The Duke Highbrow Press Briefing Room

The Royal Palace

Canterlot, Equestria

Despite what some might have thought, Celestia enjoyed the bi-weekly press briefings she held in the palace. While she had no problems arbitrating the issues brought before her at the Day Court and handling her other more ceremonial duties, there was something invigorating about getting grilled by the press corps. It was one of the few places where her subjects could speak their minds and address her without too much fear of the royal guards crashing down on them like a pile of gold-armored bricks.

There was a soft murmur as Celestia entered the briefing room and took her seat. The Duke Highbrow Press Briefing Room (named after one of the few nobles Celestia had liked a few centuries ago) was an august affair; equal parts solarium and theater. The dais upon which she sat was back-lit by an enormous arched window that allowed a full and clear view of the sky. The members of the press were arrayed before her in staggered tiers, each in their assigned place while photographers hovered overhead.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she said politely and clearly. The muttering reporters soon quieted as she glanced around the room. The corps was mostly dominated by ponies, though there were representatives of other species as well, including a few humans. "I trust everyone's doing well today?"

There was a general mutter of agreement. Celestia smiled and glanced upwards at some of the hovering photographers. "Ah! Shutter Snap," she said brightly, "I see you've gotten over your bout of Feather Flu. Good to have you back."

"Thank you, your Majesty," the pegasus replied nervously.

"You're quite welcome. Now, I'm sure we've all got busy schedules, so who wants to go first?"

The room burst into noise, as was usual. Hands, hooves and other appendages flailed about as calls of 'Your Majesty' and 'Princess Celestia' vied for her attention. Celestia considered the crowd for a moment before pointing a hoof at a nearby earth pony. "You."

"Quick Report. Poll Street Journal," the mare replied. "Princess, there have been rumors about a possible increase in the tariffs on interdimensional commerce. Can you comment on this?"

"The initial tariffs on interdimensional commerce were put in place to head-off immediate exploitation of Equestria's markets by non-local corporations," Celestia replied. "As of right now, the Crown is not pursuing any increase on trade tariffs, but the subject will come under review at the end of the current fiscal year. Please contact the Minister of Trade for further details. You."

"Atticus Ford with the Cranagan Popular Press, your Majesty," the human replied, the small stylus in his fingers twiddling. "As you know, the DSAA will soon be announcing selections for this year's Dimensional Magic Martial Arts Tournament. We were wondering when Equestrians will be authorized to enter into DSAA events."

"While I respect the Dimensional Sporting Activity Association's eagerness for new competitors, Equestria is still in the process of integrating with the Bureau in some ways, including culturally. I do not think it's likely that any of my little ponies will be competing this year, but the subject is still being discussed. Next? How about you, over there, in the pink."

The pink-clad and pink-coated unicorn blushed. "Rose Tint. Canterlot Gazette, your Highness. There's been talk of modernizing Canterlot in a similar fashion to the Crystal Empire. Given that the polls show many ponies are against this, are you still planning on going ahead with any possible plans for altering the aesthetics of this great and historic city?"

Celestia chuckled softly. "I know the polls you're talking about, Ms. Tint. While it's entirely understandable that some would be concerned about changes, it is in my opinion that the positive benefits will outweigh the aesthetic concerns."

Not to mention most of those who voted in the poll are probably more concerned with property values than historicity, she thought to herself as she pointed to a particularly huge shape in the crowd.

"Deep Trough, your majesty," the bulky, somewhat round and bespectacled minotaur replied. "The Labyrinthine Letter. What do you say to accusations that your country, despite repeated claims to the contrary, is actually blocking other species from having easy access to extradimensional communication? In particular, that your government maintains a monopoly on interdimensional travel?"

"I'd be surprised," Celestia replied politely. "While the Bureau did initially base themselves here, it was more a matter of luck and position. We have not blocked access to the Bureau nor those who represent it. As to the second question, it's simply a matter of time and effort in constructing dimensional gates, which require extensive resources. We are already planning on working with the Zebricans to create an additional gate outside of our borders in a few years. Next?"

There was a rustle as a turkey-vulture's head poked out from the press, a long claw raised up high. "Rodgar of the Gryphonian Republican Press. Princess Celestia, how do you respond to accusations that your country is building up its army for a possible invasion?"

Celestia sighed. "As I've stated before, matters of the military are to be directed to my sister during her press briefings, sir. However, I can assure everyone, as she has, that Equestria is not planning on invading anyone any time soon. The recent military reforms are simply a necessary step to bring us into the modern age…"

"Follow up question," Rodgar squawked, interrupting her. "Are you aware that your military's current darling, Captain Testarossa-Sparkle, is in actuality a human spy?!"

Celestia was no spring-born foal. She'd handled far worse ambushes than that. If anything, she'd figured she'd have to handle that particular question before now. "I'd be very curious as to where you got that information, Mr. Rodgar."

A few of the press ponies scooted away from the gryphon at the tone of her voice. Meanwhile, the gryphon held up a sheaf of paper and shook it at her like a cudgel. "Well then, you're in luck! I have incontrovertible proof that Captain Testarossa-Sparkle is, in fact, not a native being from Equestria. She is, in fact, a known criminal that-"

Celestia's horn lit up. The doors to the press room opened quickly as a pair of unicorns in golden armor trotted in. "Guards," she said smoothly, "please escort Mr. Rodgar from the room and to a private audience chamber?"

