Chapter 36: The Capital Part 4
As the moment of revealing truths draws near, steps must be taken to ensure that proper communication is established. Others however, take this moment to reprieve from the pressures placed upon, others seek to ready themselves for the tasks ahead. One way or another, the true obstacles are about to arrive, obstacles that may prove fruitless in the end................
Suha sensed some slight sense of irony, considering how another long day had again ended in the late hours of the evening. Though this time, it was voluntary, as Suha didn't wish to come home at the usual hour fearing the impulsive reprisal that no doubt awaited her. So many questions had plagued her throughout the day. Those pertaining to the crisis were both prevalent and hard to ignore considering it was the talk of her whole school. Jacovi and Bill only perpetuated things further with their claims that they saw a battle between the Militia and the people, which was hardly accurate but undoubtedly boosted their social standing, as a Militiaman did escort Suha and them back to the school grounds.
Putting that aside, the other thought that she just couldn't shake was whatever circumstances brought her brother back to New Damascus, and why he was accompanying the Commander of all people. Achmed was just a Private, hardly special all things considering. But this crisis, the rumors concerning the Commander's business in Berlin, and the fact that her brother who had been stationed there was now accompanying him. They had to be connected, or so Suha told herself throughout her day, both at school and her actual job at DC10.
However the revelation of his presence couldn't have happened at a worse time, right when she was questioning the Commander's motives in front of God and everybody no less, her brother included. Achmed had become infuriated with her the minute he caught her out of school and lipping off to one of the most prevalent members of society. To make matters worse, that had been the only time she had spoken with him today, making the intricacies of his stay unknown to her. Was he staying home for his tenure or on-base? Usually it was the latter but sometimes not. To be sure she decided to take up close-up duties at DC10. By the time she got home it was nearing 7:00, and getting darker by the minute.
As she approached the front door she naturally felt apprehensive. Peering inside, she saw that only a few lights were on, whether left on by a visiting nurse for her mother's sake or her brother was still a mystery. Alas, she took a deep breath, and pulled down on the door handle. Closing the screen and old plywood door behind her she entered and had yet to hear anything. The living area and kitchen were dark save for the light above the oven. She stepped further inside, wondering if she had managed to give brother the slip. She was just about to traverse further into the hallway when the living room lamp flicked on behind her.
"Crap." She mentally cursed.
As she spun on her heels, she saw the unmistakable form of her older brother sitting on the sofa, giving her what felt like a death glare, something she had never seen in him and something she was really unaccustomed to. He no longer wore his fatigues, opting for some old jeans and a olive T-shirt with some Chinese characters written on it. Nevertheless, the casual attire did little to alleviate the clear disdain he was directing at her.
"Hey, big bro." Suha laughed sheepishly, timidly waving her hand. "What's up?"
Achmed's expression didn't so much as budge, maintaining it's stern look of disapproval.
"Okay, seems there's no way he's gonna laugh this off." Suha noted rather quickly.
Achmed's voice was unnaturally stone cold when he finally spoke.
"Have a seat, Suha. We need to talk." He ordered, gesturing to the cushion next to him.
Sullenly, Suha complied, setting aside her backpack next to the coffee table as she sat next to her elder sibling. She immediately turned her gaze to his, and now that she was close, the stern expression he sported seemed to somewhat lessen. Achmed let out a sigh, a signal that maybe he was as reluctant to do this as she had been. Discipline was rare given how well Suha had behaved in the past, but she wasn't completely devoid of it.
"Before I get into what happened today, you mind explaining why you were out so late?" He asked.
"I-I had to help close up." She claimed.
"Funny, as I seem to recall, your shift usually ends at 5:00 so that you have time to come home and finish any schoolwork you have. I find it hard believe the distribution center is that short on hands that they need a 13 year old girl to stay late on a school night."
"I...might have asked to." Suha admitted.
"That sounds more likely. Suha, you never have to be afraid to come home." Achmed reminded her.
"I know, I just..........I never saw that side of you before, Achmed. I don't think I've ever had you yell at me like that." She said defensively.
"Because you didn't give me reason until now." He snapped, his irate look returning. "Suha, it was disrespectful to berate an elder, and a councilor of the community like that, it's not appropriate for someone your age and you know better."
Suha couldn't help but find herself feeling a tad bit guilty from his statement. Despite her justifications at the time she found some truth in her brother's words with a bit of context. Despite being many years her senior, respect for Sawyer came from the fact that the commander had been providing and making countless sacrifices for the good of the community well before Suha was born.
"I'm sorry, Achmed."Suha relented, swallowing her pride. "I just got the sense he was hiding something."
"Regardless, that's no excuse for a girl as young as you are to lip off to an adult." Achmed argued. "You may be mature for your age, Suha. But that doesn't make you grown up yet."
Suha resisted the urge to say something in her defense. Alas, she lacked the courage at that moment, finding the sudden authoritative tone in her brother to be all the convincing she needed to stay quiet. Despite her lack of voice, a fire of defiance began to brew inside her. As Suha sat in silence, Achmed's angered expression gave way to one of neutrality.
"So are we clear on that?" Achmed asked, looking for verification.
"Yes." Suha said, short and to the point.
"Good. Then see to it won't happen again." Getting up heading towards the kitchen. "I'll leave it at that. Only reason I'm not grounding you is because I know being out there to begin with wasn't your idea."
"How can you be sure about that?" Suha said, some defiance starting to emerge. "Could have been I wanted to seek out the thrill?"
However that immediately died when Achmed gave her a smirk with a raised eyebrow. She pouted the other way, as Achmed wordlessly called her out.
"Okay, fine. Jacovi and Bill ran off and I couldn't help but see to it they didn't get themselves hurt." Suha revealed.
Those words gave Achmed a moment of pause, as recent events regarding his closest friend came immediately to mind. With a disheartening sigh, he spoke.
"Well, that's commendable at least. Good friends are worth protecting, I just wish I was there for mine."
Achmed proceeded as Suha looked up at him, her eyes filled with shock on how he already knew the fate that had befallen his friend growing up.
"Wait a minute. You know about Kent?" She asked. "H..how?"
Now it was Achmed's turn to give her the same look of shock.
"Wait, what?" he asked.
"Y'know....Kent. You're friend from school."
"I know who he is, Suha. What happened, what about Kent?" He asked once more.
Suha suddenly found herself wishing she had kept her mouth shut, or at the very least had done a better job revealing the subject.
"Suha, what happened to Kent? Please. Tell me." he pleaded.
Just recalling what happened made tears emerge in her eyes.
"It happened yesterday. That incident at the reservoir. Kent and I were both there when it happened, when the tunnelers came. He saved my life giving his."
