The War for the Sun & Moon

by Maxes Altho

Fourteen

Grenda sits back in her chair, looking relieved to have finished.

Wow. That was… something.

She turns, showing Shining Star standing in the doorway.

“How much did you hear?”

Enough to know I wish I’d been there. Hey, have C, Quick, or Xenon been around since I left? They seem to have disappeared.

“No, why?”

Damn it! That means Tiny’s with Bard.

“Pluck my primaries with rusty pliers, Shining! We’re supposed to keep track of the little devil!”

Okay, calm down, Grenda. At least there aren’t any—

A siren blares through the base.

–sirens. *sigh* Okay, you go find the others. I need to keep the narrative going.

Grenda grumbles the entire way out the door. Once closed, the door mutes most of the sound from the siren. Shining takes a seat and pulls the microphone near him.

Faust damn it, how long until we can microchip that filly? Eh, probably won’t matter anyways. That girl is like Pinkie Pie; always crazy and unpredictable.

Okay, those four were on the way back to base, and where was I, you may ask? Well, I was being escorted around like a foal.

---------

“So, what haven’t I insulted about you yet?” I ask of my guard. By Battleborn’s say so, I can now mingle with other ponies again, but by the orders of the General (who still views me as a threat), I need an escort if I should, and I quote, ‘become dangerous to our group’. Puh-leeze! If half of what I’ve heard is true, if I go crazy again – and there is a slim chance of that happening – one stallion isn’t going to stop me. “Let’s see, I’ve made fun of your fashion, danced on the ashes of your dreams, been reminded how much your coat reminds me of breakfast, insulted your brain size, and thoroughly perforated your mane style. What else? Oh, the Royal Guards loved this one. I bet the reason you don’t get any action is because –”

“Please, would you let me be? There is a pony that I must see!” A husky yet feminine voice comes from the entrance tunnel. Why oh why do things keep happening when I’m near the entrance tunnel? I move to investigate.

Imagine my surprise when I see Blockade and Signal holding a zebra at hornpoint.

Imagine the flash of surprise across her face when she sees me.

Imagine the relief I feel when I know, without a shadow of a doubt, she is looking for me, and will help this crazy quest somehow.

Now imagine my shock when a bolt of magic comes from over my shoulder, knocking the zebra out cold.

“Sorry, son, but this charade’s gone on long enough.” I whip around and see the General, Pulse, and the rest of Epsilon behind them, Pulse’s horn still glowing.

“What the fuck? What’s going on?”

The grayish-blue Pegasus stallion steps forward. “What’s going on is me arresting you and charging you with conspiracy against your fellow ponies.”

“What are you talking about, conspiracy? You’ve heard about the dreams I’ve been having!”

“Yes, and I was led to believe this would be a group of ponies who would deal with a pony problem, not a hodge-podge of species! You can’t ever trust a non-pony! In fact, I can’t even trust you. You aren’t exactly a full-blooded pony either, are you?”

“Uh, excuse me? Chryssid is one of the most trustworthy and courageous beings I know! Granted, I don’t know much about this zebra or Grenda yet, but if my dreams showed they can be trusted, then I believe it.”

“And how can I be assured those dreams aren’t an artifact of the Empress after she fucked up your mind? For all we know, the changeling and this… thing,” motioning towards the unconscious zebra, “Are actually spies for the Empress, and you let them right into our home.”

“You’re crazy. I’ve been having these dreams months before the Empress captured me. Scootaloo can vouch for me.”

He doesn’t even bat an eye. “Didn’t you hear, foal? Scootaloo’s dead. She died defending Cloudsdale. How can she support you if she’s not here?” He turns to Epsilon. “See what I mean? He’s obviously lost it again. Restrain him and take him, the zebra, and the filly he’s always with to the brig, place them in separate cells.”

Okay, this is not good. Time for an escape, maybe get to Battle. He can talk to the General, get him to calm the fuck down. “Alright, I’ll go with you. I just have one question. Have you guys ever heard of –?”

I’m clocked in the back of the head. As my vision fades, I see the General looking down on me. “Yes, yes I have heard of the Clapper.”

----------

“Hey! Let go of me! One vee one me! I’ll bite your legs off!”

“Ugh… Tiny? That you?”

“Shiny? What ‘chu doin in jail? Why are they putting me in jail? Why is there a zebra in jail? They took all my toys away!”

“It would appear that it is as I fear. These ponies have excessively lied; their anger for others burns deep inside.”

