In the aftermath of a failed assassination attempt on Twilight Sparkle, how will the citizens of the Solarian Empire react?
How far would you go to save one of those closest to you?
******
Twilight Sparkle has ascended to alicornhood and been crowned as the Solarian Empire's fourth alicorn princess. Her friends and family have welcomed this change with open arms. However, not every citizen feels this way. Twilight Sparkle, having been elevated to a very high spot in Imperial politics in a short amount of time, now faces new enemies, both in the nobility and amongst the average citizens. When an assassination attempt on Twilight Sparkle fails during her Coronation Banquet, how will the Empire react to this? The most important question is this: How far will Twilight's friends and family go to save her from a terrible fate?
******
This story is divided into three parts, or acts. Act Two is divided into two parts: Act One: Impact Act Two, Part One: Expedition to The Black Library Act Two, Part Two: Chaotic Defense Act Three: Any Means Necessary
The "Crossover" tagging will become apparent later on, if it isn't already obvious. Rated Teen for mild gore and mild language. Note: The events of Seasons 1-5 happen in an entirely different order in this timeline, with some never even occurring.
Twilight Sparkle sighed to herself. She glanced at Pinkie Pie. The pink mare was happily bouncing around the room, making sure that all the guests were happy. Twilight noticed Applejack coming over, to check on her. "You alright, sugarcube?"
"Just tired."
"Why would you be tired, Twi?"
"With my coronation, the fact that I'm no longer an average citizen anymore, and that… well… nevermind, I’ve been really tired lately."
"Ah thought alicorns couldn't get tired." Applejack paused, then asked, squinting slightly, “What’s that ‘nevermind’ Ah heard?”
Twilight stammered, “W-well, it’s not-”
“Twilight,” the earth pony deadpanned.
Twilight sighed, “I’ve been an alicorn for roughly two weeks, a princess for less than that and ponies already hate me.”
“You can’t please everypony,” Applejack replied, “Ah’ve learned that the hard way.”
“Hi!”
The two mares jumped and looked at the voice’s owner. Pinkie Pie had bounced over. “Pinkie! Don’t do that,” Twilight said, breathing heavier than before.
“Sorry,” Pinkie apologized, “you just looked sad.”
Twilight sighed, “I know, I’m sorry.”
Pinkie grabbed the alicorn and giggled, “Then let’s fix that, silly!”
Twilight found herself pulled from her seat and to her feet.
Raising to her full height, Twilight surveyed the room.
Big McIntosh and his marefriend, Marble Pie, Pinkie’s youngest sister stood off next to the drink table, talking to Fluttershy. Big Mac noticed Twilight’s sweeping gaze and nodded. Twilight nodded in response.
Cheese Sandwich, a travelling party planner from Manehattan with whom Pinkie had had a rivalry with, and Braeburn, Applejack’s cousin from Appleloosa, were in conversation, likely about the hyperactive party mare. Braeburn, or so Twilight heard from Mrs. Cake, had asked Pinkie to be his marefriend, and she accepted.
Maud, one of Pinkie’s older sisters, sat in a lone chair, away from the rest of the assembled ponies, reading a book, most likely on rocks, as Twilight couldn’t see the book’s cover from where she stood.
Twilight looked over to where Rarity and Rainbow Dash were talking, probably about Daring Do, judging from Rarity’s very slight frown. This implied that the mare wasn’t as caught up as Dash was.
Twilight walked toward the two, smiling slightly.
Dash noticed Twilight approaching and smiled. She opened her mouth and spoke, uttering a familiar phrase. “Heeey, egghead.”
Twilight rolled her eyes at Dash’s remark, smile across her face growing wider. Dash looked up at the mare, and glanced back at Rarity. Dash asked, “See? Despite her size, she moves just fine.”
Rarity said something in Magus, to which Twilight rolled her eyes at. Rainbow sighed, noting Rarity's reaction, murmuring something in Angelus.
Twilight, looked down at Dash, realising what she meant. Standing a head and a half taller than the tall, cyan mare, Twilight was easily the tallest pony in the room, taller than even Big McIntosh and Fluttershy.
The alicorn brought herself down to eye level with Rarity, and smiled. “How do I look?”
Rarity sighed, and gestured at the mare. “Out of all of us, you’re the most endowed, more than Fluttershy, believe it or not. You’re half a head taller than both Big Mac and Fluttershy, and you’ve got a wingspan to put ‘Shy to shame.”
Twilight’s cheeks flushed at Rarity’s evaluation of her bust. She had Rarity measure it in the past, to make sure that her dresses would fit. Twilight, deciding to change the subject, inquired, “And how big’s my wingspan?”
“Oh, ten meters, at quick glance. Of course, Princesses Celestia and Luna both have much larger wingspans than you.”
Dash whistled. “My wingspan’s something like three and a half, four meters. ‘Shy has something like an extra meter on me.”
“And your clothes, darling,” Rarity said, “they don’t compliment you at all!”
“I think she looks good,” a voice said, from behind Rarity.
Rarity started, and turned around to look at the speaker. “Oh,” she replied, sighing in relief, “Fluttershy, dear, don’t do that.”
Fluttershy continued, pointing out the various techniques used in the making of her clothes.
“‘Shy,” Applejack stated, having come up to the small group, “yer knowledge of sewin’ is still pretty freaky.”
The pegasus mare blushed, slightly.
“Hey, girls! It’s time for caaaake!”
Pinkie Pie was calling them over. The assembled ponies gathered around a massive cake, which had a cloth draped over it.
Pinkie grabbed the cloth, and yanked it away from the cake, managing to not damage the cake at all.
What it was though, surprised all of the assembled ponies.
“No way,” Dash muttered.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said, surprised, “you and the Cakes made this for me?”
Pinkie smiled, her already wide smile growing even wider. “Yep! A Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness! Just for you!”
Applejack glanced at the cyan pegasus and smiled. “See,” she said, “Dash? Being friends with a princess does have its perks.”
Dash said nothing, but nodded, a thin line of drool dribbling from a corner of her mouth.
Applejack smiled larger and laughed, soon joined by giggling from Marble, Fluttershy, and Rarity, who were amused at Dash’s reaction to the cake.
************
Canterlot, The Imperial Capital City
The next day
Military Offices, 12:45
The sound of footsteps echoing down the hall alerted the two Palace Guards to the approaching figure. The figure was a pony, a unicorn stallion. The two stiffened slightly as they noticed who the stallion was.
Coated in olive fur, a pair of mauve eyes doing subtle checks for any hidden threats, and slicked back crimson and light blue hair denoted that this officer of the Special Naval Landing Forces, for an officer he was, was one of the many ponies of the Empire of Imperial stock.
His uniform, about as impeccable as could be expected from a member of the SNLF, was a standard issue SNLF Officer’s uniform, with a few minor additions for his rank.
He wore a jet black coat-its standing collar done up and web belt buckled-and ebony trousers with a broad byzantium stripe down the outside seams. A white barracks cover with golden oak leaf embellishments on its visor sat atop his head, the visor resting against his horn. A small scarlet half-cape hung down his back from his left shoulder, reaching down to his mid-thigh. A pair of white gloves covered his hands. His sidearm sat in a holster on the right side of his belt, along with a combat knife.
He snapped his right hand up into a salute, and reported, in a clipped and mellow voice, “Commander Blazing Halcyon of the Special Naval Landing Forces, here to see Prince-General Blueblood! I am expected by the Prince-General!”
The two Guards exchanged glances with each other from behind their visors. The one on the left of the door spoke up and said, “I’ll let the Prince-General know he has a visitor.”
***
The Prince-General looked up from his work and saw one of the two Palace Guards assigned to protect him leaning into the office. He prompted, “Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Sir. A Commander Halcyon is here to see you.”
“Ah, Commander Halcyon! Send him in. He is expected.”
The Guard nodded.
Blueblood smiled, noting the Guard’s cautiousness.
The Palace Guards were indeed very cautious. They had to be. Everyone who knew anything about the royalty of the Solarian Empire knew one thing: Do not mess with the Palace Guard.
The Palace Guard wore signature white Stormwinds Mark Five Armor with ornate gilded embellishments, along with gold-trimmed white cloak and winged helm. On the chestplate of their armor was the Imperial Eagle, making them one of the few Royal Guard units allowed to display the Eagle, a rare honor. Their weapons, a M93 battle rifle and a S-335 combat sword, were also white with ornate gilded embellishments.
Despite their ornate decoration, the Palace Guards were scarily competent when it came to combat. Blueblood had seen the Palace Guard in combat once before, years ago, when he was a colt.
The door opened again, jolting Blueblood out of his reverie. Commander Blazing Halcyon entered the room.
The officer snapped a salute with a small smile forming on his face.
“Blaze,” Blueblood said, “it’s good to see you again.”
“I feel the same, Marius.”
Blueblood gestured to a chair in front of his desk, and said, “Come, sit.”
Halcyon nodded, and sat in the indicated chair. He removed his white barracks cover and placed it in his lap.
“So,” Halcyon prompted, “why did you call me here?”
Blueblood had grabbed a bottle of sake and a pair of glasses from his desk’s alcohol drawer and was pouring both of them a drink. He held one of the glasses out to Halcyon, who took it.
Halcyon took a sip from the glass. The sake was smooth and pleasant on the tongue, with an undertone of orange. It smelled faintly of apples, however.
“Is the sake not to your liking?”
Halcyon blinked, realizing that his face had betrayed his feelings. He quickly shook his head, replying, “What? No. No, it’s actually rather good for a wine. I just prefer lagers.”
Blueblood nodded, and, addressing Halcyon’s question, said, “Well, I’m in charge of planning the security for the Coronation Banquet that Princess Celestia is putting on in celebration of Princess Twilight’s Ascension to her current station.”
“And you want my input on your choices?”
Blueblood nodded again. He stood, gestured for Halcyon to follow him, and walked over to a table with a map spread across it. “This,” he said, gesturing to the map, “is a map of how the Banquet Room will be arranged for the Coronation Banquet. The Guard patrols are marked in green, the stationed Guards are marked in yellow, and the various entrances and exits are marked in red.”
Halcyon sat his glass of sake down on one of the map’s corners. He studied the map for a few moments. “I take it that these white marks are the relative positions of the Princesses when the Banquet begins?”
“Yes, they are.”
“I’d station some Guards close to them, but not too close as to make any of the guests feel that they can’t approach the Princesses.”
Blueblood nodded. “I can’t see any other ways to add to your placements,” Halcyon added, “but, I would keep a sharp eye out for any suspicious guests.”
Blueblood nodded, adding the recommendation to his thought processes, and spoke again, “The Banquet will be on the fifteenth.”
Halcyon nodded, and downed the rest of his sake. “I’ll be there. And I’ll be wearing my medals, too.”
Blueblood smiled at Halcyon’s statement. “Right, right, I will be as well.”
Prime Minister Fancy Pants adjusted his cufflinks for the umpteenth time of the evening. He glanced at the clock. 5:45, it read.
He sighed. He was hosting a dinner party for all of the high ranking nobles in Canterlot.
“Something wrong, dear?”
Fleur Dis Lee, his wife, noticed his sign of disappointment and leaned over to inquire what was wrong.
“Nothing,” Fancy Pants replied, a slight frown forming on his features, “except that Prince-General Blueblood isn’t here yet.”
“So?”
“We were supposed to start fifteen minutes ago.”
“Have some sympathy, dear.” Fleur told him, “His wife is expecting you know.”
Fancy Pants grumbled in response.
The double doors across the room from Fancy Pants and Fleur opened, admitting Blueblood, who wore a very serious expression on his face.
The chatter that had been going on in the room abruptly ceased as all the attendees looked at the new arrival.
The assembled ponies glanced at each other nervously as they waited for Blueblood to do something, anything.
Eventually, a large smile spread across the amber haired unicorn’s face. “Easy, easy,” he said, “I’m not here to have you arrested.”
The rest of the ponies sighed in relief, only to freeze up again, just for a moment, when Blueblood spoke again, his tone serious, “Not yet, anyway.”
“Anyway,” he said, the smile reappearing on his face, “let’s eat, hmm?”
No one argued with him on that front. Not that any would dare to argue with him.
Another pony entered the room next to Blueblood. This pony, a unicorn like Blueblood, was a mare.
The assembled ponies stood, almost jumped, from their chairs as the mare entered the room.
“Princess Enigma Blueblood,” Fancy Pants whispered, as if he was afraid that speaking the mare’s name too loudly would incur her anger.
Enigma smiled, very faintly, perhaps picking up the Prime Minister’s whisper, or perhaps just in reaction to the ponies standing up in response to her presence.
Her emerald eyes slowly moved as the mare swept her gaze across the room. Silky turquoise hair spilled down past her shoulders, reaching just below her knees. The only thing normal about her hair, or so Fancy Pants thought, was her sidelocks, which were only shoulder length. Russet fur, shimmering very slightly in the light, coated the mare head to toe. The most striking feature about the mare, and which invariably drew attention, was her belly. Enigma was pregnant, and the mare was very self-conscious about it. “Come on, dear,” Blueblood prompted, trying to put on a comforting smile for the other ponies in the room, “let’s sit down, so you can get off your feet, and we can start eating. You’re also kind of giving everyone else a heart attack.”
A mischievous smile flickered across her face, but Enigma nodded. “Of course,” she replied, voice suave and soothing.
The two took their seats, Enigma sitting next to Fleur and Blueblood sitting next to Fancy Pants.
As the food was served, and the attendees began to eat, Fancy Pants noticed that Enigma gave off an aura of unnaturalness. It wasn’t the same as the aura Fleur gave off, as Fleur was a Blank, one of those born with a gene that made them both immune to psykers, like the Princesses, and "soulless". As if being immune to psychic attacks made one “soulless.”
Enigma’s aura was different, almost as if she didn’t belong among ponies. What could she be then, if not a pony? A changeling wearing an elaborate disguise, perhaps?
Fancy Pants frowned internally, keeping his face calm as stone and engaging in the chitchat that naturally occurred at one of these dinner parties. If Enigma was a changeling, then she was really good at hiding her mind control of Blueblood.
Fancy Pants glanced at Blueblood, then to Enigma. He sighed, imperceptibly, in relief. The two, fortunately, genuinely loved each other.
