Unicornia

by Yukito

Chapter 8

Twilight Sparkle was called to Canterlot by means of a letter from Princess Celestia that she received the previous night. It asked her to make haste towards Canterlot the following morning, and instructed her to travel alone, and undercover. Nervous, Twilight boarded the first train, wearing a brown cloak that obscured her identity, and arrived in Canterlot, where she was met with an armed escort led by Prince Blueblood.

"I can't believe they have me carrying out this work meant for the grunts," Prince Blueblood groaned as he led Twilight Sparkle through the city, gathering many looks along the way.

"Um, why are you escorting me?" Twilight asked, pulling her hood over her face further with her magic. She could practically feel the eyes that were drawn towards the group. "I know my way to the castle, you know."

"Because Aunt Celestia insisted on it," he scoffed. "This 'Unicornia' group has made her scared. She thinks that that pitiful group can actually threaten the royal family."

"Well, they have been on a rampage lately, with all those bombings," Twilight pointed out.

"And because of that, Auntie has all of us under constant watch."

"I'm not," Twilight said.

"You are. You just wouldn't have noticed. Don't worry, you're still new, but you'll get the hang of life as a princess… eventually."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Gee. Thanks."

The two walked the rest of the way in silence, entering the castle and heading straight towards Celestia's chambers. "Her bedroom?" Twilight asked.

"It's the safest place in the kingdom," Prince Charming explained as he greeted the two outside. "You can leave the rest to us now, Blueblood. I'll take over from here."

"Good," Blueblood said with a huff. "I have more important things to do than babysit the new princess, quite frankly."

As Prince Blueblood stomped away, Prince Charming took Twilight's hoof and motioned towards Celestia's chambers. Twilight blushed from the sudden contact and pulled her hoof way, walking into the room by herself. Prince Charming followed and closed the doors behind them.

Inside, Twilight was met with the graceful presence of Princess Celestia, and the gruff exterior of General Morgan, whom she had met previously from her time as Celestia's student.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Celestia said. "I'm terribly sorry to pull you away from Ponyville at a time like this. It is your friend's birthday soon, isn't it?"

"It's alright, Princess," Twilight said with a smile. "Applejack understands, and we still have a week left before the big party."

"Well then, you should have no problem," Morgan declared. "Because I will do my job in the name of Her Highness, and I will not fail."

"'Job'?" Twilight asked. "What job?"

"A few days ago," Celestia began, "We received a request from the Chieftain of Zymbazia, one of the zebra tribes to the west, whom we have been trading with for many generations. He has business in Equestria, but with all the trouble that Unicornia has riled up lately, he wants our upmost protection. General Morgan will be his escort, but he also wants one of our princesses, too…"

"So… me?" Twilight asked, a nervous look washing over her face.

"He requested you," Celestia explained. "After hearing of your exploits from Zecora, he specifically wanted Princess Twilight Sparkle to escort him to Canterlot."

"It will be okay," Morgan assured. "The only ponies who know about this mission are myself and the princes and princesses."

"But still, I-I'm not sure if I'm really right for this. What if we get attacked? How would I be able to help?"

"If we are attacked along the way, I will be able to defend you," Morgan said. "Your magic will also prove effective."

"Considering the secrecy of this mission, the chances of an organised attack are low," Prince Charming noted. "Moreover, Equestria is in a vulnerable state at the moment. We cannot afford to show any weakness at the moment. Sending our newest princess to escort an important visitor is a great way to show that we are not letting Unicornia break our spirits."

"Of course, the choice is yours, and yours alone, Twilight," Celestia concluded.

Twilight looked uncertainly around the room, scrunching her face up and scratching her hind legs together. "Umm, if I don't go, would it cause any problems?"

"The zebra chieftain may be displeased, but I'm sure he would understand if we simply say that something unavoidable came up," Prince Charming answered.

Twilight didn't feel too good about that. "But that'd be lying, wouldn't it?" She thought on the matter for a few more seconds, and then looked up at Celestia with a determined stare. "Okay, I'll do it. As a princess, it's my duty." With a smile, she added, "I won't let you down, Princess Celestia."

---

Twenty minutes after Twilight's departure, Shining Armor entered the chambers and saluted to Princess Celestia and General Morgan.

"At ease," Morgan said, and the captain obeyed. "Report."

Shining Armor winced. It was not going to be a happy report. "I… regret to inform that I have not been able to ascertain the source of the leaks."

Morgan sighed and turned away. Celestia closed her eyes and said, "Whoever this spy is, they are covering their tracks well."