Achmed remained silent but contemplative, deeply saddened by this sudden revelation. He took a step back, leaning against a wall, but devoid of purpose.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Suha began to apologize before being cut off.
"It's alright." Achmed said in a hushed tone.
But alas, his words were but a lie. It seemed the people he knew and cared for were beginning to succumb to dangers from left and right. Some narrowly escaped death, others did not. And now, thing's were only going to get worse should the declaration of war be announced. However, Achmed remained silent on his troubled thoughts. A minute of tense and awkward silence passed before he spoke again.
"I'm glad to know that there's people here who look after you. I'm glad to know you're safe." He said.
"But for how long?" she asked. "Things are only going to get worse."
Suha looked for some sort of challenge in her statement, something to take the edge of current events off of her, something to tell her that things would be alright. But nothing came of it, not a word.
"Yeah, they probably will. But it won't be the end that we all fear." Achmed stated.
"Because of what you found in Berlin?" she asked.
And once again, Achmed had to put those questions to rest.
"Look Suha, I know you're curious as to what's happening, and I wish I could tell you everything. But I'm not certain that's a good idea until we get some sort of official statement. I simply ask you be patient, just for a little while longer."
Suha gave his request some thought, and while her innate desire to know the clarity of their situation still lingered in her mind, she didn't want that to come at the cost of angering her older sibling.
"Fine." she sighed before transitioning to a jest. "But I wanna know the second something's announced!"
"Deal." Achmed chuckled.
A brief pause played out before Suha embraced her brother in a big bear hug, one he was anticipating.
"I missed you by the way." She said softly.
"I missed you too." he responded.
After a few seconds they both let go and sat up from the couch.
"Have you eaten anything yet?" Achmed asked.
"I had some leftover stew before I headed home." she said.
"Well good, I was honestly dreading the thought of having to cook." Achmed said. "Been a bit rusty at it."
Suha was about to retort with some witty comeback of her own when their previous conversation immediately came to mind, recalling his statement on friends. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but just as quickly kept quiet, not wishing for any more negativity to arise this night. Maybe she'd bring it up later, when the mood was right.
"I'm gonna give mom her medication." she said.
"Alright, afterwards I want you doing homework. After that maybe we can watch a movie or listen to the radio. Lights out at 10 though, okay." Achmed instructed.
"Alright." she replied.
Achmed nodded and set about his own task of making his own meal. When the Sarge had agreed to let him sleep under his own roof during their stay in New Damascus, it came as a bit of a surprise. But alas, these were far from normal circumstances, and the fact that both of them had had run-ins with their siblings on the same day may have given him the excuse he needed for her to say yes, as it seemed she had family business of her own to contend with. Alas, now that he was done lecturing Suha, his body reminded him harshly that he had completely neglected to feed himself.
As he set about his tasks, his thoughts were heavy with the recent knowledge Suha had shared. Another friend of his had died, saving his sister's life in the process. It was a debt he'd now but would never truly be able to repay. He would honor his friends' sacrifices. For Tim, he'd slay his killer. For Kent, he'd fight to claim a new home, so that his sacrifice for Suha would not be in vain. She would have a future because of him, and even if Suha didn't know it yet, things in her life; and everyone's for that matter, were about to alter drastically. One way or another, the future carried with it the winds of change whether for better or worse. Whether or not he would live to see or even act on that change still gave him pause, as did his sister's home life. Achmed silently found himself at a loss, uncertain as what he was before Tim had met his end.
As Achmed was left with his thoughts, Suha stepped inside her mother's room, turning on a nearby lamp. Unsurprisingly, her mother hadn't moved from her place on the bed since Suha had left that morning. Everytime that fact crossed Suha's mind it made her feel depressed and helpless. While the doctor's gave her medication, it was more or less a glorified painkiller, only meant to ease her mother's suffering in hopes that they'd find proper medication down the line, which wasn't likely to happen at all. Add the fact that her brother was clearly keeping secrets and not acting like his usual awkward self, something he never did before, and Suha suddenly felt that wall of confidence she usually carried crumble.
"One thing at a time, Suha. One thing at time." She urged herself.
Her mother was asleep once again, and thus Suha roused her awake.
"Hmm..hmm?" Her mother grunted.
"Mother, it's me, Suha." she explained slowly.
This time, it only took a few seconds for her mother to register what she said.
"Suha? Oh, right my darling." She said with fondness. "How....how are you?"
"I'm fine." Suha lied. "Time for you to take your medication."
"Medication? Hmm,....oh that's right. From Doctor Jhaveri I expect." She said with a weak smile. "You know, that reminds me of a story about Doctor Jhaveri at the clinic. He was such a nice man you know, always so generous and patient to people when they were down on their luck. Did you know he was their to help deliver you into this world?"
As Suha watched her mother's mind deteriorate, recounting the same story she had tried to tell her earlier that morning, all she could feel were the tears that stung at her eyes.
It was late, too late for Andrew's liking. Preparing for tomorrow's announcement was quite the undertaking as he compiled what statements that needed to address what questions would undoubtedly arise at the official press meeting. But he thankfully finished before the night began to drag too late into the early morning. Add that on top of the mission, their escape, and sudden trip back to New Damascus, it had a been over a day since he had slept in earnest. Thankfully that would change tonight, as Viktor, being the dear friend he was, offered to drive him home. The time was nearing 3:00AM when they finally arrived at Andrew's abode.
"Hmm, I figured you would have moved into something a bit nicer." Viktor jested. "What with your promotion and all that."
"You see any mansions lying around unoccupied and I'll move in a heartbeat." Andrew quipped back. "Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. If you survive, I'll see you at the press meeting tomorrow. I apologize in advance."
"Wait, what do you mean surviv-" Andrew asked.
"I apologize in advance." Viktor said quickly.
Andrew then came to a sudden conclusion, remembering what words he had promised to his beloved wife before departing for this whole ordeal. Before Andrew could hurdle back into the vehicle, Viktor put the UAZ into gear and drove back to the local base with haste, leaving a panicking Andrew alone to face what awaited him.
"Dammit, Vik." Andrew cursed, before sighing and muttering to himself. "Well, no time like the present."
Andrew began to climb the ramshackle stairs leading to his home, noting the light peering through one of the windows. He went to open the door, finding it to be unlocked. Another tell-tale sign that he was expected. He entered, and as if on que, he caught movement to his left. Standing there was Jessica, his darling wife cleaning the last of some dishes, the one in her hands being the long kitchen knife, which gave Andrew a moment of pause. She hadn't noticed his initial entry, but one footstep was all it took for her to dart her head his way, and let loose an expression of absolute contempt. She immediately dropped the dirty utensil and stormed her way towards him.