“So,” Fancy Pants said, “Marius, how are the preparations for the Coronation Banquet coming along?”
Blueblood smiled and replied, “Good. Everything should be ready by the fifteenth.”
Fancy Pants smiled as well. “Great. I can’t wait for the banquet.”
A lot of the nobles seated around the table agreed with his statement.
Fancy Pants glanced at the clock and said, “Well, now that dinner is over, we can socialize in here.
“Or,” he continued, “we can split off into mares and stallions, so that we discuss things that the other gender wouldn’t really care for.”
The nobles agreed and the nobles split into groups.
************
Once Enigma and the rest of the female nobles found their way into one of the lounges in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Enigma quickly found herself the center of attention.
She blushed slightly as the rest of the mares began asking questions in rapid succession.
“Girls, girls,” she said, “easy. Questions one at a time. You’ll make the poor filly clam up.”
The other mares blushed slightly as they nodded in agreement, with a couple of them chuckling nervously.
Fleur, being a successful supermodel despite her status as a Blank, was always curious about how other mares maintained their looks. “Princess, your hair is so long! How do you manage it?”
“Oh, you know,” Enigma replied, running a hand through her hair, “lots of shampoo, conditioner, and an army of maids.”
“Really?”
Enigma nodded, “Yes, really.”
“Princess,” another noble said, “when are you due? If you don’t mind me asking…”
“Sometime in July, I think.”
As the nobles, presumably having their curiosity quenched, began chatting to themselves, Enigma briefly wondered what her husband was up to.
************
“So, Prince-General,” Hoity Toity, one of Canterlot’s most important fashion personalities, began, “how confident are you that the Coronation Banquet will go as planned?”
“Very confident,” Blueblood replied. “All four Princesses will be there, too. It’s going to be wonderful.”
Hoity Toity smiled and nodded, “I’m going to be there, as well.”
“I’ll be there, too,” Fancy Pants added, “obviously.”
“Obviously,” Blueblood agreed.”
“Prince-General?”
One of the other nobles, Something-Gavel or some such like that, had addressed him. Blueblood answered, “Yes?”
“Could I discuss something with you?”
“Of course you can.”
“I mean, in private, sir.”
Fancy Pants, Hoity Toity, and Blueblood exchanged glances. Fancy Pants and Hoity Toity glanced at each other and nodded, having come to an agreement through only glances. “Go ahead,” Fancy Pants said, “we won’t be going anywhere.”
“We’ll even save you a cake slice if you two take a while discussing certain… things,” Hoity Toity added.
The room fell silent. Hoity Toity, however, had switched gears and was talking about fashion. Fancy Pants said, a very slight smile spreading across his face, “Wait for it.”
Hoity Toity stopped talking, processed what he had said previous to his talking about fashion, and said, “Waitwaitwaitwait, that came out wrong, I swear!”
The rest of the stallions in the room laughed, with the exception of Hoity Toity, who sighed and held his head in his hands.
Blueblood glanced at Gavel, who returned the glance, and jerked his head toward the door. Gavel nodded, and the two rose from their seats and headed out into the hallway. The two headed into another room, an unoccupied dining room.
***
“So,” Blueblood began, “what is so important that you needed to speak to me in private about it?”
“Well, sir,” Gavel began, “it’s about the Coronation Banquet.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“Prince-General Blueblood, would you join the group of conspirators that seek to overthrow the Immortal Princesses? And would you be willing to be the one to assassinate Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
Blueblood blinked. After a few moments, he let out an airy chuckle. “You can’t possibly be serious. You know that would never work.”
“Sir, I’m completely serious.”
A flurry of quick, subtle emotions flashed across the white unicorn’s face as he processed what he’d been asked to do and the utter deadpan of Gavel as he asked the Prince-General to do.
After a few brief, silent, tension-filled moments, Blueblood’s face went calm. He looked down at the shorter unicorn. “You do realize,” Blueblood said, very calmly, “that what you’re suggesting is treason, correct?”
Gavel unconsciously shrank a little under Blueblood’s icy gaze. The fact that the taller unicorn had eyes that seemed to pierce through whoever locked eyes with him didn’t help either. “Y-yessir,” Gavel stammered, “I-I know. W-we all know.”
Blueblood said nothing, but lunged and grabbed the shorter unicorn by the collar, snarling. Locking eyes with the now sweating Gavel, he spoke, “I do not know what kind of… madness… has gotten over you or these conspirators, but I will not have any part of this. Not now, not ever. Never approach me about anything of this type of request. EVER. AGAIN. Do you understand?”
Gavel nodded, nervously. “I-I understand.”
Blueblood released the other stallion and continued glaring at him.
“Come on,” he said, gesturing toward the door, “let’s return to the others.”
Gavel nodded.
The sound of footsteps alerted the two stallions to a butler walking past.
“Excuse me, good sir,” Blueblood spoke, stepping up to the door, “what is the matter?”
The butler turned, bowed, and spoke, “There is someone at the door, Prince-General.”
“Oh. Continue, then.”
Walking to the door, the butler opened it. All three stallions’ eyes opened wide.
Standing in the doorway, looking a bit bored, was a stallion with white hair that had a single long, large lock of pale blue in it and a white tail. Most of the stallion was covered in a dark blue trench coat that reached down to just above his ankles, leaving only the bottom of his black pants and his grey shoes visible. He lifted his gaze from the ground and looked at the three stallions with grey-purple eyes. With a very slight smirk he inquired, “Is something the matter?”
His voice was calm and bored sounding, though Blueblood knew better. He could hear the sinister tone in the other stallion’s voice.
“Damocles,” he started, “what are you doing here?”
“I heard Fancy Pants was having a dinner party. I’d gotten an invitation but I was tied up with work and couldn’t get away until fifteen minutes ago.”
“And, you showed up because?”
“I have nothing else to do for the rest of the night,” Damocles replied, shrugging, “so I figured that making an, albeit late, appearance to one of Fancy Pants's dinner parties would be acceptable.”
Blueblood shrugged, and said, “Fine, fine. Get in here. I swear, you have the oddest timing of anyone that I've known. I suppose I could convince Fancy Pants to get you something to eat, though.”
“Marius, you don't need to-”
“Enough,” Blueblood said, raising his hand to cut off his brother. "You don't need to explain yourself to me."
Damocles sighed, nodding. He walked into the mansion and handed his coat off to the butler, who stared at him with eyes still wide. He then glanced at the stallion behind his brother, and then at his brother, raising an eyebrow.
Blueblood shrugged, turned around, and headed deeper into the mansion, humming thoughtfully to himself. Damocles fell into step behind him, hands behind his back, smirking wide.
Gavel, confused and terrified, followed the two Blueblood stallions.
Today was the twins’ second birthday. Mr. and Mrs. Cake-with Pinkie’s help, of course-had put together a wonderful party for the twins. The twins had loved it, although Pumpkin had accidentally hit Princess Twilight with a platter of cupcakes as the filly tried levitating the platter over to her. Twilight had, to her credit, laughed the accident off, saying that she had done the same thing when she was their age, too.
Pinkie, however, was not focused on the party’s success. She was working diligently to clean up after the party. And to ignore the angry voice inside her head.
Mrs. Cake’s voice, soft and sweet, cut through Pinkie’s focus, bringing her out of her work. “Pinkie, are you alright, dear?”
Pinkie stopped, blinked, looked at her boss, and replied, smiling and tilting her head slightly, “Yep, I’m alright. Why?”
“Oh, it’s just that you just adopted a serious look and stopped humming.”
“Oh,” Pinkie said, smiling larger, “you know how I get when I get focused on something.”
Mrs. Cake nodded, and said, “You can head up to your room. Carrot and I can finish up.”
“Okie-dokie!”
With that, Pinkie bounced happily up the stairs.
************
Pinkie closed the door behind her. She walked over to one of her room’s walls, rested her back against it, and slid down the wall, sighing. “You know,” a voice said, “it’d be better if you let me out more often.”
“Pinkamena.”
“That’s my name, Pinkie, don’t wear it out.”
Pinkie grumbled a response. Pinkamena reached down and tilted Pinkie’s head up gently, by the chin. “Come on, now,” the duller pink mare mocked, “you shouldn’t be such a meanie-face.”
Pinkie jerked her head away from Pinkamena’s hand. “I hate you,” she said, frowning. “You’re always so frustrating.”
“Well,” the other mare snarled, dragging Pinkie to her feet, “if you’d let me out occasionally, maybe I’d wouldn’t be this angry all the time.”
“Pinkamena,” Pinkie responded, “I’m the Prime Personality, not you. That means I’m in control. I don’t have to do anything for you.”
Pinkamena scoffed, and glared at the other mare. “You’re only the Prime because of that rainbow-haired whore.”
“Dash isn’t a whore, Pinkamena.”
“Sure, she is. Certainly gets around with all the stallions in Ponyville. And certain mares.”
“Leave Dash out of this, Pinkamena. This has always between you and me. And it will remain that way.”
Pinkamena shrugged, and replied, “You’re right, you’re right. It isn’t about others, it’s about us.”
Pinkie stared at Pinkamena for a second, and snarled a reply, “But it always affects others!”
“I know,” Pinkamena agreed, “and that makes it so fun!”
“That’s not fair for anyone that gets dragged into this stupid game of ours!”
“Come on, Pinks,” Pinkamena responded, “I’ve only killed four ponies in this little game of ours.”
“Yes, but you forget that we share a body!”
“I know we share a body, but we won’t get caught.”
“But if one of us gets caught, it’ll be on my head.”
Pinkamena visibly deflated, and replied, “Yeah, and we’ll both die if you’re executed.”
The two argued for a few hours, trading insults and angry retorts.
Then Pinkamena said something that upset Pinkie. Pinkie glared at Pinkamena, and snarled, “Marble is not a sensitive loser!”
“She is!”
“No, she’s not!”
“Yes, she is!”
“Shut up!”
“No!”
“Shut up! Shut up!”
“No!”
“SHUT UP!”
“No!”
Pinkie felt her anger boil within her. She clenched her fists. “Pinkamena-”
“Pinkie, Marble is a stupid, ugly, and sensitive loser!”
Pinkie roared, throwing a punch for Pinkamena’s throat.
Her fist connected, but not with Pinkamena’s throat. She heard glass shatter and pain erupted in her fist.
She stepped away from the shattered mirror and stared down at her fist. Pieces of glass stuck out of it and blood pooled around the pieces, before running down her fingers to drip onto the floor.
Sighing, Pinkie plucked the glass shards out of her fist and held her bleeding hand as she walked over to her closet and pulled it open. Pulling a first aid kit from the closet, she put disinfectant ointment on her wounds and then covered the wounds with bandages.
She looked down at her shirt and noticed that it and her pants were bloody, as well. A little growl escaped her mouth as she realized that she would need to change into something else to sleep in.
************
Pinkie woke to the feeling of arms being wrapped around her in a hug. A smell of sweets found its way into her nose. She knew that smell, and asked, “Mrs. Cake?”
“Hmm mmm,” the confectioner replied.
The two mares sat like that for a few minutes. Mrs. Cake then asked, “You okay, dear?”
Pinkie sighed, sadly, “N-no…”
“Pinkamena acting up again?”
“Yeah. She called Marble mean names and I ended up breaking my mirror again.”
Mrs. Cake glanced over at the mirror, seeing that it was shattered, as Pinkie had said. She remained silent for a few minutes and smiled, softly. “Pinkie,” she said, “how about you take the day off?”
“B-but-”
“You’ve got a lot of vacation days stored up, dear. Use one today. Besides, Carrot and I can handle one day’s worth of customers and orders.”
Pinkie nodded, reluctantly. “I will, Mrs. Cake.”
************
Knocking at the door drew Applejack’s attention from her conversation. “Pardon me, Sergeant Major, someone’s at the door,” she apologized, rising from her seat, “Ah’ve got to go answer it.”
“Take your time, Applejack,” the Sergeant Major replied, coolly, “I am but a guest.”
Applejack shot a quick smile at her guest.
Pulling the door open, Applejack saw Pinkie standing there. “Pinkie! What, uh, brings ya here? Aren’t you supposed to be workin’?”
Pinkie nodded. “Mrs. Cake insisted I take the day off. So… Yeah.”
“Alright. Still haven’t answered my first question.”
Pinkie smiled, and said, “I’m here to see Braeburn!”
Applejack opened her mouth to tell Pinkie that Braeburn was in Appleloosa, but remembered that he moved to Sweet Apple Acres, probably to be closer to Pinkie. “He’s out bringing in some apple bushels. Big Mac’ll probably take over apple bushel harvesting in… 15 minutes? Braeburn’ll come back to the farmhouse then.”
“Okie-dokie! I’ll stay here then!”
Applejack nodded, “Okay! Okay. Come in. Come in.”
Pinkie entered the farmhouse, followed Applejack as the mare returned to the dining room and sat at the table. She noticed the other pony sitting at the table, as she sat down. “Who’s this? A friend?”
The other pony, a mare, smiled and said, “Probably. I won’t be staying much longer, though.”
Pinkie nodded, and extended a hand, smiling cheerily. “I’m Pinkie Pie.”
The other mare took Pinkie’s hand and shook it, replying, “Sergeant Major Emerald O’Lace, pleased to meet you.”
Emerald O’Lace had bright emerald eyes, which seemed to be silently judging. Maroon hair, having been cut to make it easier to wear a helmet, denoted the mare as a Royal Guard.* Minty green fur coated the mare head to toe.
She wore a dark blue ulster coat over her fatigues. “Well,” she said, “I should probably get going. Good day.”
As the mare rose and left, Applejack and Pinkie waved goodbye.
***
Fifteen minutes later, Braeburn pulled open the door to the farmhouse and entered the building. A pink blur ran up to him and threw it arms around him. He chuckled slightly. “Hey, Pinkie,” he said, “Mrs. Cake insist that you take the day off?”
Pinkie’s response, reminding the stallion of Pinkie’s younger sister, was pretty immediate, “Mm-hmm!”
“Well,” he mused, “I’m touched. Let’s go spend the day together.”
“That’s a wonderful idea!”
*A pixie cut. Standard for mares in the Royal Guard.
Ponyville April 15, 4E 2010 Day of the Coronation Banquet
7:30
“Spiiike! Get uuup!”