"You can't stop the truth, Celestia! You can't-gah! Let me go! Cursed unicorn magic!" Rodgar squawked and flailed about as the guards levitated him along. "You can't cover this up, Celestia! Even now, she's subverting-"

The doors shut firmly. Celestia took a deep breath, then looked to the briefly silent press. "Go on," she said with only a tiny bit of weariness. "Let's get this out of the way right now."

The room exploded.

---

The Same Day

The Imperial Palace

Adamanetia, The Crystal Empire

Teana Lanster thought she was used to Subaru's antics. She thought she'd gotten used to the fact that Subaru had an almost superhuman talent for driving her up the wall. Subaru wasn't mean-spirited by any stretch of the imagination, but she had a tendency to utterly boggle her mind.

And now, Subaru was hugging the leader of an Equestrian nation and making happy, giggling schoolgirl noises. The subject of her affection, the Imperial Princess of the Crystal Empire, seemed rather amused by this, as did her instructor and superior officer. Captain Testarossa-Sparkle, meanwhile, was simply shaking her head with her eyes closed.

Teana was not sure what to do in this situation. She was, however, vaguely aware of the doors opening behind them.

"Well, this is certainly interesting," a masculine voice said with a chuckle. "I see you've made some new friends, Cady…"

Teana's brain jerked back into motion. She turned and glanced at a speaker; a tall, white-coated unicorn stallion clad in a crimson and purple uniform tunic. His mane was two-toned blue, and neatly cut. His muzzle was crisscrossed by several scars, and one of his front hooves was slightly cracked. His gait was casual, but the way he carried himself suggested military.

Princess Cadence laughed. "These are the RIOT Force members, Shining…"

Teana's mind worked fast. Shining. As in Shining Armor. As in Captain of the Crystal Guard. As in the Prince Consort. As in the husband of the mare Subaru is currently hugging to death.

Teana quickly took a few steps forward and tapped Subaru on the shoulder. Subaru blinked, then swiftly disengaged from the pink princess and fell back. "Sir, I-" Teana began.

Shining Armor waved a hoof. "It's okay. Trust me, your friend isn't the first to want to snuggle with my wife. She is eminently huggable."

"BBBFF!" Twilight bounded over to him and embraced him.

"Hey there kiddo. Good to see you too." Shining ruffled Twilight's mane with a hoof, then looked over at Fate. "Nice to see you too, Fate. You're looking good."

Fate nodded. "Thank you. But really, this can wait until later…"

"Right, right." Shining Armor nodded and pointedly coughed. Teana quickly drew herself to attention as he approached. "Welcome, members of RIOT Force. As you have most likely guessed, I am Shining Armor, Captain of the Crystal Guard. I'm honored to have you here in our city as a show of solidarity between the Bureau's Ground Forces and the Crystal Empire…"

Wow, Scootaloo's telepathic voice muttered on the periphery of Teana's mind as Shining Armor continued talking, I guess lecturing runs in the family.

Scootaloo!

What? It's just your standard introductory speech. You know, 'Hi, welcome, hope you have fun,' and all that.

Yeah, Spike added. Trust me, Shining's a nice guy, but he can ramble. I swear, it's almost like it's genetic.

You're both horrible, you know that?

Well, duh. She could see Scootaloo smirk slightly and give her the side-eye.

"…But I'm sure you're not here to listen to me talk," Shining Armor concluded, pulling Teana back to the real world. "We'll begin the actual exercises tomorrow. Until then, please enjoy your stay here at the palace." Shining the turned to look over at Twilight and Fate. "Well, I've said my piece. I'll send for the staff to see them to their rooms while we discuss business."

"Right." Twilight stepped forward. "I want everyone to get your things stowed. We'll be here for a few days, so you might as well enjoy yourselves. I'll see all of you later. Dismissed."

Teana saluted along with the others, then grabbed her bag, turned and followed the other Forwards out of the throne room. Then came the moment when the great double doors behind them shut. Teana lunged over towards Subaru, dropping her bag as she grasped her companion by the shoulders.

"What the heck was that?!" Teana hissed as she shook Subaru. "What part of 'act professional' did you miss?!"

"Sorry… Tea…" Subaru managed as she swayed back and forth. "I… couldn't… help… it…"

"Hey, chill out Tea," Scootaloo interrupted. "It's not like Cadence minds getting hugged. She's pretty cool for a princess."

"I… buh… argh!" Teana groaned and let her arms drop.

"I mean… I legit couldn't help it." Subaru's cheeks turned pink. "It was like… I had this need to cuddle her. It just… came over me, you know?"

"Riiiight," Teana said flatly, dragging out the word as long as she could.

"I felt something like that too," Erio said nervously. "It's like she had this… aura or something about her. It's hard for me to explain…"

"I didn't feel that," Caro said, a hint of confusion creeping into her voice.

"I think I remember something about that in one of Twilight's books," Subaru said as she looked over at Caro. "She says that alicorns have this weird glamour about them. It's like an unconscious force about them that can influence others with weak wills…"

"Or fangirls," Scootaloo joked as she poked Subaru's leg with a hoof. "Seriously, you sounded like a schoolfilly at a Sapphire Shores concert."

"Eh-heh… y-yeah…" Subaru grinned nervously. "Right…"

Teana frowned pensively. "If that's true… why would Cadence do something like that? Was she trying to test us or something? That doesn't sound like something the Princess of Love would do…"

"Eh," Spike shrugged. "It's probably just habit by now. Celestia's always the same way. Luna's too, though she goes for more of the 'awe and fear' sort of vibe."