"I swear to God, if Jake wasn't a part of our lives you'd be a dead man right now, Andrew Sawyer." She said quietly but with clenched teeth.
"Good to see you too, babe." Andrew mouthed, trying to alleviate some of her anger.
Unfortunately, it only seemed to anger her further, as she slugged him the shoulder rather hard.
"OW! God dammit Jess! That hurt!" Andrew cursed.
"Don't you pull that crap with me Andrew!*" Jess seethed. "What did I tell you before you left!? What did you promise me you wouldn't do?!"
Andrew was ready for this to be over, but he sincerely doubted Jess was going to let that happen.
"*Don't do anything dangerous.*" Andrew begrudgingly answered.
"And what the hell do I find out happened?" Jess asked rhetorically. "There's talk about portals. That's right, fucking portals and how you went into said portals, and pissed off a bunch aliens!? What happened to Berlin being safe, huh? What happened to you not doing anything dangerous?!"
"Jess, I don't know what you've heard, but there's a lot of rumors and speculations going on right now-"
"Oh cut the crap, Andrew, I already know everything." Jessica revealed.
Andrew was stunned, but somewhat unconvinced at her statement.
"Really? You know everything?" he asked in disbelief.
"That's right, smartass. Everything." She replied sternly. "The portal, your stupid switcheroo stunt, the soldier who died, his friend who went apeshit, the fucking horse aliens, and how you narrowly got out of that shit show with your life!"
And like that, any doubts Andrew had held were shattered in mere moments.
"How? How the hell do you know all of that!?" Andrew asked.
"Vik dropped by for a quick visit seeing as you failed to do that yourself." she scolded.
"He told you?!" Andrew said in disbelief.
"After I forced it out of him, yes. You two may be buddy-buddy, but he knows better than to hide anything from me when I'm angry."
"Viktor what the hell compelled you to-"
"Andrew!" Jessica snapped.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry I didn't drop by sooner to tell you myself, but I can imagine he was kind enough to inform you why I couldn't tell you in person. I was kind of busy at the moment with both the reservoir incident and the riots."
"Oh here we go. It's bad enough you weren't here to let us know you were safe when the riots began, but the fact you were trying to fix the problem you started in addition to that!"
Andrew felt a twinge of anger rise.
"I didn't start anything." Andrew protested. "There were things out of my control. You think I wanted a battle to break out?!"
"I honestly don't even know what you think anymore. I thought once you took the position as Commander, you would stay the hell out of conflicts for our family's sake. And yet here you go behind my back to put yourself in harm's way! Did you even think what you doing through?!" she asked in earnest. "What if you had died!? Is that seriously something you can stomach!? Leaving me a widow, leaving Jake fatherless!?"
"I did it for Jake!" Andrew shot back loudly.
"Horseshit! You did it to relive the glory days!"
"Mommy, daddy?" a voice called out.
The rising sense of tension dropped in an instant as the two directed their gaze towards the watery eyed-visage of their son stepped out of his room.
"I'm scared. Why are you fighting?" he asked.
The two were at a loss, as their primary concern now switched to comforting their little boy.
"No, no, it's okay baby." Jessica said as she knelt to embrace him. "You don't need to be scared."
"Mommy's right. She and I just got carried away that's all." Andrew reassured him, as he picked him up in his arms. "Why don't you go back to sleep, and in the morning, Daddy will cook breakfast. That sound good?"
"Okay, daddy." Jake replied.
"Thatta' boy." He said, kissing his forehead.
Andrew proceeded to carry his son back to his room to put him to bed once more. A minute later he was back outside, seeing that Jess had taken a spot of the sofa in the living room. Andrew took the spot next to her. The anger in his wife seeming to subside somewhat.
"Guess we failed the whole no fighting in front of Jake promise." She mouthed.
"Let's not kid ourselves, Jess, it was bound to happen." He pointed out. "I'm sorry for what happened, what I put you through. I was just eager to know if there was a future for us. And now I know there is. I understand your concern, but everything I've done as Commander hasn't fixed anything, it's only prolonged the inevitable. For ten years I've basically sat on my ass patching up our problems as best I could with the growing realization that all the hard work we've put into this coalition was going to one day fall apart. Until now. The opportunity to save our people, our son, is laid out right in front of us. I couldn't pass that up. I had to see it through."
"There were others, who could have seen it through, Andrew." Jessica argued. "If it had happened without you being directly involved, I could have seen past it. But you were there, and as a result of that we're now at war."
"We're not at war yet." Andrew clarified. "And if the Council's course of action is anything to stand by, we're doing everything in our power to avoid one."
"So you're in unanimous agreement to sue for peace. Unsurprising." Jessica claimed. "But I doubt you'll be Commander long enough to see it through."
"That's where you're wrong. We're in a moment of crisis right now, and a change in leadership due to my mistakes is the least of our concerns."
Jess was still unresponsive, her mood still stuck brooding frustration and anxiety. Perhaps if Andrew shared something positive, and he had just the thing.
"What if I were to tell you we also enacted a proposal to start gathering resources on the other world?"
Jessica shot her husband a look of surprise, her eyes having the slightest glimmer of hope.
"You're kidding? How did you even get that to slide after everything that's happened?" she questioned.
"To put it simply, our survival outweighed any moral compass. I've already sent the units en route. This water shortage will be remedied quickly."
Jessica wasn't immediate with her response towards his claim, but a clear sense of unease still lingered in her expression.
"So now it really only boils down to a potential conflict?" she asked.
"In short, yes. But I don't think it will come to that. Desperate times call for some sacrifices, and given the circumstances, said sacrifices could be a lot worse." Andrew argued. "But don't think either side wants a conflict."
Once again a moment of pause persisted, both parties contemplating various things. Andrew wondered if things in his life would ever return to normal after this crisis subsided. Jessica worried if a war would arise despite the efforts of her husband and the Council, effectively risking the possibility that their son and his generation would have to deal with the consequences they created.
"Jess, I know that look. You're angry with me." Andrew pointed out.
"I have every right to be." Jessica proclaimed, before her tone transitioned into something more comforting. "But, maybe I let the fear get the better of me. With the reservoir and now this, it just seems like the world around us is falling apart."
Andrew leaned in closer, putting his arm around her in a caring gesture.
"Not if I can help it. One way or another, we'll get through this."
"For some very, very, strange reason, I can kind of believe that. That's if you don't screw things up again."
Andrew laughed at his wife's jest before replying with one of his own.
"Well, I did warn you years ago our marriage would never be boring."