Twilight’s voice broke through the dragon’s dream and caused him to open his eyes. His green eyes locked with her violet eyes. He asked, a slight frown forming on his face, “What time is it?”
“7:30,” the mare replied.
“Oh,” he acknowledged, “alright, I’ll get up, then.”
The dragon climbed out of bed, and stood at his full height. Rather concerningly, Twilight was taller than he was, but only by a few inches. He chuckled slightly, nervously, and walked out of the room, to take a shower and get dressed for Twilight’s Coronation Banquet later that day.
******
8:30
“Oh, Sweetieee Belllle!”
“Coming, Rarity!”
The young unicorn came down the stairs. She looked around for her sister, her green eyes casting around the room. “Sis?”
Rarity was nowhere to be found. Sweetie Belle sighed, “Come on, Rarity. This isn’t funny.”
“Over here, dear.”
Sweetie Belle turned, and froze. Her sister stood on her workroom’s display stage. “Well,” she said, smiling wide, “how do you like it?”
The fashionista wore a ball gown, ivory in color and trimmed in silver. Full-length evening gloves, matching her gown, sheathed her arms. A necklace of silver inset with sapphires sat on her neck. An additional effect of the gown, Sweetie Belle noticed, was that it accentuated her bust.
Rarity cleared her throat, and said, “My eyes are up here, Sweetie.”
Sweetie Belle blushed, and looked down. “Sorry, i-it’s just…”
The clacking of heels, and a gloved hand pushing softly on her chin, alerted Sweetie Belle to her sister descending from the display stage. Rarity tilted her sister’s head up so the younger unicorn could look her in the eyes. “It’s alright,” Rarity assured Sweetie Belle, “when you’re as stacked as an earth pony, you come to expect stares. Especially from mares that are jealous or stallions that are lecherous. I hate those kind of stallions.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “So,” Rarity smiled, “how about we go get something for breakfast?”
Sweetie Belle smiled, and nodded.
******
8:45
Applejack pulled a chair out from the dining room table and sank into it, sighing. Removing her glasses, she pulled a cleaning cloth from her jacket and began cleaning her glasses. After a few minutes, she finished cleaning her glasses and returned them to their rightful place on her head. She sat back in her chair and sighed. For a few minutes, she remained motionless.
Her thoughts drifted to her father, and Applejack pulled down her hat to hide her eyes. She could remember very little of her father, and what she could remember were quick looks at her father when she was a filly… and the day her father left, leaving her, McIntosh, and Apple Bloom to be raised by her mother and Granny Smith.
***
Her father came down the stairs, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. Applejack looked up and ran over to her father, saying, giving him a hug, “Hi, Papa!”
“Hey, AJ,” her father replied, smiling, “Where’s Mac? Your mother? Apple Bloom?”
“Mac’s with Granny out in the orchard. Mama’s got Apple Bloom in the living room.”
Her father nodded. “Well,” he mused, “Apple Bloom’s only a few months old, after all.”
“What’s in the bag?”
The stallion blinked, and replied, after a minute or two, “Papa’s gotta go.”
“Where ya goin’?”
“I’d like to tell you, little bud. But I can’t.”
“Oh,” Applejack said, looking down, “okay.”
“Hey,” her father comforted, “don’t be sad. I’ll be back…”
Applejack smiled big and nodded. “Okay!”
***
The memory ended. Her father did not return. And that left her mother and Granny Smith to raise Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and herself. She sighed. “Somethin’ wrong, dear?”
Applejack looked up, into the green eyes of her mother. “Nah, just thinkin’ a Pa.”
“Ah, him. Well, no use cryin’ over spilled milk,” she smiled. “Come on, you’ve got to get ready to go ta Canterlot.”
“Oh, right, right. Thanks fer remindin’ me.”
******
Canterlot, 10:00
Blueblood frowned, and looked over the security map for the coronation banquet again. “Something wrong, Marius?”
The unicorn paused, turned, and looked up into the teal eyes of Princess Luna. Or would have, if it weren’t for the ornate steel mask covering her face.
The alicorn towered over him, as did High Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadence.
Blueblood shook his head. “No, Luna. Just going over the security deployment map again.”
The alicorn nodded, smiling underneath her mask. “Good, good, keep up the good work.”
“Yes, Luna.”
************
A pegasus pulled her jacket shut. She began walking. She had to meet someone and get the weapon the contractor of her company had requested be used for her job. Frowning, she shook her head. She, and her handler, hated when those that contracting her company gave over very little details about a job. The details that were given, however, said that the job was an assassination. She sighed and shook her head. “Oh well,” she muttered, to herself, “pay’s good. And money makes the world go ‘round.”
She stopped, and flagged down a taxi. While flying would have been faster, she didn’t need the attention.
A taxi pulled up, and the pegasus opened the door and entered the vehicle. “Where to?”
The taxi driver sounded friendly enough. “The Hazelnut Bakery,” the mare responded, “if you please.”
“Of course.”
************
A knock on the left door of her office drew High Princess Celestia’s attention away from her work. She removed her reading glasses, looked up, and spoke, her rich voice carrying easily to the door, “Enter.”
The left door opened, and the Captain-General of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor Sparkle, entered. The High Princess smiled.
The unicorn stallion was a very large pony for his kind. Coming up to eye level with both Princess Cadence, his wife and the High Princess’s niece, and Twilight Sparkle, his younger sister and newly ascended Alicorn Princess, he towered over many of the citizens in the Solarian Empire. His massive frame was covered in a brilliant purple dress uniform, trimmed in gold. A trench coat of the same color and trim covered the uniform. Shining Armor was, Celestia noted, missing his barracks cover. Totally acceptable, of course; most Solarian officers weren’t forced to were their barracks cover if they had no need to, such as when they weren’t at ceremonies, in parades, or attending state weddings or dedications of new state buildings.
“Something you needed, my Captain-General?”
“Yes,” the stallion replied, producing a folder from within his coat, “I have, as you asked, compiled a pair of reports on the progress of the Imperial Flagship and our Selenar* Project. Respectively.”
“Ah,” acknowledged the mare, taking the folder from Shining Armor’s large hand with her much larger hand, “I see. Thank you, dear Captain-General. That will be all.”
The stallion bowed, and replied, “Of course, my lord.”
With that, the unicorn left, closing the gilded office door behind him.
Celestia leaned back, chair leaning back with her, and opened the folder and began reading the first report.
************
Solarian Empire Airspace, 13:30
One kilometer from Canterlot
Jürgen Windrider, Griffon Prince and native of Gray Beak City, drummed his talons against his armrest as he sighed. “How long until we reach Canterlot?”
The question was not directed to anyone of his accompanying staff or bodyguards in particular, but one did speak up. “Within the next fifteen minutes, Prince.”
Windrider nodded, and sighed, very softly.
***
Fifteen minutes later, the plane set down on the runway of Canterlot’s International Airport.
Windrider sighed, muttering beneath his breath, and rose to his feet. “Well,” he said to no one in particular, “show time.”
*Selene is the name of the moon in this universe, to avoid confusion.
Dawn Shrike shuddered slightly as she stood in the Banquet Room of the Imperial Palace. She’d never seen so many nobles in one place before, even though she was of noble birth herself. Her automail wings twitched slightly, as she saw the towering form of the Captain-General of the Royal Guard pass by her, the stallion glancing down at the much smaller mare. He looked back up and continued walking, and ended up standing next to the four Princesses. Scanning over the four mares, Shrike froze as red text appeared in her vision as she looked at Princess Twilight. “No,” Shrike whispered, “it can’t be.”
************
Long Stride, Praetorian Guard Lieutenant and personal bodyguard of Princess Twilight, stood five paces behind his charge. His face, hidden behind his eagle-faced helmet, betrayed no emotion. A longitudinal crest of crimson sat proudly atop his helmet, as a cloak of the same color draped over his shoulders touched the floor. The rest of his body was covered in magnificently ornate Stormwinds Praetorian Armor. He silently observed as Captain-General Shining Armor exchanged words with the Princesses.
“So, Twily,” the stallion asked his younger sister, “how are you enjoying the Banquet?”
“It’s pretty good,” the mare responded, “surprisingly.”
“Yep, I agree. It can get pretty boring around the nobles. Don’t tell them I said that, though.”
Princess Cadence reached out an arm and grabbed the stallion. Stride couldn’t tell, but she most likely had a mischievous smile on her face, judging from Shining Armor’s face. She brought her head close to his and whispered something in her husband’s ear. The stallion seemed to seize up, processing the statement. He glanced at the mare, and sighed. He whispered something, which could have been, “Fine.”, but Stride couldn’t tell very well.
The two left. Princess Luna, face nigh always hidden behind that steel mask, smiled, and commented, watching the couple leave, “Cadence has such a high libido.”
“Well, dear sister,” the High Princess replied, “she does get it from you.”
Luna huffed in offense. She then chuckled, and nodded in agreement. “But, we love her anyway.”
“That we do.”
A smaller pony, a pegasus, approached the trio. Night Legion Commander Dread Wing, Lieutenant Stride thought.
Coming up to roughly Stride’s shoulders, the pegasus commanded respect, and rightfully so. A pair of maroon eyes made him stand out against the backdrop of other ponies. A mane of silver hair sat on his head, reaching down to his shoulders. Dark green fur coated the stallion. Dread Wing said nothing, but offered Princess Luna a glass of wine. “Thank you, Commander,” Princess Luna said.
She removed her mask to take a sip of the wine, lifting the glass to her lips and smiling slightly. The mask was quickly replaced, once again making the Night Princess an enigma.
Long Stride sighed, slightly. It was going to be a long night.
************
“Twilight!”
Twilight looked down at the voice. It was her mother, Star Sparkle. “Mom!” Twilight spoke, visibly perking up at seeing her mother, “I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, too, my little filly.”
“Who’s grown to be not so little,” a male voice commented.
“Night Light!” Star snapped, “Really?!”
The stallion nodded, a smile forming on his face. “But, we love her all the same.”
“That we do,” agreed Star. “But that’s not why we’re here.”
“Indeed,” Celestia agreed, and gestured to Twilight, “We’re here to support her.”
Night Light’s face suddenly lit up. “Right! Right. I had something to give you…”
He quickly dug through his pockets, looking for something. A large smile crossed his face as he found what he was looking for. Night Light raised his hand up so Twilight, and the other Princesses, could see his gift.
A pendant made from platinum with gold engravings. Twilight noted that her father was having some difficulty in holding it due to its size. Not wanting the pendant to end up bouncing off the floor like the last time she’d had a gift like this given to her, she reached out and grabbed the pendant. Noticing a button on the side of the pendant, Twilight depressed it, and the front of the pendant popped open. Inside the pendant was a group picture of her friends and family at Shining Armor’s birthday party last fall.
Covering her mouth, Twilight released a gasp. A disheartened look spread across Night Light’s face, replacing the joyful smile he’d had just moments earlier, and he looked down, ears folding back against his head in sadness. A blur of movement and Night Light found himself in a bone-crushing hug. “T-Twilight,” he choked out, a pained smile on his face, “you’re crushing me…”
His eldest daughter released her father from the hug, the stallion fell to his knees, and raised a hand to ward off any of the ponies nearby coming to his aid. He rose to his feet and smiled wide. “I’m glad you like it! You have no idea how hard it was to get a pendant-locket combo made for your size!”
This statement earned him a slap to the back of the head, courtesy of his wife. Night Light chuckled nervously and shrugged, rubbing the back of his head.
Celestia leaned over and whispered something into her sister’s ear. Luna sighed, and nodded. “I must excuse myself,” she said, “Celestia has asked that I… mingle… with the nobles.”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” Twilight replied.
She then remembered the Grand Galloping Galas that she’d been to and frowned. “Nevermind,” she corrected herself, sighing. “Nobles are a pain…”
Luna nodded in agreement, turned and left, walking toward a group of nobles. Celestia excused herself, and made her way toward another group of nobles. This left Twilight with her parents, and Long Stride, the Praetorian that Celestia assigned to protect her. Star smiled, excused herself, and moved toward a third group of nobles.
A yak of average height towered over Night Light, causing the stallion to smile and turned around. “Timur! Oh, it’s been ages! How are you?”
Timur slapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder, which drew little reaction. “Good, my friend! Good! And you?”
“Excellent. After all, it’s not everyday that one of your kids becomes an alicorn.”
Timur looked over at Twilight and his smile grew larger. “Oh, Twilight! Hello! It has been a long time since I last saw you! And how you’ve grown!”
Twilight walked over and gave the yak a hug, and said, “Uncle Timur*! I’ve missed you!”
The yak laughed, “As have I! You’re a princess now?”
Twilight nodded, “Yes! This is banquet’s really just a ceremony to make my ascension official. Even though it has been for about a month. But, between you and me, I think this is just to appease the nobles. They’re real pains in the neck.”
“I agree,” Timur said, as the two broke off their hug, and continued, “just like the politicians back home.”
“So, Timur,” Night Light began, adopting a serious face, “come, we have much to discuss. In private.”
Timur nodded, smiling slightly. “See you later, Twilight,” he said, “maybe we can talk more later.”
“Of course.”
Twilight watched as Timur and her father left to discuss whatever they needed to discuss.
She turned around to face Long Stride, the Praetorian assigned to protect her. The Praetorian, silently watching from five paces, tilted his head to the right, slightly. A frown formed on her face, and she sighed She stated, “I hate my brother sometimes.”
“Why’s that, mi’lady?”
“He’s overprotective. Any stallion that’s tried to have a relationship with me’s been scared off by my brother.”
“Oh, I see. I’m not afraid of him, though. I report directly to Princess Celestia and the Praetor.”
A mischievous smile formed on her face. Long Stride, realizing that the smile meant trouble, internally facepalmed.
************
“Damocles!”
The unicorn snapped his head up from the table and glared at his older brother. He greeted his brother with a growl, “What do you want, Marius?”
The blonde haired unicorn smiled. “I just came to say hello.”
“Hello. Now leave.”
“No. You can’t make me.”
Damocles rested his head back on the table and sighed in agreement, “Yes. I know.”
“Anyway, stand up.” Blueblood encouraged, putting a large smile on his face, “Come on. Up, up. There we go! Good boy!”