"And you weren't affected by it?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "I grew up around it, so it really doesn't work on me that well. Plus, you know, dragon."

"It's just one of those things Princesses do," Scootaloo said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but don't you think that's… weird?" Teana looked from Spike to Scootaloo. "I mean, it's influencing people's minds with magic…"

"It's not like it's harmful or anything," Scootaloo replied. "Besides, Cadence's a nice pony. She wouldn't abuse her glamour like that."

"If you say so…" Teana grimaced and glanced back at the double doors.

I'll have to ask Special Instructor Sparkle once we meet back up with her. I wonder what business they're discussing.

---

"Come here, you!"

Twilight let out a giggle as Shining Armor pulled her into a powerful hug, spinning her around before ruffling her mane again. "Hehe! Shiny, come on! Let go!"

"No chance, Twily." Shining grinned as he hugged her tight. "Mmmf… Sweet Celestia, I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too, BBBFF," Twilight replied as Shining released her.

Shining then turned his attention towards Fate. "What, no hug from my other little sister?"

Fate sighed, then trotted over and embraced Shining. "It's been a while."

"Mhmm." Shining reached around and gently stroked Fate's mane. "Missed you too, lightning bug."

Fate snorted and rolled her eyes before pulling away. "Though really, we shouldn't be so familiar in front of the recruits like that." Fate gave Twilight a small, disapproving frown. "It's rather unprofessional."

"Sorry," Twilight said bashfully. "I just got swept up in the moment, I guess."

"It's alright, Fate." Cadence said as she walked up and gently nudged the golden mare. "I doubt a little foolishness will hurt their respect for you."

Fate let out a soft huff. "At least one of us has to be professional…"

"Now, now," Cadence grinned and poked Fate in the side, "no pouting."

"I am not pouting."

"You are so pouting. Look at her, Shining. Isn't she pouting?"

"Ohhh no, don't drag me into this."

"Well," Trixie announced with a smirk, "Trixie is pleased to see that even the mighty Sparkle Sisters can be laid low by sentiment. Good to see that they aren't as mature as they pretend to be after all."

"Like you can talk, Mistress," Vita muttered. "You're doing the whole third-person thing again."

"Hmph!" Trixie lifted her nose in the air. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Cadence laughed and shook her head. "I'm just glad to see everyone here… well, almost everyone." Cadence paused, then glanced over to Zafira, then over to Trixie, then back to Zafira. "I think you can let him off his leash for now, Trixie."

Trixie quirked an eyebrow. "If it's alright with you, Princess. Zafira, go about your business."

Zafira exhaled. "Thank you, Mistress…"

"She's probably upstairs with the girls," Cadence said. "Give her a few minutes before you go charging in."

Zafira snorted, but nodded before walking off rather briskly.

"Behold," Vita snarked softly, "the walk of someone who's looking for some action."

Trixie snorted and hip-checked Vita. "Behave, Vita."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Speaking of the girls," Twilight continued, "when are they coming down?"

"Oh, they'll probably join us for dinner," Shining said.

"You might want to talk to Letta about her impromptu flying lessons," Fate noted, eliciting a face-hoof from Shining.

"I heard already. I'll have a talk with her later."

"Good."

"Well, we should probably get to work, then." Twilight smiled as Raising Heart lit up, a pink holographic window winking into existence before her. "I got the schedule you sent me, Shining. I'm impressed that you're letting us have this much access."

"Hey, it's not all one way," Shining replied with a smirk. "I've got to test them against more than just practice dummies. I figure your kids will give my Knights a real work out. Live combat training is a bit harder to do here than it is in the Bureau."

"You know," Vita added, "you could've just asked us. We would've gladly helped."

"I think that Prince Armor would prefer to keep most of his forces upright and unbroken, Vita," Trixie chided playfully as Shining Armor grinned nervously.

"Oh, please," Vita stretched her arms back over her head, "I'd only break a few of them, just as an example to the rest."

"You know, I can never tell if you're joking about that or not," Twilight replied as Trixie thumped Vita on the back of the head with a hoof.

"At any rate," Shining continued, "I'm just glad to have everyone here. Though I'm curious as to where everyone else is."

"Chrono had to take care of a few things at HQ," Twilight replied. "As to Yuuno, he and the rest of Trixie's group are visiting the local Saint Church."

"Oh," Cadence said with a small frown. "Really?"

"Something wrong, Cadence?"

"Not exactly. I respect the Saint Church. It's just that the current priest is a bit… odd."

---

Sankt Trinity Chapel

Adamanetia, Crystal Empire

The Sankt Trinity Chapel, much like the rest of Adamanetia, was built out of gleaming crystal. The gothic spires and archways were made of cloudy quartz that glistened in the sunlight, while great stained glass windows cast watercolor-like splashes of color on the pale surfaces.

If nothing else, Yuuno thought to himself as he, Shamal and Signum approached the sanctuary proper, the aesthetics are pretty awe-inspiring.

The doors to the sanctuary were open, allowing them easy entry. Several crystal ponies were seated in the double-line of wooden pews that filled the room. The head of the room was dominated by an enormous, half-circle stained glass window depicting the sword-tipped golden cross of the Saint Church. However, Yuuno noticed a distinct difference in iconography. The cross's top three points were accompanied by three other symbols; a golden sunburst, a purple crescent, and a bright blue heart. The cross itself was flanked by a pair of stylized alicorns in heraldic style, clad in barding and rearing up with wings flared.

