Dominant Species

by DarkPhoenix

Allies and Enemies

Chapter 8: Allies and Enemies

Twilight awoke to find the sun streaming in through a crack in the curtains. A targeted beam of light settled itself squarely on her eye, causing her to groan and roll over, trying to avoid the brightness. She settled into her pillow, eyes closing as she tried to fall back to sleep. It was too early to be awake.

“Oh good, you’re finally awake.” A voice broke through the peace of the room.

Twilight cracked open a single eye again. It took a few blinks, but the room focused. Sitting in an overstuffed armchair in her room was Spike. The dragon had his arms crossed over his chest, but the look on his face was one of care.

“Whaddya mean?” Twilight mumbled out. She could feel something poking her side underneath her. Letting out a groan, she managed to sit up enough to figure out what it was.

Sitting on the mattress was Celestia’s soul gem. Seeing it brought back a flood of memories from the previous night. “Princess...” she whispered, her hoof running down the length of the gem.

“Twilight,” Spike said, his voice sounding closer. She looked over to find that he’d left the chair and was now standing by the side of her bed. “Rainbow told me about last night. Is it true?”

She nodded. “Yes. Celestia’s... gone.” Even now, knowing the truth, she couldn’t bring herself to say ‘dead.’ She feared that saying it aloud would make it irrevocable. It was stupid, and she knew that, but it was also true.

Spike reached out a claw for the gem. “May I?” he asked.

She nodded, passing him the gem. He took it, holding it reverently. Twilight may have hatched him, but it was Celestia who raised him in those early years. She was just as much his mother as Twilight was his sister. The little dragon had lost so much. A tear rolled down his cheek as he stroked the gem.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said. She used her magic to pull him onto the bed, where she wrapped her hooves around him, pulling him into a hug. Together, the two of them mourned for their shared mother figure.

Several minutes passed as they held each other, the gem pressed between them. Finally, Spike pulled back, looking up at Twilight. “Thanks.”

She smiled at him, using a hoof to wipe his cheek. “You’re welcome.” Her stomach rumbled, bringing to her attention that she still needed to eat. “Come on, let’s try and find some breakfast.”

“Um, Twilight?” Spike sounded nervous.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Lunch was served an hour ago,” he said.

“What!?” She whipped her head around, glancing at the clock in her room. Sure enough, it was just after lunchtime, and already into the afternoon. Well, that certainly explained why she felt as hungry as she did, she’d missed two meals.

“I’m sure if you go to the dining room, you can get something to eat. Or we can have something brought up here,” Spike offered.

Twilight would be the first pony to admit that she wasn’t exactly a morning pony. But even for her, sleeping past lunch was unusual. Perhaps she’d underestimated how tired she was last night.

As tempting as it was to just stay in her room all day, she knew that she needed to get out. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped with her thoughts, a distraction would do nicely. Hopefully her friends would be around to provide just such a thing for her.

“No, I’ll head to the dining room.” She got off of the bed, setting Celestia’s gem down on the bedside table. “I just need to freshen up a bit.”

Spike got the hint and headed over to the door. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll be waiting outside.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he left, her smile faded and she slumped up against the door leading into the bathroom. She had to be strong, not only for Spike, but for her friends as well. She couldn’t let them see just how much she was hurting.

But it hurt so much. Celestia was gone, and now she had this impossible task before her. How was she supposed to unite the races of Equestria against the dragon? The only thing she knew about diplomacy was what she’d read in books, or seen Celestia do during meetings with ambassadors. The more she thought about it, the more this felt like a fool’s errand to her. Like Celestia was just giving her something to do to pass time until the dragon killed them all.

Twilight shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. There had to be a reason behind Celestia giving her this mission. She was just too blind to see it. No matter what happened, she needed to believe in Celestia.

Slowly she picked herself off the floor. Spike would start wondering where she was soon, and he couldn’t see her like this, nopony could.

A quick shower later and she had to admit that she felt marginally better. Though her stomach was still growling at her, reminding her that it was empty.

She left her room, finding Spike leaning against the wall. “You ready?” he asked her.

Putting a smile on her face, she nodded. “I’m starving. Let’s find some food.”

Together the two of them headed towards the dining room. Along the way, they passed by the throne room. Curiously, the doors were closed. Normally Cadance would be holding court at this point and the doors would be open, welcoming petitioners. Twilight feared for a moment that the alicorn had hidden herself away once more.

“Spike, have you seen Cadance today?”

He nodded. “She was at lunch, saying something about an important visitor coming this afternoon. I guess she’s off somewhere preparing for whoever it is.”

She made a small noise of assent, her mind working to try and figure out who the visitor was. As far as she knew there wasn’t anypony who was supposed to be here, unless one of the refugees was somepony important. Whoever it was, it would have to wait until after she ate.

They reached the dining room, seeing it empty. They took seats next to each other at the table. No sooner had they sat down than a servant seemed to materialize from nowhere.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked.

Twilight had no idea what she wanted to eat, so she ordered a cup of tea to buy herself some time to think. The servant nodded, vanishing just as quickly as she appeared. These Crystal Ponies were certainly effective in what they did.

“So Twilight, what exactly happened last night?” Spike asked. “Rainbow only told me that you summoned Celestia’s soul from that gem.” He paused a moment. “And that Celestia’s dead.”

She winced at that final word. Leave it to Rainbow to be so blunt. That pegasus wouldn’t know how to be subtle even if Twilight forced her to memorize the definition.

She briefly wondered just how much to tell him. If she was being honest, Celestia being gone was the worst of it all, so since he already knew that, there wasn’t much point in holding anything else back.

So over the course of their lunch, she told him of everything that had happened after he went to bed last night. From finding out what the gem was, to performing the ritual, and her conversation with Celestia. She did hold back a few things, like the sordid history of soul gems, but otherwise she didn’t leave out a single detail. Spike was of an age where he could be trusted with these things. Besides, if she was being honest with herself and was actually going to attempt Celestia’s mission, he would need to know anyway.

Twilight set down her spoon, letting it clatter in the empty soup bowl. “And so that’s what happened last night.”

Spike had already finished his bowl of jewels while she spoke. He’d stayed mostly silent all throughout lunch, interjecting only to ask a couple questions. When she finished, he sat there a moment, a claw held to his chin.

“So she’s gone, but she’ll be back in a thousand years?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, she and Luna both.”

He didn’t say anything again for a long while. When he finally did speak, it was with a note of hope in his voice. “So, I may get to see her again?”

The question caught her off guard. At first she was going to say no, but then she thought about it. Dragons were a mysterious species. There wasn’t a whole lot known about them. One thing that was known was that there were certainly dragons that had lived for longer than a thousand years.

She wasn’t entirely certain what particular type of dragon Spike was. He wouldn’t begin to show identifying characteristics until he started to mature. Yet, there was certainly a chance that he could live for a thousand years, in which case he’d be around when Celestia and Luna came back.

She set a hoof on his back. “You just may, Spike.”

He smiled. “I’d like that,” he said softly.

She rubbed his back gently. “I know you would. I hope that you do get that chance.”