Now standing, Damocles looked at his brother and stared at him. “I’m up, I’m up. Now what?”
Always one for theatrics, Blueblood spread his arms wide, and asked, “How do you like the Banquet?”
Damocles shrugged, drawing an unamused look from Blueblood. “Just like all the other social events that have nobles attending. Though this is the first time I’ve seen all of the Princesses together in one place, you’ve got that.”
Blueblood opened his mouth to reply, but noticed a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye.
“Who was that?”
“Star Sparkle,” Damocles stated, “Princess Twilight’s mother. We need to follow her.”
Not one to doubt his brother’s intuition, Blueblood nodded, and followed Damocles out of the banquet room.
*Not her actual uncle, mind you. Night Light isn’t half-yak.
Star Sparkle smiled, and, feeling a bit thirsty, excused herself from the group of nobles she was chatting with. Heading towards the drinks table, she saw a white unicorn standing against the table, taking a sip from a glass of wine. The mare standing against the table noticed Star, and stood back up. “Lady Star,” she said, “it’s an honor!”
Star chuckled, and responded, “Rarity, please. I told you that you can call me Star.”
Rarity blushed, and nodded. “I know, I know, believe me. Force of habit.”
“Yep,” Star agreed, “I know. Habit is a powerful thing.”
The two stood silent for a minute or two, sipping their drinks. “So,” Star began, “what have you been up to?”
“I just got done talking with Prince and Princess Blueblood.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Prince Blueblood isn’t all that bad, actually. He’s very nice, very courteous.”
“He does act really rude sometimes, doesn’t he?”
Rarity nodded. “And he also complimented my dress making ability, saying that the dress I made for his wife was simply amazing.”
Star smiled, “Oh, I’m sure he was impressed.”
“He was. Very.”
“So,” Star prompted, “have any plans for a future family?”
Rarity blinked, and blushed. The question was totally out of the blue, and surprised the younger mare. “Y-yes. With Spike.”
“Spike? Really? Twilight’s assistant?”
Rarity nodded, “Yes, he’s clever, handsome, and my son adores him!”
One of Star’s eyebrows raised, ever so slightly. “Really? You have a son?”
Rarity nodded, again, smiling. “Yes. You know, the two year-old colt who likes chewing on my fabric.”
“Oh! Him?! He’s so adorable!”
Rarity nodded. “True. I just wish his father could see him now…”
The forlorn tone in Rarity’s voice made Star pause for a moment, as the older mare processed the statement. Star nodded, and said gravely, “I see. Then you’ve not seen his father for some time.”
“Yes. Not since after I learned I was pregnant. I don’t know where he went. Or if he’s coming back.”
Star nodded and sighed. “Just like many mares I know,” she murmured, “this is truly a problem in the Empire.”
“You say something, Star?”
“Hmm? Oh, no, no.”
A feeling of dread came over the mare. She looked at Rarity. “Rarity, you wouldn’t happen to know where Twilight is, do you?”
Rarity shook her head. “No, I didn’t see her leave. But one of the guards by the doors might know where she went.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Star hurried off toward the doors. Rarity tilted her head to the side in thought. “Maternal instincts, perhaps?”
************
“Mi’lady, why are we here?”
Princess Twilight turned around and smiled down at the smaller stallion. “Take your helmet’s faceplate off.”
Long Stride hesitated, but only for a moment, and complied, removing the eagle faceplate from his helmet, blinking to clear his vision. He looked up at the princess, viridian eyes filled with curiosity.
Then, surprise filled his eyes as the princess brought her face close to his and kissed him. After a very long moment, the princess broke the kiss, stood straight, and smiled. A faint smile formed on the Praetorian’s face, while a faint blush appeared through his bronze fur.
The smile and blush disappeared as the princess grunted in pain and used the Praetorian to hold herself up. “Princess, I-”
Princess Twilight cut him off with a quiet command, pain in her voice, “Lower me down, please.”
Long Stride gently lowered the princess to the floor. She coughed, turquoise blood splattering across his golden armor. Princess Twilight smiled, a thin line of turquoise blood escaping from the corner of her mouth. He returned the smile with a weak one of his own, asking, “Who would do this?”
The response to his question was a soft golden gauntlet pointing at another pony in the room.
A rust maned pegasus mare with amber eyes and a beige coat stared at the two ponies standing across the room from her. In her left hand was a maroon bladed sword with most of the blade’s length covered by turquoise. The expression on her face betrayed the surprise she felt due to the act she just committed. An uneasy smile was spread across her face. She pressed her free hand to her temple and looked at the blade in her hand.
Long Stride rose to full height and commanded, in an authoritative voice to hide his anger and fear, “Stand down, and come quietly. I’m placing you under arrest.”
The assassin frowned, and adopted a combat stance. Long Stride sighed, and replaced his eagle faceplate on his helmet. “As you wish,” he said, disappointment in his voice, “but don’t expect any mercy from me.”
Swinging up his M93, the Praetorian fired a quick burst at the assassin, who dodged and let the four rounds tear into the wall behind her. Running along the walls towards the Praetorian, with more rounds just missing her extending automail wings, the assassin launched herself at her foe, sword thrust in front of her.
Sidestepping the attack, Long Stride staggered as the sword, with the assassin’s weight behind it, pierced his left pauldron and bury itself to its hilt in the unfortunate armor piece. The assassin kicked off of him, knocking his rifle from his hands, which went spinning through the air. Landing on her feet, the mare caught the weapon, and aimed it at her foe, who sneered behind his eagle faceplate and drew his own sword.
Pulling the trigger, the assassin found herself surprised when her captured rifle emitted a not-so-subtle click, indicating that the weapon’s magazine was empty. Tossing the weapon aside, Dawn Shrike dodged a heavy, two-handed slash from the Praetorian, who had charged across the room at her and covered the distance in a few seconds, displaying surprising speed for such a heavily armored stallion.
She flung herself again at the Praetorian, and unleashed a flurry of slashes with her metal wings. The majority of the slashes dealt heavy damage to his torso armor, but did nothing to the flesh underneath. A few, however, managed to strike the armored stallion’s head, as a slash sliced through the eagle faceplate, rendering it useless to the Praetorian and the rest glanced off of his helmet. This earned Dawn a backhand slap from her foe, sending her flying a few meters across the room.
Long Stride took this opportunity to remove the ruined eagle faceplate from his helmet and his unfortunate left pauldron from his armor. Dropping the two pieces of ruined armor to the floor, he drew his sidearm, and flicked the pistol’s fire selector to full-automatic.
Dawn’s eyes widened as she realized the Praetorian’s intent and she leapt through a window, but stifling cries of pain as a few rounds from the sidearm caught her in her metal wings and one of her shoulders. She glided down to the street below and limped away from the palace, as one round had found its way into one leg.
Long Stride bolted to the window, looked down, and watched as the assassin limped away into the night. He lightly slammed his free fist into the window sill and growled, “Damn!”
With the threat to both him and the princess gone, Long Stride turned his attention back to the wounded mare lying on the floor on the other side of the room. Retrieving his discarded equipment, he returned to his charge’s side, only to find that her mother had arrived, and was currently attempting to heal her wounded daughter with her magic, with little effect.
“Lady Star,” the Praetorian asked, worried for the older mare, “are you wounded?”
Star shook her head and replied, “No. No. I am unharmed. Twilight, however, is not.”
“Yes, I know, she was stabbed by the sword lodged in my pauldron.”
“What happened to her attacker?”
“Escaped out the window, but I managed to wound her.”
Star nodded and said, “Good, good. She’ll be easier to track down and arrest.”
Crouching down, Long Stride inquired, “How is she, mi’lady?”
“Not well, her injury’s sent her into shock, and I’m trying to stabilize her, but it isn’t working.”
“What? How?”
Star shrugged, “I don’t know, maybe it’s an effect of that sword. I’m going to stop very shortly, or I’ll start taking internal organ damage from Overflow.”
“Overflow?”
“Yes. Overflow is what happens when a unicorn uses too much magic too quickly, like what I’m doing here. In long exposures, Overflow is almost certainly lethal.”
The cerise colored magic aura around her horn stopped and she coughed into her hand, with her hand coming away bloody. “But, I’ll be fine, I wasn’t exposed to Overflow very long.”
“Can you use magic after a few minutes’ rest?”
“No. Doing so now would continue to kill me, I’ll be able to cast magic again tomorrow.”
Star lifted her daughter up and cradled the younger mare in her arms. She rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder and assured, “It’ll be okay, Twily, it’ll be okay.”
Long Stride looked up as more ponies entered the room. Prince-General Blueblood, Brigadier General Damocles Blueblood, High Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Ambassador Night Light stared down at the three ponies.
The Prince-General’s face turned into a snarl and he stormed away. The Brigadier General said nothing, anger forming in his eyes, though his face remained calm. The High Princess clenched her hands into fists, trembling with anger and struggling to keep her face serene. Princess Luna’s mouth constantly twitched, as if she was fighting the urge to scream in anger and she looked away.
The ambassador crouched down next to Long Stride, and rested a hand on the Praetorian’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Lieutenant,” the stallion assured, “it’s alright. You did the best you could.”
Long Stride did not reply. The ambassador’s assurance was supposed to make him feel better. It did not.
Prince-General Blueblood stormed back to the banquet room, and, forcing his expression to be as calm as it could be, pushed the doors open. All the guests turned to see the Prince-General, his face calm but indescribable fury in his eyes. His mouth opened and he said, as calmly as he could, “I’m terribly sorry, but Princess Twilight’s Coronation Banquet, at the request of High Princess Celestia, has been called off. You’ll be informed of the reason why later this week. Again, I’m terribly sorry for any inconvenience.”
He then grabbed the back of Golden Gavel’s jacket, startling the stallion, and stated, “We need to talk. Now.”
Not waiting for a response, he dragged the unicorn to his office.
“Guards,” he told the two Palace Guards standing at the doors of his office, “unless it’s any of the Princesses or Captain-General Sparkle, I am not to be bothered until Mister Gavel leaves my office.”
“Yes, Prince-General.”
Pushing one of the doors open, he shoved Gavel inside the room. He pointed to a chair near his desk and commanded, “Sit.”
Gavel complied, and sat down in the chair once he reached it. Blueblood closed the door, grabbed a sheaf of paper, walked over to his desk, placed the paper on his desk in front of Gavel, slapped a pen onto the sheaf, and demanded, “Write the name of everyone that was involved in the assassination of Princess Twilight in some way.”
Gavel nodded nervously and began writing.
************
“Lieutenant Long Stride,” came the mighty voice of the High Princess, “you are cleared of any duties for the rest of the night. Go get some rest.”
Long Stride rose to his feet and nodded. There was nothing he could do here anymore. He needed to leave.
***
Slowly, Long Stride found his way back to the Praetorian Barracks. Any Royal Guards that were on their patrols had stood aside as the battered and exhausted Praetorian silently, somberly, returned to the Barracks. The two Praetorians at the entrance pulled the doors open for the Lieutenant, who nodded and gave a strained smile.
He found the quartermaster in the armory, and opened his mouth to explain his appearance, only for the quartermaster to raise a hand and state, “The High Princess called ahead to let me know about your arrival. I’ll have your armor repaired in the morning.”
Long Stride nodded, and headed to his armor station. Queuing up the removal process, he sighed, stepped between the two pillars, and waited. The mechanical arms of the station removed the golden pieces of armor from off of the exoskeleton beneath them before one pulled the plug connecting his armor to his central nervous system from the port at the base of his neck. A slight shudder ran down his spine as the connection was severed. “Never going to get used to that…”
The arms then pulled the front sections of the exoskeleton away, allowing the stallion to step out of the exoskeleton and head to a locker with his name on it.
Pulling the door open, Long Stride found a pair of simple fatigues and stripped his armored body-glove off. Changing into his fatigues, he saw that the front of his body-glove was also damaged in the same way as his armor. Folding the damaged body-glove, Long Stride retrieved his ruined faceplate and pauldron.
Placing the three items on the quartermaster’s station, he said, “Deliver that sword to the High Princess, she might want to examine it.”
“Of course, Lieutenant.”
With that, he went to his quarters, opened the door, entered his quarters, closed the door, and laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Only then did the weary, exhausted, and downhearted Praetorian allow himself to cry.
************
Brigadier General Damocles Blueblood watched as Princess Twilight was wheeled away on a stretcher, his face displaying a morose expression. He said nothing as Ambassador Night Light and Lady Star left, presumably to head to the hospital to get Star treated for her Overflow exposure, and keep track of their daughter. The High Princess looked down at him as she came to his side. “You all right, Damocles?”
Damocles shook his head. “No. No, I’m not. Haven’t been for two years… Not since Grey Beak… And this? This? This is making it worse. I-I could’ve… Could’ve…”
Damocles held his head in his hands and groaned. “None of this makes any sense… Why? Why would prompt a citizen of the Empire to do such a thing?”
“That,” rumbled the High Princess, “I do not know. But… I will find out.”
Damocles nodded, and sighed, looking up at the High Princess. She nodded, and spoke. “Go.”
Turning from the alicorn, Damocles left, leaving the High Princess alone in the corridor.
************
“Tia,” Luna said, “there’s nothing you could have done. You know that.”
Celestia shook her head, and responded, “One can always do something. I just did the wrong thing.”
Her response voiced, Celestia turned and walked away, deeper into the palace.
Luna shook her head, and whispered, “Oh, Tia…”
She then headed in the same direction as her sister, as her destination was along the way to her sister’s.
************
The next day came, as it always did, and the citizens in Canterlot noticed a change in the Royal Guard. Grim, dismal looking Guards had replaced the somewhat cheery and quietly confident Guards that patrolled throughout the capital. No matter who a citizen was: a criminal, a street urchin, a police officer silently eating a donut, a posh and arrogant noble, a slum dweller with enough Koares* to buy something from the other side of the wall, or even one of the staff working inside the Imperial Palace, it did not matter, they noticed, and many did not like it.
The Guards did not talk to any of the citizens they encountered during their routines, only speaking to order citizens out of their way or when arresting any criminals they came across. This told the citizens, even without any spoken words from the Guards themselves, that something had happened.
The citizens found themselves speculating about why the Guards had suffered such a drastic switch in mood. Many proposed that something terrible had happened to one of the Princesses, only to dismiss the proposal as ridiculous.