A young man in a black priest's cassock was standing at the head of the room, talking quietly with a crystal pony mare. He looked to be in his twenties, with strawberry blonde hair pulled back in a short stub of a ponytail. His eyes were wide and bright pink behind a pair of half-moon spectacles. A white, navy blue and pink striped stole was draped over his narrow shoulders. He smiled gently to the mare, then touched her gently on the brow before sending her on her way.

"Excuse me," Shamal said as they approached. "We're looking for Bishop Campagnola. Is he in residence right now?"

"Of course," the young man said as he slowly turned. "I am Bishop Campagnola. How may I help you my chi-i-iiiii-" His voice trailed off into a panicked squeak as he caught sight of Shamal and Signum, his mouth gaping.

This guy's a bishop? Yuuno glanced over at Signum. I thought he'd be older.

You'd be surprised, Signum replied curtly as she nodded to Campagnola. "I'm sure you know who we are, your Grace."

"Y-y-y-yes," he stammered and quickly bowed. "Welcome, ancient and most honored Ritter of the Church. It's an honor to have you in my humble sanctuary. To what do I owe the honor?"

"We're here on behalf of Kardinal-Ritter Gracia," Signum replied.

Campagnola's face grew pale.

Shamal smiled cheerfully. "I don't suppose you wouldn't mind answering some questions for us?"

"Oh no, of course not!" Campagnola glanced over at Yuuno. "Um, are you…"

"This is Dr. Scrya," Shamal said as she gestured to Yuuno. "He's accompanying us as well. I don't suppose you'd mind his presence?"

"O-of course not. Wait, the Dr. Scrya?"

"Unless there's another one running around," Yuuno joked. The joke didn't seem to reach the progressively more fidgety bishop. "Um… maybe we should go someplace where we can talk privately?"

"Oh. Yes. Right. This way." Campagnola turned and toddled off towards one of the side doors of the sanctuary.

Hey, Yuuno whispered to Shamal and Signum as they followed, I don't want to seem like I'm intruding on official Church business, but maybe I should handle the questions?

Any particular reason why, Scrya?

Well, Yuuno glanced over at Signum, aside from the fact that I'm not one of the most powerful and terrifying Knights of the Church? The poor guy looks like he's about to wet himself.

Yuuno has a point, Signum. Shamal let out a telepathic sigh. We do have something of a reputation. He may be more… candid when talking with Yuuno than with us.

Hrm… very well.

"Right in here, honored guests," Campagnola said as he opened a door. Just beyond was a large office space, with a pair of couches flanking a low table in the center of the room and a gleaming, carved stone desk near the back wall. Bookshelves were carved into left and right walls, the earthen-toned covers providing a stark contrast with the lighter stone. "This is my office. Please, make yourselves comfortable. May I offer you anything? Tea? Wine?"

"We're fine," Yuuno said as he took a seat on one of the couches.

Shamal, meanwhile, nodded to Signum. The pink-haired Knight coughed softly, then spoke. "Bishop Campagnola, Shamal and I will be inspecting the grounds. Dr. Scrya will be interviewing you in the interim. Please, answer his questions honestly."

"Y-yes, Ritter Signum. Of course." Campagnola took a seat opposite of Yuuno as Signum and Shamal stepped out of the room.

Yuuno reached up and touched his Device. Oculus, set up a conference link with Signum and Shamal.

Yes, sir, it replied.

"Is it alright if I record this, Your Grace?" Yuuno did his best to sound reassuring.

"I suppose," Campagnola said with a resigned sigh.

"It's alright if you're nervous," Yuuno replied as he tapped Oculus again. "Trust me, I was terrified the first time I met Signum and Shamal."

Campagnola nodded nervously. "I wasn't aware you worked with the Church this closely, Doctor."

"Well, I don't work for them in any official capacity. Still, I do tend to do the occasional favor for them. I'm curious, though. How did someone as young as you become a Bishop?"

Campganola smiled weakly. "The will of the Kaiser, I suppose. I was an administrator on one of the low-magic administrated worlds. Are you familiar with the Handel Incident?"

"I've heard about it. Something about a Lost Logia-created superstorm?"

"I was there. The storm tore apart the city I was stationed in. The local bishop and a good chunk of the higher-ranking priests were killed during the flooding, which left me the senior priest in charge." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "I was just nineteen at the time. Ran myself half-to-death trying to handle all the refugees and rescue efforts before the Bureau arrived. After something like that… well…"

"A hero's promotion, eh? Good for you." Yuuno leaned back. "So now you're here on Equestria."

"Y-yes, I am. I was actually chosen to oversee the holdings here. It was kind of a life-changing experience, really."

"I can imagine. Of course, I've heard a few other things about what's going on here…"

Campagnola shifted nervously. "Yes… that… er… well…"

"So, do you actually worship the Princesses, or…"

"No!" Campagnola waved his hands. "No, no, no! I mean, it may look that way on the surface but we're very careful not to incorporate any images of the Princesses or anything…"

"Sorry." Yuuno raised his hands defensively. "I'm just confused. I'm not used to seeing a lot of pony iconography in one of the Saint Church's sanctuaries. Maybe you could explain?"

"O-of course." Campagnola adjusted his glasses. "You see, the initial plan was to set up the standard cathedral. However, once we began interacting with the populace it became clear that human-centric images may be off-putting. That's when I approached the Princesses about incorporating something a bit more… familiar."

Yuuno watched as Campagnola's fingers clenched, his knuckles white. "Have you ever met them, Doctor?"

"I have."

