XVI - The Tower
A soft bell chimed as the hooded figure left the shop, glancing left and right furtively as if unsure where next to go.
It had taken Cozy less than three minutes to arrive at the shop, select an item for purchase, realize she had no money, get berated by the owner, and leave. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and began to head back to Luster's apartment, kicking a loose rock along the road as she did so, muttering under her breath.
The small taste of freedom she'd enjoyed had made her confinement all the more maddening. Some small part of her missed the freedom she'd enjoyed when she'd been homeless - sure, she'd been hungry, filthy and deprived, but she'd been her own. Nowadays, she felt like little more than Luster's pet.
Seeing two guards approach in the distance, she pulled her hood up and cast her gaze down. She knew from experience it was best to avoid the gaze of city guards whenever possible. As she approached, she could feel their steely gazes on her neck, and her stomach tightened.
"Stop right there, Pony."
A thick claw wrapped itself around the base of her neck, and she came to a sudden halt.
"We looking for a thief. Pony. Like you." A second claw stripped her hood from her face, and she found herself glaring at the pair with a hatred she couldn't explain.
The other guard muttered something in Griffonian, and the claw around her neck relaxed. The guards looked disappointed, but parted to allow her through. But this time, instead of scuttling by as she would once have, she snapped.
"You could at least apologize."
The face of the guard who had stopped her darkened, and he muttered something unpleasant in Griffonian to his partner. "What you say?"
"I said you could have at least apologiz-"
The blow came out of nowhere, sending her hurtling into a nearby wall. In seconds, Cozy was back on her hooves, fury in her eyes blazing with equal intensity to those of the guard who had struck her, who was now being restrained by his partner as he roared foul insults in Griffonian.
"Do you know who I am? My mo... my guardian works for the Imperial Court! I'm going to make sure they hang you up by your - "
"Worthless little runt! I'll kill you!" With a guttural roar, the guard headbutted his partner, causing him to fall away. In seconds, he was on her, scratching, punching and pecking every inch of her he could reach, utterly ignoring her feeble blows in response - until a lucky right hook caught him on the beak, sending him reeling back with a yell of pain. His partner took the opportunity to seize him and pull him away, both of them bickering like foals. Almost as suddenly as it had happened, the pair were gone. Cozy spat out a mouthful of blood, then broke out into a broad, crimson grin. It had been so long since she'd had the tar beaten out of her, she'd forgotten how alive it made her feel.
A slow, sarcastic clapping from behind caused her to spin around, poised on her haunches, eager for another fight. However, when she turned, she was met by a relaxed, casual-looking pony only a few years older than her.
"Thanks for taking that beating for me. I thought those guys were never going to leave." He ran his eyes up and down her, letting out a low whistle. "I wouldn't have thought a little filly like you would know how to take a thrashing like that."
"Guess you thought wrong." Cozy bristled at the underhoofed jibe. The colt's grin merely widened.
"Come on. Your mommy works for my mommy! What's up with that? Does your guardian clean the All-High Imperial toilet bowls?"
Cozy ignored him, eyeing the colt's saddlebags with suspicion. "You're the thief they were looking for."
"Yeah." The colt's eyes narrowed. "Gonna run and tell on me?"
"I wasn't - but that's a good idea."
The colt threw his head back and laughed. "What's your name?"
"Cozy Glow."
It was such a stupid, careless mistake to make that Cozy physically cringed, wishing the whole ground would rise up and swallow her whole. Fortunately, the colt merely scoffed.
"The filly that tried to enslave Equestria? Pull the other one. She's dead, everypony knows that. And she don't look anything like you."
"Not as stupid as you look, then." Cozy breathed. "I'm... uh... Rose Petal."
"Wind Sprint. I mean, that's what I've always called myself. I can't remember what my parents called me."
An awkward silence fell over the pair. Cozy felt unusually flustered, and desperately searched for something to break the tension.
"So... what did you steal?"
The colt let out another short burst of scornful laughter. "Why should I show you?"
"I mean, I did just take that beatdown for you."