"However," Shining Armor continued, "There have been strange reports lately of guards claiming that they have been approached by other guards at strange times, and of strange sounds distracting them. It's possible that our spy is an illusionist, or at least, in collaboration with one."

Celestia nodded her head. "Please ask that all troops report in more frequently, with more detail of what happens during their patrols."

"I'll tell all captains, and the other generals, to make use of a password before divulging any information. We will start storing our paper records in Princess Celestia's chambers for the time being."

"Objection, General," Celestia began. "Where will I sleep?" She chuckled as the general turned towards her, and said, "Kidding. That would be a wise course of action."

---

"Twilight Sparkle is one of the VIPs?" Trixie asked, her stomach churning as the face of the mare appeared in her mind. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Does it matter?" Genesis asked. "Twilight Sparkle is one of the four alicorn princesses. Capturing her would provide us with an invaluable trump card. If it wasn't for the guard placed on her, we would have moved in sooner."

"This is our time to lay a vital blow on the enemy," King Midas declared. "Twilight Sparkle will be protected only by one general."

"But a general is still a powerful foe, even on their own," Oasis pointed out. "We would have to swarm them and-"

"We can't risk harming the chieftain," Sunset said. "When we take the throne, we will need the support of the zebra tribes, and they will be less likely to oblige if we have harmed one of their figureheads."

King Midas hummed in thought and stroked his beard. As he did, he read over the report that Trixie had prepared for him. "I was hoping to capture this VIP and use him as a hostage to establish a safe zone for our troops, but it is as Sunset says. The zebra tribes' alchemy is impressive enough to keep the alicorns on their guards, so this is a situation that must be handled delicately.

"However, it seems that there is now an even more valuable target in the escort."

"Twilight Sparkle," Trixie surmised with a deadpan glare. "But will she really hold that much value?"

"To Celestia, she will."

"But to the rest of Equestria? Yes, she's a princess, but she's also new, and lives in a quiet little hamlet where she rules over 'friendship'. Politically-speaking, how much value does she hold as a hostage?"

"Perhaps you forgot that she possesses a power strong enough to defeat even Tirek?" Genesis asked. "Trust me, she'll hold value."

"I'm torn," Oasis declared. "It's true that she's a princess, and an alicorn at that, but she was born a unicorn, and she's certainly not one of the corrupt or incompetent nobles we've been fighting up until now."

"Princess Cadance, too, was not born an alicorn," King Midas noted. "It has been a goal of mine for some time now to recruit those two to our side, but ultimately, they are loyal to the alicorn tribes."

"And as such, they're our enemies, whether they wanted it that way or not," Genesis concluded. "Getting back to the escort – who should we send out, if not an army."

Midas cast a gaze over to Trixie, who nodded. He returned the nod. "I shall go myself," he answered, surprising all but Trixie. "I will take on the general whilst Sunset Shimmer apprehends Twilight Sparkle."

"Me?" Sunset asked.

"Yours is the only magic that could match hers." Midas heard Trixie scoff in objection, and he sighed. "Trixie, you have shifts at the time of the escort, do you not?"

Trixie glared at King Midas for several seconds, before slumping back in her seat and crossing her forelegs. "Well, just so long as we're clear on that point…"

"Then if there are no further issues, that is all. Dismissed." Midas watched as everypony left the room – everypony but Trixie. "You have concerns?"

"Trixie was just wondering, how long must she keep up this charade?"

"Until the day that we liberate Equestria from-"

"Which is when, exactly?"

King Midas stared into Trixie's eyes for a few moments, before shaking his head and answering, "I don't know."

"… Trixie's been thinking lately. You're related to Princess Platinum, right?"

"Correct, though she was a queen before her death."

"Is that why you're fighting for control?" Trixie asked. "Are you just trying to avenge your dead ancestors? Because if so, then Trixie might have to question her resolve."

Midas shook his head again, this time with a frown. "It's not like that," he assured her. "Well, not… entirely. I'll be honest, Trixie, I'm not really sure where I stand on that issue."

Trixie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Queen Platinum was betrayed by two ponies that she considered her friends, and they both elected Celestia and Luna as the country's new leaders. Together, Celestia and Luna defeated Queen Platinum's rebellion and built Equestria into what it is today – a safe haven, where the creatures of the Everfree no longer roam about.

"Do I feel sorry for Queen Platinum? Certainly. Do I agree with the decision that her friends made? Yes and no. This is where I am torn. What's passed has passed, and I never knew Queen Platinum personally, so fighting to avenge her just seems like a fool's errand.

"However, the land was indeed stolen by these foreign invaders, and they have reduced Equestria into a weak, helpless country with tension on all sides, and allowed greedy, selfish ponies to sit at the top, taking from the poor and giving more to themselves."

