The Old Kingdom

by Hekkar

Chapter 1: The Plan

Author's Note:

"Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there.
- John P. Kotter

It had only been two months since Tirek was defeated and Twilight was named the Princess of Friendship along with her friends there to help her. Yet, a small part of her mind tells her it would not last, that he would try again and succeed. So in order to protect her friends and fellow ponies she devised a plan to ensure he would not return. She sent a message out to all her friends to come to the castle at once for a important meeting as the lavender alicorn gets the room tidy up for a important meeting while she ensures her dragon assistant, Spike, doesn't laze about.... or send a accidental love letter to Rarity. Twilight ensures she is cleaned up of her horn, wings, her tri-color mane and tail and her coat before she gets the room ready.

As the room was near spotless, she smiles at her work before a dust cloud flies in and messes up her mane and floor. She blows some of the hair out of her face as she groans "Rainbow Dash! I just cleaned this up!" she says as she looks at her pegasi friend.

Rainbow chuckles nervously "Sorry about that Twilight. I came over as fast as I could" she says. She was a light blue mare with a rainbow mane and tail with some red-purple eyes. She lands in her seat after flying around and blowing the dirt out of the room. As she did, a cry is heard outside of outrage.

Outside, a mare of white walks in as she is covered in dirt as she glares at a weak smiling Rainbow Dash. She sighs "Honestly darling, look before you do something" she says as she had a saddlebag on her back. She had a curled and higher class style looking hair that was blue-violet, but one problem was that it looked unkempt due to the dirt. Her horn lights up as she pulls out some hair/coat care products and starts to clean herself up as she made her way to the bathroom.

Rainbow looks over at Twilight "So I heard you got a plan for ensuring Tirek not returning. Mind filling me in?"

"Sorry Rainbow. I like for everypony to be here when I explain this because everypony will have a part to play in order to make sure nothing goes wrong" Twilight explains. As she does so, Rarity returns with her coat has a shine to it again as she takes her seat. Right on cue, Spike walks in with tea and food and is already smitten with Rarity as he floats over to her. The two exchange a hug as Spike has to return to organizing the library, as was his task before coming to the room.

A few minutes pass as more hoovesteps are heard from the hallway, two sets to be exact along with the sounds of a spring bouncing. The mares look towards the door to see the remaining three enter of a orange, blonde mane and tail, Stetson wearing Earth pony named Applejack followed by a bouncing pink, cotton candy mane style mare named Pinkie Pie and a creamy yellow pegasi who seems a bit timid of the meeting named Fluttershy. The mares all had one thing in common and that was the necklaces they had on. What these necklaces symbolized was of their connection to the Elements of Harmony, a ancient power that was once wielded by the Princesses Celestia and Luna.

It did not take long for the six to find the appropriate seats, since each one had their element on it. As everypony took their seat, Twilight looks at everypony with a smile as she clears her throat "I wish to thank you all for coming here for this important meeting."

"Of course Twilight! Your our bestest, most superific, most awesomest friend that any pony could ask for!" Pinkie says wrapping the lavender alicorn in a tight hug. Twilight returns the hug as Pinkie smiles "Still, we need to make this quick because Mr. and Mrs. Cake need me to watch the twins before they leave in a couple of hours" she says as she bounces back to her seat.

Twilight nods as he clears her throat "As I was saying before, thank you all for coming. As I am sure we all still remember Tirek's return a few months ago, I have been planning a few plans to ensure that this time Tirek stays where he belongs and won't hurt another pony" she explains. As her horn lights up, a pink aura envelops a board as a whistling is heard.

To the left of Twilight's throne, the mare known as Applejack gets her attention "As much as I like to help in this plan here Twi, how do we know this will work? Ya gotta admit a few of your spells haven't exactly panned out for the better"

"Name one spell Applejack" Twilight says with a smile on her face still.

Applejack looks at her with a deadpan look "That there 'Want It Need It' spell?" she asks. Twilight stops as she shrinks a bit remembering that little 'episode' as she calls it now of her freakout over a friendship report. Applejack nods "I just like ta make sure this one will work. I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say we all got ponies to look out for, including friends and family" she says.