"Huh. Good point." Beckoning her closer with a wing, he lifted the top off his saddlebags and turned to let her see inside. A small clutter of gemstones, amulets and other jewels nested within.
"Where did you get all of these?"
"Oh, usually suckers who don't know when to keep their eyes peeled. Like you!"
Cozy's head was jerked forwards as the colt grasped the amulet dangling above her chest and gave it an almighty tug. The thin golden chain breaking against the back of her neck caused her to trip forwards into the dirt, wings thrashing into the air as she fought to right herself. Rising to her hooves in fury, she began to give chase - only to find herself unexpectedly skidding to a halt to avoid crashing into Wind Sprint, who had come to a dead stop, jaw hanging open in awe. Now it was Cozy's turn to freeze. Without the amulet, the disillusionment charm had vanished, and she was now standing in the middle of the street, looking far less like a faceless nopony and far more like the most wanted filly in Equestria.
"I... it's... you're..."
Cozy took a step back, mind going haywire, unsure what to do or how to react. Should she hit him, grab the amulet and run? He was a lot bigger than her...
"Cozy Glow? But... but you're... dead. It was in the newspaper..."
No. Even if she was able to overpower him, he'd still tell everypony he knew. There was only one way to get out of this.
"Please don't tell anypony. I... I'll do whatever you want."
Slowly, cautiously, she took a step closer. Wind Sprint didn't budge. Good.
"What? How... what are you doing here?"
"It's a long story. Don't you want to hear it?"
With every word, she stepped closer, slowly closing the distance between the pair of them. Her eyes fell on a small rock lying conveniently close nearby.
"Yeah. Maybe we can work out a deal."
Cozy took her final step, smiling gently at Wind Sprint.
"You're really pretty, you know - "
With a single swing of her forehoof, Cozy swept Wind Sprint's front legs out from under him. As he collapsed to the ground, she pounced upon the rock and swung it into the base of his skull, recoiling in disgust as dark red blood flew from his split skin and flecked her muzzle.
He went down soundlessly, collapsing into a lump on the ground and didn't stir. For a horrifying moment, Cozy thought she had killed him - until his wings flickered slightly and the soft, wheezing raspy breath returned. Stooping over the colt, Cozy quickly seized her amulet in her jaw and laced it around her forelock as tightly as she could, pounding heart slowing slightly as she saw her blue coat rematerialize.
As her rapid breathing slowly returned to normal, she glanced down at the comatose form of Wind Sprint. Her hoof trembled slightly as she raised the rock once more.
Then dropped it.
Pulling her cloak over her head once more, she set off at a gallop, making a beeline for home, not wanting to spend a second more on these miserable streets than she had to. Every step of the way, two spectres hovered above her, one gleeful, one concerned.
In the farthest reaches of the Crystal Empire, there were yet lands where the power of the Crystal Heart could not fully reach. Though Sombra was long gone, the storms still loomed over the horizon, possessed with a hateful mind either of their own, or bearing a whisper of their vanquished master's soul.
It was in these borderlands, as the pale dawn broke over a small village known as Vinstaad, that the Equestrian Army first marched.
The village had been deserted. There was not a sound to be heard, save for the bleating of abandoned livestock and the sound of the fierce wind rattling every window pane and open door. Fresh snow continued to fall from the skies, adding to the thick blanket that already covered the ground, wiping away the tracks left by Morning Star's soldiers even as they crunched them underhoof.
He had expected the Crystal Empire to organize an evacuation, but even so, he had expected holdouts. Resistance. Perhaps the Legion intended to consolidate their forces in the capital and hold out from there. Cut off from the rest of the world and with a quickly diminishing supply of food and fresh water, capitulation would only be a matter of time. A grim smile crossed his face. He took great satisfaction in an easy victory - as would his superiors.
A few soldiers broke from the procession to inspect the abandoned buildings around them, some smashing in the windows of shops and emerging moments later with valuables tucked into their saddlebags or clutched in their mouths. Although Morning Star had promised to safeguard the possessions of ponies who willingly surrendered, those who chose to flee had been given no such assurance, and he barely even turned his head. Though the temptation to relax was strong, he wouldn't truly be at ease until the capital had fallen and his army was in complete command. As it stood, he continued to scan the horizon for any sign of trouble, occasionally casting his eyes skyward, fully expecting to see a troop of pegasai bearing down on them every time.