"Then you know what they're like. The glory. The majesty. The utter power they exude…" He shivered. "I understood, in that brief moment, what it must have felt like to be one of the Ancient Belka. To kneel down before the Sankt Kaiser in adoration…"

"They do have that sort of effect on people," Yuuno replied cautiously. "Is that when you had your, ah, change of perspective?"

"By that, you're asking if that's when I started flirting with heresy? Yes." Campagnola looked directly at Yuuno. "How could I not? It made sense. That's when I made my decision to… alter some of our message."

"Oh? How so? I mean, I'm not exactly an adherent of the Church, so I'm not exactly familiar with the doctrine…"

"The Saint Church follows the ideal of the Sankt Kaiser, the holy and righteous king, the symbol of true and just kingship." Campagnola leaned forward. "However, in this case, I was faced with three non-human beings who embodied the ideals that I had been taught. Kaisers made flesh once more. And in that brief moment, I understood what I had to do. Thus was born the idea of the aspects of the Sankt Kaiser."

He grasped his stole and thrust it out to Yuuno. "White for the Kaiser in her aspect as Ruler, the just and wise king that governs fairly and righteously! Blue for the Kaiser in her aspect as Protector, the mighty knight who strides fearlessly into battle for her people! And finally, rose for the Kaiser in her aspect as Liberator, who frees the weak from their bondage and guides them into glory! A trinity of aspects that could be freed of its limitation to humans, but could be shared by all thinking species, so that all can understand and follow in her footsteps! Something that any soul, human, equine or otherwise, can aspire to!"

Campagnola paused, his face red and his chest heaving before he recovered and sat back down. "A-at any rate, I made the decision to diverge from the standard church doctrine. I was careful not to include any direct iconography of the Princesses, since they're not exactly fond of being worshiped. This church is the newest, however, and I made sure to incorporate a few of my... ideas into the décor."

"And how's that turned out for you?"

"Attendance is high here in Adamanetia. We usually have a packed house during service." Campagnola squirmed. "Our churches in Canterlot and Manehatten have also been having excellent turnouts. We'll soon be opening a new church in the capital of Zebrica as well."

"Well, good for you, I suppose," Yuuno replied.

---

"Hmph." Trixie snorted. "And Trixie supposes this is the point in the story where Signum punched him in the face?"

Twilight slowly lowered her teacup and gazed across the table at Yuuno. At least the sitting room they had commandeered was cozy and quiet. "I thought that was more Vita's style," she noted dryly.

Yuuno snorted and glanced over at the pink-haired Knight seated next to him. "Actually, there wasn't much punching involved."

Signum shrugged. "We were simply there to observe any irregularities. Despite the Bishop's admitted madness, the Church seems to be doing rather well."

"The ponies we spoke to had nothing but good things to say," Shamal added. "Admittedly, they may be a bit biased. We're all aware of the awe the crystal ponies hold towards Cadence."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Considering she's one of the main reasons they survived the return of Sombra and is the true heir of the Imperial Throne? You couldn't get more Kaiser-ly unless you put her on a Kaiser roll."

"Careful," Twilight said gently, "I don't think Lady Gracia would appreciate hearing that."

"Please, spare me. Lady Gracia knows I'm not exactly a faithful adherent of the Church," Trixie replied. "Me and the Altenritter are Church Knights by sheer dint of who we are and what we have. However, I have to admit this whole 'trinity' doctrine of the Bishop's is quite appealing."

"I have to agree on that," Yuuno added. "I'm surprised how much effect the Princesses had on Bishop Campagnola. They don't usually manifest their glamour that strongly unless they need to."

"Perhaps he had some innate weakness to it?" Shamal gently rubbed her lower lip with one finger in thought. "Perhaps something in his bloodline?"

"You mean something left over from the Belkan experiments during the Warring Ages?" Yuuno hmmed softly. "It's possible… or maybe it's purely psychological."

"Or maybe he just had a moment of weakness," Signum said as she crossed her arms. "Let his guard down near the Princesses."

"Whatever the case," Twilight interrupted, "you've got what you need?"

"We'll have to visit the other churches under his command," Shamal replied. "But for the moment, yes."

"And without violence," Yuuno teased, giving Signum a sidelong glance. Signum simply lifted an eyebrow, then shook her head.

Twilight did the same, then paused as Raising Heart chimed. "Yes?"

"MASTER, A MESSAGE HAS ARRIVED FOR YOU."

"Right," Twilight replied as her horn ignited. A pink-tinged holographic screen popped up before her. "Huh."

"What is it?" Trixie leaned over to peer at the scrolling text.

"Chrono's a bit delayed," Twilight replied. "He says he has some other business he needs to take care of. No specifics, though. We're to go ahead with the exercises without him tomorrow."

"Must be pretty important if it's holding him up at HQ," Yuuno noted.

"Yeah…" Twilight frowned as she dismissed the hologram.

"So," Yuuno leaned forward. "How are the kids reacting to the Palace?"

"Subaru hugged Cadence, Teana almost had an aneurysm, Spike and Scootaloo are bored, and Caro and Erio are suitably impressed," Twilight replied. "I think Spike's giving Erio and Caro the grand tour right now…"

---

"Let us know if you need anything at all, Sir Spike!"

"Eh-heh, sure" Spike replied nervously as yet another maid trotted away from him, Erio and Caro. Spike looked back at his companions, scratching gently behind one ear-frill as the maid went back to dusting one of the portraits lining the walls of the gallery.