They sat for another few minutes, before Spike got up. “Well, there’s still a lot to do before you leave. I need to make sure that you have enough supplies for a journey like that. Plus maps, you’ll need maps in case you get lost.” He went on, listing off things that she’d need.

Twilight was about to stop him, to tell him that they didn’t need to worry about that just yet. Yet just as she opened her mouth, she stopped herself. Throwing himself into his work like this was simply his way of coping. She’d seen it before, when he was upset over something often times he’d grab a broom and start sweeping the library. For now, it was best to just let him be.

Instead, she wrapped her hooves around him once more, drawing him into a tight hug. She leaned down, placing a kiss on his forehead, drawing an indignant squawk from him. “You’re the best assistant I could ever have,” she said. “And a wonderful brother.”

He stopped protesting, wrapping his arms around her. “And you’re a great sister,” he replied.

She let him go, giving him a pat on the back, before stepping past him and out of the dining room. Honestly, she had no idea what she was going to do today, even if the day was already more than half over. Perhaps she could go down to the refugee camp, see how things were there? Cadance was surely doing her best to accommodate everypony, but the influx of so many ponies would be putting a strain on her resources. An appearance by the Element of Magic, and Princess Celestia’s personal student could help. Or at the very least, it couldn’t hurt.

As she passed by the throne room, she saw that the doors were open. She glanced inside, and then stopped, seeing a sight that threw her for a loop.

Cadance wasn’t sitting on her throne, but standing next to it. No, sitting upon the throne was a filly, a small crown perched on her head. On the other side of the throne was a guard dressed in full armor. Arrayed in front of the dais were several ponies in a line.

Twilight’s mouth dropped open. What in Celestia’s name was going on in there? Her curiosity got the better of her, and she entered the throne room.

As she got closer, she recognized the filly. “Berry? Is that you?”

Cadance stepped forward. “That’s Princess Berry,” she informed Twilight.

Twilight had no idea what to think of the current situation, until she caught the wink that Cadance sent her way. Then her mind brought forth memories of Cadance promising to spend some time with Berry Fields. She looked around, spotting Swift Bloom off to one side, looking like she was caught between pride and panic.

So this was what Cadance had meant by an ‘important visitor.’ Twilight was impressed. She’d figured that Cadance would simply hang out with the filly for a bit, not put on this whole show. The ponies arrayed in front of the dais had to be servants coerced into this little play.

Berry held a hoof to her chest, looking down at Twilight. She was so small compared to the throne that it was almost comical, not that she seemed to notice. The filly was waiting for something, and it took Twilight a moment to realize what it was.

Striding forward until she was even with the rest of the ponies, Twilight bowed before the ‘Princess.’ “Your highness,” she intoned.

“You can get up,” Berry said, trying to sound imperial.

Twilight got to her hooves, joining the rest of the ponies. She was curious as to just what was going to happen, or had already happened.

Cadance turned to look at Berry. “Princess, what have you decided?”

The filly put a hoof to her chin, rubbing it back and forth. “I have decided, that you,” she pointed to an earth pony stallion, “are a meanie-pants and must go to bed tonight, without dessert.”

The stallion held his head down, looking contrite. “As you wish,” he said.

“And!” Berry cried. Her hoof turned to point at a pegasus mare. “You shall get his dessert tonight.”

The mare looked excited. “Thank you, Princess.” She bowed low.

“A wise decision,” Cadance said. “Wouldn’t you say so Guard Storm?”

The guard on the other side of the throne, which Twilight could now recognize as Storm, the guard who’d watched over Berry the other night, spoke up. “Indeed it is,” she said.

Berry giggled to herself, nearly causing the crown to fall from her head. Where Cadance had gotten such a small crown, Twilight had no idea. A quick burst of magic from Cadance saved it from tumbling to the floor.

Swift Bloom, standing off to one side of the dais, looked like she was about to have a panic attack. But at the same time, a smile was on her face as she gazed proudly at her daughter.

Storm stepped forward. “Are there any more petitioners?” she called out.

Twilight looked around, seeing that none of the other ponies in the room looked like they had anything to say. Her gaze met Cadance’s, who gave her a subtle nod.

“I believe we have one more, Princess,” Cadance said, staring at Twilight.

Berry beckoned Twilight forward with a hoof. “Tell me what you want,” she said.

Twilight hesitantly stepped forward. She was being put on the spot by Cadance, who, judging by the look on her face, was enjoying it. She had no idea what to say or do. The other ponies in the room had likely all been given parts to play and stories to tell. Probably they were all very clear cut cases, something a little filly could understand and render a judgement on.

She bowed before the filly, who giggled again, clearly enjoying her role as Princess. “Um, Princess Berry,” she began. “I come before you today seeking...” she trailed off, her mind working furiously to try and think of something. “Your advice,” she finished.

“You see, I have a dinner planned tonight, and I don’t know what to serve for dessert. I have cake and ice cream, but which should I serve?” she asked. Twilight smiled, feeling proud of herself for coming up with that on the spot. Cadance was smiling at her, while Storm looked like she was trying very hard not to facehoof, though the hint of a smile could be seen on her muzzle.

Once more, Berry rubbed a hoof on her chin. “That is a problem,” she said. “You’ve done good bringing it to me.” She thought for another moment, before stamping her hoof on the throne. “You will serve both.”

“Both, Princess?” Twilight asked.

Berry nodded. “Yes, both.”

“That’s... That’s very smart,” Twilight said. “Thank you, Princess Berry.” She bowed again, before backing up to stand with the other ponies.

Storm stepped forward once more. “Are there any other petitioners?” She waited a moment, looking around. “There are no more ponies, Princess.”

Cadance leaned over, whispering something in Berry’s ear. The filly stood on the chair. “Then court is adj- adju- over!” She stamped her hoof on the throne.

Twilight had to stop herself from giggling at the adorable sight of the filly dismissing everypony. She bowed once more with everypony else, then turned to leave with them. Behind her, she could hear Berry talking rapidly.

“That was so cool!” the filly exclaimed.

“We’re not done yet,” Cadance said. Twilight heard a sharp intake of breath from Berry. “No, now we get to go relax after court. Come on, let’s go to your lounge. I think there’s some yummy treats there.” Berry let out a squeal of excitement and started chattering away excitedly as Twilight left the throne room.

As soon as they were out of the throne room, the other ponies turned and headed towards where Twilight knew the servants had rooms for getting ready and their own lounge. Twilight, on the other hoof, still had no idea what she was going to do today. She could probably tag along with Cadance and Berry, but that would be intruding on Berry’s special day. No, she’d have to think of something.

She’d hoped to see one of her friends, as that would make figuring out what to do a lot easier. Unfortunately none of them were hanging out in the entry hall, which made sense.

She sighed. Maybe it would be best to go with her original idea of heading out to the refugee camp. Applejack had said that it was by the train station.

With nothing else to do, and no ideas coming to her, she left the palace, heading down the stairs and into the street. As it was in the afternoon, the streets were only partially full. Most ponies were at work, or otherwise leading their normal lives.