What was it? An unpleasant sensation kept crawling down his back, as if screaming at him to take action, an instinct he knew well and had learned through much pain and suffering to never ignore - but take action against what?
"Halt!"
The march stopped instantly. Every soldier in formation knew better than to question their General.
"Proceed with caution and keep an eye out. We could be walking into an ambush, or a trap. If you suspect anything to be out of order, report it to your commanding officer immediately. That's all."
The march continued, but slower this time, and with a distinct sense of unease looming over them. Morning Star couldn't bear it. It was like there were hot needles burying themselves into his eyes, screaming at him to do something, to take action -
The explosion was unlike anything he had ever experienced, so brutal and sudden that it knocked him from his hooves and sent him flying into a nearby shop door, which he smashed into so violently it almost splintered in two. Astride him, two ponies who were less fortunate were sent straight through the shop window, roaring in pain as the shards of glass sliced deep into their legs, adding to the raucous cacophony of agonized screams now filling the air.
Stumbling to his hooves, Morning Star shook his head, trying to focus his vision for long enough to take in the scene before him. Spectral wings sprouted from his sides as he took flight, surveying the ground in shock.
At least thirty of his soldiers were dead, some at the epicentre of the explosion reduced to a mangled mess of body parts that were barely discernible as ponies at all. Dozens more wounded, many missing limbs, the blood from their wounds soaking the white snow around them with red. Those fortunate enough to be unharmed were either running around in a state of panic or desperately attempting to administer futile first aid on their mortally wounded comrades. Chaos reigned.
A twinge of annoyance struck Morning Star as he watched his soldiers collapse into anarchy. Clearing his throat, he fired a bolt of thunderous lighting into the sky and amplified his voice so that he might be heard by every one of his troops.
"Silence!"
All but the most distraught froze on the spot, eyes fixed on their commander with fear.
"Move aside for the medical teams!" When a few hesitated, he fired another bolt of lightning, this time into the ground. Those who had paused now scattered, allowing the medical teams to move forwards and begin attending to the injured, focusing on the lucky few most likely to survive.
Morning Star had been on the receiving end of enough magic to know what an arcane explosion felt like, and the blast he'd just felt was nothing like one. It was far more brutal, unrestrained detonation, more consummate with a chemical explosion. But how had it been activated?
"If you can still walk, fan out. We might be about to be ambushed."
Slowly, dutifully, his troops began to spread out, each one now on alert, scanning every corner with wide, anxious eyes. Morning Star floated slowly towards the crux of the detonation, landing amongst the carnage it had wreaked. The remains of his fallen subordinates squelched under his hooves as he approached the centre. The shattered remains of a barrel laid at his hooves, and leading away, a long, thin piece of cable. The tripwire had been completely invisible under the blanket of snow that had concealed it. Cursing, he turned away. There could be dozens of them scattered throughout this town. It was a miracle they hadn't triggered one already. Suddenly, his eyes flew wide open.
"FREEZE! NOPONY MOVE!"
Launching himself into the air once more, he began screaming orders at the top of his lungs.
"This village has been booby-trapped! Form an orderly line and leave the way we entered! Leave the wounded, just GET OUT!"
His soldiers didn't need to be told twice. Forming a procession that could be described as anything but orderly, they all but stampeded out of the village, leaving their dying compatriots behind them to expire in the cold snow. Morning Star floated after them, before landing with a thud before his assembled troops.
"From now on, we avoid all villages, all towns. All settlements! In ten minutes, we march back to camp and return with enough supplies to make the trek."
Avoiding towns would make it impossible to resupply along the way, but a slower pace was worth avoiding any more incidents like that again. As he glanced over his troops, he felt a twinge of fury. Morale couldn't possibly be lower.
"Get some rest."
Turning his back on them, he fixed his eyes on the glistening red mass of shattered ponies in the distance, and grit his jaw. Things surely couldn't get any worse.