Those who speculated about one of the Princesses having something terrible happen to her were not wrong or ridiculous.
And they were only scraping the surface of the truth…
************
In the chamber where High Princess Celestia held her Day Court, those citizens in attendance noticed the same grim, dismal mood in not only the Palace Guards, but the Praetorians, as well.
However, what really disheartened the attendees was the state of the High Princess, who was very much adored by most of her subjects.
Her clothing, made from the finest silks, was severely disheveled. The signature multi-colored hair that always flowed as though an invisible wind blew gently through it was still, spilling down across her mighty shoulders, and unkempt. Her crown and gauntlets had been cracked at some point between her cancelling the Coronation Banquet for Princess Twilight and when she was first seen by a citizen coming to voice their concerns. This detail of the High Princess’s appearance unnerved the older attendees, some of whom had seen, sixty years ago, when the monarch had personally defeated an Ursa Major that had threatened Canterlot with only her fists. Her gauntlets were unscathed after that battle as was her crown.
The damaged appearance of these pieces of the monarch’s outfit suggested a rage and strength that she was extremely capable of suppressing.
But, the vital detail that alerted the more astute attendees to the fact that something had happened to make her react in such that she looked like she did was the telltale lines of orange makeup that had gotten wet and ran down her face, staining the white fur with its color; her eyes reflected a spiritlessness that very few had seen in their monarch, let alone any other pony, but one that her Praetorians had seen until Princess Luna had returned from her banishment.
Those who saw this, and knew this display of emotion's significance, understood what was happening.
The High Princess of the Solarian Empire was showing her sorrow.
************
Prince-General Blueblood sat in his office alone, facing the window and looking at the city surrounding the palace, pondering what he should do for his next step, when the doors to his office were flung open by Captain-General Shining Armor. “Marius,” he demanded, “is it true? Did my sister get attacked by an assassin last night?”
“Yes.”
The response was short and melancholic. “Who did this then?” Shining Armor asked, voice shaking, “Why was this done?”
Blueblood turned around, revealing his face was one of deep sorrow. His eyes, swollen and puffy from the tears he had shed earlier that morning, made the upset elder brother of Twilight Sparkle pause and realize that the Prince-General was upset to the point of tears. His voice was shaky and strained as he replied.
“‘For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings; how some have been deposed; some slain in war, some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed; some poison'd by their wives: some sleeping kill'd; all murder'd…’ All because they happened to be unfortunate enough to be wearing a crown of shining metal and no one liked them.”
*Koare: Standard Imperial Currency, equivalent to one 1915 British Pound (approximately five US Dollars)
Twilight slowly woke from her unconsciousness. The sound of beeping reached her ears. An EKG monitor? Where am I? A hospital?
Her vision swam. Blinking her eyes, the princess noticed a blob of light green off to her right side. She again blinked, and the blob resolved itself. A mare in a light green medical uniform with a nurse’s cap atop her head stood next to her bed checking the source of the beeping, which was, in fact, an EKG machine. “Hello? Miss?”
The nurse yelped and turned toward the princess. “Oh,” the nurse sighed, “good morning, Princess.”
“Where am I?”
“In Canterlot Memorial Hospital.”
“Canterlot Memorial?”
“Yes, you were injured last night by an assassin at the Palace. Do you remember that?”
Twilight frowned as her brow furrowed. “Yes, yes. I also remember the Praetorian assigned to protect me engaging in combat with the assassin… the assassin fleeing… my mother arriving and trying to heal me… I can’t remember anything else.”
The nurse nodded, “That is understandable. You were unconscious when you were brought in last night.”
“What about my mother? Praetorian Long Stride?”
“Well, your mother was treated for slight Overflow exposure, and she was released very quickly. Your Praetorian was most likely sent back to the Praetorian Barracks by the High Princess.”
Twilight nodded. “Good, good. I’d hate to see anyone else suffer because they tried to help me.”
“Alright,” the nurse said, smiling, “I’ll take these readings to the doctor assigned to your care and bring you something to eat.”
“Thank you.”
************
Ponyville
April 16, 4E 2010
Ponyville Train Station, 9:35
Rainbow Dash stepped off the train and glanced around. “Where’s Pinkie? She’d normally be here to greet me.”
Scratching the back of her head, Dash shrugged and headed to the front of the train station. To her dismay, Pinkie wasn’t there either. Dash sighed, crossed the parking lot, and called a taxi. She pulled open one of the back doors and entered the car, sitting on the back seat. Removing her barracks cover, Dash rested the hat on her lap. “So, Rainbow,” the taxi’s driver prompted, “what’s with the hat and coat?”
“I’m a Second Lieutenant now.”
“Air Force?”
“Yes. Just finished officer training a couple of weeks ago.”
“Ah. Well, then, where to?”
“Sugarcube Corner.”
“Alright, then.”
***
“Alright, we’re here, Rainbow.”
“Thanks.”
“That’ll be three Koares.”
Dash pulled out a three Koare bill and handed it to the driver. Dash exited the taxi, putting her barracks cover back on as the car drove away. She walked away from the street, and up to the front door. Pausing slightly, the Second Lieutenant noticed a small colt looking out of one of the windows. “Rarity’s kid, Arenka Cashmere. That means Rarity’s here as well. Excellent,” Dash mused, “easier to surprise her that way.”
Arenka smiled and waved. Dash returned the wave, smiling slightly. Pushing the door open, Dash heard the signature bell mounted above the door ring, announcing her entrance.
Some of the customers seated at the tables closest to the door looked over as they heard the bell ring, but went back to what they were doing as soon as they saw the figure who had entered the bakery-confectionary. “Oh, hello, Rainbow Dash,” a voice to her left said, “I was wondering who the military officer who entered was.”
Dash turned her head to look at the speaker. It was Cup Cake, one of the owners of Sugarcube Corner. “Hi. Is Pinkie here?”
“What? Oh, yes. She’s upstairs… In her room.”
“Alright, thanks.”
Dash turned and began walking toward the stairs that lead up to the loft above the shop. She stopped. “Also, I’d like my usual. I’ll pick it up on the way out.”
“S-sure.”
Dash heard the slight stutter in the mare’s voice. “If you’re worried for me, I’ll be fine. I am a military officer, after all.”
She crossed the room and walked up the stairs.
************
A knock came to the door. Braeburn stood and walked over to the door, growling, “Who’s up here? Ah thought Ah told Mrs. Cake that we aren’t to be disturbed.”
“It’s probably Mrs. Cake, checking on us.”
Pinkie’s response made sense to the stallion, who nodded. The visitor, however, was not Mrs. Cake. Instead, it was Rainbow Dash, dressed in an Air Force officer’s uniform underneath a maroon ulster coat. “Hey, Braeburn,” the mare said, in a noticeably hushed voice, “fancy seein’ you here.”
“You, too, Dash. Why are ya here?”
An arm rose, and pointed at the pink mare behind him. “I’m here to see her.”
“Alright, alright, you can come in.”
“Thank you.”
Dash entered the room, and Braeburn closed the door. “Hey, Pinkie,” Dash said, smiling, her voice returning to its normal tone.
The pink mare stood and crossed the room in a flash, smiling. “Dashie,” she said, “you came to visit!”
“Yeah, I did.”
The two hugged, and Pinkie asked, “How are Mr. and Mrs. Cake doing?”
“Very well. No lines or anything.”
“Okie-dokie, more time to spend with Braeburn!”
Braeburn chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
“So, Dashie,” Pinkie prompted, breaking the hug and taking a step back, “what else are you here for?”
Dash smirked, and replied, “I need to talk to Limestone.”
Pinkie tilted her head to the right. “Why? You two aren’t exactly the best of friends.”
“I know. I ain’t makin’ a social call.”
Pinkie tilted her head the other way, and then spoke, “Oh! Right! She owes you some favors. That’s why you’re here, calling one in, right?”
“Yep. I don’t have her number, though.”
“It’s okay, you can use my phone,” Pinkie said, grabbing said device from inside her shirt, finding Limestone’s contact, bringing it up, and handing the cyan pegasus the phone.
“Thanks.”
The phone on the other end of the call rang for a bit, and then Limestone’s voice came through. “This better be important, Pinkie. You know better than to call me while I’m at work.”
“Hello, Limestone,” Dash said, starting to pace, the smirk not fading, “I don’t have your number, but Pinkie does.”
“What do you want?”
“You owe me some favors.”
“Fine. What do you need?”
Dash picked up a picture of Limestone, Pinkie, Maud, and Marble all together at some reunion somewhere and looked at it. She rested it back on the dresser she found it on.
“Well, Captain, you work in Imperial Intelligence, right?”
“Damn it. Yes.”
“I need information.”
“On who?”
“Someone named Lambda.”
Limestone was silent for a minute, but said, “Alright. I’ll get you your information. Call me if you need anymore information.”
“Alright, thanks.”
Dash ended the call. “Thanks for letting me use your phone, Pinks. I’ll just copy Limestone’s contact into my phone.”
“You’re welcome, Dashie.”
Braeburn, slightly confused, asked, “Dash, how’d ya know that Limestone’s a captain?”
Dash undid the collar of her ulster coat and tapped the collar of her uniform. “In that picture, Limestone’s got those double bars.”
“Oh. Oh. Okay.”
************
“Princess Twilight, can you try moving your legs, please?”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
Twilight blinked and frowned. “This is isn’t right. I should be able to move them.”
Twilight grunted and growled. Trying again to command her legs to move, Twilight’s expression slipped from irritation and into one of shock. “I-I can’t move my legs.”
The doctor nodded. “I understand, I’ll let the High Princess know.”
************
Imperial Palace, Canterlot
One month later…
Dawn Shrike's Cell
Dawn Shrike frowned. Sitting in a cell in the Imperial Palace was not anything she wanted to do for fun. She grunted as her right leg wound began aching. She been hit by several rounds from that Praetorian’s sidearm. One of those 13mm rounds had struck her in the leg, other hit her in the left shoulder, and the rest had tore pieces out of her wings.
But, for her son, Dawn would do anything. Him and that griffon prince, Windrider, too.
***
Dawn was leaning against a wall, whimpering. Her wings were damaged, her left shoulder and right leg were bleeding, and the pain was affecting her judgment. She needed to get the wounds treated.
“Dawn?”
She gasped. A very familiar voice reached her ears. Turning, she saw a griffon standing down at the entrance of the alley she was hiding in. “Jürgen? You’re okay?”
Windrider nodded. “Yes, Dawn. I’m okay. It’s a lot harder to kill a griffon prince than you think.”
“I figured as much.”
Dawn limped toward the griffon, and hugged him. “Sorry about the blood.”
“It’s fine. You need to come in. They’ll treat you fairly.”
Dawn looked down. “Okay, for you and Slate, I’ll do anything.”
“Slate?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you all about him later.”
***
Her cell door opening alerted Dawn to the fact that she had visitors. She sat straighter.
The Praetorian from last night entered, his viridian eyes betraying his feelings toward the pegasus. His helmet was in his left hand, revealing hair that shared its color with the fuchsia plant. It was a welcome splash of nature on an otherwise metallic colored pony, or so Dawn thought.
“Princess,” he inquired, “are you sure about this? She could still be dangerous.”
The next voice Dawn heard made her eyes widen, and her breathing quicken severely. “Yes, Lieutenant,” Princess Twilight responded, as the alicorn entered view, seated in a powerchair*, “I am sure.”
The powerchair had no discernable means of movement, but Dawn suspected that the chair had tracks. Ornate, golden, and made to the princess’s certainly exacting standards, the powerchair was very recognizable, Dawn was sure.
Tears welled up in the pegasus’s eyes. She flung herself at the feet of the crippled alicorn. “I-I’m so sorry! I never wanted this! Not attacking you, or crippling you!”
The Praetorian raised an eyebrow, doubtful. “Someone put you up to this?”
“Yes! I don’t know who they are, but they gave me this.”
She pulled a small medallion from her clothes. The Praetorian stepped forward and took the medallion. He let out a subtle growl. “Of course,” he murmured, “why am I not surprised?”
“Lieutenant?”
The Praetorian stepped in closer to his charge, and whispered, “This medallion bears the emblem of the Mouvement de Fascisti. I understand that they are opposed to having royalty in power.”
“They wish to do away with royalty?”
“Oh, no, no. They simply want the royals to not have any say in government, not remove them.”
“Then why would they hire an assassin to kill me?”
The Praetorian sighed. “I don’t mean to offend you with this next statement. But, you’ve basically upset the balance of power in the Empire.”
“What do you mean?”
“An Alicorn Princess has incredible power in the political structure of the Empire. Considering that she can directly support one of the political parties and can push her supported party’s agenda at the meeting of the High Princess’ Inner Circle.”
“I can do that?”
“Yes,” the Praetorian said, “the High Princess can explain more. We’re not here to discuss that, though.”
“Right, right!” Princess Twilight chuckled, nervously. Thankfully, Miss Shrike didn’t hear any of that.
Dawn remained at the crippled Princess’s feet, subtly crying. Princess Twilight reached out with her magic and lifted the sobbing pegasus to her lap. Dawn seized up as the Princess’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. “Don’t worry, Miss Shrike,” Princess Twilight said, quietly, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“W-what will y-you do, then?”
“Forgive you.”
“Why?”
“Because you have someone that depends on you, don’t you?”
“Y-yes.”
“You need to be there for them, and I understand that you basically had no choice, as you are an assassin, after all.”
Sleep never came easy for Princess Luna. But when it did come, the alicorn was extremely difficult to wake. Or so Celestia told her. Regardless, Luna was sleeping soundly in her office at her oak desk, resting her head on her arms. A small smile had formed on her face.
A smaller figure, one of the numerous Night Guards that served the Princess of the Night, came forward from the shadows, blanket in hand, and draped the blanket over the sleeping alicorn. “Sleep well, Princess.”
************
The Next Morning
Shining Armor woke to find a pink feather in his mouth. He pulled it out of his mouth with his magic, as he found that the owner of the pink feather had, at some point during the night, decided to start clinging to him, locking his arms to his sides. He frowned. “Cadence,” he said, “It’s time to wake up.”
“I don’t want to…”
“Come on, I need to get ready to work.”