"Yes, well, God forbid we get a little boring from time to time." She said before leaning in for a long kiss, one which Andrew graciously accepted.
As their lips parted, Jess pulled him in closer, till the side of her head was resting on his chest.
"Promise me. Promise me you'll do everything to resolve this." Jessica begged.
"I promise." Andrew replied. "We both know how the last war turned out. I'm not about to let us get dragged into another."
A thought then crossed Andrew's mind, a chance to try his luck at something that could further lighten the mood in a direction that would help them both alleviate the pressures of current events.
"You know, for one who wants boredom so badly you had no qualms on trying to combat it before I left." He said with clear intentions as to what he was alluding to.
Jessica however wasn't having any of it.
"Oh, don't even try your luck." Jessica shot back, pushing him slightly away. "Your ass is sleeping on this couch tonight."
Jessica then got up and proceeded towards the bedroom, leaving Andrew with an expression like a puppy who knew it did something bad but desperately wanted to make up.
"Wait, are you serious? You're not actually?"
"Oh you better believe it. Good night." Jessica teased with a sly smile, shutting the door and locking it for good measure.
Andrew got up, leaning on the door hoping this was just a cruel prank and that he'd be let in. Several seconds passed, and the realization finally set in.
"B-but the make up sex?" he said with disappointment
"You can have that when you come home with good news, or until I'm no longer mad at you. Whichever comes first, really." Jess said, her voice muffled through the door. "Your press meeting starts in about six hours, doesn't it? I suggest you get some sleep while you can, soldier boy."
Andrew's primal urges wanted him to protest, but the rational part of his mind told him to heed her words. With a disappointed sigh he dragged himself away from the door in defeat. After a quick undress to his shirt, boxers, and socks, Andrew plopped down on the sofa pulled down the folded blanket that rested on top, spreading it over himself. Just as he shuffled into a position that felt comfortable is when the old springs of the couch began to dig into his back.
"So much for a good night's sleep."
"Almost finished, Twilight." Rarity informed her friend, squinting through the magnified reading glasses she always wore when doing seam work. "Just need to tighten it up annnnndddd, done."
Rarity had been fitting Twilight for her attire all morning, adding the last finishing touches to her dress and hair for the better part of an hour. Now all that was left was to wait to be summoned by Princess Celestia. Despite the process of her fitting, it did little to take Twilight's mind off of things. She was uncertain as to what the near future held as the anxiety plagued every fiber of her thoughts. Throughout the fitting, she pondered what was at stake, the risk, nay, the dangers that would lie ahead should war come to their doorstep. The attire she sported did little to help. As a princess, she had been instructed to wear a set of tailored senatorial regalia, a fashion attire unique for a royal congress. Although she seldom wore her regular set out of humility, she never imagined she'd ever wear this outfit in her life. That alone served to further hammer the fact home the gravity of what was at stake.
But the time for humility had passed, as Equestria now needed a princess who was ready and able to step up to the podium, and be the champion for peace at the most dire hour. Today would mark the arrival of most of the Equestrian senators, with the actual congress occurring the day after. While time was of the essence, getting everypony situated and prepped for what would undoubtedly be hours upon hours of debate and delegation was it's own daunting task entirely. In ideal circumstances, the delegates would prep for the immediate congress the minute they arrived. However, centuries of formalities carried with it the expectation that some of the more prominent members of the Senatorial Society be granted a royal audience and they of course would be arriving in their own traditional senatorial garbs, formal togas for the stallions and stunning stolas of exquisite design for the mares, both of which would be befitting the higher echelons of society. Twilight herself wondered if such adherence to a set wardrobe was even important at a time like this, but it didn't eat up too much time either.
Spike had also been in the room with the two mares, helping Rarity get Twilight ready for the royal congress as best he could, going over notes and imperative talking points that would need to be addressed as Rarity finished the final seams. But no preparation in the world seemed to sooth Twilight's anxieties, and while Twilight may have been silent in that regard, he knew his sister too well for him to be oblivious to her current plight.
"Twilight, you need to be calm, everything's going to be fine." He tried to assure her.
"I wish I shared your optimism, Spike, but I don't know if that's true anymore." Twilight relented.
"Okay, you have a point, but you've been fixating your every thought on this congress thing since we've arrived in Canterlot. You need to think about something else." he argued.
"Spike, I understand where you're coming from, but what's about to take place could very well determine the fate of the nation. That's a lot of pressure." Twilight argued.
"Granted, darling, but you need something to put your mind at ease." Rarity urged as well. "All this stress will give off the appearance that you're too nervous, and right now you need to come off as confident in what you're doing.
"And how am I supposed to do that exactly?" Twilight snapped.
Twilight regretted her tone seeing the impact it had on both Spike and Rarity. Outside perspective might have seen Spike's initial suggestion as ignorant of the circumstances, but Twilight knew he was smarter than those his age, only helped by being raised by prestigious academic family. He was just trying to help, Rarity could see that, and honestly, so could Twilight. Suddenly it occurred to her that she stood to lose nothing by taking up their suggestions.
"I'm sorry." Twilight sighed. "You're both right, I'm just worried."
"It's okay, Twilight. We all are." Spike admitted.
"Some more than others, I'm afraid." Rarity added.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.
"Well, it concerns Applejack." Rarity informed her. "She and Pinkie have been helping the catering staff as best as they can, but Applejack is really missing home, and constantly worried about her family."
At that moment, Twilight felt somewhat inconsiderate having failed to recognize her friend's plight.
"I didn't even think about that." Twilight said. "After what happened I suppose she has every right to be, if anything happens, there's a good chance it will land at her family's doorstep."
"Maybe a talk from one of her other friends could help her get through some of this?" Spike suggested.
It had finally occurred how little she had seen of her friends since departing the train and arriving at the palace. Other than this quick fitting with Rarity on the attire she needed to wear, she had spent little time in their company. With so much of her time preparing for the congress, and them coming to her aid after her harrowing encounter with the humans, she had yet to repay that kindness back.
"I'll make it her, to you all." Twilight proclaimed.
"A caring gesture, darling. But if I may speak truthfully, what we all really want right now is for you to be the outgoing and confident mare we know you can be in a time of turmoil." Rarity encouraged.
Twilight smiled at the level of trust Rarity expressed, but at that moment a knock came to the door.
"Come in." Twilight addressed.
As the door swung open, a rather familiar looking guard came walking in.
"Flash Sentry?" she inquired.
The guard took off his helmet and sure enough, the blue-maned pegasus was in fact standing before her.
"Hello again, your majesty." He said bowing.
As he went to rise up, he grunted in pain. Twilight approached, ready to assist.