King Midas used his magic to project an image of the Equestrian map, along with its surrounding lands, before Trixie. "Good ponies are suffering and being ignored, but moreso than that, the peace we have endured for a millennium, thanks to Celestia's bluffs, have made us weak. And now that those bluffs have come to light, griffons, changelings, dragons, and even zebras, are making subtle-yet-real moves against us.

"If things keep going the way that they are, then sooner-or-later, someone will launch an attack and take the throne. If that is to happen…"

"We'd better make sure that it's someone with Equestria's best interests at heart… Us."

"Precisely," King Midas confirmed.

Trixie nodded, and rose to her hooves. "Trixie just wanted to make sure that she wasn't unwittingly fighting somepony's own personal battle for them… If your intentions and your motives are indeed pure, then Trixie is willing to lend you her aide. Simply say the word and I'll play my part, as a future Princess of Equestria."

King Midas smiled. "Then for now, please get some rest. You have been working hard, and you must be ready. The future holds many things, and you can never predict what will be thrown your way when you wake up tomorrow."

"Right, Trixie will do that. And she suggests that you follow your own advice." Trixie winked through her smile. "You won't be young forever."

King Midas chuckled as Trixie took her leave. "No, I suppose I won't be… I just hope that this old body holds on long enough to see a new day in Equestria's history books."

---

Celestia dispersed the magical energy running around her, releasing a deep breath and levitating slowly down to the bottom. "Do you understand what you just saw, Queen Platinum?"

As Platinum studied the larger mare closely, narrowing her eyes and nodding her head repeatedly, she replied, "Yes, I did, but… whatever do you hope to gain in a spell that does not have a trigger to release it?"

"The trigger is in the enemy that attacks," Celestia explained. "This is seen as the perfect method of self-defence against a foe with no way to channel magic. The barrier that surrounds the body does not protect the caster; it merely measures the damage that the caster's body is taking. Once the body has been damaged, the caster can release the spell and spread that damage to the opponent."

"So if one were to suffer a broken leg, they could mirror that harm onto their foe?" Queen Platinum asked.

"That is why it is called 'the eye-for-an-eye spell'. It leaves no victor – it simply resolves the conflict into a stalemate. If the foe does not retreat, then the caster can at least take solace in knowing that they won't win, either."

"But a spell that only ends things in a stalemate, how could that be perfect self-defence?"

"Because once you warn your opponent of what the spell does, they will never attack you whilst it is update."

Platinum hummed, and then asked, "What of this 'weakness' that it has to ponies with horns?"

Celestia nodded. "If a creature that can channel magic – be it a unicorn, an alicorn, or even a centaur – were to attack the barrier with the very appendage that channels their magic, they could tear through it as though it were paper, and leave the caster defenceless to an assault."

Queen Platinum nodded her head. "Well, against the creatures of the Everfree, it should prove invaluable to stave off future attacks."

"That is what I was thinking, too, Your Highness. Now, would you like me to teach you how to cast it?"

Queen Platinum raised a hoof, a dismissive look on her face. "No need! I have studied it once, and once is all that I need."

Celestia's eyes widened as she watched the unicorn channelling her magic throughout her body. The air around them distorted, and her body levitated off of the ground. Indeed, she was casting this high-level spell, after simply observing it once. Celestia pressed a hoof to her mouth. 'This is not a foe to take lightly. I am glad she is my friend.'

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Platinum cancelled the spell, falling unceremoniously onto the ground. "WAH!"

Celestia winced. "A-Are you okay?"

Queen Platinum growled, and barked at the door, "WHO DARES DISTURB THEIR QUEEN?!"

"Your brother," Sombra deadpanned as he opened the door.

Queen Platinum rolled her eyes as she sighed, and rose to her hooves. "Prince Sombra, I am in the middle of something very important to our country's survival, and-"

"It's an emergency, Your Highness," Sombra reported, clearly masking his worry behind a calm facial exterior.

Platinum raised an eyebrow. "What kind of emergency?"

---

"Fifty of our soldiers are already down," Commander Hurricane reported, placing figures and markers onto a map sprawled across a long table. "Relay this new formation to Captain Hindsight, and tell him to reflect on his last attack!"

Queen Platinum approached the table with Prince Sombra and Princess Celestia to either side. "What is the situation?"

"Bad," Hurricane answered. "About fifteen hours ago, a stray weather cloud zapped a crystal pony. The pony survived, but is in the hospital, or so we've heard. But the emperor and empress are seeing it as an act of aggression and launched a full-scale attack on all the scouts we had camped alongside their borders. They've stolen our camps, our trenches, and even our supplies!"