"Princess! I have wonderful... I mean, I have news!"
Ivory Brilliant charged into the throne room with a letter clutched in his magical aura. Flurry Heart stood up, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
"It's a letter from the Imperial Court! They've accepted our offer of an alliance, and their bashaws are already making haste to launch an invasion - well, by now their troops must already be landing on the Equestrian coastline! I'll bet Gallus didn't see that one coming."
Flurry lowered her head. Ivory glanced away, a blush rising on his muzzle, unable to face his Princess.
"Perhaps it is not wonderful news. But it is the best we could have hoped for, no?"
"It... is. I am glad to know that, even in our darkest hour, we have not been completely abandoned." Flurry Heart couldn't keep the sorrow out of her voice, but she forced a brave smile. "Do you have any more news from Lunar Diamond?"
"No word, but streams of refugees keep arriving. We're doing our best to keep them fed and watered, but it's not been easy. From what they're telling us, every outlying village has either been filled with traps or burned to the ground. That should buy us a lot of time; time enough to reinforce the city's defences and train new troops."
"I am pleased to hear it. Have they dispatched a team of negotiators? I'm sure they'll be anxious to hash out the precise terms of this alliance."
"A chariot is on its way as we speak. Princess Gideon - the emperor's sister - will lead the negotiations." The name clearly didn't register with Flurry, leading Ivory to clear his throat. "The Grey Butcher."
"Ah." A furious chill whistled through the room. "What are they likely to ask for?"
"Recognition. They know they're sitting on a golden opportunity here. If we offer our acknowledgement of whatever territorial gains they make, it will strengthen the legitimacy of their occupation. It will almost certainly irrevocably damage our relationship with Equestria, but I'd say that ship has long sailed at this point."
"I would like to be present during the negotiations."
Ivory bowed. "Of course, your highness."
"Thank you, Ivory. You may leave me."
She waited until Ivory was long gone before rising from her throne. With a flash of light, she vanished and reappeared instantly in her personal chambers, and was barely able to make it to the restroom before she vomited.
"General, a magigram has arrived."
Morning Star tore the sheet of paper from the whelp of a recruit so absent-mindedly that he didn't even notice the tremble in his gait, nor did he pay any heed to the recruit vanishing through the tent flap as he flipped the sheet open.
EQUESTRIAN MINISTRY OF WAR - TOP SECRET
GENERAL MORNING STAR STOP
EMERGENCY STOP GRIFFON FORCES HAVE LANDED ON EAST COAST STOP MANEHATTEN HAS FALLEN STOP INVASION OF CRYSTAL EMPIRE NOW IRRELEVANT STOP DIVERT ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES SOUTH IMMEDIATELY STOP
There was a pulse of rage that echoed through his body, a single, roaring instance of anger so foreign and alien to him that it took him a second to figure out what it was. Then, as soon as it had arrived, it vanished, replaced by his familiar, cold, calculating demeanour. So, the Griffons had decided to seize their opportunity. He had expected nothing less. It looked like his campaign was to be cut short.
But once more, there was something... wrong. They were too on the ball. How could they have known to invade now, at the perfect moment, when so much of the Equestrian army had been diverted north? Was there a spy in the camp? Or perhaps the Crystal Empire had done the unthinkable, and sided with a foreign nation against Equestria.
No... not a spy. This mission had been planned in total secrecy, and none of his soldiers had been permitted communication with the outside world. That left only one option. Glancing down at the paper in his hand, he smiled, then lit it on fire and let it fall to the ground.
Two fronts. Two sides of the same war - but no longer a war for justice. A war for the very preservation of the Equestrian nation, one that demanded action. He would deal with the northern traitors as he saw fit, and return to Equestria with the head of Flurry Heart in one hoof and the Crystal Heart's shattered remains in the other, then lay waste to the Griffon armies personally.
*Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...*
Luster groaned and fumbled around, slamming her hoof against the bedside cabinet in an attempt to shut off the alarm. No matter how much sleep she got, it never seemed enough.
*zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt*
Eventually, she was able to shut the clock up and slowly pull herself upright in her bed, blinking slowly. Her horn glowed softly as she tuned her radio to Griffonstone's news broadcast.
"...is a special report. The courageous soldiers of the Griffon Empire have taken the fight to the enemy at last. Last night, in a daring unprecedented operation, troops landed on the east coast of Equestria and seized several key locations with minimal resistance."
Luster stiffened - then let out a loud yawn and pulled herself out of bed, muttering under her breath, searching for her toothbrush. So, war at last. Anypony who wasn't blind could have seen which way the winds were blowing, and shouldn't be surprised. As far as she was concerned, she'd washed her hooves of Equestria forever.
"The Crystal Empire, disgusted by the raw, brutal ambitions of the Equestrian nation, has joined our fearless soldiers in the push to defend our homeland and defend the freedom of every Griffon. We now turn to a brief statement issued by our Emperor on this topic."
So, Flurry Heart was willing to side with the Griffons against Gallus. Luster snorted with disgust as she prepared her toothbrush. She'd expected more from the idealistic young princess. Then again, power could change ponies. As she knew all too well.
"Equestria is now to discover first-claw the might of our empire." The deep, growling, animalistic voice of the Emperor was unmistakable. "Today, we welcome the birth of a new era. From the fires of this war will be born a new order, from which our race will grow to dominate the planet."
Luster swilled a small glass of water around in her mouth and spat it out, grimacing. Of course, the personal beliefs of the Emperor were hardly a state secret, but even she was disarmed by how brazenly he would talk about them like that. It looked like change really was on the horizon.
Strolling over to the radio, she turned the volume dial up slightly, now listening intently.
"Once again, our Empire is now at righteous war with Equestria. We will bring you more updates throughout the day. Now, the weather forecast..."
Luster shook her head dismissively. She was being paranoid. Nothing would change - and even if it did, not for her. She was a valued mage in service of the Emperor. She was untouchable.
And Cozy? An unpleasant voice in the back of her head chided.
Cozy's with me.
The sun had set by the time the chariot landed gracefully in the Crystal Castle's courtyard. Flurry Heart had assembled her counsel to greet them personally, but almost immediately she wished she hadn't.
The chariot was a beast, carved of ornate blackened steel accented with golden trimmings, easily five times the size of Flurry's personal carriage. At its helm were eight hippogriffs, each one wearing thick, evil-looking chains that were tied uncomfortably tight around their throat. None of them looked up as they landed, each opting instead to stare fixedly at the floor. Across their flanks and forelocks, each wore deep, ugly welts that had clearly been inflicted on them by their master.
The door to the carriage swung open, and two griffon Janissaries stepped out, clad in fine, deep velvet armour, clutching spears with ugly, barbed tips. Princess Gideon followed closely behind, the hem of her cape supported above the ground by two more hippogriffs; this time, young foals.
"Princess Flurry Heart. It is my pleasure."
Flurry Heart smiled back, hoping her expression wouldn't betray her disgust. "The pleasure is all mine, Princess Gideon. I hope you had a pleasant trip."
"Passable. These useless tributes aren't up to much... but after our victories against the Equestrians, we won't need to rely on their kind so much." Something insidious glinted in her eyes. "Oh, I forget myself. Your kind doesn't have the stomach for such affairs."
Flurry ignored the jibe, instead inclining her head to the side, inclining her attention to the palace entrance. "I would love to have a full welcoming ceremony, Princess, but we are somewhat pressed for time. Shall we proceed to my cabinet? I am rather anxious to make a start."
"Oh, very well." With a flick of her claw, Gideon detached her ornate cloak and thrust it into the arms of the two hippogriff foals waiting on her. "My brother, too, is looking forward to hearing the fruits of our discussions. Lead the way."
As she turned around, the last thing Flurry saw out of her peripheral vision was one of the Janissaries stooping down to help the struggling hippogriff foal fold up Gideon's cloak.
"So, how shall we begin?"