"Are you alright?" she asked. "I thought you were injured in the fighting?"
"I was, but I'll be fine, princess. I took a slight injury to one of my back legs." He informed her, lifting up his hind leg to reveal a bandage wrapped around it. "Whatever those weapons dished out only grazed me. I was the lucky one, everypony else is in no shape to do much of anything."
"I heard, and I'm so sorry what happened, Flash, and so sorry for how I acted during it. I shouldn't have said what I said."
"You already apologized, your majesty. It was a bad time for all of us, but it wasn't your fault things ended the way they did." He assured her. "Anyways, I was sent ahead to summon you to the throne room. Princess Celestia requests your presence. I'm to be your escort, if you'll allow me."
She turned to Spike and Rarity.
"Where will you two be?" she asked.
Rarity stepped forth and was first to answer.
"I need to return to the university to pick up whatever findings they did on that egregious head." Rarity said with the slightest hint of disdain towards the subject of those findings.
"Care if I tag along, Rarity?" Spike asked.
"It would be a pleasure, darling." Rarity chirped.
"Meet us after?" Spike asked, turning to Twilight.
Twilight nodded and turned her attention back to Flash Sentry.
"I'm ready to depart when you are." Twilight answered. "Lead the way, Lieutenant."
"Time to rise and shine, princess."
Luna squinted her eyes from the morning rays that pierced through her window as the nurse opened the blinds. Were Luna any other pony she perhaps thought that she would absolutely despise such a wake up. Alas, Luna was used to this, as royal duties over the years required a prompt schedule. What she wasn't used to was the lack of a certain elderly mustached unicorn. Instead it was Nurse Nettlekiss, the green earth pony mare who oversaw her the night prior, who had opted to wake her up. Nonetheless, Luna rose only for the pain to remind the princess of the night why she was in bed to begin with.
"Careful, princess. Remember what I said about being more careful, it's going to take some time for your injuries to heal." Nettlekiss instructed.
"Noted. By chance do you know where Sir Kibitz is?" Luna asked. "He usually oversees my morning wake-up."
Nettlekiss walked over to the door leading into Luna's chambers, using her teeth to bring in a small cart of pastries, fruit, and punch with all the appropriate dining wear meant to accommodate them. Once setting it in front of Princess Luna, she proceeded to answer.
"Sir Kibitz is currently helping Princess Celestia with the greeting ceremony, your majesty."
"I see." Luna said, levitating a whole pineapple and chowing into it like one would an apple, much to the surprise of Nettlekiss. "Am I to assume we're pressed for time then?"
"Um, I'm afraid so, Princess. Once you're done with breakfast, Princess Celestia instructed me to tell you that you're to don a senatorial set of regalia and join the others in the main hall plaza."
"Senatorial set? My word, it's been many, many, moons since I've heard those words." Luna muttered.
"Come again?"
"Nothing, just, recounting the past. Tell one of the guards outside to deliver a message to my sister and Princess Twilight that I will join them shortly."
Nettlekiss gave a curt bow and proceeded to carry out her request.
""Okay, Luna, guess we're speed running this.
Luna levitated her wheeled brace and with a healthy amount of trepidation, managed to strap it on with little in the way of pain. As she stumbled out of bed, Luna wondered if she'd ever get used to climbing out of bed in such an awkward manner. While the doctors said the damage wouldn't be permanent, she felt somewhat weaker than the night prior. Luna pondered why and quickly came to the conclusion that it was simply nerves, exhaustion from recent events taking their toll.
Walking over to her vanity set, Princess Luna went to work. Lighting up her horn, she began lifting numerous objects and pulling on the handles to the various drawers in her nightly blue aura. In a miraculous display of her magical fidelity, Luna pulled out everything she needed for her morning routine and the senatorial greeting. Excluding some of the more frivolous tasks for sake of time. Using a dampening spell for her mane and tail in place of a shower, she quickly brushed it to a mirror sheen that made her auroran mane practically shine like starlight, quickly applied a mild touch of makeup, clearing up mild blemishes and removing eye crust the had formed during her night's sleep. In the midst of her routine, she opened her nearby wardrobe, removing the set of senatorial regalia. The chest and crown pieces resembled that of her regular, if a bit darker in color, sporting a more intricate floral design on the metal work. In place of hoofboots were hoofslippers light blue in color with two ribbons to keep them in place. In addition, the attire had a matching set of arm bracelets and was worn with a light blue silk stola, embroidered with dark navy blue floral patterns of similar color and design.
This style hearkened to the ancient days of Equestria, and was used only in the case of an royal congress, something that hadn't happened in thousands of years. Were it not for the castle staff keeping constant watch on the state of her wardrobe, Luna suspected it would have withered away with the passing of time.
Setting the brush down, she noted a few odd hairs more than usual came out with it. Luna found that peculiar considering she didn't brush very hard and that there weren't many knots in her hair to begin with. But alas, she didn't give much more thought to it. She finished her routine by styling her hair into a crown braid, with a slight ponytail held up by a matching hair cuff. By the time she had donned the entire outfit and looked at herself in the mirror, Luna could swear she was looking at herself in the past, one where peace was never guaranteed. That was so long ago, and now, said peace was now in jeopardy once more. Luna realized the sacrifices that would be necessary to ensure a peace, and while she certainly was ready to face the consequences of her decision, she only felt a natural trepidation of when they finally surface. Wishing to make the most of her time, she ignited her horn and in a moment's notice, she teleported out of the room, her destination, would be the advisory hall behind the main throne room.
"The first arrivals are already entering the premises, your majesty." Kibitz informed.
"Are all the castle guards stationed at their positions?" Celestia asked.
"Ready to direct traffic and give the boot to any tabloids that come knocking." Raven assured her.
"Then I believe we're ready to start once my sister and Twilight arrive."
Celestia proceeded to take a seat on her throne. Adjusting her weight in her attire, giving it one more glance. She wore a white stola with gold highlights to the embroidery designs with arm bracelets, chest piece, crown, and hoofslippers of the same color, her hair was styled in a half updo that wrapped around in a crown. The whole outfit and style beckoned to a time long past, ceremonial attire traditionally worn by senators at a time where peace walked a tightrope. Peaces that were forged, wars that were needed contending with, most fortunately ending in treaties, brokered deals, bandits needing dealt with. It had been ages since that time, so long in fact that Celestia had nearly forgotten what times of true tribulation felt like. Upstart attacks were one thing, the prospect of prolonged and devastating conflicts was a thing of the past.