“You can just use one of your many vacation days you’ve saved up…”
Cadence had a point, Shining Armor had to admit. But, that wasn’t the point. He wanted to go to work. The Empire needed him. In fact, it needed Cadence, too. “You also need to wake up, too. You’re a princess. The citizens will worry if they don’t get to see you.”
“Will they? Will they really?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Darn. Okay.”
A cute little yawn issued forth from the foot of the bed. Shining Armor, managing to wiggle out of Cadence’s grip, sat up. A little alicorn filly lay partially curled up at the foot of the bed, looking at her parents. “Morning.”
The greeting was soft and tired. “Come here,” Shining Armor said, “sweetie.”
The filly smiled, and crawled across the bed to her father. Shining Armor took the filly in a hug, which the filly returned. “Skyla,” Cadence inquired, seriously, “how did you get in our room?”
Skyla rubbed one of her eyes, and yawned again. “You left the door slightly open.”
Her parents exchanged a glance. “Okay. Okay. Well,” Shining Armor smiled, “let Mommy and I get dressed, okay?”
“Okay!”
Skyla got up and hurried out of the room.
Shining Armor sat up further, and looked at Cadence, shaking his head. “Make sure to close the door next time, okay?”
Cadence giggled, and rolled her eyes.
************
Luna poured over the map she had spread across her desk and a pair of tables she had found amongst the office supplies in her office. “Princess Luna,” one of the Palace Guards stationed outside her office doors spoke, having opened a door enough to allow her to lean in, “you have some visitors.”
“I am expecting them,” replied the princess, not looking up from the map, “they may enter.”
The Palace Guard nodded. She ducked back into the hall, closing the door.
The two doors opened, and Luna’s expected visitors entered the office. Shining Armor and Cadence.
Luna stood straight. She smiled, circumstances notwithstanding. “Good morning, you two.”
“Morning,” Shining Armor replied.
Cadence ran over to the larger alicorn and hugged her. Luna’s smiled widened slightly. “How’s my little filly doing?”
“Great! Skyla’s doing very well, too!”
“Good, good.”
Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Not that I don’t find this display of mother-daughter affection adorable or anything, but I think we should focus on why you called us here.”
The two mares ended their hug, and Luna nodded. Luna chuckled, slightly. “Always focused, aren’t you, Shining Armor?”
The stallion nodded. “Someone’s got to be.”
Luna gestured to the map. The three walked over to the desk, and took position at different spots around the desk, with Luna returning to her original position.
Shining Armor looked at the map and frowned. “Why are you looking at a map of the Dark Valley?”
Luna smiled. “Because inside this forsaken place is the knowledge I seek.”
“Knowledge, mother? What kind of knowledge?”
Luna’s smile dropped, and she sighed. “Twilight is… dying, Cadence.”
Cadence gasped. “Dying?! How?”
Shining Armor’s frown deepened, “It was that sword that the assassin that attacked her had, it must have been poisoned.”
“Indeed,” Luna agreed, “as it and its other eleven brethren have been for millennia.”
“There’s eleven other ones, too?”
“Yes, they are relics created by the greatest scholar of magic the world has ever seen.”
Cadence sighed, looking down at the floor. “So, what do we do?”
“You two will do nothing, this is something that I must do alone.”
Shining Armor stepped forward and asked, irritated, “My little sister is dying, and you are telling me, her older brother, to do nothing.”
Luna’s expression turned serious. “Yes, I am.”
“I refuse to just-”
“I could always just order you to do nothing.”
Shining Armor huffed in irritation. “Fine, fine,” he said, “I will do nothing.”
Cadence looked up. “You could always take someone with you. There’s things in the Dark Valley that you’ll need protection from.”
“That’s true,” Luna agreed, expression softening. “But, I still need to get my idea approved by Celestia. Anything that I decide here without getting my idea approved will mean nothing.”
“Oh,” Shining Armor said, “yeah, that’s true.”
Luna waved a hand dismissively, saying, “You two’d better be on your way. You have your duties to attend to, as well.”
The other two nodded, and as they turned to leave, Luna spoke again, “Don’t worry. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that Twilight lives.”
Shining Armor glanced back over his shoulder at Luna, glaring intensely at his mother-in-law.
Luna did not blink, staring back at the stallion with the same intensity.
The Captain-General then returned to looking forward and left. Cadence followed close behind, closing the doors behind her.
The Night Princess shook her head, chuckling. Shining Armor loved his little sister, to the point where he’d throw out all reason. “One day, that… devotion… will get you killed, Shining Armor.”
She suddenly flicked an arm out, flinging a pen across the room to bounce off of the wall to her right. The pen bounced off of the floor, back towards Luna, who caught it, and tucked it back into her vest.
A draconequus dissolved into view, an unamused expression on his face. “How do you do that?”
“Chaos Sense,” Luna replied, glancing at him through the corner of her eye, “and I see a very big concentration of it leaning against my wall.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Well, when do you intend to bring this idea up with Celestia?”
Luna’s response was immediate. “As soon I finish up here. In about five minutes. Go bother Tia in the meantime.”
Discord opened his mouth, but closed it and nodded. Bothering Celestia sounded like wonderful idea. He snapped his fingers, and was gone.
Only one question remained in Luna’s mind.
Would Celestia approve her idea?
************
High Princess Celestia jerked her head up and looked toward the doors to her throne room. The squirming draconequus beneath her stopped squirming and looked toward the doors, too.
A dark alicorn had entered the room. She glanced down at the pair sitting on the floor, and chuckled.
Celestia’s cloak had been thrown onto one of the guards in the room, who remained perfectly still. The others were silently chuckling at their comrade’s embarrassment.
Discord, pinned beneath the High Princess, with her crown sitting on his head, gave a wave.
Celestia snapped her fingers, and a glass of chocolate milk appeared in her hand. She took a sip from the glass, and spoke, “So, Luna, what do you have to bring to my attention?”
“Is it really that obvious?”
“Yes. You’re glancing around somewhat nervously, like that inane Earl Sapphire from earlier. Gods, I hate those kind of ponies, the ones that know that the proper term for their position in the Imperial Nobility is Earl, but insist on using the other term for their position.”
“Count?”
“That one. With my accent, that word sounds incredibly vulgar and offensive.”
Luna nodded, smirking slightly. It was a problem, she had to admit. It was also incredibly amusing, too.
“Luna,” Celestia said, irritated, and a little embarrassed, “it’s not funny.”
Celestia’s ears were flopped down, and she scrunched her face. Luna’s smirk grew larger. “Yes, it is.”
Celestia shook her head. “Anyway, out with it.”
Luna’s smirk turned into a smile. She spoke, the room falling silent as she did so. “I have a plan. A plan to save Twilight Sparkle…”
Spike looked at the ponies sitting at the table. Rarity, furiously sketching a new design for a dress that had been requested by someone important, hummed to herself, oblivious to the rest of the world. Applejack was slumped in her chair asleep, stetson pulled down over her face, snoring lightly. Fluttershy was folding origami cranes, murmuring… something. Proverbs? Short hymns? Whatever it was, what little inflection Spike could pick up on suggested that she was saying it with reverence.
Braeburn, hat resting on the table, watched his marefriend dart around the room, delivering orders to customers, a smile on his face. That left Spike himself. He found himself scanning the room to keep himself busy. He suddenly burped out a jet of green flame, from which a letter materialised. Spike blinked, surprised. The letter, finally responding to gravity, merely fell to the table, where it sat for a few moments.
Reaching out a claw, he felt a soft hand touch his as he grabbed the letter. He looked at its owner. It was Rarity, who had obviously heard the burp, looked up, saw the letter, and began reaching toward it as well. The unicorn blushed, withdrawing her hand.
Braeburn turned around, saw the letter in Spike’s hand, and slapped Applejack on the arm, waking the mare up. The mare glared at her cousin, who jerked his head toward Spike. Applejack noticed the letter and spoke. “Hey, ‘Shy. Spike’s got a letter from Princess Celestia.”
Fluttershy stopped her murmuring and folding of cranes, looking up with a glare of irritation, as if miffed that she was interrupted in the middle of her work. The glare immediately faded, as Fluttershy acknowledged that it was one of her friends interrupting her, not an enemy, and she smiled. “A letter! What’s it say?”
Spike shrugged. “I don't know. I’m waiting for Pinkie to get over here.”
Pinkie Pie sat down in a chair and smiled. “Hi!”
“Now that everyone’s here,” Spike said, “I’ll read the letter.”
***
Within an hour, they were on a train to Canterlot. High Princess Celestia had summoned them as Princess Luna had proposed an idea. Spike stared out the window he sat next to, thinking. “What’s the matter, Spike?”
Spike glanced at the speaker, it was Fluttershy. He frowned, and replied, “I see that the Princesses are trying to help us. But, I’m only getting more questions than answers…”
“Yeah, Ah know whatcha mean,” Applejack spoke up. “Sometimes, Ah prefer when Ah didn’t have to deal with all this… secrecy; among other things, ‘course. Ah don’t like it.”
Spike agreed. Back when Twilight was a young mare trying to learn everything she could learn about magic, without a care for forming new friendships outside of the ones that she already had, life was simpler. No secrets, no ancient conspiracies against the Empire, no magical abominations, and no pressure to be the first line of defense against whatever “villain” showed up that week.
But, once they’d gotten past their differences, they became close. Close enough for at least two of the seven to start thinking about having a relationship. The others were starting their own relationships, too. Except Twilight. Spike chuckled. Despite everything that had transpired, Twilight was still a bit of a recluse. Sure, she’d gone on dates with stallions, but she hadn’t found one that would mesh well with her specific quirks.
“Well,” Rarity mused, “we’ll get our answers soon enough.”
Spike scoffed, very quietly.
************
Canterlot, The Imperial Palace
The Throne Room
15:45
High Princess Celestia sat on her throne, resting her head on one of her arms. She glanced over at her darker furred sister. Luna was visibly excited, even if she was trying her best to hide it. The only thing giving away her excitement, unbeknownst to the mare, was the movement of her wings. They quickly opened a little, and then closed just as fast, multiple times every minute.
Celestia felt a small smile creep onto her face. Ever since their foalhood, Celestia could easily tell her sister’s emotions. Excitement was one of them that she knew very well.
The doors to her throne room opened, and six figures entered. Twilight’s assistant and her friends. Celestia stood, and met the six in the middle. She reached down and picked Spike up, drawing him into a hug. Spike returned the hug, smiling wide.
When the hug ended, Celestia set Spike down, before giving the drake a small pat on the head. She looked down at the six subjects before her. They looked up at her, waiting for her to speak.
Celestia’s mighty marble form dwarfed all six of them, making them seem like foals next to the ancient mare. She cleared her throat, cutting her revere short. “Luna,” she commanded, “come over here.”
Luna nodded, and quickly crossed the distance between them. “Er… Luna? What’s up with you?”
The question was immediately followed by a loud slap. Rainbow Dash staggered forward, and began rubbing the back of her head. “Jeez, Rarity… The hell you do that for?”
“Dash,” Rarity responded, rubbing her hand, “that is no way to address a superior.”
Dash straightened, and looked at the unicorn with a half-lidded expression. “You heard her the first Nightmare Night after she got back, she wanted us to treat her as a friend.”
Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but closed it, and nodded in agreement.
“How do you manage to get behind me super quick?”
“I might have picked it up from Pinkie.”
Pinkie Pie nodded. “It’s true! She did!”
“In any case,” Luna spoke, drawing their attention, “we have business to discuss.”
“What is it?”
Luna sighed, “I don’t know if you know this, but Twilight is… dying.”
The six had various reactions to this news. Rarity gasped, covering her mouth. Rainbow Dash frowned and looked down at the floor. Fluttershy gasped, and tears began welling up in her eyes. Applejack pulled her hat down over her face. Pinkie Pie’s color faded, and her mane and tail deflated. Spike narrowed his eyes and growled. “No worries,” Luna assured, “I know of a way that can save her.”
Pinkie Pie’s color returned and her mane and tail reinflated with the sound of a balloon inflating. “Really? How?”
Luna smiled and replied, “Well, it requires an expedition. Into the Dark Valley.”
“How does heading into one of the most dangerous places on the planet help us?”
“The most vital ingredient I need for what will save Twilight is there, in its center. But, I need assistance. That is why you six are here. I trust the Royal Guard to protect me, of course, but I believe that the knowledge that her best friends are assisting me in saving her will help give Twilight hope that she will live; therefore ensuring that she lives longer.”
“Would that even help?”
“Yes, Dash,” Rarity replied, “hope is a very powerful thing in ponies. It can sustain them for a very long time.”
Dash nodded.
“So,” Luna spoke again, “will you help me?”
All but Dash replied immediately that they would. Dash stared up at the Luna. “Dash? What of you?”
Dash shrugged, shaking her head slightly. “I-I don’t know. I have Air Force duties, now. I need some time to think.”
Luna nodded. “I understand. Take your time.”
“Would you like to see Twilight?”
The High Princess’s question was sudden, but the response was immediate. All six responded with positive answers to the question. A smile appeared on the High Princess’s face, and she ordered, pointing to one of the guards, “Sergeant, take the Chosen and Princess Twilight’s Assistant to Princess Twilight’s chambers.”
“Yes, Your Exalted Highness.”
The guard approached the six. “Please follow me.”
Once the seven figures left, Celestia glanced at Luna, and spoke, “I hope the risk will be worth it…”
Long Stride, standing near the glass doors to the balcony of his charge’s chambers, stole a glance at his charge.
Sitting in her powerchair, looking out toward the city surrounding the Palace, Princess Twilight enjoyed the fresh air while reading a book.
A sad smile crossed Long Stride’s face. The mare had little time to herself, between what little duties she had, and spending time in bed trying to recover from her affliction.
The Praetorian walked out onto the balcony. He rested a hand on the princess’s shoulder. Yelping softly, the mare looked up at the Praetorian. “Don’t do that, Long Stride.”
Long Stride stepped around in front of the mare, extended his right arm toward the mare, and opened his hand, revealing a caramel square. Twilight looked at the square, and gasped, covering her mouth as a memory surfaced in her head.
***
Twilight stared up at the earth pony colt’s face, attempting to discern his intentions. In his right hand, a caramel square. A peace offering, perhaps.