Gideon sat upright in her chair, eyes scanning the room around her, probing gaze seeking something apparently hidden to all but her. "I have a list of requests from his Imperial Majesty. Nothing unreasonable. Shall I read them out?"
"By all means."
"Let me see... First, that any and all territorial acquisitions made by the Imperial Army will be recognized unreservedly and in full by the Crystal Empire in perpetuity. These lands will become part of the Griffon Empire's sovereign territory, and we reserve the right to divide and administer them as we see fit."
"I cannot agree to such broad terms. A reasonable line of demarcation must be drawn, any acquisitions beyond which we will not acknowledge."
Ivory, who had taken the seat aside her, nodded in agreement. "We believe any territory east of Dodge City is more than fair."
"We hope to move far beyond that. My brother's bashaws assure me we have good prospects of seizing Canterlot. You cannot seriously expect us to limit our armies to such an arbitrary line."
"You could take Canterlot, certainly. But you would not hold it for long." Flurry tapped her hoof to several points on the map laid out before them. "Every railroad in the land leads to Canterlot. You would be besieged from every direction with the strength of every corner of Equestria."
"She is right." A scarred, hideous griffon to Gideon's left muttered. "It would not be in our interest to ask for prizes we cannot win."
"Then we shall expect concessions elsewhere." Gideon rustled her parchment, an annoyed expression on her face. "Second, we demand war forfeit from Equestria - thirty million bits, or equivalent."
"How does this matter concern us?" Flurry shook her head. "You should take the issue up with Gallus."
"Ah, but it does. Our third demand - that Princess Flurry Heart accede to the throne of Equestria."
"What?" Flurry Heart did a double take, genuinely caught off guard. Glancing up and down the table, she could see every one of her advisors was similarly stunned. "Why?"
"Gallus is an unfit ruler. We believe our prospects of a lasting peace are much greater with you at the helm of the Equestrian nation." Gideon laid down the sheet of paper, eyebrow raised. "Under the current circumstances, peace is an impossible dream. Longer term, we seek a rebalancing of the global power equilibrium. We can't do that in a state of perpetual warfare. Given the events of the past year, I wouldn't have expected you to resist this much."
"I... I am not resisting. I accept your request."
"Then we move on to our fourth request. The E.U.P. will be reduced to a standing force of five thousand."
Flurry Heart shook her head, desperately trying to refocus her attention. "That is far too small for a nation of Equestria's size - "
"We don't want Equestria retaining its capacity for warfare in even the slightest degree. Finally, we demand that all institutions of magical education be placed under the administration of the Imperial Court, so that we may select the best unicorn talent for the personal employ of the Crown."
Flurry Heart wanted to argue, but she knew she was in no position to start making demands. "I will accept these conditions, provided I am allowed to add my own."
"Go ahead."
"I want a blanket ban on the transfer of slaves from your new territory to the Griffon homelands."
"Not possible. However, we are willing to place an upper limit of five hundred per year, and to limit tributary to six thousand total. Furthermore, any children born of tributes will be considered freeborn Equestrian citizens."
Flurry nodded. In truth, it was more than she had expected. "Furthermore, I want Equestrian... tributes... to be taken from those convicted in a fair court of heinous crimes exclusively."
Gideon's eyes didn't even flicker. "As you wish. The recent conflict should leave us with plenty of options. However, we will be the arbiters of what is considered a 'heinous' crime. Is there anything else?"
"I had intended to ask you try the Equestrian leadership for their crimes, but it sounds like you already intend to do so."
"Indeed."
"Then I have one final request." Flurry took a deep breath. "I wish to forge a new world from the ashes of this conflict. A world without war, without conquest. To further this aim, I insist the nations of the world form an international forum to force dialogue before destruction, to ensure that every possible avenue be explored before war is declared."
There was a rumbling of mutters from the Griffon side of the table, which silenced instantly when Gideon raised her wing.
"We will do as you ask. However, we make no promises other than that we will engage with your wishes in good faith. Should this... 'forum' transpire to be little more than an attempt to weaken our empire, we will have no further part in it."