But alas, the time called for such another congress, as the echelons of Equestrian government needed to know what they were dealing with. She prayed they would listen, and while she was certainly confident that they would, that uncomfortable thought of a house divided plagued her mind. Another minute passed, with Celestia watching Kibitz and Raven discuss some minor matters concerning the greeting ceremony when the former approached.
"Can I offer her majesty access to some refreshments before we start?" he asked.
"Well..." Celestia pondered.
Then as if on que, the guard she had dispatched to retrieve her pupil returned with the young mare in tow. Seeing as the greeting ceremony was undoubtedly going to be long, her choice came quickly.
"I think that would be wise." She answered.
"I'll have staff send a beverage cart right away." Kibitz said with a curt bow.
As Kibitz left to carry out his task, the new arrivals made their way down the long stretch of the throne room until they were standing right before her. Flash bowed before speaking.
"Your majesty, Princess Twilight as requested." He said.
"Thank you, Flash. Now go ahead and take your position, we're about to get started in just a few minutes." She kindly instructed.
Flash saluted in acknowledgement before setting out with his orders.
"It's good to see you again, Twilight." Celestia greeted.
"Same to you, Princess." Twilight addressed.
A quick hug was exchanged, and as they let go, Celestia felt the need to complement Twilight on her handling of her outfit. When she had informed the young alicorn she sensed she had put a slight bit of pressure onto her at such short notice, but thankfully, the result was exemplary. Much like her own, Twilight's senatorial outfit resembled Celestia's with notable exceptions being the choice in colors to better fit Twilight's natural tones, light lavender for her slippers and stola, with silver arm bracelets, tiara, and neck piece jeweled with amethysts. Her hair was styled in a royal bun, but still letting her bangs hang loose.
"You look very nice." Celestia said.
"Thanks, after you told me what I needed to wear I did some brushing up on the details of traditional senatorial attire. Rarity managed to compile it all together on such short notice too."
"Well her talents are certainly being showcased right now. I just wish it were under better circumstances." Celestia wished.
"I think we all do, princess." Twilight admitted. "Have you worked on our proposal any?"
"Some, but I'm confident we'll finish by tonight." Celestia replied. "Right now, we need to see to greeting the delegation."
"Kind of odd that we'd need to oversee a formality at a time like this."
"Normally yes, but thankfully this particular formality is much more expediate than some of the others you've witnessed over the years. I will warn you, the ponies you'll be meeting are more than likely going to be the most influential, both in status and sway they'll have in the actual congress. But we'll only be sharing a few words at most with each of the nobles before seeing to the next. Given the congress' importance, we wouldn't want the greeting ceremony consuming any more time than it needs to."
"When do the hearings actually begin?" Twilight asked.
"Tomorrow morning." Celestia answered. "The proceedings will take place in the royal atrium. From there, we make our case, and then allow the delegation to congregate and proceed with the voting."
"Simple enough, I guess." Twilight said.
"Not really, anypony is allowed to follow up our proposal with a counter argument, and can then propose something themselves. Each one is taken into consideration and is a viable option when the voting finally commences."
"So maybe not so simple." Twilight fretted.
Another guard soon approached, and by the design of his navy blue armor, she was one of Luna's.
"Your majesties. Princess Luna wanted to inform you that she should be with you shortly." The guard informed.
"How soon?" Celestia asked.
Suddenly the familiar sound of a magical burst could be heard to her right, followed by a pained cry.
"Ow!" A familiar voice cried.
Both Twilight and Celestia rushed towards its source which had come from the back room. Once inside, they saw the slumped form of Princess Luna, recoiling from what appeared to be an attempt at teleportation.
"Princess Luna, are you alright?" Twilight asked.
"Never better." Luna said with sucked breath. "What's important is that I'm here. I see you're both prepared."
"Luna, you really should take it easy with the magic for the time being, at least till your injuries heal some more." Celestia scolded. "You could risk hurting yourself even further."
Luna wanted to protest, but wasn't willing to engage in an argument for sake of time.
"Sorry, sister." Luna complied. "I knew we were pressed for time, so I came as fast as I knew how. Have the ceremonies begun?"
"Not yet, but they start soon." Celestia informed. "Last I checked, we still had seven minutes."
"Well, best we not delay and take our positions then." Luna suggested.
The three alicorns then set off, ready for what would be the start a very long day. Twilight had poured herself a glass of water courtesy of the beverage cart placed conveniently nearby. However, due to her nerves, she had practically downed the whole glass in a matter of seconds. Before Celestia could offer a few more comforting words, they caught the sight of the great doors leading into the throne room opening. The greeting ceremony had begun. The first groups of ponies were being ushered in, some by themselves, others in pairs if they were partners in marriage or courtship. The fact that Twilight would be engaging the elite of Equestrian society was intimidating, but upon seeing the first two ponies, her heart suddenly felt a sudden reprieve of comfort.
"Princess Cadence, Shining Armor!" She said.
The two smiled as they approached in their senatorial garb, Shining wearing a ceremonial helm in addition to his navy blue toga, with Cadence sporting a rose pink stola with silver regalia and embroidery. Twilight, and in turn her brother and sister-in-law wanted nothing more than to embrace each other in a big family hug, as the trio had been closer than ever following the wedding incident a year and a half ago. However expectations of the ceremony had to be followed, and thus the couple were only allowed a curt bow, before rising and discussing the matters at hand.
"It's so good to see you safe, Twily." Shining said with affection. "We feared the worse, but it seems you're in stronger spirits than I had predicted."
"You have our deepest condolences for what happened to your home, what happened to you." Cadence added. "I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been."
Twilight recounted the events as if they were being replayed before her eyes. Mayhem, death, a gun trained to her head. However she fought off the memory, and opted to look ahead with a more positive outlook.
"Thank you, both of you, but I'm past it." Twilight proclaimed. "Right now, I can only direct my efforts to see Equestria through this crisis."
"Wise words, Princess Twilight." Celestia complimented. "It is good to see you two arrived in time, given such short notice."
"We left just as soon as the letter arrived honestly." Shining stated, before turning to Luna. "How bad is the injury, if I may ask?"
"It will heal, but the pain is still quite a burden." Luna relented.
"Auntie Luna, name anything we can do to help and we will." Cadence offered.
"Thank you, dearest niece, but the medical staff are seeing to my needs appropriately." Luna stated before changing her tone to something more considerate. "But I appreciate the gesture, I really do."
"While we'd love to chat longer, We do have a long procession to get through." Celestia informed.
"Of course, Princess. I'm sure we'll have time later to catch up." Shining said.
The two bowed once again before descending the steps and out of the throne room, passing the next approaching couple in the process. The next pair of ponies were also easily recognized by Twilight, the two were practically the most important ponies in Canterlot second to the Princesses. Sir Fancypants and his wife, Fleur de Lis, wearing a toga and stola of matching grey and sliver. They bowed as they stood before the three mares.