A part of her envied those ponies. To be able to continue living their normal lives, despite what was going on, she longed for that. Despite Canterlot being in ruins, despite Celestia being gone, despite the dozens of others things going on, they woke up each morning and went to work. Their lives hadn’t changed. Their lives weren’t ruined.

Walking through the streets towards the train station, she watched the ponies around her. None of them looked overly concerned about what was going on. Their most distressing thought was what to have for dinner that night. They didn’t have some crazy mission hanging over their head.

Twilight stopped walking, causing a mare behind her to bump into her. The mare shot her an indignant look as she passed, but Twilight paid her no mind. Instead, she moved over to a nearby bench and sat down.

Her hooves were shaking and she could barely stand. Rather than sitting down, she nearly collapsed onto the bench. She held her head in her hooves, watching the ponies walk past her.

They all seemed so carefree. Their innocence may have been shaken, but it wasn’t shattered like hers. The Crystal Empire was unscathed by what had happened in Equestria, besides the refugees. All of these ponies knew what had happened, even if Cadance had yet to make an official announcement about anything. Yet it seemed like they didn’t care.

They just went about their lives like nothing happened. And that hurt more than anything else. Why couldn’t they feel what she was feeling? Couldn’t they at least pretend like everything wasn’t okay?

She could feel tears threatening to spill forth, and she wiped her eyes, trying to stem the tide. “Are you okay, miss?” she heard a voice from next to her.

She looked over, seeing a unicorn stallion wearing saddlebags with several scrolls poking out of them. He was looking at her with concern.

“I’m fine,” she lied. To prove her point, she smiled at him.

It wasn’t fooling him. The stallion sat on the bench next to her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Twilight looked at him, at this stranger who was asking about her, and the dam broke. Tears poured forth from her eyes. The stallion didn’t say anything, just leaned over and drew her into a hug. She buried her head in his soft shoulder, letting the tears flow.

She cried not for those who were lost, she’d already shed tears over them. Nor did she cry for Celestia, who’s presence she would never feel again. No, she cried because she needed to. She cried because she had no idea what to do. She needed to be strong around her friends, around Spike and Cadance, but not even she could keep things bottled up. Here, on this bench, in front of this complete stranger, she could let herself go.

She could feel the stallion’s hoof rubbing her back, as he whispered soothing things in her ear. It felt nice to be comforted by a complete stranger, someone who didn’t know her and was only doing so out of the goodness of his heart.

When the tears dried up, she sniffled, leaning back and wiping her eyes. The stallion’s shoulder was a matted mess of wet coat. “Sorry,” she said, trying to brush it down.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?”

She smiled at him again, a genuine one this time. “Yes, I am. Thank you.”

He rubbed her back again. “It’s no problem.” He hesitated. “Do... Do you want to talk about it?”

Before Twilight could tell him no, her mouth was open and she was speaking. She told him of being from Ponyville, of escaping the dragon attack, of nearly dying out in the frozen wasteland. She told him of arriving in the city, of finding her friends. And finally, she told him that now she’d have to leave on a mission from the Princess (she left out which Princess it was) which she thought was impossible. All the while she spoke, her brain was screaming at her to be quiet, to stop talking, but it was like her mouth was uncontrollable.

The stallion said nothing throughout her monologue. He just kept slowly rubbing her back with a hoof. When she was finished, he was silent for a long while.

“It certainly sounds like you’ve had a rough time lately. I can’t imagine what it’s like, going through all that. But,” he paused a moment, “it sounds to me like you’ve held it together remarkably well.”

She looked at him with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Like I said, I can’t imagine what it’s like to go through that. But I can tell you that if that had happened to me, I’d probably be an absolute wreck, unable to even get out of bed. And look at you, you’re out and about!” He smiled and waved his hooves around, causing her to giggle at him.

“And even more than that,” he continued. “You’ve already survived so much. I’m sure that one little mission won’t be a challenge for you.”

“Thanks,” she said, looking up at him. “It’s just so frustrating, though, seeing all these ponies,” she gestured around her with a hoof, “going about their lives like nothing’s changed, when my whole world’s been turned upside down.”

“What makes you think we’re not feeling different too?” he asked.

“Pardon me?”

“Look around you. You see ponies going about their day like nothing’s changed. I see ponies who are clinging to their routines.”

“What do you mean?”

He sat back on the bench. “Well, if you had the chance to go back to your normal routine, would you?”

She nodded. “Yes, absolutely.”

“Why?”

She thought for a moment. “Because it’s what I know.”

“Because you take comfort in it,” he countered. She nodded. “It’s the same for the rest of us. When something bad happens we throw ourselves into our daily routines because it’s comfortable. Because we take solace in the familiarity.”

Twilight felt understanding hit her like a buck from Applejack. She’d been resenting the ponies for acting like nothing was wrong, when all along she was just jealous of them. She wanted to be like them, to just go back to her daily routine of studying and learning about magic. What hurt the most was knowing that no matter what happened, she never could.

The stallion was watching her. He cracked a smile. “There, I can see that you get it now.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Glad I could help such a pretty mare.”

Twilight felt her cheeks heat up as a blush appeared. The stallion laughed, standing up. “Unfortunately,” he said, “I need to be on my way.” He started to walk away.

“Wait!” Twilight said. The stallion stopped, looking at her. “What’s your name?”

“Open Scroll,” he said. “I’m a professor over at the university.” He indicated over his shoulder with a hoof.

Twilight stood up, moving to stand in front of him. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle,” she said, holding out a hoof.

She could see recognition in his eyes as they widened for a brief moment. He took her hoof, shaking it. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Sparkle.”

“Thanks again for listening, and for the advice.”

“You’re most welcome. Unfortunately, I really must be going. But perhaps someday you can stop by my classroom, give my students a lecture they’ll never forget.”

She giggled. “Maybe.”

He turned and trotted off, pausing only to wave at her as he turned a corner. She waved back, feeling much better than she had all day.

Twilight stood there for a moment longer, before turning herself and heading on towards the train station. She still wanted to go visit the refugees.

It took her another fifteen minutes of walking, but she spotted the refugee camp. A tent city had sprung up between the train station and the town proper. There had to be several hundred tents erected, with a multitude of ponies milling about between them. Smoke rose from a few fires that some ponies were using to heat water. She could see members of the city guard handing out cups filled with something, possibly tea. Other guardsponies were patrolling, helping out if they were needed.

Overall, from a first glance, it looked clean and well organized, a far cry from what it could be. She entered the camp with no real destination in mind. She decided to just wander around, take in the conditions and see if there was anything she could do.

As she wandered, she talked to ponies, both refugees and guards. The refugees were consistent, the conditions in the camp were good. They had plenty of food and water, as well as shelter. Everypony had a bed and somewhere to sleep. It wasn’t home, but it was better than they had expected. The guards said that there were occasional fights and arguments, but otherwise there weren’t any problems so far.

She bumped into ponies that she recognized from Ponyville. Each time she would stop and talk with them, making sure they were alright. They’d exchange stories about what had happened to them. It felt good to see some ponies she knew, knowing they were safe.