Reaching up, and taking the square from the colt, Twilight’s face took on a curious expression. “Where did you get this?”
The colt smiled slightly, and replied, “One of my uncles is a caramel maker. He sends me some caramels, occasionally.”
Twilight lifted the square up to her nose, and gave it a sniff. “Is caramel any good?”
“You’ve never had any caramel before?”
“No,” Twilight responded honestly, “Mother ensures that I eat healthily. She doesn’t allow me to have any candy.”
“You can eat the caramel, a single candy won’t hurt.”
The caramel square quickly disappeared into the filly’s mouth. Chewing the caramel, Twilight let the flavors pass over her tongue, taking in everything about it. A large smile crossed her face as her eyes sparkling in pleasure. She quickly rushed up and threw her arms around the colt, and inquired, “Do you have anymore? It’s so good!”
“Twilight! It’s time for supper!” Twilight’s mother called from the manor house, “Bring the knave with you!”
Twilight frowned. The knave smiled, and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll sneak you some caramel squares later.”
Twilight smiled, and grabbed hold of one of the colt’s arms. She began dragging the colt toward the manor house. She thought she could hear chuckling from the colt as he was dragged around by a filly smaller than he was.
***
A large smile crossed her face as she took the square from the Praetorian. Popping the square into her mouth, Twilight smiled as the taste she remembered came forth from the tiny square. She grabbed the Praetorian’s arm, and pulled him into a hug.
Long Stride smiled. “I’m glad you still remember me, Princess.”
“I’ve missed you!”
“I know you have.”
The two remained in their embrace until Twilight let the stallion go. A not-so-subtle blush had appeared on Twilight’s face. She had forgotten her feelings for Long Stride, and, by offering a caramel square to the mare to try to cheer her up, the stallion had unknowingly rekindled those feelings within her. Looking up at her protector, Twilight smiled, and said, “Thank you, Long Stride.”
“Anytime, Princess.”
Movement drew the Praetorian’s attention from his charge, and he looked up, toward its source. “Princess,” he said, “we have visitors.”
************
Spike glared at the Praetorian, who returned the drake’s glare with a cool look, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.
“Who are they?”
Twilight’s question was succinct. The Praetorian replied, “See for yourself, Princess.”
Twilight’s powerchair turned around, and the mares behind Spike, aside from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, gasped.
The alicorn looked worse than she had when they saw her back at Canterlot Memorial. Sickly looking, listless, and slightly thinner than before, Twilight Sparkle’s appearance confirmed what Luna had said about her. A wan smile appeared on the dying mare’s face. “How have you been?”
Spike walked up to the mare, knelt down, and picked up one of her hands, pressing it to his cheek. “We’ve been fine, Twilight,” he assured. “But we’re here for you.”
“What do you mean?”
The other five mares surrounded their friend, and Applejack spoke, “Luna sent us a letter this mornin’. She wanted ta talk to us about ya.”
“And what did she say?”
“She wanted our help with an expedition of hers,” Rarity responded, “and we all agreed. Except Rainbow Dash.”
Dash sighed as a slight snarl formed on her face. “I said I needed time to think about it.”
“Which is not agreein’, Rainbow.”
“Girls,” Twilight commanded, raising her other hand in a halting gesture, “don’t start bickering. It’s not like it was when Spike and I first met you five. Dash isn’t the headstrong mare she used to be, and I’m sure you’ve all changed, too.”
Rarity nodded, “I’ve got a son to take care of, now.”
“I’m dating Braeburn,” Pinkie added, “he’s really fun!”
“Um… I’ve become more… assertive and confident?”
The others smiled at Fluttershy’s statement. Applejack stated, “And Ah’ve been tryin’ to find a stallion that wants to be with an Apple Family mare who isn’t scared off by mah brother.”
“You should see how many stallions that have tried dating me that Shining Armor has scared off,” Twilight smiled, chuckling slightly. “They don’t take the fact that my brother is the Captain-General of the Royal Guard very well.”
“So, Dash,” Rarity prompted, “have you decided?”
“I-”
“Dash can stay here, while the rest of you help Luna,” Twilight interrupted. “Dash has things that come with her being an officer in the Air Force. I wouldn’t have her toss them aside for my sake.”
There was a sigh from all of Twilight’s friends. The Praetorian cocked his head to the side, somewhat confused.
“Of course, Twi,” Applejack acknowledged, breaking the silence that had barely settled, “that’s okay.”
Pinkie, Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack left, while Spike remained behind for a few minutes.
************
A few minutes later, Spike left Twilight’s chambers. “So,” Rarity began, “why did you stay behind?”
“I wanted to talk with Twilight and that Praetorian a little bit.”
“Oh, I see.”
The group walked the corridors of the Palace toward the room they had been given to stay in for the night. Dash kept a neutral expression on her face, while the others thought about Twilight’s words.
Entering the room, Applejack surveyed the room. Spike pulled the door closed behind them. Upon the door closing, Applejack turned around and glared at Rainbow Dash. Dash returned the glare with a very slight one of her own, and asked, “What?”
“Ah can’t believe yer just goin’ ta stay here while the rest of us go and put our lives on the line for Twilight.”
“My decision was made for me, Applejack,” Dash replied.
“Ya coulda spoken up, ya know.”
“I didn’t feel the need to.”
“Well, ya should’ve. ‘Cause it looks ta me that yer bein’ mighty unloyal.”
Dash’s glare grew in intensity and she growled. Applejack snorted, and matched Dash’s glare. Dash threw a punch at the earth pony, putting her full weight behind it. Applejack did not move, anticipating that the punch would do very little against her. When the blow landed, Applejack staggered to the right.
Dash stepped back, rubbing her hand and her glare remaining on her face. “Don’t ever do that again, AJ. I’m not going to just ignore Twilight while I’m doing my job. I’ll visit her as often as I can.”
Applejack nodded, as she rubbed her cheek. “Yeah, yeah. Ah get it. Ya pack a nasty punch.”
“‘Course I do, AJ. Gotta eventually beat ya in armwrestling.”
Applejack chuckled. Dash extended a hand toward the earth pony, asking, “Friends?”
Applejack took the mare in a bear hug. Dash laughed and returned the hug. “GROUP HUG!!”
Pinkie grabbed Rarity and Fluttershy, and started dragging them toward the other two mares. Fluttershy began struggling to get free from the party mare, whimpering. “Girls,” Fluttershy pleaded, “you know I don’t like group hugs.”
“Shh…”
Pinkie appeared in front of the large pegasus, pressing a finger to her lips. Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she felt as the other mares put her at the center of their group hug. Her whimpering began anew.
As the group of six friends lay down to rest for the night, one of them found it noticeably harder to sleep. Fluttershy sighed, and a slight frown crept onto her face.
The large, yellow pegasus mare lay on her bed, comfortable under its sheets, and quite warm. Canterlot was always a bit colder than the rest of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. She had heard that the colonies were warmer than Equestria, but she had never been to any of the colonies.
She closed her eyes, and lay there until sleep took her. Or tried to, anyway. Days like this brought out the worst of her memories when she slept, the ones she’d like to not remember.
She opened her eyes and puffed her cheeks out. Getting out of the bed, she put her slippers on, and pulled on her shawl. She decided to take a walk, and sleep on the ride back to Ponyville.
Heading for the door, she glanced back at her friends, who were sound asleep. She nodded, and left the room.
***
Fluttershy wandered the halls of the Imperial Palace, with no destination in mind.
She stopped, however, as she felt the edges of a very peculiar psychic signature brush against the edges of her passive psychic detection. Her right ear twitched, and she began walking toward that signature.
************
After guiding herself through more of the Palace’s halls, Fluttershy came upon a pair of massive doors guarded by two Praetorian Guards in the heavier Crusader Armor, each wielding a halberd. “Identify yourself!” One of them demanded.
The mare sighed, and replied, “Primaris 185837. Something drew me here. I wish to see what it is.”
The two Praetorians actually turned their heads to look at each other. They then oriented their helmets toward the mare. “You do know that this is the Imperial Reliquary? There could be anything in there that could attract psykers.”
“Oh, I know. Still.”
The Praetorians looked at each other again, but they shrugged. “Head on in. Just don’t break anything. For your sake.”
The psyker nodded. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
Fluttershy entered the Reliquary.
When the two doors had closed, the twin guards stared at each other. “You think the Princess will notice?”
The other nodded slightly. “It is her weapon, after all.”
“Indeed.”
***
Fluttershy headed toward the source of the psychic signature, deeper in the Reliquary. She noticed that the signature was reacting to her presence, prodding the edges of her psychic defenses, noting that it seemed to be curious. A frown appeared on her face. Questions raced around in her head. She shook her head, and pressed forward.
************
Princess Luna’s head shot up as something approached her weapon, sitting in the Reliquary. She frowned, stood, and left her office, heading toward the Reliquary.
************
Fluttershy eventually found the source of the psychic signature, having gotten into a room that sectioned away from the rest of the Reliquary. Staring at it, it really was peculiar.
A large zweihänder sat sheathed near the right center of the room. The majority of the hilt was some sort of silver metal. Its quillons curved back toward the pommel, and the grip seemed to be made of some kind of crimson material. The scabbard was mostly comprised of the same crimson material as the sword’s grip, and the other pieces were made of the same silver metal that the hilt used.
She reached out a hand toward the sword’s grip. But, an extremely massive psychic signature suddenly appeared behind her. Fluttershy froze, and turned around, eyes wide.
Staring down at her, an eyebrow raised as if questioning, a very slight smile on her face, and a lit cigar in her hand, was Princess Luna. Recovering her wits, Fluttershy spoke. “P-princess?! What are you doing here?”
“Checking to see who approached my weapon.”
“Weapon?”
The Princess raised a hand and pointed at the sword behind Fluttershy. “Shall I show you?”
Fluttershy said nothing. Stepping around the pegasus, the dark alicorn reached out and took hold of the sword. She drew the sword with a single fluid motion. The obsidian metal blade shone slightly in the light, and then began reflecting the room around it. Fluttershy suddenly realized that the sword was less a fancy showpiece, like the majority of the items in the Reliquary, and an actual weapon of war.
“Like it?”
The question snapped Fluttershy out of her thoughts and she stammered, “Y-yes, it l-looks very f-functional.”
“Indeed,” Princess Luna spoke, placing the cigar in her mouth.
She ran a finger along one of the sword’s flat sides, and she spoke, pacing the room. “I know, I know. But, you’re my favorite, you know. Well, you’re really the only sword I’ve actually liked, of course you’re my favorite.”
Fluttershy noticed that the blade had come very close to her bust. “Touch the blade, dear Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy placed a hand on the flat side of the blade. Hello, Fluttershy, a multitude of voices spoke at once into her mind.
With a yelp, the pegasus withdrew her hand and recoiled from the blade. She stared at the blade. “What is-?”
“Nox Aeterna is a psychic weapon. We alicorns wield these weapons in battle. They are the only physical weapons capable of wounding mature alicorns.”
“How many souls are in that sword?”
“Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands. I stopped counting after the first thousand.”
Fluttershy took another step back from the Princess, and her sword. “I-I…”
“I won’t hurt you, Fluttershy. Neither will Nox Aeterna. I wish you no harm, and Nox Aeterna cannot do anything without a wielder.”
Fluttershy relaxed slightly, as the Princess walked back over the scabbard of her sword. The terrifying weapon was resheathed, and the pegasus found herself in a hug. “You won’t be harmed or exploited in any way, Fluttershy. I promise you…”
Fluttershy woke in a cold sweat. She glanced around, taking deep breaths to calm down. She sat up, and glanced over at her friends. They were still asleep, except for Dash, who was already stirring from her slumber.
***
The cyan mare sat up in her bed, stretching out her wings and rubbing one of her eyes. She folded her wings back up, and seized up as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Soft fur brushed against her ears as the pony that the arms belonged to pulled her close. Dash relaxed. She knew that softness of fur. A single word escaped her lips. “Fluttershy.”
There was a sniffle. Dash felt one of Fluttershy’s hands come up and begin stroking her hair, while the other pulled her in closer. Her friend’s sobs reached her ears. The words, “I’m sorry,” were repeated over and over as the mare shook.
Confused, Dash asked, “F-for what?”
There was no answer. Dash remained in her larger friend’s embrace, still confused as to why her friend was apologizing to her.
************
8:30
Princess Luna tapped her fingers together. The pony that she had requested to meet her in her office had not arrived yet.
She glanced out of the corner of her eye at one of the jackalopes walking around the room, specifically the one that she had ordered to relay the message. “Artcus, are you entirely sure that you delivered the message?”
The jackalope started, and then nodded. “Y-yes, Your H-highness. I-I gave the scroll to the Major General, as you commanded.”
The alicorn sighed. She began leaning back in her chair.
“Gettin’ bored already?”
Snapping back to reality, Luna felt her cigar fall from her mouth as she sat back up. A glow of emerald magic encircled the object, and it floated back up to its owner’s mouth.
Luna snatched the cigar out of the magic field and stuck it in her mouth. “Lord General, you’ve finally arrived.”
“Yes. You know that I would rather be attending to my other duties.”
“Your scotch and paperwork can wait, Aureus.”
The officer shrugged. Luna stood, and gestured for the officer to follow her. Aureus merely nodded.
***
Aureus looked down at the map again, and frowned. “The Dark Valley.”
“Yes.”
The officer sighed. “I have twenty-four thousand Solar Legionnaires at my command. Will they be enough?”
The Princess nodded. “Just a few will suffice, though. About two or so companies worth. I am leading this expedition. Also, five of the Chosen and Princess Twilight’s Number One Assistant will join as well.”
Aureus glanced up at the Princess. “Do any of these six have experience in combat?”
“No. Except for the Chosen of Kindness.”
“Oh?”
“She’s a Primaris Psyker.”
Another sigh escaped the officer. She grumbled.
“She will be of use to us, Aureus.”
A shrug. “If you say so, My Lord.”
“Will the Seventy-Seventh be ready by the twenty-seventh?”
“Yes,” Aureus nodded, “I will inform my Brigadier Generals. We will march with you.”
“Good. Good.”
The Lord General turned away. Luna spoke again, “Would you like to meet Princess Twilight?”