"Your majesties, I offer be most genuine condolences for the ordeals you've faced, truly my heart grieves in this time of tragedy." Fancypants said with genuine sorrow in his voice. "Although I wish this meeting were under better circumstances, know that this servant of Equestria is at your disposal for whatever course you choose to take. You have my support."
The words from Fancypants were certainly forthcoming as they were expected. He and his wife had been staunch supporters of Princess Celestia's policies for years, and by extension, they would now support the combined pursuits of all three of them.
"We appreciate your kind gesture, Sir Fancypants." Celestia said.
"That is such a display of trust, despite having yet to reveal our intentions." Luna noted.
"You've more than earned it I would think, seeing as you three have done everything in your power to do right by Equestria since before me and my beloved were but foals."
Those words stung at Luna's heart, wondering if such trust would prevail when the truth of these circumstances would finally be revealed to the public.
"What my husband is trying to say is that we trust you three out of the appreciation and respect you've shown us, and the subjects of Equestria." Fleur clarified. "Your guiding hooves has seen us experience an era of prosperity, and we have good reason to believe it will see us out of this crisis."
Again, the topic of such trust made Luna uneasy, though she did her best to masquerade her true feelings.
"You do us great honor. We'll see to it that we can live up to that trust." Luna said.
"We know you can." Fancypants said, before bowing with his wife and departing.
As they walked away, Celestia shared a comforting expression with her sister, one that told her not to be scared, that things would be alright. The next point approached, the first one that was by himself. Twilight upon inspection failed to recognize the middle-aged grey-coated unicorn stallion, sporting a burgundy toga and a look devoid of any particular emotion. While Twilight was unfamiliar with him, Celestia was apparently acquainted as she delivered a respective nod, though the tone in her voice didn't exactly scream positivity.
"Professor." Celestia greeted.
"Princesses." He replied with a bow.
"Princess Twilight, this Professor Neighsay, head of the EEA and director of history and culture studies at the University of Canterlot." Celestia informed.
"A pleasure to meet you in person, Princess Twilight. May I offer my sympathies to both you, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia in this time of duress, Princess." He said in a very direct tone. "Hopefully, we can all come to an understanding and reach a quick resolution that can safeguard ponykind against this foreign menace."
While his tone wasn't exactly negative, the nonchalant word choice to describe humanity was somewhat off-putting, as far as Twilight was concerned. She wished to redirect the conversation towards something aligned with their goals towards peace, but thought it may be too soon.
"I appreciate your concern, Professor. I too hope we can resolve things amicably." Twilight said.
Neighsay didn't so much as twitch in his expression.
"Yes. Well, I shan't waste any further time as I expect you wish to expedite this process so that the proceedings may get underway. I take my leave, and give you my best wishes for a brighter future."
And just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone, leaving with a formal bow. Despite their brief encounter, Twilight couldn't help but feel as if his attitude had been slightly adversarial. Alas, her thoughts wouldn't dwell too long as the next pony in line approached. This time however, Twilight was somewhat shocked to see Celestia and Luna take on a wide-eyed look.
"*Sister, is that?*" Luna whispered
"*It is. Maintain your composure.*" She said with a slight peeve to her tone.
"*I could say the same for you.*" Luna shot back.
Twilight was more than a little confused, as she gave the approaching unicorn mare a good look and didn't see anything to really warrant such a reaction. She had rich yellow coat, sporting a sunlight yellow stola that highlighted the fiery red mane with yellow streaks. Fairly average, Twilight initially thought. Although, the expression the mare wore was almost a mix of smugness bordering on begrudging as she approached, and soon, she stood before the three and bowed.
"Sunset Shimmer." Celestia addressed with a slight hint of suspicion in her voice. "It's been a long time."
"It has, your majesty." Sunset replied. "But alas, you sent out the summons. I never once thought I'd need to act on the responsibilities that came with being a senator, but nonetheless, I'm ready to do my part for Equestria, despite past..........issues."
Celestia was silent, but Twilight could see a flicker of disdain in those glaring eyes of hers. Yet this pony seemed unphased, unaffected whatsoever. The mare then directed her attention to Twilight, catching the Princess of Friendship off guard.
"I don't think we've been formally introduced." She said with a smile that screamed facade. "Sunset Shimmer, head of Magical Sciences at the University. In fact, I'm personally overseeing work on the head of that specimen you and the elements brought with you. Quite the marvel that. However did you manage to subdue that thing?"
"That was my doing." Luna said, intervening to direct the conversation towards her. "The creature threatened the lives of the ponies around it. We weren't given much of a choice."
"Hmm, odd, I figured Celestia's pupil would have been the one to accomplish that feat." Sunset suggested. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Right now, we have more important things to worry about. A crisis to manage, a war to avert, should that be your intentions. Unfortunate, but unavoidable. Anyways, know that you have my sincere condolences for what's happened to you three, and that I look forward to the congressional hearings. Good day."
As the mare turned to leave, Twilight couldn't keep her inquires at bay any further.
"Princess, who was that just-"
"I'll explain later, Twilight." Celestia replied bluntly.
Twilight wanted to push the issue, but one look from Luna, one that screamed, "don't go there", was enough for her to rethink that prospect. And so on and so forth, the greeting ceremony continued, bringing with it sympathies and best wishes as well as an assortment of different characters, all with differing views on the matter at hand. It was honestly a lot to process, and made the task of suing for peace seem more and more difficult.
All the while, the three alicorns were anxious for various reasons, some alike others different. But each of them wondered if their congress would commence without interruption, as the threat of human retaliation could seemingly arise at any time. Luna even began to wonder if they were in fact here already, skulking about in the Everfree forest, planning their attack.
"Dude, we totally shouldn't be out here." Dull Razor argued. "We weren't trained for this sort of deep-cover jungle stuff."
This over glorified task of babysitting the new kid was beginning to wane on the seasoned veteran that was Sergeant Gleaming Lance. The last couple of days were a disaster, with most of the reserve unit he served with getting killed in that human assault some two nights ago. Lance was still at a loss at just how many had been killed, many who he had called friend, now snuffed out form this world.
Only adding to his sense of grief and anger were the impromptu replacements they got to bolster the numbers they lost. Temporary conscripts from the local populace of Ponyville and its surrounding villages. To even call them soldiers could be seen as a joke. His most recent comment made Lance wanna strangle the feeble unicorn stallion. He sighed in frustration before turning to him with an irritated glare.
"Technically you weren't trained at all, Razor. But stick with me, do what I say, and shut your trap, and you'll be fine."