Yet not all was good. Through the Ponyville ponies, she heard about some who hadn’t made it. She learned the names of at least some ponies who’d died in the attack. Each new name was a blow, bringing back the pain and sadness. She comforted ponies who’d lost friends or family, all while mourning them herself. Some of the names she recognized, some she didn’t, yet each one was a loss.

She spent the entire afternoon wandering the camp, talking to ponies and making observations. She had to admit that Cadance was doing a great job providing for these ponies who had nothing.

As she left to go back to the palace, she could see several guards drawing carts of food to distribute. For now, everything was in good order, but how long until supplies ran out and they had to start cutting back? When the food ran out, what would they do? Would the refugees riot? Things could go from good to miserable very quickly.

Twilight headed back to the palace. It was nearing dinner time, and even though she wasn’t terribly hungry, she felt like at least joining the others.

She arrived back at the palace, giving the guards along the stairs nods as she passed. The guard at the top returned her nod as she entered. Inside, the doors to the throne room were closed once more, Cadance probably off with Berry somewhere.

Realizing she had no idea what time dinner was, she headed to the kitchen to figure out. She peeked her head inside, seeing several cooks busy preparing the meal. She stopped one of them and asked when dinner was. The cook informed her that they were to serve the first course in twenty minutes.

Twilight thanked the pony and left. That gave her just enough time to head up to her room for a moment. Taking the stairs up, she entered her room, closing the door behind her.

She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, seeing her mane askew and the coat around her muzzle needed some fixing. A quick trip into the bathroom and she emerged looking as good as new. Even Rarity wouldn’t be able to find much to nitpick about.

A glance at the clock told her it was time to head back to the dining room. Mostly likely the others were already there and wondering where she was. She left her room, surprised to see Rainbow coming down the hall.

“Oh hey, Twilight,” she said.

“Hey, Rainbow. What’s going on?” She walked next to her friend, together the two of them leaving their rooms behind.

“Eh, not much. I spent the day outside, flying around.”

“You mean napping,” Twilight joked.

The pegasus smiled. “Well yeah, I did that too. So what’d you do?”

“I went to the refugee camp. I wanted to see things there for myself.”

“And how was it?”

Twilight sighed. “Conditions there are good, I just wonder how long it’ll last.”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked, looking confused.

“Well,” Twilight explained. “For now there’s food, water, and shelter for everypony. But the Crystal Empire’s stockpiles won’t last forever. Rationing will have to be enforced. If more ponies show up, will there be enough room to hold them?”

“Jeez, sounds harsh. So what you’re saying is that we need to kick this dragon’s tail before all that happens.” She took to the air, doing a backflip and punching the air a few times while she spoke.

Twilight laughed. “Yes, Rainbow, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

The pegasus landed, laughing along with Twilight as they walked. Together, they entered the dining room, and for the second time that day, Twilight saw an unusual sight.

Seated at the head of the table was Berry, with Swift to her left and, surprisingly, Storm on her right. Next were two older ponies that Twilight didn’t recognize, a pegasus mare and an earth pony stallion. Seated next to the stallion was Cadance, the seat next to the mare was empty. Twilight’s friends were all seated next, with the rest of their friends and family seated at the other end of the table.

There were two empty seats left. Rainbow was already climbing into the chair next to Rarity, leaving only the one in between the mare and Applejack for Twilight.

As soon as she sat down, the mare turned to Twilight. “You’re a pretty one,” she said bluntly.

“Um, thanks?” Twilight responded.

Swift Bloom spoke up. “Mom, please, at least introduce yourself first.” When the mare didn’t say anything, Swift took the initiative. “Twilight, meet my parents, Green Hoof,” she indicated the stallion next to her, “and Fleetwing,” said finished, pointing at the mare.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Twilight said. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle.”

Green held out a hoof. True to his name, his coat was a light green in color, his mane being black, but with streaks of grey in it. “Pleasure to meet you as well,” he said as Twilight shook his hoof.

Fleetwing, who had a magenta coat and blue mane, turned to regard her daughter. “You see what your competition is?” she said.

Swift groaned, placing a hoof on her forehead. “Mom, please.”

“I’m just saying, you’re not getting any younger. You need to think about getting yourself another stallion.”

“Mom, dinner hasn’t even started yet and you’re already embarrassing me.”

“Sweetie,” Green broke in. “Let’s just enjoy dinner in peace. The Princess was kind enough to invite us to dine at her table, let’s not insult her.”

Far to the contrary, Cadance looked like she was enjoying the little back and forth between Swift and her mother, a small smile gracing her features. “Oh no, please. This is Berry’s night, just pretend I’m not here.”

Before Swift could argue, a servant came in. “Dinner is served,” he announced. Several more servants came in carrying trays with plates on them. Each plate was covered with a silver dome. It was a rather elaborate affair that Twilight suspected was being put on for Berry, to treat her like a Princess.

The servants set the plates down in front of each pony, only pulling off the lids once everypony had a plate. Underneath the lid was a small, simple salad.

Twilight picked up her fork, spearing some of the salad and taking a bite. It was crisp and with just the right amount of dressing. All around her, the others were eating as well.

Conversations sprang up around the table. Berry regaled her grandparents with the story of how her day went, from holding court to getting pampered, to even standing out on the balcony and looking out over the city. She got to see a demonstration of her guard, and had some fun in ordering them around a bit.

Swift Bloom looked nervous during parts of it, but the filly’s infectious happiness started getting to her. She was soon smiling and laughing as the filly described, with waving hoof gestures, how she’d gotten the guards to march in various formations during drills.

At one point, Twilight leaned across the table, beckoning Cadance over as well. When the alicorn was close enough, Twilight whispered in her ear. “How did you get the guards and servants to go through with this?”

“I promised them all an extra day of paid vacation. Though most of them volunteered anyway.”

Dinner was a three course affair, with the salad, a main course of vegetables and rice, then, much to Berry’s delight, dessert was cake and ice cream. By the time the meal was over, everypony felt satisfied, with Twilight even leaning back in her chair, hooves over her stomach.

“That was excellent, Princess,” Swift stated.

“How many times do I have to ask you to call me Cadance?”

“Sorry, Cadance.”

Fleetwing looked between her daughter and the Princess. “Swift, I know you mentioned that you’d met the Princess, but to be on a first name basis with her, I can’t help but think that you left some parts out of your story.”

Swift ducked her head, a blush of red coming to her cheeks. “Erm, well, I may have omitted a few parts...”

Fleet’s eyes narrowed. “Like?” she prompted.

“Well, I may have saved the Elements of Harmony as well.” Swift’s gaze ran across Twilight and her friends, an action that the shrewd Fleet didn’t miss.

Instantly, Fleet’s glare was turned upon Twilight. “Really?”

“It’s true, ma’am. We were caught outside in a snowstorm and your daughter gave us shelter in her home. Then, she took us into the city. We certainly owe her.”

“Is that so?” Twilight followed Fleet’s sharp gaze as it traversed the table, finally coming to a stop on Big Mac, who was listening as Discord told some raucous tale. “What about him?” she asked.

Applejack spoke up. “You mean my brother?”

