War Comes

by Proper Noun

Chapter One

"Your Highness, the ambassador from Zebrica has arrived." From her throne, Princess Celestia looked down on the messenger, a Royal Guardspony whose enchanted armor made him appear no different from the others. But there were subtle clues, she knew - not to mention that with a simple spell, she could see right through the illusion.

"Thank you, Flash Sentry. Please rise, and return to your post." She turned her eyes on another guard standing attentively by her side. "Sergeant. See to it that the ambassador and his cohort are escorted to their prepared quarters, and inform him that I am prepared to grant his requested audience immediately." As the stallion saluted and moved to obey, Celestia permitted herself to smile in relief. Tensions with Zebrica had been running high, and she had been looking forward to negotiations for months. A thousand years as sole ruler of Equestria had honed her diplomatic skills quite well, but that didn't mean she enjoyed having upset neighbors to practice them on.

It was less than an hour before the court crier announced, "Presenting: Ambassador Anansi of Zebrica!" The entire court rose, Celestia included. The Princess spread her wings wide in her most regal posture, yet gave a humble bow of her head as the scarred zebra approached, flanked by unarmed Guards in ceremonial attire. They moved off to either side, leaving him to stand alone before their ruler.

"Welcome to Canterlot, Ambassador," Celestia said, allowing her voice to be filled with its natural warmth. She normally suppressed it, but the tone her voice took when unregulated was wonderful for social and diplomatic occasions. She raised her head to look into the zebra's grim gaze. Oh dear. "I trust you find your accommodations pleasing?"

"Yes," said Anansi. His tone was flat, and his next words, while carrying little inflection, were suggestive of a threat. "The Zebrican artifacts are but few of many things we shall repossess."

"If you like, we can discuss return of what you believe is yours immediately," Celestia offered. It was true that Equestria possessed many zebra artifacts of unknown history. While some collectors and museums would certainly be put out, she had no particular attachment to them, and their use as bargaining chips would be -

"No."

"No?"

"No. The time for negotiation has passed, Queen Hellfire." Celestia recoiled from the name in shock, but could not slip in a word as the ambassador continued. "Do not pretend to have forgotten your war with the Destroyer of Day. For seven months of night, our crops failed, our animals died, my people starved. The fury of moon and stars brought madness and strange, new kinds of death. Then you brought the sun upon our world, and spirits of fire ravaged the land. Our fields and forests burned. Our cities burned. Our people?" He paused, before glaring straight into the Princess's eyes. She could see another kind of fire within them. "Burned!"

"My ponies - "

"Are not the only people in this world, demon! Yes, after Discord and the Destroyer, your kind was nearly extinct, and good riddance! But you never looked beyond your own borders! After a thousand years, the ruins of Roam still burn! The land is riddled with fire and sand, and forests live only in legend! It has taken us a millennium to reclaim a fraction of our former strength and pride, Hellfire, and now you and the Destroyer feign benevolence?

"We are not here to talk about reparations. We are here for war. Perhaps a thousand years of hunger, poverty, and ruin will finally awaken you," Anansi concluded. "Good day, Queen Hellfire. May your heart learn warmth from your fury."

Comments

[Perception Filter]

The sun caught the land on fire.... How exactly does that work?

[Pen Expers]

Flash Sentry

Why did you include Waifustealer (cool name for a sword btw) in this story?

[unknown2]

So there's this country that has an alicorn who controls the sun as a ruler. Said ruler once almost destroyed our state through negligence...

Better declare war on them!
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