"Causalities?" Platinum asked.

"None yet," Hurricane reported. "Fifty down, but zero dead."

"On our side or theirs?" Platinum asked.

"Ours. On theirs? We haven't even made a dent. Their magics are too strong to break through."

"The Crystal Heart," Sombra reported. "I've read about it. It's a powerful relic that absorbs energy from some ritual that they perform, and then releases it to protect the Crystal Empire when it is attacked. It is how the empire has survived in this land haunted by the creatures of the Everfree."

"We've taken three prisoners, and they've taken five," Hurricane added with a grim look on her face.

Platinum, however, smiled. "Good," she said, bringing a look of confusion from Commander Hurricane. "With no casualties, plus prisoners on both sides, negotiations have not been ruled out yet."

"If we offer to release two of the prisoners as a gesture of goodwill, they should at least grant us an audience with their rulers," Celestia said, Platinum and Sombra nodding in agreement.

"You kiddin' me?!" Hurricane shouted. "These guys attacked us 'cause of one accident! This isn't the time to be friendly with them!"

"Nor is it the time to fight them," Platinum said. "Not while there are bigger threats literally stomping through our country as we speak. We must bow our heads down and be thankful that these at least creatures that can be reasoned with verbally!"

Commander Hurricane sighed. "You're right," she said in a dejected manner, shaking her head. "Of course you're right. We can't fight a foe that's staved off the Everfree for so long, when we're looking to foreign powers to keep us safe."

Platinum narrowed her eyes. "That was a one-time occurrence. Now that we have established a ceasefire with the griffons, and we have established trading relations with the zebra shamans, we can finally start pushing back and-"

"Emergency!" The doors to the strategy room slammed open, and Chancellor Puddinghead rushed inside, bowling over many ponies as he ran towards the table in the centre of the room. He slammed a piece of paper down and cried, "Detrot's under attack!"

"What?!" Platinum and Hurricane shouted in unison.

"At a time like this?! What is it?!"

"Wolves, but like, not furry wolves! They're made of wood!"

Platinum stared at Puddinghead with a deadpan look. "And did our soldiers not try, oh, I don't know, burning them?"

To her surprise, Puddinghead nodded. "We've tried cutting, smashing, burning – everything! But they just regenerate!"

Celestia tapped a hoof to her chin. "This is not a foe that I have heard of… I must investigate-"

"You must wait here," Platinum said in a stern tone. "We have been over this. If anything were to happen to you, it would be our heads."

"But-"

"I gotta agree with the queen on this one," Hurricane said. "You're good and all, but against an unknown foe, you can't defend yourself. The last thing we want is to spark a war with your tribes."

Celestia sighed. "No. Neither do I… Then, the Crystal Empire-"

"Is at war with us," Platinum said. "Which is why one of our diplomats will negotiate with them."

"… Yes. I will respect your wishes," Celestia said, bowing her head. "Then, at the very least, allow me to help out here, however I can."

Chancellor Puddinghead gasped and grabbed Celestia's foreleg. "That's perfect! We need a few hooves in the kitchen and, well, you have four!"

Celestia raised a brow. "But, so do you-"

"C'mon, let's get you fitted for an apron!" Puddinghead dragged Celestia's away, and asked, "You know how to bake pies?"

The confused look on Celestia's face gave way to a smile. "Actually, I'm somewhat famous for it."

As the two left, Puddinghead's excited cries echoing through the halls outside, Platinum turned back to the map and said, "Right, so now onto business…"

"You should thank him," Hurricane said. "Puddinghead. We've all seen how tense you are around Celestia. You've been… kinda jumpy lately. With this, you've got some peace."

"… I don't know what you mean," Platinum insisted, huffing as she brushed aside her mane. "Now, about the Crystal Empire… Sombra."

"Him?" Hurricane asked.

"Me?" Sombra gave his sister a suspicious look.

"Yes," Platinum answered. "You have studied that Crystal Empire far more than anypony I know."

Sombra blushed, and reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "Well, it's such a fascinating place…"

"You have been groomed for diplomatic missions your entire life… and I believe that you are ready."

Sombra's eyes widened. "S-Sister…"

"You shall be escorted by none other than…" Platinum watched as Commander Hurricane flexed her muscles, stretching her forelegs and wriggling her brows. "Uh, no."

Hurricane deflated, huffing as she turned her head aside. "Then who? Your bro's goin' into a dangerous place here, Plat."

"Which is precisely why we're sending Princess Luna as his escort."