Lance barked. "Being on patrol on the outskirts of the Everfree is already bad enough."
"Hey man, I didn't ask for this." Razor claimed, adjusting the helmet which was a size too big for him.
"Granted, but Commander Spark gave the Captain orders to bolster our lost numbers. Given you fall into the categories of healthy, able-bodied, and over 18, you got conscripted. At least till we get some actual soldiers sent here."
"Can't happen soon enough man." Razor whined. "The minute I'm discharged, I'm outta here and moving back to Manehattan with my parents. Get as far way from this place as I can. I'm a hairstylist not a soldier!"
"And by all means, we'll allow that when they do." Lance said with forced patience. "But until then, shut up and keep walking."
A few seconds passed without so much as a word, and as they passed into double digits, Lance was hopeful that the message had gotten through. Only to be immediately shattered with Razor asking another fear-fueled questions.
"What if we're being watched by those ape monsters right now?" he asked. "Y'know those human things. That one hanging with the princesses seemed cool but his buddies sure weren't!" What if-"
"We're not being watched!" Lance said adamantly. "If the humans had come back, they'd be close by. Seeing as we haven't spotted any, I'm inclined to think they ran back to whatever backwater they call home. Now no more talking, or I'll have you cleaning latrines!"
Passing some nearby tall grass by a grove of trees, the two guards went along their patrol route without so much as an indication that someone was nearby. As they left visual range, there was a slight rustle in the grass as two tall and ghillie-suited forms rose from concealment. Ahab reached for his head, pulling back the thick veil of fake foliage to reveal his camouflage painted face. His spotter, Brooks did the same, and as soon as they deemed it safe, Ahab couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Closer than you think, pal." he bragged quietly.
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Great chapter. I really hope that the shit doesn't hit the fan because of Neighsay...
Okay, time to get hundreds of pony specimens for testing then, if they are okay with doing that then why don't we
This does not bode well.
I thought the units would be sent there in 3 days. Unless those are recon unit
10202538
They are
10202545
I have a feeling they're going to be compromised. I wonder if other races are going to be involve
10202498
What do you mean? The senator line up or the fact humans are already back?
That’s right Humans, get their ass
Fuck em up that’s right
10202406
Time to take the kid gloves off.
Glad to see this story alive btw. One of the few things keeping me checking in on this site from time to time.
10202406
10203002
Uh guys, the specimen is the mutant's head, not Tim.
Although that does give me some pontential story ideas.
10203164
Okay, then we can wait with experiments, tests with pony specimens, for now
Also shouldn't mutant's radiation be killing them or something or there isn't any?
10203221
"Setting the brush down, she noted a few odd hairs more than usual came out with it."
FORESHADOWING
10203606
Ahh, you caught that did you?
10203607
Oh, that was supposed to be radiation?
I noticed it too but I thought it was because of some injuries that weren't found and were affecting her
10203612
Well its one of the major symptoms. I wonder if the ponies will end up blaming humans for it, thinking it was some kind of intentional poisoning / other kind of attack.
Oh and Lordvessel? I'm assuming this is after the movie correct? Would be cool to see the different species of their world fighting against us. Stories like this are always fun to read with the whole, alien species reacts to modern military technology thing going on.
10203612
I usually don't outright verify anything cause I want people to make their own speculations, but yeah, that is very much radiation, as to where it's from, I'll let you decide.
10203618
I think every species on Equestria no matter what, will lose in the long term in any war or conflict
Humans are species that not only can adapt to any environment, create new tools and weapons from any and new, discovered resources, but they (especially here, after a war of the wars, nuclear war,etc whatever you can call it) are also species who perfected the war and are veterans of it
10203618
Well, the story actually takes place after season 4, as that's when I think I started it, but I definitely have plans of incorporating elements from the movie and later seasons, as shown by the appearance of Sunset, Flash, and Neighsay.
OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh UPDATE!!!!!
10202684
I didn’t get the feeling they were taking the situation seriously, though to be fair, Equestria has a disaster every week. I’m wondering if Luna’s actions will come up in the next chapter as-we’ll as regardless of her intentions she started all of this. It wouldn’t surprise me if they wanted to put her on a shorter leash after this. Finally, I’m worried about that “Sample” they have, how they are treating it could come back to bite them later.
An AWESOME CHAPTER dude! I thought the pony congress was in this chapter but guess I'll have to wait for the next one to see what happens. Hopefully the next update wont take as long. Xd
10204026
Well i think is that osedian creature that luna killed. And i dont blame twilight for being on edge on tgis situation especially when they dont know when and where the humans appears
10204116
Hopefully not.
It seems like if war does come there will be some disagreements, maybe some side switching from ponies.
Despite human possessing far more stronger weapons and technology they don't have numbers. Humans couldn't afford losses. So in conflict scenario humanity would need to force ponies stop hostile actions and win some ground. But after humans gain some ground that potentially makes them very strong in future after rebuilding. In general conflict scenario would be similar to battle of Brittany (kriegsmarine v.s. royal navy)
If there is peaceful resolution maybe humans could become allies with Equstria and be like elite last resort solution in case Equestria would face other external or internal threats needing application of force. For humanity maybe it would be possible to even rebuild earth with help of magic. From ponies
Comrade, just caught up with the 2019 and 2020 chapters... damn. You are now my favourite author on this platform. Like way too often do fics have a far too long of a set up or are incredibly rushed, and then not even having a descent payoff. But this story, man, you are outdoing them all, actually keeping a consistent pase while having good original characters and an intriguing plot. And the way you escalate the events has been incredibly rewarding to get to every time. Just overall wanted to say good stuff🤘
10232420
Thanks, I appreciate that.
10211196
Considering Achmed's goal in this is to kill Princess Luna, and he's willing to tell lies to incite a war in order to do this, I don't see peace being an option.
But, if history has taught us anything, it's that they'll bulldoze Equestria, and it's people, leave some alive as (at best) second class citizens, then feel sorry for them decades later and give them their own reservation on what used to be the Everfree forest, at least until they find some rare mineral under it, then they'll send in another army to kill the 'rebels' or whatever they chose to call them to justify it
All I know is disappointment.
10306493
We've seen three unicorns capable of battle magic, and given that the largest military engagement casualties was below 100, I kinda doubt there are millions of them
10306508
10306496
If only you two knew...
10307282
Oh come on, don't do that. This story is already stressful enough without you teasing.
Hey dude! Haven't heard from ya in a while, everything ok?
10316331
Yeah, currently writing the next chapter, its at about 7000 word right now.
10316643
Looking forward to it bro! Xd
It’s good to be back