“Oh, he’s your brother? And you’re an Element of Harmony?” Twilight had a sneaking suspicion about where this line of questioning was heading towards. And based on Swift’s reaction of trying to make herself as small as possible in her chair, so did she.

“What’s his name?” Fleet asked, seeming genuinely interested in the answer.

“Uh, Big Macintosh, but we all just call him Big Mac,” Applejack answered.

“Hey Big Mac!” Fleet called down the table, drawing everypony’s attention. The stallion in question turned his head to see who’d called him. Fleet pointed to her daughter, who was trying to hide under the table. “My daughter saved your sister’s life, so be a gentlestallion and take her out.”

Big Mac’s mouth fell open as he was at a loss for words. Not that he’d have gotten a chance to say anything as Fleet continued on. “She’s pretty enough, though she already has a daughter. But I’m sure that won’t be an issue for you.” Fleet folded her hooves on the table. “So, tomorrow night you’ll stop by our place and pick her up.”

The only sound at the table was Cadance trying desperately to stifle her laughter, and failing miserably. Big Mac still had his mouth hanging open.

Fleet looked impatient, tapping a hoof on the table. “Well, don’t just sit there attracting flies, say yes.”

That snapped him out of it, as he shook his head, looking down the table at Swift, who had her muzzle firmly planted on the table, her ears folded down to her head. He’d been backed into a corner and he knew it. He couldn’t decline the offer now that he’d been called out in front of everypony, not without embarrassing Swift and angering her mom.

“Eeyup,” he said, casting a wary glance at his sister. Applejack had her face hidden behind her hat, though based on the way her body was subtly shaking, Twilight suspected she was laughing. Cadance had a hoof nearly stuffed in her mouth, giggles still forcing their way out around the obstruction. Everypony else around the table was in a similar state. Twilight herself was looking on with amusement.

“Good lad,” Fleet said. “I’ll tell you when and where to be after dinner.” She then picked up her fork, finishing off her dessert as if nothing had happened.

That did it, nearly everypony burst out laughing. Applejack let her hat drop, showing the she had indeed been laughing the entire time. Cadance gave up all pretense of hiding it. The only one’s not laughing were Big Mac, whose cheeks had somehow managed to turn an even darker shade of red, Fleet, who casually ate her dessert, and Swift, who was softly banging her head on the table.

The after dinner conversation was mostly spent ribbing Big Mac on his date tomorrow night. The poor stallion took it all in good humor, though he looked nervous. Applejack at one point walked over to him, slapping him between the shoulders and congratulating him. Green Hoof took him aside for a moment, and when they returned, Big Mac was in far better spirits.

Finally, though, it was time for Swift and her family to head home, despite Cadance saying that they were free to spend the night in the palace. Based on the glare Swift was giving her mom, Twilight felt sorry for their neighbors at the coming argument.

Goodbyes were said, hugs were exchanged, but eventually Swift and her family were walking down the steps of the palace, Berry curled up on her mom’s back, exhausted from the long day.

As they were leaving, a lone guard was racing up the steps. He skidded to a halt in front of Cadance, throwing a swift salute while panting for breath.

“At ease,” she said.

“Princess,” he said. “News... from... train station...” he managed to get out between pants.

“Take a moment, Private. Catch your breath.”

He shook his head. “Important... Scouts to Canterlot... Back.”

Cadance pulled her head back, surprise on her face. “The scouts are back?”

The guard confirmed with a nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

Cadance’s demeanor changed. She went from a mare enjoying her evening, to a Princess, an air of authority surrounding her. “Excellent work, Private. Head to the barracks and rest.” He saluted, turning around and heading down the steps. Cadance turned to Storm, who was still with them. “Storm, I know you’re off duty, but please wait here for the scouts. When they arrive, escort them to the war room.”

Storm saluted. “Yes ma’am.”

“The rest of you, follow me back inside.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned around, heading inside the palace. Storm took a position at the top of the stairs.

Twilight followed her sister, catching up to her. “Storm’s off duty?”

Cadance nodded. “She’s been off duty all day.”

“Then what about this afternoon in the throne room? And dinner?”

“When I told the guard about Berry’s visit, Storm was the first one to volunteer, even before I offered the incentive. As for dinner, that was at Berry’s insistence.”

Cadance led them to a door deep in the palace. She stopped in front of it, turning to address the others. “Twilight, you and your friends should join me. As for the rest of you, you’re free to make your own choices.”

Applebloom brightened up, about to say something, but a large hoof on her back stopped her. “Eenope,” said Big Mac.

“Aww,” she pouted.

In the end, Cadance, Twilight and the other Elements, as well as Discord entered the room. There was much pouting and whining from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but Big Mac and the Cakes managed to herd them away.

Inside the room was a circular table with a map of the Crystal Empire spread out on it. A shelf held other scrolls that Twilight suspected were more maps. There were no chairs, or any other furniture in the room. It was simply a room for planning and strategizing.

Cadance took a spot at the table where she could see the door, sitting on the floor and waiting. Twilight sat down next to her, the others gathering around the table as well, except Discord. He hung back, leaning against the wall.

They didn’t have to wait long, as shortly after they got situated, there was a knock on the door. “Enter,” Cadance called.

The door opened and Storm came in, followed by four pegasi wearing light armor. Storm saluted. “The scouts, as you requested, ma’am.”

“Thank you Storm, that will be all.”

Storm nodded, turning around to leave. As she left, another pony entered, though this one was markedly different. For starters, she was a thestral, not that many ponies were even aware that was the term for their race. Twilight only knew because Luna had told her. They liked to keep it a secret for some reason. Her bat-like wings were folded against her side as her yellow eyes with cat-like slits in them scanned the room. She had a dark coat, almost black and a deep purple mane. Her cutie mark was of a sword with a dark blue blade, almost blending into her coat.

Cadance stared at the new arrival. “I’m sorry, you are?” she asked.

The thestral, or as Twilight knew they were more commonly referred to, batpony, stopped, looking at Cadance. Then she stood at attention and saluted. “Midnight Blade, Captain of the Lunar Guard.”

“At ease, Captain,” Cadance said. “I’m glad to see that you survived. Please, make yourself comfortable. I’m sure there’s a reason why you’re with my scouts here, but we’ll get to that in time.” She turned to her scouts, who instantly saluted. “At ease. Sergeant, start from the beginning. What have you learned?”

The pony on the far left, a mare, stepped up to the table. “We rode the train as far as it could go, that being Ponyville, ma’am. After that, the train tracks just... vanish.”

“Based on what some of the Ponyville survivors have told me, I’m not surprised.”

The sergeant turned to one of the other pegasi. “Corporal, find a map of Equestria.”

Within short order, a map of Equestria had been unrolled and was laying on the table, the corners weighted down. The sergeant pointed a hoof towards Ponyville. “The train offloaded us, then loaded on some survivors and left. The town was mostly intact. There’s evidence of some fires, though.”

Cadance held up a hoof. “I’ve received firsthoof accounts of what happened in Ponyville, so I don’t need a damage report. What have you found out about Canterlot?”