"What?!" Sombra and Hurricane shouted together.

"Are you out of your mind?! If something happens to Luna in there-"

"Then it will be the Crystal Empire that feels the wrath of the alicorn tribes," Platinum responded coolly.

"B-But I thought you wanted us to handle this," Sombra stammered.

"And we shall. Princess Celestia is a fearsome foe, but her sister Luna is nothing but her shadow."

Sombra frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Omnis did not hesitate to give us Princess Luna as a hostage. Why? Because it is Princess Celestia whom he truly puts his faith in. She's the figurehead. Her sister is merely an accessory."

"But if that's the case, how can she protect your lil' bro?" Hurricane asked.

"The Crystal Empire does not know this, but they do know that the alicorns are the ones who drove off the ursa majors. Simply by being there, Luna will ensure that no harm comes to Sombra."

Platinum turned to Sombra with a sly grin and added, "Plus, it will give you some more time to talk to your future wife."

Sombra kicked his sister so hard that she almost released an undignified scream. Hurricane glanced between the two siblings and asked, "Did I miss something?"

"Nothing," Sombra insisted, his blush calming down. "Then, if I am going to the Crystal Empire, can I presume that you will be…"

"At the farms in Detrot? Yes. That is where we will need the bulk of our fighting forces."

"Puddinghead said that these things regenerate," Hurricane pointed out.

"Then we simply find a way to stop them from doing so," Platinum stated. "Before time runs out for us, and our ponies starve through the winter."

---

As Sombra's chariot landed, the young prince gulped and waited for his driver to walk around and open the side of the cart for him. Legs shaking, he stepped out of the chariot and onto the cold grass beneath him. A flake of snow descended from the sky and landed on his nose, prompting him to look up. The Crystal Empire had decided to have snow on what was supposed to be a warm, clear day.

"Art thou nervous?" Luna asked, stepping down besides Prince Sombra.

Nodding his head, Sombra said, "I haven't done anything like this before. I don't even know how I'll start."

Luna touched a hoof to his shoulder, and told him, "With a deep breath. It all starts with a deep breath, and then, you do what you set out to do. Just believe that it is that easy and the day shall be yours."

Sombra's legs started to ease, and he smiled up at alicorn princess. "Yes. Yes, I must see this as merely another battle to be won, before the war can be declared over in our favour,"

Luna nodded. "Thine enemies are many, but they are just as pony, and thus, their weaknesses are known even without recon. Feelings. Emotions. Fear, hatred, guilt, greed, pride… These qualities, they do not lack. Consider this whence thou approach."

Sombra took a deep breath, and then adopted an even look. He turned towards the Crystal Empire and said, "Just remember, you are here as my bodyguard, nothing more. Please do not speak unless I give you my permission."

Luna simply nodded. 'I will protect you, Prince Sombra. For you are my first friend that did not approach me for my title… I will do whatever I can to help you in your time of need.'

---

King Midas and Sunset Shimmer stood at the top of a hill, overlooking the narrow passage below that was thick with thorns and jagged rocks. A dreaded, cold wind blew by, whistling between the rocks and sending shivers down Sunset's spine.

"This is where they're passing through," Sunset said, receiving a nod from Midas.

"That's correct. In five minutes, assuming that they have not been delayed, they will take this route. It is the least-open passage to the next town, where they will board a public train to Canterlot."

Sunset pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, and said, "Please don't call out my name when the fighting starts. I don't want Twilight Sparkle to identify me."

"There is a chance that Celestia has already told Twilight about you."

Sunset shook her head. "No. She's the type to keep such information to herself – she won't want her 'faithful student' acting on her own."

King Midas nodded. "Yes. If there is anything positive to say about Princess Celestia, it is that she does care for her friends."

Sunset scoffed. "I mean that she likes to keep her puppets from having minds of their own, or from using them."

Three figures approached below, and the two unicorns crouched behind a nearby rock. "That's them." Midas' horn lit up. "I will keep General Morgan distracted. Subdue Twilight Sparkle and take her away – make sure she is not conscious when you transport her to our base."

Sunset Shimmer nodded, and she watched as King Midas jumped down the steep cliff. He used his magic to run down it like a mountain goat, and she followed suit.

General Morgan turned in shock and shouted, "Get the chieftain to safety!" He drew his sword as Midas descended on him, magic flaring in the unicorn's horn. The magic stretched out like a blade and slammed down on Morgan's own, pushing the stallion back.

Morgan extended his wings and blasted forwards, tackling Midas and lifting him off of his hooves and into the air. Midas teleported back to the ground, only to find Morgan coming down towards him. Midas dodged to the side, lifting several rocks into the air and throwing them at the general.

