The Fires of War

by Rust phantom

Chapter 2: Negotiations

The royal guards charged at the ares with all their might and courage, a valiant effort to no avail. The one up front dodged the first spear and grabbed the weapon with his teeth. As the other guards trotted towards the other three, the first ares launched both spear and guard into the air as though he weighed less than a feather. The guard crashed to the floor as the spearhead stuck into the ground a mere inch away from his skull, followed by a slightly sadistic smile from his near killer.

The other guards faced no better luck. The female ares on the left and the male on the right grabbed the guards by their helmets and threw them against the walls, leaving four royal guards unconscious. The ares behind the rest did one better by actually BITING the spearhead and chomping down on the steel piece. The guard backed away in shock and panic as the ares started to chew the metal, smoke leaving his mouth with every crunch. The guard turned around and ran back to Twilight's position as the ares then spat out molten metal onto the floor.

Dozens more royal guards came from the door and surrounded the four of them, all of them injured and weakened. "I have not arrived to enact homicide on the princess," The front ares said with a calm voice, his smile still plastered on his face. "Yet."

Twilight had her horn ready for a fight. The book said they were resistant to mortal magic, but she was ready to defend her friends. Her friends were in a battle stance as well, trying to look intimidating. "Stop right where you are!"

The front ares, who must have been the leader, seemed surprise. "Interesting. Usually, our demonstration of might would be accompanied by an expeditious capitulation of our competitors. Your continuance to repel our advancements is somewhat surprising."

"Who are you?" Twilight demanded.

The leader of the four chuckled. "I am Arson, praetor of the Striking Dagger legion. And these," he waved his hoof at his fellow soldiers, "Are my centurions, Flamma, Ash, and Inferno. We've arrived at your fortified abode to commence a . . . political meeting."

Political wasn't the word Twilight would choose, but this gave her an idea and opportunity. If she could use diplomacy to persuade them from unleashing war, no side would have to suffer casualties. It seemed like a long shot, but it was better than going straight to a fight.

"I know why you're here," Twilight said.

"Then you are aware we shall not be easily rejected in our operation."

Twilight hoped he was wrong. "And I believe you know of my friends?"

"Applejack of honesty, Fluttershy of kindness, Pinkie Pie of laughter, Rainbow Dash of loyalty, Rarity of generosity," he smirked, "and Spike the extra."

"Extra?" Spike yelled. "I'm Twilight's faithful assistant. I saved the Crystal Empire, I saved the Equestria games, I became the dragon lord . . ."

"A position you relinquished to Ember not an hour sooner," Arson remarked. "Couldn't withstand the difficulty of authority?" Spike was left open-mouthed by his insult. Before Spike could add a comeback for Arson, he returned attention to Twilight. "What we request in this negotiation is not a complicated ultimatum."

"We will never hand you the sun and moon." As soon as she said those words, the guards all gasped in disbelief. Arson meanwhile, laughed in amusement.

"My dear, surely you've registered how outperformed you are. If just quattuor soldiers can cleave through your incompetent castle guards like weeds, you nestle with unquestionable impossibility against the entire legion."

Twilight hated to agree, but he was right. It would probably take the combined efforts of ponies, dragons, changelings, and many others to outmatch them, and that's if she's not underestimating their numbers. If Discord really ran because they were approaching, then they must have a frightening reputation.

Twilight took a closer look at Arson's appearance. He seemed big and sturdy, but not too huge; his physique looked similar to her brother's, Shining Armor. His coat was a bright orange-yellow, with scars around his left cheek and chest. His coffee brown eyes seemed to stare into her like he was trying to pry into her mind. His mane, like all of theirs, flew in the air like waves with the colors of orange and yellow.

Her eyes turned to the mare ares, who looked different from most mares. She was tall and well-built, more like Tempest than anypony else. The color of her coat was a slightly darker orange than Arson's, but her eyes were as gray as polished gravel. One scar seemed to display itself on her front left shoulder, leaving the question of whether she was a new or gifted soldier. Her mane was a dark red and orange, like a hellflame was implanted to her head.