I stumble to my hooves to reveal, yes, I’m in a jail cell. The long row of jail cells is set up so I can see the two on the other side of the hall, but nothing else. If my ears serve me right, Tiny is in the one to my right, and I can see the zebra on the other side of the hall, also to the right. “Tiny, I think the Warriors betrayed us. They think we’re plotting to take down all of pony kind or some shit.”

“I tell you now that is not true. Their hate is for non-ponies, like me and you.”

Oh Faust, the headache’s coming back. “Okay, zebra, do you have a name? What do you know about the Warriors? And please, no rhyming if you can. It’s hard enough to understand you without the pounding in my head.”

“I—sorry, my friend. My mother was very fond of the rhyme; it is a hard habit to break from time to time. Sorry. My name is Xenon. I came from Zebrica to find you and five others and flee the wrongdoers known as the Warriors.”

“Wait, wrongdoers? The Warriors are fighting to save the world from the tyranny of the Empress!”

“Yes, but what will happen to the other countries? Our shamans have foretold the utter destruction of our race, the griffons, Minotaurs, and even the dragons should the Warriors gain power. They are, as you say, xenophobic. They removed the Minotaurs ability to create when they refused to fight a losing battle. Our shamans and witch doctors were targeted when we refused, in order to cut off our connection with the spirits.”

“And they say we’ll behead the griffon warlords and burn the dragon hoards too. You see what I mean, Soldier? Non-ponies can’t be trusted!” the General waltzes into my limited field of view. “It’s just, if they try to fight us, I can’t be held responsible for what may happen to what they care about.”

Faust protect me. “You’re just as bad as the Empress. Actually, you’re worse. She kept the other races alive because they came to an understanding about who was in charge. You just want the power!”

“Power? We tried to regain our power, but what happened? The Minotaurs turned and ran. The zebras outright stopped us at the door! We made examples of their specialists because that was the only way to cow them into submission!” He turns to Xenon. “And where were the zebras when the Empress attacked? Sitting in their shit-holes, prophesying the end times and supporting Twilight all the way! Where were the Minotaurs? Oh, doing nothing important, only trying to create ways to kill off every pony in Equestria with their technologic monstrosities! The griffons? Please. They are too wrapped up in tradition to help anypony, much less themselves.”

“Don't you still follow the Warrior’s creed? To bring back the Princesses and return to the way things were?”

He chuckles. “Boy, you must take me for a fool. The Princesses are long dead. Even if they were still alive, they would be weak beyond repair. After we kill the Empress and her bitches, somepony has to take the reins. And if a couple of weak princesses are removed in the struggle, that’s no skin off my back. So, who would lead?”

“Some mad pony like you?”

“I thank you for your vote.”

“You won’t get away with this!” Tiny shouts out. “Mr. Bugzy and the others will stop you!”

“My dear naïve little filly,” he moves over to Tiny’s cell. “Don’t you think I’ve planned for this? Ever since that changeling came, I’ve been planning. I don’t believe they’ll try anything as long as their leader will come into harm’s way, isn’t that right, Shining?”

“Sir! We just received a message on the long-ranger! It’s from the changeling, sir.”

The General turns on the messenger. “What? How? We never gave them equipment for that!”

“According to their transmission, the package is a Minotaur engineer who created a machine that can travel along the ground without tracks. But this doesn’t make any sense, sir. Didn’t we eliminate all the minotaur toolmakers and engineers five years ago?”

“Yes, we did. I guess we can add a dash of necromancy to those charges then. When did the grub say they would return?”

“He said by 1700 tonight, sir.”

“Good. That gives us plenty of time to prepare.”

----------

Long story short, they used me as bait and captured the other four. We all ended up in separate cells without anything on us. They even searched through Tiny’s mane and tail! I got to know Bard by voice, mostly. He seemed to be in the same boat as Xenon, one I was quickly boarding myself. Soon enough, the General came for another visit.

“Ah, isn’t it great to have the seven obstacles to my victory safely tucked away?”

“You’re a monster, and you can’t hope to defeat the Empress without us!”

“Oh really? All because some stupid little dream told you so? Hear this, Shining Star: I’ve had a dream since the moment I gained the helm of the Warriors. A dream with me, sitting upon that throne, using the Empress as a hoofrest, the rest of the world groveling at the power of the Warriors. As we speak, our forces are moving on Canterlot. We have recently gained Intel showing all five Queens and the Empress are gathered there right now. The only other time this has happened is oh, about seven weeks ago when you showed the world how much a traitor you are to your own kind.”

“I am not a traitor!”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. I’ll send you a postcard. Ciao!”

With that, he exits, leaving us alone. Grenda eventually speaks.

“So now what?”

Author's Note:

Sorry for the shortness,but i need the buildup.