"Your description matches the one of that stallion who killed two captains," General Morgan said as he parried the rocks, "But your skills are too low! What are you playing at?"

Midas did not respond. He simply continued to throw rocks at the general, who deflected his attacks with great ease. He glanced over to where Sunset Shimmer was engaged in a battle of pure magic with Twilight Sparkle.

Two beams – one purple, one green – were pushing against each other as their owners' hooves were planted firmly into the ground. Sunset groaned as Twilight's might pushed against her, and she increased her magical outage, consuming Twilight's beam with her own.

Twilight winced, and flared her wings out for support. "Get to safety!" she yelled out, glancing to her side to find the zebra chieftain running off to the side. Once she was sure that he was clear, Twilight teleported away, allowing her opponent's magic to crash into the side of the cliff behind her. Rocks began to fall down, and Twilight erected a barrier around herself and the chieftain to keep him safe.

Sunset teleported into the barrier, startling Twilight, and delivered a swift kick to her gut. "You thought this barrier could keep me out?" Sunset asked.

"Wha-" Another kick silenced her, this one bruising her chin and causing her jaw to bleed.

Sunset heard the chieftain approaching from behind, and teleported both herself and Twilight away. Roots emerged from the ground and coiled around the wounded princess, holding her in place and grasping her horn tightly.

"Now, time for us to go on a little trip," Sunset said, waving over to Midas, who nodded his head and bowed to General Morgan.

Midas teleported away, and Morgan turned to Twilight Sparkle. "Princess, hang on!"

Sunset grinned, and began to cast a spell to put the princess to sleep. However, that grin faded when, instead of looking drowsy, Twilight's eyes began to glow white, and the ground started to shake. "W-What the-"

Twilight's entire body glowed, and the roots holding her exploded, allowing her wings to shoot out. She hovered in their air for a few seconds, before turning towards the chieftain and flying towards him, scooping him up and fleeing the scene before Sunset could even comprehend what she was doing.

The same glowing princess returned moments later, scooping up General Morgan and taking off into the air once more, before fleeing the scene again.

Sunset simply watched in shock, before that shock turned to rage, and she pulled down her hood and stomped the ground with a hoof. "Damnit!" 'How?! How could she overpower me?! That mare… Who is she?!'

---

Upon her return to the castle, Twilight Sparkle made immediately for Princess Celestia's chambers, an angry chieftain and an ashamed general following behind her.

She was greeted by two guards standing outside of Celestia's room, who both saluted together. As she reached for the door, the shorter guard held out her foreleg, and said, "Apologies, Princess, but we must search the VIP."

"What?!" the chieftain shouted, pushing past the princess and sticking his muzzle into the guard's face. "First, you send one mere guard to protect me, and then, despite taking a detoured route, we still fall under ambush by the enemy! And now, you wish to treat me like a mere criminal?!"

A hoof was placed on the chieftain's shoulder, and her turned to find the handsome visage of Prince Charming peering down into his eyes. "We apologise for the inconvenience, but please, it is for your safety, as much as ours."

With a growl, and then a huff, the chieftain removed his bag and hoofed it over to the guard. It was small, and barely contained anything, so the search was fast. The guard gave it back, and the chieftain practically barged past her and into the room beyond. "What is the meaning of this?!"

General Morgan sighed and followed after him. "What a report this will be."

Twilight stared at the guard for several seconds. "Ma'am?" the guard asked.

"You seem… familiar."

The guard tilted her head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I believe that this is the first time we have met."

Twilight hummed, and then shook off the thought and walked past the mare, entering Celestia's chambers. The doors closed.

"You're not entering, sir?" Trixie asked Prince Charming.

Prince Charming shook his head. "I have other duties to attend to. It seems that the mission did not go well…"

"Really?" Trixie asked. "It seemed to go just fine."

Charming titled his head. "How do you mean?"

Trixie was about to answer, when the sounds of hoofsteps turned her attention to Shining Armor, who was racing towards the group as he panted. "Well, General Morgan seemed to have suffered no injuries," Trixie answered as Shining Armor came to a stop. "In fact, his armour was practically sparkling, and his coat and his hair weren't too out of sorts."

Prince Charming put a hoof to his chin. "Yes. You are right…" He watched Shining Armor walk past the guards and enter the room beyond, and then said, "Please excuse me. I have to go and check something…"

Watching the prince leave with a pleased grin, Trixie yawned and reached up to her right ear, where she flipped the switch on the small device within it. Voices started to flood into her head.