The sergeant sighed. “Well, ma’am, it’s not pretty. From just outside of Ponyville, everything’s just gone. The entire landscape has been scorched clean, leaving only ash behind. Already the winds have picked up some of it, coating the skies above Ponyville in a thick layer of ash the blocks out the sun. It’s almost like eternal night there. Cities downwind will have to prepare for ash clouds coming their way.”

Midnight seemed to have taken the suggestion to make herself comfortable literally, her head laying on the table. Twilight could tell that she was still watching and listening to everything, her eyes moving around the table.

“As for Canterlot itself,” the sergeant continued, “it’s a mess. Most of the city has become detached from the mountain, ending up as a pile of rubble at the foothills. Only the Warehouse District is still clinging on, though it honestly looked like it could come crashing down at any moment.”

Twilight knew that the Market District had already come down, she’d seen it herself the night of the attack, but the other districts as well? So now both her childhood home, and the palace were gone. Rebuilding the city would be a massive undertaking.

Looking around the table at her friends, she could see them all absorbing the information. If she was being honest, what the sergeant was describing wasn’t new to any of them, simply a confirmation.

“To be honest, ma’am, I can’t see anypony having survived in Canterlot to mount a rescue operation. Not that you’d get close enough.”

“Explain,” Cadance commanded.

“It’s... Well it. The thing. We spotted it when we were surveying the ruins. It’s buried itself into the rubble and is simply laying there. Corporals Wing and Lift monitored it for a day, and the thing never even twitched.” She paused a moment. “It’s like the thing is... sleeping. Like how a regular dragon hibernates.”

Cadance nodded. “That fits with some intel I’ve already received.” She glanced at Midnight, who was still laying her head on the table. “And how did you come across the Captain?”

The sergeant shuffled her hooves. “Well, she came across us, our last night there. We’d fallen back to Ponyville to camp. She found us.”

“Didn’t anypony tell you that you really shouldn’t build a fire when you’re out on scouting missions?” Midnight spoke up.

“Well the area was deserted, and we needed the light,” the sergeant defended.

Midnight pulled her head off of the table. “Thinking the area was deserted was one of your mistakes. You made plenty of others. I’d been following you for a day at that point.” She used a hoof to scratch a foreleg. “You need to work on your stealth.”

“There was literally nopony around!”

The batpony smiled at the sergeant, showing her fanged teeth. “I was around. And if I were the enemy, you’d all be dead.”

“The enemy is asleep at the bottom of Canterlot Mountain.”

Midnight’s eyes narrowed, even though she was still smiling her alluring smile. “An enemy that we know nothing about. For all we know, it could’ve molted off some little wyrmlings or something.” Her smiled faded. “Lesson number one, never assume anything.”

The sergeant opened her mouth to respond, but Cadance cut her off. “Enough,” she said. “Captain, do you have anything else to add?”

Midnight shook her head. “Nope. The sergeant’s report was, surprisingly, accurate.”

The sergeant shot Midnight a glare, but didn’t say anything.

“Very well. Sergeant, do you have anything else to add?”

She nodded. “Yes ma’am. We observed several tower-like objects sticking out of the ground. They’re here, here, here, and here,” she pointed to a spot on the map each time.

Twilight saw one of them as the sword-tower that had crashed down near her, but the other three were new ones to her. She still had no idea what those things were, or what purpose they served.

“We didn’t get close to any of them, but we can say that they are active. They give off a blue glow, and sometimes they arc off some form of blue lightning.

“As for the terrain, well like I said, it’s nothing but devastation. The weather from the Everfree is already spilling out around the area, causing unpredictable patterns. I have no idea how far it’ll spread. Certainly not this far north, but other towns will most likely be affected.”

Cadance waited a moment, but the sergeant said nothing else. “Is that all?” she asked.

The sergeant nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“Very well. Excellent job. You four are dismissed. Head to the barracks and get some food. Then I want you each to write a detailed report of what you saw, including sketches. I want those reports tomorrow morning. As soon as I have those reports, consider yourselves on leave for a few days. Go home, see your families and get some rest. Report back to the barracks in four days.”

The four pegasi saluted. “Yes ma’am,” they chorused. They turned around to leave, but Cadance’s voice stopped them.

“Oh, and what you saw, and what we spoke about, doesn’t leave this room.”

They saluted once more, then left the room, closing the door behind them. As soon as the door was closed, Midnight spoke up again. “You know they’re amateurs, right?”

“They are some of my best scouts,” Cadance replied.

Midnight laughed. “Your best? They’re about as stealthy as a minotaur in a china shop. If they were under my command, they’d definitely be taking a refresher course on stealth. No, scratch that, I’d never even let them in the Lunar Guard with a performance like that.”

Twilight could see Cadance losing her patience with Midnight. “Captain, as much as I appreciate your honesty, I have some questions for you.”

Midnight shrugged. “Sure.”

Twilight had heard of Midnight from her brother. The thestral had a disregard for her superiors that bordered on insubordination. She apparently loved to flirt with Shining and rile him up, a fact which had caused Twilight to endure several rants about the batpony when she visited her brother.

Yet, there was a reason Midnight was the Captain of the Lunar Guard: she was the best. Her skills were legendary. Her insubordination and antics were overlooked because when it came down to it, she got the job done. Even Shining had nothing but praise for her skills, albeit begrudgingly.

“What were you doing near Ponyville?” Cadance asked.

“The same thing those four were. I wanted to know what had happened, and get a look at things.”

“And where were you during the attack?”

“I was in Manehatten with a contingent of Lunar Guard. We’d been sent there to augment the city guard, as well as a demonstration to the people. You know, the whole ‘The Princesses are watching over you, you’re not alone’ sort of thing.”

Twilight spoke up. “I don’t recall seeing any of the Lunar Guard in the field that night.”

“That’s because we weren’t. The Princesses had sent us to the cities. As soon as I learned of what happened, I sent word to the Lunar Guard to get to Manehatten, then I headed towards Canterlot where I met your scouts.”

“So the Lunar Guard is all in Manehatten?”

Midnight nodded. “All who are still alive, yes.”

“Good, then you’ll send word to them, tell them to come here.”

“What?” Midnight looked incredulous.

“You heard me, Captain.” Twilight wasn’t used to seeing this side of Cadance. This wasn’t the fun-loving alicorn she’d grown up with. This was a serious Princess. The difference in demeanors was astounding.

Midnight placed her front hooves on the table. “The Lunar Guard is all that’s left of the Royal Forces. By sending us here, you’re abandoning Equestria.”

“No, Captain,” Cadance said, shaking her head. “I’m not abandoning Equestria. But even you must admit that based on how the dragon fared against the Royal Guard, the Lunar Guard won’t last any longer.”

It was clear that Midnight wasn’t going to say anything, but the look on her face was enough. She knew that Cadance spoke the truth.

“No, we need to consolidate our forces, rest and recuperate. As well, there’s some information that we’ve come across.”

“Tell me,” Midnight said, her eyes narrowing.

Cadance narrowed her eyes. “Captain,” she said. “I appreciate your knowledge and skills, but you are disturbingly close to insubordination. I am the Princess here, and you will show me the respect I deserve.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Midnight said. “Requesting to be informed of the current intel.”