“I suppose. Lead the way, My Lord.”
************
8:50
The sound of knocking drew Twilight’s attention to the doors of her chambers. “Long Stride, get the door.”
“Aye.”
The Praetorian crossed the room from his charge’s side as he followed her orders. He pulled the door open, slightly. “Ah. Princess, Lord General, Lord Inventor. Hello.”
Stepping back and pulling the door all the way open, he gestured to his left. “She’s over there.”
Twilight looked over at her visitors. Princess Luna had entered, along with a mare and a stallion, both unicorns. The three ponies approached Twilight and stopped in front of her.
The mare, wearing an officer’s Royal Guard Stormwinds Mark V armor with a white, silver-trimmed cloak over it, silently looked the princess over. The stallion, six stones heavier than most unicorns, smiled slightly when he saw the princess. He bowed and said, “Princess Twilight, it is an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is mine, My Lord.”
The stallion smiled. “I am Cinnabar Cogwheel, the Lord Inventor.”
Twilight smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you! You helped develop the Fourth Iteration of the Stormwinds Pattern Powered Battle Armor during your tenure at the Royal Guard Development Center!”
“Among other things,” Cogwheel stated coolly, “I have made many inventions in my time. But the greatest honor that my inventions brought me is being appointed to Lord Inventor by Her Exalted Highness.”
Twilight nodded, and looked to the other pony in the room. “Who are you?”
The mare bowed and spoke. “I am Lord General Aureus Denarius. I command the Seventy-Seventh Elite Assault Division of the Royal Guard’s Solar Legion. It is good to finally meet the Empire’s newest Alicorn Princess.”
“I am glad to meet you as well, General,” Twilight replied, smiling. “I suppose you both know who I am?”
“Yes,” Lord Cogwheel responded, “you are Twilight of the House Sparkle, First of Her Name, Alicorn Princess, Chosen of the Element of Magic, Called the Ascendant.”
“Your titles are few and modest. You shall gain many more titles over your immortal life, Your Highness.” General Denarius added, smiling, “Then your titles will be many and mighty.”
Twilight’s face flushed and she stammered, “I-I suppose. T-that w-would be n-nice.”
“Indeed,” Luna agreed, “but that day is not today. Come, General Denarius, we have much to do. Lord Cogwheel, go and do your duty.”
Lord Cogwheel nodded and bowed, before he turned and left the room. Luna and General Denarius, who bowed, followed shortly afterwards.
Long Stride, who had been standing by the door the entire time, closed the door. Wearing a bemused expression, he spoke. “That was fast. Lord Cogwheel usually talks for much, much longer. I suppose Princess Luna has something that really needs to be done, and that Lord Cogwheel and General Denarius must have picked up on it.”
“Yeah,” Twilight said, “there must be something. But what is it?”
“I’m sure we’ll find out.”
Twilight simply nodded.
************
Two days later…
10:35
Princess Luna sat on her office’s balcony, staring out at the city below. She was looking east, not at anything particular. Her eyesight, much greater than those not cut from the same cloth as her and her house, allowed her to see the finer details of things. She shook her head and thought out loud. “None of these modern buildings are particularly durable. Won’t stand in a siege. No walls, either. Not past the Old City, anyway.”
“Sieges like the ones you’re used to are one of those things that are in days long since past, dear Auntie.”
Luna smirked. She replied, “Ven. Purest of my niblings. Figured it was you who entered so quietly.”
Ven chuckled. “A hunter must be quiet, no? If a hunter is not quiet, the prey gets away.”
“And the hunter goes home empty-handed, aye. But none, hunter or prey, are so quiet as to escape my hearing.”
Ven smirked. He simply nodded in agreement.
Luna rose from her seat and nodded to her nephew. “I must be off to the Reliquary. I need to make sure my sword is ready.”
Ven’s smirk turned into a smile. “Of course, Auntie. Don’t let me stop you.”
With that, Luna left.
Her nephew tarried for several moments, taking a long glance at his aunt’s desk. He shook his head, and left the room as well, closing the door behind him.
Princess Luna walked toward the Reliquary. She, and those that would join her in her expedition, would leave today. All she needed to finish getting ready for the expedition was her sword.
The Praetorians guarding the entrance saw her and stepped aside. Luna nodded to the Praetorians as she stepped through the door.
She had one goal in mind. Her sword. Since she was leaving Canterlot, she was going to need it.
The Reliquary held the weapons and armor of heroes from ages past, the possessions of saints from the same ages, and…
The remains of dozens of her own kind. She’d seen them before. In truth, the corpses were one of the only things in this world that she hated. Maybe it was the fact that it proved to all who saw them that alicorns could, in fact, die and she knew why Celestia put the remains in the Reliquary, hidden away from public view. The Empire’s enemies would use the knowledge of the fact that alicorns could die to try to steal a few of them and attempt to develop more ways to kill alicorns.
Luna’s head was bowed, and she held her hands together, as she walked through the section of the Reliquary containing the remains of her kind and toward where the weapons and armor of the Alicorn Princesses were stored. Quiet words in the Alicorn Tongue escaped from her lips, as she sung old hymns from when she was a filly.
And as soon as she stepped through the door out of the Alicorn Crypt, the hymns stopped, and she shook her head to clear it. “By the Ancestors, I will prevent Twilight’s death.”
***
With Noctis Aeternae sheathed at her hip, Luna headed to the airship pad where the rest of her expedition would be. As she walked through the halls of the Imperial Palace, she ran into her older sister. “Ah, Tia, hello.”
Celestia reached out and placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder. “Luna, I have some words of caution for you.”
“Oh?”
“I know you’re taking some of the best in the Solar Legion, and some of your own Night Legion, with you, but you must remain careful. The Dark Valley is not a place to be trifled with, and the Catacombs are far more dangerous than the rest of the Dark Valley.”
Luna smiled, “Tia, I know that. I’m only bringing the Legionnaires because I can’t hold the Citadel by myself. I’ll be heading down into the Catacombs to retrieve the cure for Twilight.”
Celestia sighed. “Of course, you are, sis. Just try not to get killed.”
With that, she smiled, gave Luna a small hug, and walked away. Luna watched as her sister walked away, a bemused expression on her face. She shook her head. “Alright, then.”
She headed toward the airship pad, chuckling to herself.
************
Applejack leaned against the airship, watching as her friends and the Royal Guard officers waited for Princess Luna to appear. Pinkie bounced around, trying to become friendly with all of the officers. The majority of the officers responded warmly to the bubbly mare’s friendliness. General Denarius, who had introduced her and five of the other officers replied coolly to the mare.
Each of them wore the signature golden armor of the Solar Legion, with each plate trimmed in azure, denoting them as something special, Applejack was sure.
The doors to the airship pad opened, and out walked Princess Luna, with three ponies in tow. Two of her Night Legionnaires… and a unicorn wrapped in a dark, hooded cloak.
Applejack stopped leaning on the airship, and she spoke up. “Er… Princess, Ah understand why you’d bring along some of yer own Legionnaires, more loyal and all that, but why him?”
“I, and most of the ponies here, don’t know the layout of Flankfurt. This unicorn here is one of the ponies that lived in Flankfurt before its unfortunate destruction.”
“And he does?”
“Yes, Miss Applejack,” the unicorn said, “I lived in Flankfurt until a days before it was destroyed. I also have several up-to-date maps that are still accurate. Accurate enough, anyway.”
“Accurate enough?”
“It’s been fifteen years, and I’m sure that the more damaged parts of the city have since fallen into ruin.”
“Oh. Ah see.”
“I’m sure you do.”
With that, the unknown unicorn walked past the rest of the ponies on the airship pad and into the airship. “Okie-dokie! That’s a potential friend I see!”
Rarity stared at the pink mare. “Pinkie, do leave the pony alone. I’m sure they’ve got other things on their mind than becoming friends.”
“Everyone’s got time for making friends~!”
Applejack and Rarity glanced at each other, sharing an expression of annoyance. The two shrugged. Pinkie was Pinkie, and nothing would change that.
Princess Luna smirked. “Shall we board? After all, that’s why we’re all here, correct?”
Outskirts of Flankfurt, transition into the main city
Spike’s clawed feet clacked against the cracked pavement of the road leading into Flankfurt. He stopped and stared at the ruined city in front of him.
The city looked to be a mess, even Spike could see that. Very few buildings were intact, as many were blackened by intense heat. The streets were grey, where they should be black like the road underneath him. An unnamed dread crept into his heart.
A smell, a bit like mint and tea, tore him away from looking at the ruined cityscape. The source of the smell was Princess Luna. A cigar, freshly lit, sat positioned between her teeth. Taking a puff of her cigar, Luna gestured towards the city.
“Been a long time since I’ve been here, but I’m fairly sure that it didn’t look like this.”
The cloaked unicorn strode past the two, speaking up. “Things change in a thousand years, Princess. You’ll find out about what caused this eventually.”
“Aren’t you just a barrel of sunshine,” Spike muttered under his breath.
“Actually, Spike,” Princess Luna replied, leaning in closer, “I think you’re talking about my sister, she’s a barrel of sunshine.”
Spike sighed. Four years back, and she still doesn’t understand all of the colloquialisms yet.
Princess Luna started walking toward the city, and she waved her hand forward.
Behind Spike, the other Chosen and the Legionnaires started back into motion. Rarity came up to Spike and leaned against him. “Flankfurt looks like a scary place.”
A smile spread across the drake’s face, and he draped an arm over the mare. “Don’t worry,” he assured her, “I’ll protect you.”
“I’ll hold you to your word.”
************
“Okay, First Squad, spread out and investigate! Keep me informed of anything you find!”
Apricot’s barked command sent her squad into motion. Fields shot into the air, sending plumes of the grey powder outward from where he took off. Malachite and his support trooper crossed the street, and headed into a burnt out grocer. Starshadow and her two support troopers walked toward what used to be a laundromat.
The rest of the squad split off into pairs and began looking through some of the other buildings.
Apricot kneeled, and picked up a handful of the powder. It fell between her fingers, and she noticed that some of it stayed on her palm. A sobering realization came to her as she stared at it. Ash, she thought. What could have…?
A second realization came to her and the thought sickened her. No. There’s no way we could’ve done that to Flankfurt. The citizens here didn’t deserve that.
“Sarge,” came Malachite’s voice over the radio, “you need to see this…”
***
Apricot entered the grocer. A glint of gold metal caught her eye, and she walked towards it. Malachite was kneeling in front of something in the ash and his support trooper was searching behind the checkout counters. Apricot stood behind the corporal and looked over his shoulder. “Whaddya got?”
The stallion pointed at the thing he was kneeling in front of, stood up, and moved to let his sergeant look closer at the thing in the ash.
Kneeling, reaching out, and turning the thing over, Apricot would have gasped if she wasn’t a veteran Solar Legionnaire. Malachite tensed slightly as he registered what it was.
It was the corpse of a Royal Guard wearing a suit of Mark Four Stormwinds Armor, frozen in an agonized pose. The armor and exoskeleton of the suit were blackened by intense heat, with the fabric parts burned away by the same heat. The pony’s skeleton, interred in the armor, was also blackened by the heat.
“Poor fool roasted alive in his armor,” Apricot sighed.
“Yeah. Bones are fused together at the joints…”
“Think we did that to the city?”
Malachite shrugged, “I hope not. There was nothing I knew about that would warrant this.”
The trooper gestured around to the ruined room. He sighed and continued.
“But, if there is something that warranted this, I hoped what we did destroyed that, too.”
“Me, too,” Apricot agreed. “Me, too.”
***
Apricot walked down the street, leading the squad toward Flankfurt’s city hall. Fields was still in the air, providing another perspective for the squad.
“Sarge,” Malachite observed, looking around, “ash is thicker here.”
“More poor citizens, then?”
“Dunno.”
Apricot nodded and gestured around. “Lord General wants to use the city hall grounds as a temporary staging ground for the expedition. Same thing as before, sweep and clear!”
************
Corporal Fields found himself in the mayor’s office. The interior of the office was the same as the rest of the rooms he checked. Ruined, everything inside burned, and ash everywhere. He sighed and started looking through the room.
As he looked around the room, his vision settled on the mayor’s desk. Ash compacting beneath his feet, the pegasus crossed the room to it. He picked up the nameplate sitting on the desk and wiped the ash off of it. “Solid Script… Doesn’t ring a bell.”
Tucking the nameplate into a pouch, Fields turned away. Something black and shining caught his vision. He bent down and picked it up. A shudder, caused by a nameless horror, ran down his spine.
Just over forty-three centimeters long, it was charred by extreme heat. One end of the object tapered to a sharp point. A unicorn’s horn. If what he thought was correct, the horn would be a vital key in figuring out what happened to the city.
***
Fields found his squad and the rest of the expedition in an assembly hall in the city hall. He swept his green eyes across the hall, looking for Sergeant Apricot. Spotting his sergeant standing at one of the conference tables, he jogged over to the table, calling out to the mare.
“Sarge!”
Apricot jerked her head to the side. “Yes, Fields?”
“I found some things in the mayor’s office. Some things that I think might help.”
Some of the Legionnaires in earshot turned to look at the young Legionnaire. The trooper, noticing the stares, smiled and chuckled, nervously. “Well,” the sergeant said, “don’t just stand there. Show me.”
Fields hesitated for a moment, then set the two things that he found in the office on the table. “A unicorn horn and the mayor’s nameplate,” Apricot said, “rather mundane items, such as they are.”
“Yes,” Fields agreed, “but we can possibly use the horn to see what happened to the city, if the last memory recorded in the horn took place at the same as whatever caused… this.”
“And the nameplate?”
“Once we got back to Canterlot, I was going to look up the records of all the mayors that served and now serve in the Empire. See if I can’t find him.”
The corporal looked at his commander, raising an eyebrow. “Unless you’d rather I don’t?”
Apricot raised a hand and waved it dismissively. “Oh no, feel free to once we get back.”
************
Princess Luna surveyed the ruins that were once the proud city of Flankfurt. “Princess,” one of the Night Legionnaires spoke up, “one of the Solar Legionnaires has found a unicorn horn that survived the destruction that happened here. Lord General Denarius wishes to speak with you.”
Luna turned, nodded, and headed into the city hall, leaving the ruined view behind.