"One guard is all that you sent, assuring me that there would be no attack, and then what happens?!"

---

"Please," Twilight pleaded. "We made it here safely, didn't we? Can't we just let it go?"

"You got me here safely," the chieftain admitted, before glaring to General Morgan, "But he was next-to-useless!"

"He fought off that assailant!" Twilight argued.

Shining Armor stepped up besides Twilight and said, "Thank you for keeping my sister safe, General."

The chieftain scoffed. "Please! I saw that so-called 'fight'! The unicorn was holding back the entire time, and this 'general' of yours made no effort to take advantage of any openings he was given!"

"I was being cautious-"

"Perhaps the whole thing was staged!" Everypony fell silent. "In fact, wasn't this mission known only to a few ponies? How did Unicornia know to ambush us there?"

"Chieftain," Celestia began, her tone and her expression even, "Please refrain from baseless conjecture."

"Then perhaps you are suggesting that one of your royals leaked the information? Perhaps your nephew, Blueblood, who's openly admitted to opposing zebra immigrants in Equestria? Or that dashing young fellow, Charming, who conveniently decided not to be here."

"My nephew is simply nervous around your tribe's ritualistic customs," Celestia explained levelly, "And Prince Charming has important things to attend to."

"There's no evidence that the information was leaked," General Morgan said, before turning to Shining Armor. "Incidentally, why are you here?"

"I… heard that something had happened to Twilie, and I-"

"Maybe the ex-unicorn herself is the culprit," the chieftain suggested.

Shining Armor gritted his teeth. His hooves shook as he reminded himself not to kick the foreign diplomat.

"Pointing hooves will get us nowhere," Celestia said. "All that matters is that you have arrived here safely. I apologise for this inconvenience that has befallen you, but-"

"Well, I expect compensation, naturally."

Celestia frowned. She asked the dreaded question: "How much?"

---

Trixie had to suppress her giggles at the chaos inside. Her bug on the zebra's bag was working perfectly. Unfortunately, the initial storm had passed, and they had moved onto boring politics.

Trixie was soon yawning, and it took forty minutes for anything interesting to happen. Prince Charming approached Celestia's chambers and marched past the guards, carrying an envelope in his magic. Trixie grinned. Her little push had worked.

"Princess Celestia, please forgive the interruption, but I have grim news for you all. As you are aware, details of this mission are likely to have been leaked. Upon investigating the general's room, I had discovered this letter."

…

"What the hell?! That's fake! Somepony forged it to frame me!"

Trixie didn't need the bug to hear that. Her fellow guard looked over his shoulder nervously.

"It seems that Robin Hood, that thief caught by Captain Armor some time ago, is actually a high-ranking member of Unicornia," Prince Charming reported. "Upon questioning the prisoner, he confessed that General Morgan and… SS, are indeed his points of contact."

'SS? Oh, right. Sunset Shimmer… Hm?'

"It's a lie!" Morgan argued.

"I knew it," the chieftain said. "Take this scoundrel away! He tried to have me killed!"

"I don't believe that General Morgan would-"

"Your feelings are irrelevant, Captain," Prince Charming said. "Princess Celestia, we must arrest General Morgan on suspicion of conspiracy and treason against the crown."

"… No need to give the order," Morgan spat. "I know how it looks, but I'm innocent! Regardless, I'll comply, and I will present my defence at a later date."

"Thank you for not making this more difficult than it needs to be, General," Celestia said.

Trixie stiffened as the doors opened moments later, and General Morgan was escorted out, his forelegs and his hind legs shackled, and his wings bound. She looked down the hallway. Prince Charming and Captain Armor were to either end of the general, keeping him from running away in any direction.

She let out a small smile of victory.

---

The battle was fierce. Just as Chancellor Puddinghead had described, no matter how many times the beasts had been knocked down, they would always get back up. Removing their limbs, cutting them open, even burning them entirely… these wolves made of timber were invulnerable. At best, they could only be stalled.

Ponies died, blood spilled, crops were trampled, tended land was ruined… Every second that passed was destroying more of what the earth ponies had worked so hard to build in Detrot.

"We have to retreat!" one soldier shouted, crying as a wolf pounced him and nipped at his throat. "H-Help me!"

Queen Platinum blasted the wolf off of the stallion, shattering it as it hit the ground. As always, it regenerated. "This is the healthiest land in the region, is it not? Then we will not surrender even one scrap of it to the enemy!"

"But they don't die!"

Platinum was surrounded by six wolves, all of them growling as they eyed her cautiously. Taking a deep breath, she focussed her magic and became enveloped in an aura. The wolves pounced. She levitated into the air and waited. One wolf bit down on her hind leg, and she unleashed the spell.