"That's the fourth one in fifteen minutes," Erio noted, glancing at Strada's watch-shaped Standby Form. "You really weren't kidding when you said you were a big deal here."

"And that's just the maids." Caro said as she glanced over at the maid, then back to Spike as they resumed walking. "You remember those guardsponies saluting you?"

"Look, don't worry about it," Spike said, waving his hands defensively as he turned towards a pair of doors and gave them a push. "Come on, let me show you some of the rest of the palace. I mean, this is your first time here."

"Wow," Caro said softly, her eyes wide as she looked around. The walls of the room were lined with tapestries and objects d'art, ranging from crystalline vases to old suits of armor. The blue-white walls glistened gently in the light, the faceted crystals bouncing light from the small glowing chandeliers to light up the entire room.

"So, here's one of the galleries where they keep statues and… uh… other art stuff." Spike glanced back at Erio and Caro as they walked through the archway into the high-ceilinged room beyond. "You know, historical stuff. Now, I'm not really much of an art buff, but you gotta admit, this place-"

"Uh, Spike," Erio interrupted as he pointed at the room's centerpiece, "what's that?

"Huh?" Spike followed Erio's finger, then blinked. "Oh…"

Erio looked at Spike, then gazed upwards at the enormous statue of purple crystal that dominated the gallery. True, it was a bit roughly shaped, but it was definitely Spike, standing in a proud stance with legs slightly spread, one hand on his hip, the other supporting an enormous pale blue crystal heart. His expression was one of defiance, with eyes narrowed and head upturned. The statue was easily three times as tall as Erio, and about half that in width. An ornate base of carved white-blue crystal supported the statue, with a small obelisk supporting a bronze plaque jutting out from it.

Erio looked back down to Spike. The dragon blushed and shuffled his feet, his hands nervously grasping his tail. "Uh… yeah. I was wondering where they put this thing."

"'Sir Spike the Dragon, Bearing the Crystal Heart to Our Princess,'" Caro read from the plaque at the statue's base. "Is that why everyone's so respectful of you? Because you're a hero?"

"Well, kind of," Spike said bashfully. "It happened a long time ago, when the Crystal Empire reappeared. There was a festival, and an insane unicorn sorcerer who was also a giant smoke monster, and dark magic, and lots of stairs. It was crazy. We were lucky to make it out alive."

"Wow, you must've done something pretty heroic…"

"Eh, I guess?" Spike shuffled his feet. "Honestly, everypony else did most of the work. All I did was get the Crystal Heart to Cadence so she could activate it." He glanced up at the statue. "And I really didn't look like that when I was doing it. It was less 'I'm here to save the day' and more 'Oh sweet Celestia, I'm gonna die,' followed by a lot of running and falling."

"Sounds about right," Erio said with a smirk.

"Hey!" Spike reached over and gently thumped Erio on the shoulder. "Give me a break. This was before I started getting all badass and junk."

"Uncle Spike?"

Spike's earfrills twitched as he heard the soft voice from the doorway behind him. He turned, then grinned at the speaker. "I know that voice…"

The speaker stood at the entrance to the gallery, hugging up against the doorframe. She was a slim filly, tall for her age with long, skinny legs. Her coat and horn were a pale powder-pink, which clashed with her straight electric-blue-and-crimson striped mane and tail. Her eyes were large and bright blue. She was dressed in a sky-blue dress, the back left open for her powder-pink-and-white feathered wings to protrude out.

"Fiora!" Spike grinned, then carefully knelt down with his arms spread wide. "Wanna come give your uncle a hug?"

The young alicorn slowly toddled over to Spike, her hooves clicking gently on the floor before she pressed up against Spike, her nose nuzzling into the crook of his neck as Spike hugged her.

"Look at you," Spike said as he pulled away from the hug. "You've gotten taller since I've last seen you! How've you been, kiddo?"

"Um… fine…" Fiora glanced over at Erio and Caro and bowed her head politely. "I'm sorry uncle… I didn't realize you were showing guests around the castle…"

"Ah, it's fine. Here, lemme introduce you!" Spike grinned and pulled the slim filly up against his side with one arm, gesturing to her with the other. "Guys, this is my niece, Mi Speranza Fioratura! Isn't she adorable?"

Fiora let out a small, bashful nicker and shuffled, pulling close to the dragon. "Um… h-hello."

"Oh, don't be so shy," Spike said cheerfully. "They're not going to bite."

It was then that a soft trill came from the doorway. Friedrich swooped overhead, his wings flapping as he came in for a landing on Caro's shoulder.

"Scratch that," Spike noted dryly. "Some of them might bite."

"Spike," Caro chided gently.

"It's… very nice to meet you all," Fiora said as she inclined her head. Much to Spike's surprise, however, Friedrich let out a soft trill and bowed his head as well. Caro blinked in surprise at the silver dragon.

Huh. Guess the little lizard has some manners after all… Spike turned to look at Fiora. "So, uh, what're you doing out and about? I thought you were getting ready like Letta was."

Fiora frowned, though it looked a little more like a pout. "I was on my way back from my tutor. I heard Letta was making trouble again, though… honestly… I wish she'd…"

Spike quirked an eyebrow as Fiora's voice trailed off into mutters. "Uh… Fiora?"

The little alicorn blinked, then blushed. "S-sorry. I was talking to myself again… Um… a-anyway." She backed away slightly from Spike, bowing her head to Erio and Caro as she did so. "I really should be getting going. It was a pleasure to meet you all…"

"See you later, Fiora," Spike said at the filly trotted off.