Everypony and Spike nod as Twilight looks over "I understand your fear Applejack, trust me I know, which is why we need to do this. If it does work, then we can rest easy of one problem out of the way" she says. She pulls out a large board as she flips it over to show a step-by-step plan of her idea. As she looks towards everypony she starts "Alright, the first part is simple really. We gather the Elements of Harmony and get together whatever we can find to help us reach our goal of Tirek's prison. Second part is meeting at the gates of Tartarus and heading inside to find Tirek for the real part of the plan to come into action" she says. As she flips the page, she shows a image of Tirek in his prison and with the Elements around him as the Elements are all lit up.

As she sees confused looked on everypony "The final part is simple. We will need to activate the Elements so that I can create some runes on the prison in order to ensure he is stuck there, unable to get out and cause more havoc. I know it won't be a easy journey, but we must do this, not for ourselves, but for our friends of Ponyville and all of Equus" she says in a serious voice.

The mare to the right of her throne, Rainbow Dash, flies up all excited as she grins "Buck yeah! Knock out another threat to the world, just like with Nightmare Moon and Discord!" she says all pumped up as she grins. Twilight had a small smile on her face knowing the answer of at least one of her friends.

Applejack looks over at Twilight "I'll admit, this plan doesn't sound all that good Twi.... but I'll come along and give ya a helping hoof sugarcube" she says as she stands and walks over to Twilight before giving her a firm hug with her forehooves.

Pinkie is positively bouncing "I'm coming as well Twilight! I always help my friends!" she says with that grin that any pony could swear she was born with.

Rarity smiles "Well I did have some design orders to do" she says as Twilight's ears start to drop a bit of one of her friends not helping "But one thing I had learned the hard way darling is that friends and family come first over fashion" she says. Twilight's ears perk right back up as she smiles.

The last one to speak is Fluttershy as she looks away shyly. As she does so, she looks down "W-Well... I could come along and help with Cerberus. He must get very lonely down there with no friends around" she says.

Twilight walks over and pats her back "Don't worry Fluttershy, just relax and know we will be there for you" she says. She nuzzles Twilight's neck as they all get into a hug.

Spike looks over "Hey, I can help too. I can provide a distraction" he says as Twilight smiles.

She walks over and rubs Spike's head "I know you can Spike, but I need you here to inform the Princesses if... this goes wrong" she says. Spike looks down and is about to say something as Rarity gives him a hug and whispers something in his ear. He smiles and nods as Twilight looks at everypony as they all smile and nod "Alright everypony, head back home and gather whatever you can get. We head to Tartarus tonight" she explains as they all leave.

Within the realm of Tartarus, one of the Underworld Guards, who had a body of toxic green color, eyes of piercing grey, and a twisted horn like a corkscrew as he groans. It was his turn for having to be in charge of 'The Walks', a task everypony but Infernum dreaded to have since it involved walking Infernum's pet... or at least, the oldest pet. As he leaves the kingdom, he walks up and finds the creature asleep at the gate as it looked like a three headed bulldog, but with a puddle of slobber underneath him. He walks up and softly pokes the creature as it doesn't respond. He does the only rational thing and pokes it again, but harder as that got the middle head up. As the dog creature looks down, the guard holds up a giant leash as that made the creature's eyes go wide.

Before he could react, the dog was barking and running around happily as the guard whistles and makes him calm down. Cerberus is a really kind and calm dog when in Tartarus, yet only towards those of the kingdom. The downside was "No... No.... No!" the guard yells as Cerberus gives him a very long and wet lick as that left him drenched in slobber. The guard groans as he puts the leash on him "Come on Cerberus.... let's go for a walk" he says as he mutters of him drenched in slobber.

As he goes to walk him through the deeper reaches of Tartarus, the gates of Tartarus open as the Mane Six walk in and seem confused with a simple question on all their minds. Where's Cerberus?

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Nice chapter.