Cadance kept her glare for another moment, before she launched into an explanation. She explained about soul gems, leaving out their history, just explaining what they were. As well, she explained about summoning Celestia, and about what Celestia had told them about the dragon. Finally, she explained about the mission that Celestia had given Twilight.

Midnight was silent throughout the tale. Her face betrayed nothing of what she was thinking. Only her eyes showed any movement, quivering as her thoughts raced.

“So as you can see,” Cadance finished up, “we’re not abandoning Equestria. We’re consolidating and buying time for Twilight to complete her task. As Celestia said, only as a unified force can we hope to defeat the dragon. Even you must see that.”

Midnight remained silent for several long moments. Then she sat back, a sigh escaping her lips. “Dammit,” she swore. “That’s... that’s a stupid, idiotic, insane plan.” She paused momentarily. “But I suppose it’s all we’ve got,” she admitted.

Twilight was surprised to hear the thestral say that. She figured that they’d have to argue some more. Her shock must’ve shown on her face, because Midnight addressed her.

“Even I know when something’s a lost cause. And gathering the Lunar Guard, plus the remains of the Royal Guard, add in the Crystal Guard and attacking the dragon, that’s a lost cause. Even if we included all the various city guards, not that I trust them with a pointy stick much less a sword, and we’d still lose.”

She sighed once more. “No, Celestia’s plan makes sense, as impossible as it is to actually accomplish. Especially given the intel we have from Celestia.”

“Then you’ll bring the Lunar Guard here?” Cadance asked.

“What about threats outside the dragon? The Gryphons could take this opportunity to expand their territory. Or the Changelings could insert themselves once more.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Cadance admitted. “Very well, what do you suggest we do?”

Midnight peered at the map of Equestria on the table. “Well, Right now all of our border posts are staffed with a skeleton crew, Celestia having pulled as many guards as she could from them.” She pointed to the border between Equestria and the Zebra nation of Zebrica. “We can actually pull back from these posts. The Zebra’s won’t do anything and we can use the troops to reinforce the border between us and the Gryphon Empire.”

Next she pointed to the border between Equestria and the Minotaur lands. “We can use these troops to reinforce the border posts on the Badlands. The Minotaurs have always been neutral, and the border posts are more of a formality than anything.”

Cadance eyed the map. “So you’re suggesting we abandon the posts between Equestria and Zebrica, as well as Equestria and the Minotaur lands entirely?”

Midnight nodded. “Yes. Like I said, neither of them will try anything, and this way we can safeguard against the races that might actually try something.”

Twilight butted in. “Wait a second here.” Every head in the room turned towards her. “Our entire plan hinges on getting these races as allies and here you two are, talking about protecting borders and military actions. We need to be doing the opposite.”

“What do you mean?” Cadance asked.

Twilight pointed to the map. “Reinforcing our borders is just telling the Gryphons and Changelings that we don’t trust them. If we want to gain them as allies, shouldn’t we be doing the opposite?”

Both Cadance and Midnight were silent for a moment, before Cadance spoke up. “She makes a good point.” She turned to face Midnight once more. “Captain, is there a way we can show some good faith?”

Midnight stared at the map for several minutes, her eyes darting about as she thought. “Maybe,” she said. “We’ve got the Gryphons to the East, and the Changelings to the South. For the Gryphons, if we pull back the posts to Fillydelphia, that would leave the borders empty, but still protect the closest major city. And a force stationed there could react quickly in the case of an emergency. As for the south, the closest town is Dodge Junction, so we can mirror the same move there.”

She continued to look at the map. “However, no matter how much faith we want to show, I don’t like leaving ourselves completely open like that. I can station some scouts at the borders to patrol and watch, just in case. We’ll be stretched thin, but it’s better than nothing.”

“And what about the Zebras and Minotaurs? We’re already abandoning those posts, so why not just do the same thing along all our borders?” Twilight suggested.

“Even with the entire Lunar Guard, and every scout in the Royal Guard, we’d never have enough ponies to safeguard our borders if we did that.”

“It’s called faith, Captain,” Twilight responded. “By pulling back from everywhere, we show that we’re trusting the others to not take advantage of Equestria. Something like that would go a long way to securing allies.”

Midnight looked like she was going to argue some more, but Cadance cut her off. “Twilight makes a good point. We want to gain allies, not alienate them. So consider her suggestion to be an order from me.”

“On one condition,” Midnight said. Cadance was taken aback at that, Midnight capitalizing on that to continue speaking unopposed. “When Twilight goes to visit the other countries, she gets an escort.”

“Well, duh,” Rainbow said. “We’re all going with her.” She indicated the rest of her friends.

“And how good are your fighting skills? Do you know the nerve cluster to incapacitate a gryphon’s wings? Or how about the best place to strike a minotaur? Can you hold your own in a fight against a skilled opponent?”

The brash pegasus sputtered for a moment. “I know how to fight,” she proclaimed, a hoof striking her chest.

“Really?” Midnight perked up. “You’ll have to show me. How about tonight in the field by the barracks.”

Rainbow was about to respond, when Twilight held her mouth closed with magic. The pegasus shot her an indignant look. “Rainbow,” Twilight said. “Midnight is a Captain in the Lunar Guard. I don’t care how well you think you can fight, she’ll still win. She’s just trying to rile you up.”

Midnight chuckled. “You ruined my fun.”

Twilight released her hold on Rainbow, who muttered something that sounded like ‘I can still take her...’ She sighed, used to the antics of her friend. “Midnight, why would we need an escort?”

“Because not every being you run into is going to welcome you with open arms. There may come a time when you’ll have to fight. If it comes to that, I’d feel much better knowing there was someone with you who knew how to fight. Properly,” she added on, looking at Rainbow, who just glared at the batpony.

“And,” she continued. “By leaving our borders open, having an escort doesn’t guarantee that you’ll make it deep enough into the other countries to talk to someone important, but it increases the odds.”

“Who do you have in mind?” Cadance asked.

“I can get word to the Lunar Guard tonight, and they can be here in two days. I was thinking of sending Lieutenant Iron Hoof with them. He’s my second in command, and the best fighter I’ve got.”

Cadance nodded. “Fine. But just the Lieutenant. I want to keep this a small group.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Midnight said.

Cadance turned to Twilight. “So that gives you two days to get ready to leave. On the morning of the third day, you should head out. Think you can get everything ready in that amount of time?”

Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “I think I can. I’ll have to spend all day tomorrow drawing up plans and figuring out what we’re going to do, as well as gather the supplies we’ll need.” She thought for a moment more. “I think that’ll work.”

“Good.” Her attention once more was turned upon Midnight. “Captain, I have need of some of your scouts.”

The batpony nodded. “What for?”

“Celestia says that the dragon will sleep for some time, though we know not for precisely how long. I need some ponies there to watch it, and alert us should it wake.”

“I can send a pair of scouts to Ponyville, and rotate them out each week.”

“Make it happen, Captain.”

Midnight nodded. “What about the rest of the Lunar Guard?”