"Huh," Erio said as he scratched his neck. "That was… odd."

Spike shrugged. "Eh, Fiora's a good kid. She's just… awkward around others. So… how about we get back to that tour?"

---

The Royal Palace

Canterlot

Celestia was on her third slice of triple-chocolate mousse cake when the door to her quarters slammed open and the temperature dropped by about ten degrees.

"So help me," the intruder snarled, "I will pluck that cat-bird bald and use his pinions to make feather dusters for the maidstaff!"

"Tea, Luna?" Celestia gestured to the teacup sitting across from her on the table.

"No, thank you." Luna glowered at her, then began pacing back and forth. Her tail swished and snapped behind her as the air grew colder. Celestia silently watched as she carefully sliced off another bite of cake and slipped it into her mouth.

Luna came to a stop and glowered at her again. "How can you be stuffing your face at a time like this?!"

"We all deal with stress in our own way," Celestia replied as she dabbed her lips with a napkin. "Why do you think I keep so many bakers on staff? Now, are you going to calm down, or am I going to have to chisel your hooves free from the rug?"

Luna glanced down at the slowly frosting carpet, then inhaled deeply and pulled her hooves free. "My apologies, sister, but this situation… irks me. This couldn't have come at a worse time."

Celestia nodded as Luna took a seat. She had to admit, the timing was a bit suspect. The Shadowbolts were an official division within the Guard, but they weren't exactly popular, especially after Luna's reforms. The fact that Luna had also diverted funds into projects that directly related back to the Shadowbolts made things all the more unpleasant.

Celestia levitated the tea pot and poured Luna a cup of tea. Luna grimaced, then took a sip. "So," she said coolly, "I presume you have a file on that buzzard squirreled away somewhere?"

"Yes," Celestia replied. "Rodgar is a senior columnist for the Gryphonian Republican Press. He's something of a muckraker and a vocal opponent of the current government's alliance with us, which makes him popular with the anti-Equestrian segments of the population. He has a tendency to stir up trouble wherever he goes, but at least his writing is entertaining."

"So, how did he get his claws on the information about Fate's… lineage?"

"According to him, it was 'an anonymous source.'" Celestia set her teacup down.

Luna arched an eyebrow. "And you believe him?"

"Yes. Rodgar is an opportunistic vulture with a big mouth and poor impulse control, but he's not unpredictable. I know the sorts of buttons to push with him to get him to talk. He was apparently sent a number of official-looking documents anonymously describing Fate's origin, among other things."

"Mmf…" Luna nodded thoughtfully. "Which means…"

"That the leak likely came from within the Bureau," Celestia said calmly.

"What would they gain from that, though?" Luna grimaced and rubbed her brow with a hoof. "We've allied with them for nearly a decade…"

"It's probably not the Bureau proper that did this, but elements within it. You've been updated on the situation with Chrono, yes?" Celestia inhaled as Luna nodded. "Unless I miss my guess, this little trick was likely aimed at Chrono's organization. However, that can wait. For the moment, we need to focus on damage control. I'd imagine it'll be front page news in nearly every paper from Las Pegasus to Manehattan by the end of the day."

"Let me guess," Luna said dryly, "you have a plan."

"Naturally," Celestia said before she took another bite of cake. "Have you contacted Fate, yet?"

"Not yet."

"Do it. Try to get her to come to Canterlot as soon as possible."

---

"So…"

Cadence let the word hang in the air as she and Fate walked down the hallway. Twilight was busy talking to Shining Armor after their meeting with Yuuno, while the Altenritter had disappeared for, as Trixie put it, a 'strategy meeting.' That left Cadence alone with her sister-in-law.

"Yes?" Fate glanced over at her curiously.

"How've you been, Fate? I mean, aside from all the Guard business?"

"Fine, I suppose." Fate continued walking, eyes forward. It at least gave Cadence a moment to think. Fate had always been quiet, even when she was a filly. She was always the sort of pony that kept her emotions carefully in check, never showing too much of herself to the outside world.

Of course, this made it difficult for Cadence to get a read on her. "I do like the new recruiting posters. Photo Finish's work, right? You look stunning in them; regal enough to have authority, but not enough to be unapproachable."

"Thanks." Fate's ears folded back. Cadence swore she could see a faint hint of a blush.

"Oh, don't be so embarrassed. I would've given my horn to be the star of one of Photo Finish's collections. The mare can work wonders with a camera."

"It was Luna's idea," Fate protested. "I really didn't have anything to do with it. Honestly, I'm really not much of a fashion pony…"

"Could've fooled me," Cadence teased playfully, giving Fate a gentle bump with her hip. "You do look good in uniform."

"Cadence…" Fate groaned, her cheeks turning pinker.

"Hehe, sorry." Cadence turned and gently guided Fate over towards the grand balcony that overlooked the city. The sun had begun its lazy descent into the evening, making way for the night. "You know, I heard from Twilight that you might possibly have a special somepony?"

Fate froze up, her nose and muzzle turning red.

Wow, now there's something you don't see every day, Cadence thought to herself. "So… wanna share with your big sister-in-law?"

"I… well…" Fate stammered before quickly regaining herself. She breathed deeply, then walked over to the railing of the balcony. "It's… complicated."

"Love always is," Cadence replied.

