• Published 18th Sep 2014
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Diplomacy for the Strong - Wages of Sin



Through a miscommunication between herself and her mentor, Twilight accidentally starts a war with the Griffon Empire. Well, maybe calling it a "war" is too generous...

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Interlude 2/2

"Ah! Sister!" Luna called as she made her way into the throne room where the alicorn of the sun sat reading.


"How goes it for our wayward kin? Has Twilight yet secured the head of the Emperor? I cannot express my joy that she has proven herself a hooves-on mare, much unlike our niece."


"Oh?" Celestia responded, not looking up from her reading, "You do not like Cadence's rule?"


"Nay, it is not that I dislike, rather I find her so... uninspired. The strength of an alicorn! The power of compulsory attraction! An artifact of nigh-limitless power attuned to her own! An empire right upon our borders! A husband plucked from the highest point of our defenses! I had seen so much potential! I thought she had the ambition to make a move, yet she sits content over her meager city of an 'empire'," she sighed, "such a disappointment... truly the ponies of this era lack all ambition." a moment passed before Luna caught herself, "Make no mistake, I appreciate the peace you have fostered, and that the nobles of this day are more content to spend their time competing over fashion than the land and lives of ponies, but now and again I find myself missing the struggles of yesteryear. The thrill of watching a rebellious noble realizing his carefully crafted schemes merely danced in our hoof! To watch their spirits fall as they realize their armies are meaningless against our might!"

"Hmmmm" Celstia mused, still focused on her reading, "Well, anyway, I suppose you'll be happy to note that we have received word of Twilight’s exploits in the Empire."


Luna perked up at that, "Truly? Has she ended the poor whelp of an emperor? ...no, I suppose she would just as soon preach to him the value of friendship beyond borders, the goody little..."


"The commander reports that she has taken the Empire by force, placing herself atop the throne as Empress. Apparently there were already preparations in place for her coup' and she has already consolidated all of the former emperor's power around herself. She has reportedly also taken the former Emperor and his family as trophies of her conquest and made a proclamation of her hegemony to her subjects not hours after arrival. She also sent command for the immediate release of our prisoners." Celestia reported, still without breaking from her reading.


Luna stood agape, jaw hanging loose before the slightest curl from the side of her muzzle spread into a full grin. "She-! I take it back! The calculating mare deceived even me! Ha! I knew that mare would bring ambition back to Equis! Little did I realize how triumphantly!" Excitement plain as day on her face, the darker alicorn was practically bouncing on her hooves. "Sister! How stand we on this? Despite the potential your former student as shown, surely we are not going to allow the empire to re-arm?"


"Hm? Oh, Twilight herself has been in charge of the prisoners affairs after their surrender. She has had Spike leading their oversight. As such the correspondence from her to him was instant. I have received word that the prisoners were released before the reports had even reached me."


Luna's grin before paled at the sheer excitement that now radiated from her.


"Then she truly means to-! She has-! Oh glorious day! I feared that she would be a stick in the mud forever! Her ruse casts shadows upon even the rise of Sombra! She will no doubt be the greatest adversary of this millennium! So cold her ruse, so calculating her plot, so perfect her execution! I suspected nothing and we spoke not weeks ago! Sister! I cannot bear it any longer! I shall make to meet her challenge at once!"


Luna turned, shadows coalescing into the dark-blue armor and a sheathed blade of no less threatening countenance than of a thousand years prior. "TO ME SOLDIERS OF THE NIGHT! A FOE OF TRUE WORTH HAS PRESENTED HERSELF UPON THIS DAY!" She shouted into the halls, "TO ARMS!"


Back in the throne room Celestia stoically finished what she had been reading. She sat back for a second, eyes closed, but then with a sigh she pulled out a parchment and quill, "Dear Empress Twilight Sparkle...

Author's Note:

The next chapter is scheduled to coincide with the release of Half Life 3.

With this top-shelf level of productivity, I should start a Patreon.

(Actual update sometime this week.)

((I shouldn't have said that...))