“I want the rest of your guard stationed here. As the truth makes its way across Equestria, ponies will flock towards safe havens. It’s Celestia’s wish that the Crystal Empire be turned into a beacon of hope, so if we’re successful in that, then those ponies will be flocking here. I’ll need your guard to supplement my own.”

Midnight eyed the map. “We can do that.”

“Furthermore,” Cadance continued. “We’ll be needing supplies. The Empire has stockpiles of food and medicine, but those won’t last forever. I’ll need you to organize a way to get supplies from Equestria to here. Focus on things that won’t go bad like grains and rice. We may have to institute rationing, but I won’t see a single pony go hungry.”

At this, Midnight actually saluted. “Consider it done ma’am. Permission to liaise with your own guard, as well as recruit volunteers? I’ll also need to talk to the train conductors about borrowing a train or two.”

“Permission granted. I don’t know how long this will last, so try and gather as much as you can.”

Twilight felt something nagging at her. She decided to address her concerns. “Cadance, you said that ‘As the truth makes its way across Equestria.’ What do you mean?”

Cadance turned her head, looking at Twilight. “Twilight, we’re not going to be able to keep the truth about Luna and Celestia hidden. Eventually somepony’s going to realize that neither Princess has shown themselves. Rumors will spread, followed by panic. If nothing is done, ponies will riot.”

“She’s right,” Midnight said. “You need to say something, Cadance. Make an announcement to the Empire, and send word of that announcement to all the cities of Equestria.”

Cadance nodded. “Ponies will be scared, but hopefully not panic. Though I’ll have to be careful about what I say.” She thought for a moment. “I’ll draft something tonight and make an announcement at noon tomorrow. I’ll get my guard to spread the word.”

“Good idea,” Midnight said. “Ponies will already be wondering. Best to nip rumors in the bud before they have a chance to take hold.”

Twilight had to agree. Cadance may have expressed disbelief at Celestia asking her to step up, but she seemed to have things well in hoof. Twilight was proud that Cadance was giving Celestia the benefit of the doubt and trying her very best here. She seemed well on her way to accomplishing what the Princess wanted her to do.

At least that made one of them. Twilight had no idea how to even begin approaching her mission. She supposed that the first thing to do would be to visit the leader of each country and simply ask. Beyond that, she was out of ideas. Maybe Midnight would be able to help her plan something. The thestral seemed to have a shrewd mind.

“Is there anything else?” Cadance asked.

Midnight shook her head. “I can’t think of anything that can’t wait until tomorrow.”

“Very well. You’re dismissed Captain. If you go to the barracks, you’ll find a hot meal and a bed.”

Midnight threw a half-hearted salute and left the room, closing the door behind her. Twilight watched her go, trying to figure her out. Though if Shining was any judge, trying to do so would only give her a headache.

“It’s been a long day,” Cadance said. “I think it’s best if we all retire for the night.” Twilight nodded, even though she wasn’t all that tired. She could just curl up with a good book from the library and read until she fell asleep.

She joined her friends in filing out of the room, but a hoof on her shoulder stopped her. She looked back to see Cadance standing behind her. “A moment, if you would.”

Twilight nodded, taking a seat and seeing Cadance do the same. As soon as her friends were all gone, Cadance’s shoulders slumped and her head hung low. She let out a great breath, as if she’d been holding it this entire time.

“Cadance?” Twilight asked.

The alicorn took a moment. “Sorry, just nerves.”

“Nerves?”

Cadance nodded. “Yeah. I’m nervous and I have no idea what I’m doing. Running the Crystal Empire is one thing, and it’s fairly easy. Now I find myself making decisions that affect not just the Empire, but Equestria as well and possibly all of Equus. Oh, how does Auntie do this?”

Twilight drew her sister into a hug. “Cadance, you were amazing!”

“I was?” she looked up at Twilight, surprise on her face.

“Yes! I was shocked, you just looked like you knew precisely what you were doing, like you had everything under control.”

“Really?” Cadance looked incredulous.

“Really.”

“But, what about all those decisions? What if I messed something up?”

“Cadance, would it help you if I said that I agreed with your decisions?”

“Well, you are like the smartest pony I know.”

Twilight felt her cheeks blush at that comment. “Thanks. But it’s true, me agreeing that is.” She paused. “Cadance, you just need to believe in yourself. You sat there and you took control of things. You listened to your subordinates and you made decisions.”

Cadance looked like she was about to argue, but Twilight held up a hoof, stopping her. “Cadance, even if they’re bad decisions, which they aren’t, but even if they were, they’re the best decisions you can make with the information you have on hoof. And that’s all you can do.

“Now you need to believe in the decisions you made. Whether you like it or not, you’re the last remaining Princess. Ponies are going to be looking up to you and you’ll be forced to make decisions. Decisions have consequences that we must all live with. You do what you can with what you have, and live with it.”

Twilight sighed. “Your decisions, they may well result in ponies dying. Yet you can’t just give up, not when so many are counting on you. And even if you make a bad decision, who’s to say that the other choices were any better?”

Cadance looked in shock at Twilight. “When did you get so smart?”

Twilight playfully hit Cadance’s arm. “I hung around you as a filly, that’s how.” She giggled. “That and Princess Celestia did teach me a bit about being a Princess.”

Cadance smiled at Twilight. “Thanks, Twilight. I’m just so scared of messing up when so many ponies are counting on me to get it right.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. I love and believe in you, as do a lot of other ponies. And as we move forward, so will many others.” Twilight regarded her former foalsitter. “You need to believe in yourself as much as we believe in you.”

Cadance nuzzled Twilight. “Thanks, Twilight. You’ll do fine as well. I know you think that you’ve been given some impossible mission, but you’ll find a way. You always have in the past.” Twilight looked at Cadance, her mouth slightly open. The alicorn giggled. “I know you, Twilight.”

Cadance kissed her on the cheek, then stood up. “I know you slept late, but try and get some sleep tonight.” She left the room, presumably heading towards her own chambers to figure out what she was going to say tomorrow.

Twilight was left alone in the war room. She shook her head. Cadance really did know her too well. Even if her words were true, was it really that simple? Sure she’d discovered the Elements and fought off Nightmare Moon, and successfully battled Discord, as well as an army of Changelings, but this was different. This was on a global scale, far larger than anything she’d ever done before.

The last thing she wanted to do right now was be alone with her thoughts. She left the war room, heading towards her room. Making a pit stop in the lounge there, she grabbed the book she’d started the other night, as well as two more off of the shelf in there.

She took the books into her room, closing the door. Before she could start reading, she needed to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. It didn’t take her long in the bathroom, and within short order she was laying in bed, her head buried in a book as the lamp gave off a soft light.

She lost herself in the characters and fantasy of the novel, as was her intent. Occasionally her horn would glow and the page would turn, but otherwise she was quiet, unmoving except her eyes that scanned each page.

Gradually she could feel her eyes grow heavy, but she wanted to see how the story ended. Her head bobbed as she struggled to keep it up. She fell asleep with her face nestled in the pages of the book.

Author's Note:

Edited by:
Sasha Nein
TheAspiringWriter93

Comments

[Zecoro]

At last! I was wondering when the next update would come. I was beginning to think it would never be finished