The ares on her right seemed to be the biggest one among them, as large as Big Mac. His coat was as dark as obsidian, with scars so grey they were hard to see. different shades of oranges painted his flowing mane, which shined the most in the sunlight. The most notable detail about him however, were his eyes; Emerald green which shined in the light to resemble actual jewels.

Only the ares behind the rest seemed to be only slightly larger than the average stallion. His coat was just like his mare companion, but with many more scars visible along his body. His mane was almost pure white, with a few slightly blue streaks in it. His eyes seemed to have Heterochromia, one eye like gold, and one eye like a tangerine.

"Why do you even want them?" Pinkie questioned. "What do you get out of this?"

"Our reasoning is not yours to know," the mare said. "Thieves."

"Thieves?!" Shouted Rarity.

"Simmer down Flamma," Arson requested. "Whether we purloin or are bestowed is entirely dependent upon her highness's judgement. I sincerely hope she considers the correct outcome." He didn't sound very sincere.

Twilight noticed that as he spoke, The green eyed ares was communicating with the tail end ares with their hooves. Arson caught what she was noticing. "Ah, yes. Apologies for not clarifying. Inferno's naturally stone deaf, but he can decipher lips. Because my own are blocked from his peripheral vision, Ash signs for him." Inferno looked at twilight with those mismatched eyes, like she was the villain.

"What has Equestria ever done to you?" Twilight questioned. "There isn't even any record of you in Equestria's history."

"Appears your past aspired to obscure your atrocities. Our ancestors combated with Equestria before, reason being the reality you are thieves and heathens."

"What are y'all even talking about?" asked Applejack. "We've never stolen anything from you."

"Are you that forgetful of your past?" Ash questioned with a hint of concern. "We knew you forgot about Nightmare Moon after a thousand years, but an entire war?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Well, it is a possibility," She answered embarrassingly.

"Your ignorance of your own history is sad," Flamma replied. "But all I care for is your defeat. Though, I will also settle for your surrender."

Ash and Inferno exchanged signals. "Inferno hopes you resist too. He wants revenge against your old teacher for what she did to his ancestor during the previous war."

"This coterie possesses logical reasoning to incinerate this accursed empire to the ground," Arson said, "We merely bid our time until a further intelligent change of management was enacted."

"For us or for you?" Rainbow questioned humorously.

At the moment he processed what she said, his mane started to rise and burn. His face showed visible irritation while guards' showed worry. "If you have something to say about this matter, say it or be silent." He didn't have to say anything for that request, his stare did it for him.

"I have something to say," Twilight replied. Arson's flames simmered as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "You say your ancestors fought ours and lost. You may have gotten stronger, but so have we. I know you are being ordered by someone who believes he can control your lives, I have seen it before. But he is wrong. We will not hand you the sun and moon, but I will offer you my hoof in friendship." She flew down to Arson's level. Despite the concern of both her guards and friends, she landed a foot away from his face and raised out her hoof. Arson seemed to be confused by her actions, as if peace was a foreign language to him. "We do not have to be enemies Arson. Together, we can free your people from this monster."

Arson found her pacifistic plea amusing. He started to chuckle, then laugh. It reached a point where he closed his eyes and held his head back. His centurions were just as uneasy as Twilight. Why would he laugh at her offer like it was the best joke he ever heard? "What's so funny?" She questioned.

Arson sighed and wiped a tear from his cheek. "'We do not have to be enemies'? My dear, assaulting your heretic nation isn't demanded upon thine wills. After our forefathers' defeat at the hooves of your erstwhile educator, our supreme being abrogated all honor from them and forsaken them in your nation's shadow. Through your defeat, or demise, our ancestors' honor is rehabilitated and our deity is profoundly satisfied. Enacting warfare upon Equestria is hardly a requirement. It is merely a question, and the answer is yes."