"Thank you. That's all I ask." Flurry Heart rose to her hooves, which felt somewhat heavier than when she had sat down. "I believe we've made good progress today. Come, let me show you to your sleeping quarters."
"Golden Sun!"
The Yubazi had been waiting for her in the laboratory when she arrived. As she laid down her saddlebags, he stuck out a gnarled claw and beckoned her over.
"Come here!"
Stomach dropping, she obeyed slowly, stooping into a deep bow as she approached.
"How may I be of service, sir?"
"Don't give me that. Go home and pack. You are to report to the war room next morning. Your services are needed on the front."
"My - my services?" Luster's eyes widened. "No - no, there must be some mistake, sir. I'm not a soldier - "
"For the love of the Emperor! Do you really think we'd need a scrawny weakling like you to fight out battles for us? We need every magical expert we have. This is not a request. It's an order. You know what the penalty is for disobeying an order?"
Luster swallowed, nodding. "I... of course. But, sir... I have a little filly who needs me. Surely there must be somecreature else?"
"No. There isn't. Your filly can join you, or be cared for by an orphanage. Personally, I recommend you bring her along. Too many youngsters these days have no idea what the flames of war are like. Makes em' tougher. Now, do you have any more inane questions to waste my time with?"
"I - no, sir."
"Good." The Yubazi turned claw and strode off, muttering under his breath. Luster stumbled over to a table and leaned heavily against it, heart pounding.
She was going back to Equestria. She had no choice - did she? She could run, of course. But where? She'd burned every bridge she'd built to get this far. She had nowhere left to go. If she didn't obey...
Luster could already feel herself talking herself into it. It wouldn't be so bad. The Empire wouldn't risk her life. She was too valuable to them. She'd be serving behind the lines, offering advice... something nice and safe like that. She was sure of it.
And Cozy... Cozy could stay with Yasha and Yula. Yet even as the idea formed in her head, she repelled from it. To be separated from Cozy again, even for a few weeks, was repulsive to her. What if she arrived back at Griffonstone to find out Cozy had vanished? How would she ever explain it to her?
"It's always hard making tough calls, isn't it?"
"Sir!" Luster spun around - only to turn on her hoof once more when the Yubazi was nowhere to be found. "I - Hello?"
"Oh, look up, won't you? Tch. Unicorns, no spatial awareness. It'll be the end of you, you know."
Luster's blood boiled and her hackled raised as a hideous snarl drew itself onto her face. Her eyes, burning with fury, flew upwards to find the object of her hate swinging cheerfully from a chandelier.
"Discord."
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The StarThe MoonThe SunJudgementThe WorldCozy screwed up it seems. I wonder how she'll get out of this one. She's resourceful, but I am quite worried. The more I see of the Griffon Empire, the more I understand Flurry's disdain for allying them. Hopefully the balance of power will at least allow for a cold war by the end of this. Maybe Flurry can bring the other races together to form some sort of coalition to contest them. Magic of Friendship and whatnot. Hopefully that would also somehow extend to Luster and Cozy. I just want them to get a happy ending.
This guy is like Gallus 2.0. No wonder he was promoted.
Considering that the Griffon Empire has to use propaganda to hide their own brutality, I wonder how many decades it will take before some revolution takes place there.
They must think very little of Flurry's abilities. Sadly, she will need to learn quickly without any mentors.
So a UN of sorts?
Just when I thought there couldn't be more despicable bastards in this fanfic, Discord shows up again.
Oh geez.. *grabs popcorn*
Pretty sure that should be Flurry in there, right?
11008599
Definitely, nice catch
We have left Friendship is Magic and entered Equestria at War (a mod for the Hearts of Iron wargame) ...
Equestria at War Wiki | Fandom
Here are some videos of people playing various nations:
Equestria:
HOI4: Equestria at War - Lunar Empire #1 - The Moon Rises - YouTube
Griffon Empire:
HOI4: Equestria at War - Griffonian Empire #1 - The Sick Bird - YouTube
Crystal Empire:
Hearts of Iron 4 Equestria at War Crystal Empire Episode 1 - YouTube
11008826
This has felt like an EaW fic since Gallus started to take over tbh.