dealers. Sell weapons to minotaurs and convince them that the new princess is a threat so that the clans join together and add recent events with griffons into the mix. All this to push Antares into making human weaponry using engineers supplied by Las Pegasus who then patent and produce the weapons for the highest bidder.
4524599
Certainly a possibility. Given how hard Soaring Skies seems to be pushing certainly raises the odds.
Although I'd say if "Weapons of mass destruction" were needed, the princesses could accomplish that on their own, perhaps with Twilight's help if she was willing, although I doubt they'd ask her for that sort of burden. After all if three alpha alicorns decided to focus their power into a singular object over a few days, then have that object delivered to a target destination and release all that power at once... pretty much the same effect as a nuke, wouldn't you say? And no one outside of Discord could replicate such a feat either.
4524417 And if the unicorns, rather than be slaves after a long, bloody war, decide to kill themselves rather than obey the savage beasts they despise? Or what if, in despair, they drag the Sun or moon out of orbit and slam it into the planet?
For that matter, can the unicorns even manage to move the Sun and Moon anymore, given that they haven't done so for thousands of years?
Neither griffons nor minotaurs have given the future all that much thought. They have their little narrow-minded plans of conquest, no different than any of a hundred petty kingdoms of Earth that rose and fell within their own mire of hubris. They think the ponies are pathetic, weak-willed servile creatures they can easily walk all over. Once a race has tasted freedom, they will not so willingly walk back into bondage. Most would sooner die than submit to slavery again.
We know this from many instances in our own history, and they are likely to learn a harsher lesson in it than we ever have if they dare to proceed, for no people on our planet have ever possessed the power to do more than briefly brush their fingers over the surface of the Moon, to say nothing of harnessing the Sun.
They have no idea how a devastating war could change the ponies. War often brings out the worst in people; they should know this fact themselves given their own violent nature. They could very quickly find themselves in a situation of Mutually Assured Destruction if hatred and rage rise in the unicorns to equal their own.
And there is the ultimate wild card of Discord lurking about. Oh what chaos and disharmony erupt when war breaks out! Should one of the Bearers die, there would be nothing to stop him.
Then there are the changelings, the windigoes, and we cannot forget the dragons (by far the most formidible and powerful species as a whole); all creatures that act solely for their own benefit and care nothing for the other races. They would not hesitate to take advantage of a situation where 3 powers cripple each other.
The griffons and minotaurs assume far too much. They are arrogant to the level of madness. They're playing with a fire they can't hope to control once it begins to burn ferociously. And they cannot possibly be certain of the outcome. If they believe they cannot lose, then they've already set themselves up to fail.
I would expect TD to think carefully on such matters and begin to plan psychological warfare. Plan for terrain-based guerilla tactics. Strike hard and fast. Move silently, move like shadows. It will be much easier for the small ponies to use stealth vs the large griffons and bulky minotaurs, especially if unicorns are taught basic concealment and silencing spells.
Demoralizing the enemy is a useful tactic when weapons are primitive and the enemy over-confident, especially against invaders fighting a war for pure conquest as they are not fighting for their homes. It is less effective in modern times, but still has significant usefulness if the conflict is prolonged and with high casualties, as was seen in Vietnam.
The only ones justified in thinking they can't lose are the ones who just so ridiculously powerful that they've never encountered anyone who could challenge them. Like Frieza!
Basically, I'm expecting a war which will be so dreadful and protracted that no one can achieve anything meaningful, and which will drag all involved races into the depths of horrors beyond their most lurid nightmares.
They seek to unleash hell, and hell shall certainly find them! (Perhaps literally in fact, since in Equestria there is a literal Hell filled with powerful monsters... yet another thing to consider!)
The devil's in the details... and it doesn't pay to forget the details which include the devils.
4524587 ITS A BOOK SERIES gosh darnit caps lock
4524723 I can't disagree with anything, but you mention our history. How many rulers have decided to gain legitimacy by provoking wars that they think they can win? I'll give you a hint of a big one. He has a little mustache, and the internet compares everything to him.
Yes, that ended poorly, obviously, but you said
You're forgetting that that's how Purgle is uniting the clans: he's saying that if they don't unite, Equestria will take over. To most of the minotaurs, they would be fighting for their homes.
Keep in mind, though, that we're still in the early stages of this arc, and you don't have all of the pieces yet. You're just operating on guesswork based on a couple of chapters and one meeting with Purgle. Yes Equestria seems to believe that Purgle would like nothing more than war, but they don't know what that means exactly.
Ok, honestly, did any of these nations realize that Discord is free? Or even back? Or is he just Equestria's little ball of you in case things get really ugly?
4524821 He's not free in this timeline.
4524823 Ooooohh....Oops. My bad.
TD should borrow another tried and true human tactic and recruit the most zealous members of his church to go bomb some minotaur/griffin cities. That would show them!