Twilight tried to stand her ground despite his resistance to her request. "We won't be easily overwhelmed by a new threat. My friends and I have defeated the mare in the moon, the spirit of chaos, and even Grogar's power. You and your god are the same kind of enemy we've faced before, and we will succeed the same way we always have."

Arson's smile widened more. "Oh Twilight, still incorrect," his smile went away in a serious stare, "You haven't seen anything like us before."

"If you want your subjects to live," Flamma threatened, "you will give us what your mentor has stolen. Failure will result in us finishing what our ancestors started."

"Pilfered the words straight from my larynx, Flamma." Arson then turned away as if this summit was over, showing a bare flank where a cutie mark should be. He walked over to his centurions while leaving Twilight with the certitude that she failed to stop their intentions. He stopped between Flamma and Ash to give one last message. "Our besiege shall be initiated at the next peak of the Sol."

"The what?" Applejack questioned in complete confusion.

Arson looked at her with eyes that showed pity. "High noon tomorrow." He over-exaggerated his explanation, like he was speaking to a child. "Summon every colleague, reinforce thy militia, It'll only verify our dominance in hostilities. No changeling, dragon, or unicorn can exceed our might. You possess no advantage."

"We have Discord!" Rainbow Dash blurted out. "I doubt even you can overwhelm the spirit of chaos!"

"And we still have the princesses," Rarity added "Celestia and Luna would never allow your grim threats to come to fruition."

Arson chuckled with a prideful smile. "Your princesses are significantly powerful. Nevertheless, the magical capabilities of you and your predecessors will provide miniscule advantage against us. Your subordinates are a mere interference beside our grand objective, and shall be handled with accordingly. As for your Fidus Achates, Discord . . . well . . . I recommend not relying on an appearance."

Arson's statement broke Fluttershy out of her silence. "How do you know about that!" she ended up yelling, "What have you done with him?"

Arson's smile widened into a sadistic grin. "Prepare yourselves." He turned back to the door and walked away. "Tomorrow, the earth shall gorge upon blood."

Flamma and Inferno both walked out with him, both seemingly cutie mark-less as they turned around. As Twilight watched them leave through the broken gate however, she saw that Ash stayed behind. His emerald eyes seemed to shine a glimmer of empathy. "I wish you had surrendered. I don't want to shed innocent blood."

"Then don't." Spike pleaded.

"Yeah." Pinkie said. "You could always stop this, you know."

Ash shook his head in visible remorse. "I'm afraid it's not that easy. Arson is a fanatic and a sedulous. He will not stop until he gets what he wants. And what he wants, is our god's affection. So get all the allies you can." He turned and left as well. "You're gonna need them."

The guards watched as he left before slowly turning their attention to Twilight. One day to prepare against unknown forces? It seemed like too difficult a task. But she had to do something for everyone in Equestria. Her friends, the princesses, the whole nation was counting on her now.

"Twilight," Rarity uttered. She looked back to her friends at the table, all with worry practically painted on their faces. "They defeated the castle guards."

"They knew about Discord's disappearance," Fluttershy spoke softly. "Do you think they're responsible?"

"Sugarcube," Applejack asked. "What are we gonna do now?"

Twilight took a long and hard examination of the situation they were now in. "I think," she answered, "We prepare now."

Comments

[OP Omni God-Emperor Doom]

"Appears your past aspired to obscure your atrocities. Our ancestors combated with Equestria before, reason being the reality you are thieves and heathens."

"What are y'all even talking about?" asked Applejack. "We've never stolen anything from you."

"Are you that forgetful of your past?" Ash questioned with a hint of concern.

Tell me about it!

And technically, it is Celestia's fault for hiding it.

[OP Omni God-Emperor Doom]

These Ares Fire Ponies are just like the Greek Spartans, and the honorable Sangheili/Elites from Halo.

[Rust phantom]

11343013
I was definitely inspired by the Greek Spartans after watching God of War on Youtube and by Twilight's fiery state in Feeling Pinkie Keen.

[JcPlaty022]

Hey is there a way to see what these Ares look like because I'm having a hard time seeing these what they look like?