Just as her own leg had suffered injury, so had its own wooden one. Being less durable than her own leg, the wolf's shattered. Platinum then levitated the downed wolf and used it as a shield against the rest.

As usual, though, they came back. They regenerated.

But not before Platinum caught sight of something glowing in the chest of one of the wolves.

"AWOOOOOO!" One more wolf came and leaped towards Queen Platinum. With her sword, she slashed it open.

There it was. Glowing, pulsing… almost like it was the creature's heart. It beat, and the creature began to regenerate.

Gasping, Platinum conjured a spell, igniting the glowing thing and watching it turn to ash before her eyes. It did not regenerate, and the wolf released one final cry of pain, before falling into a pile of wood.

It was dead.

"They have hearts!" Platinum announced. "Cut open their chests and burn their hearts! That will stop them from coming back!"

Her troops rallied, and wolves fell one-by-one, now that the way to defeat them was known.

Platinum slayed three more wolves, and then ran over to aide some fallen comrades to her side. They thanked her, and limped quickly off of the battlefield.

Her soldiers killed five more wolves, and two more fell to the wrath of one of the local farmers.

Soon enough, the wolves were retreating. Back into whatever hell that they had spawned from.

The day was won, but the cheers of victory were missing from the village. That was because the victory did not feel like one. Even though the wolves were gone, it had taken too long to find their weakness. Ponies were dead, the land was tormented, and months of hard labour were lost forever.

Queen Platinum sheathed her sword and headed towards her chariot. She had no desire to celebrate this hollow victory – only to return home and find out what else was going wrong in this country.

And more importantly, how Sombra's own mission had gone compared to hers.

---

Queen Platinum entered Sombra's room, but she could have mistaken it for a crypt. The room was dark – candles unlit and curtains drawn – and there was no sign of life anywhere… until she spotted the little black ball sitting on the four-poster bed.

She used her magic to light the candles, but left the curtains alone. Closing the door, she approached her brother and climbed onto the bed, sitting besides him. "… How did it go?" It felt like a stupid question, but it needed to be asked.

"I failed," Sombra reported. His voice was muffled as his muzzle was pressed into his forelegs. "I tried to help. I tried to talk some sense into the emperor and empress and I asked for peace, but I only made things worse."

"I'm sure you didn't do that bad."

"They declared full-on war, and they yelled at me, and told me to leave, and… wished death upon me."

Platinum frowned. She reached a hoof around her brother and held him close. He wasn't crying, but only because he had been trained not to.

"What's worse, though, is that Princess Luna then stepped in and… she fixed everything."

Platinum's grip around him tightened. "… Princess Luna?"

Sombra nodded. "I told her not to speak without my permission, but she didn't listen, and then, she did what I couldn't. She reached a peaceful resolution with the Crystal Empire, and they even seemed friendly afterwards…"

Queen Platinum gritted her teeth together. "I see." 'Darn. I underestimated the younger princess. I will have to be more careful in the future…'

"I mean, it's good that peace has been reached, but… why do I feel so bad about it?" Sombra shook. "Why should I have mixed feelings about this? I enjoy spending time with Luna. She's my friend. Yet, I feel… uneasy, now. I feel like she stole something from me, and I don't like that she was able to make peace where I failed. Ponies are suddenly revering her as a hero, and I'm… nothing.

"Is it wrong to feel this way?"

Queen Platinum narrowed her eyes. "No," she answered. "No, it is not wrong to feel this way. What is wrong is that those princesses are trying to take this country that we have worked so hard to build."

"I feel… scared."

"You're right to fear them… Even… hate them…"

Sombra looked up, towards Platinum's face. "W-What?"

Platinum said nothing. She simply sat there with her brother, holding him close, until her butler came by to remind her of her next matter of business for the day. Her heart was beating heavily, and a cold sweat ran down her brow.

Sombra asked her not to leave, and she regretted turning him down. She regretted it, because suddenly, she wasn't sure how long she had left to coddle him.

Author's Note:

Thanks to Mud and Striker for proofreading.

Comments

[Emperor]

Of course Twilight has OP powers that can't be nerfed that allow her to escape with General Morgan in tow. Well, she's finally getting some action it seems, halfway through the story

I can see how Queen Platinum and Prince Sombra are getting more and more frustrated. Luna and Celestia are constantly finding ways to overreach, and of course we know it'll inevitably end with them taking control of Equestria, and they do it so effortlessly compared to Platinum, who is truly a warrior queen, and Sombra, who we know will end up getting blasted by the alicorns.