"Well… this one is a bit more than usual…"

"Fate, look." Cadence turned to look at Fate as the golden mare leaned against the railing. "I understand you're not good at this sort of thing. You never seemed the sort to have fillyhood crushes, and I've never seen you even think about romance. But if there's somepony that's actually gotten in past your defenses, then that's great! You don't need to be afraid of it…"

"I'm… I'm not afraid of that," Fate said with a sigh. "It's just… well… I'm not sure if it would be… acceptable."

Cadence quirked an eyebrow. "Is it a mare?"

Fate jerked, then nodded slowly.

"You do realize that that sort of thing's become more accepted nowadays, right? There's been official recognition of same-sex couples by the Crown. Heck, there's even chapels in Las Pegasus that specialize in it. Then again, that's not saying much. But still, the heart wants what it wants. I'm sure our families will support you no matter what. I know I will."

"I know that." Fate was pointedly not looking at Cadence. "I really appreciate it, too. But that's not the problem either."

"Then what's the problem?" Cadence trotted over and nuzzled her gently, then reached up and turned her head to face her. "Please, Fate. I know this is difficult for you, but I really want to see you happy. Can you at least tell me who it is?"

Fate sighed. "Promise not to tell?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, and if I should tell a lie, I'll face the wrath of Pinkie Pie," Cadence said, miming along with the words of the oath. "And trust me, I've seen enough of Pinkie's shenanigans to know what she can do. Now… who is it?"

Fate glanced around conspiratorially, then leaned up and whispered the answer into Cadence's ear.

Cadence, to her credit, didn't completely seize up. "Huh."

Fate nodded. "Exactly."

"Well," Cadence cleared her throat. "I can see where you'd have trouble with that."

Fate nodded again, then turned and began to pace. "That's putting it lightly. Even if I wanted to pursue a relationship right now, I can't. I'm the face of Princess Luna's guard reforms. I'm the leader of the Shadowbolts. Every eye is on me, judging me. I can't escape it, even while I'm helping RIOT Force. I can't allow my actions to tarnish the Princess's reputation; not with all the work she's been doing.

"And that's not even getting into the organizational conflicts," Fate continued, her tail flicking as she paced. "Fraternization is frowned upon, to put it lightly. At my rank, it would look like I'm taking advantage of my position. And the worst part is, I'm not even sure if she'd return my affections…"

Cadence watched, listening intently as Fate poured her heart out. She could feel the ache inside her thanks to her talent; the dull throbbing ache of love unrequited, of love denied. Her own heart hurt seeing Fate in such a state.

Fate sighed and took a seat on the ground, hanging her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be putting this all on you, Cadence."

"Alicorn of Love, remember?" Cadence leaned in and cuddled Fate, nuzzling gently into her thick golden mane. "It's kind of in the job description. Besides, I'd be a terrible sister-in-law if I didn't support you. Just… try to take care of yourself better."

Fate sighed and nuzzled close, then paused as a loud chime interrupted her.

"SIR," Bardiche announced, "AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM PRINCESS LUNA HAS ARRIVED."

"Show me," Fate said as she pulled away, her horn lighting up as she lifted Bardiche from his resting place. A transparent yellow message window popped up before her as text rapidly filled the screen.

Cadence watched as Fate scanned over the message, her eyes getting progressively wider the further she read. "Oh no…"

"Something wrong, Fate?" Cadence said concernedly as Fate dismissed the window with a wave of her hoof.

"I… I have to get to Canterlot," Fate said as she rose to her feet. "Tell Twilight and the others I'll contact them as soon as I can. Bardiche! Set up!"

"YES, SIR!"

There was a crack of thunder as Fate's clothing shifted into her Barrier Jacket, followed by a rush of wind as she took to the air. Cadence shielded her eyes as she watched Fate vanish into the sky above like a bolt of lightning, leaving a contrail of yellow light in her wake.

---

Canterlot

A Short Time Later

A peal of distant thunder and a flash of familiar yellow light drew Luna's attention to the sitting room's balcony. The alicorn took a deep breath before making her way to the double doors, opening them with a flick of her magic.

Fate came to attention, a hoof touching her brow. "Captain Testarossa-Sparkle reporting, ma'am," she said, her Device floating beside her. The air stank of ozone and tiny arcs of yellow static clung to the balcony's balustrade. She was breathing heavily, but otherwise seemed no worse for the wear.

"You made good time," Luna replied as she opened the doors fully. "From Adamanetia to Canterlot in less than an hour."

"You said it was urgent, ma'am." Fate replied. She swung the Device with her magic, the static dissipating as she did so.

"Indeed I did. Come, walk with me. We have much to speak of."

"Yes, ma'am." Fate trotted inside, the doors shutting behind her with a click.

"It may be best you remain in your actual uniform while you're here," Luna warned as she turned to walk away.

"Yes, ma'am." There was a bright flash before Fate trotted up beside her, once more clad in her black uniform. "So, how bad is the situation?"

"Bad." Luna snorted irritably. "Word is already spreading like wildfire. I expect the papers are already printing new headlines as we speak. The Guard is in an uproar over this. I'm reasonably sure there's more than a few who want your head."

Fate exhaled softly. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I-"

Luna snorted and cut her off. "None of this is your fault, Fate. This was bound to happen eventually, even if I had hoped otherwise."

"What about the Shadowbolts? What about the Nightingale?"

"The Nightingale is nearing completion," Luna replied. "As to the Shadowbolts… you'll have to speak with them yourself."

Fate nodded slowly, then inhaled and straightened her posture. "What can I do, ma'am?"

"There's going to be a meeting of the Royal Council in two days' time," Luna replied. "The old grey-manes are holding a public inquiry into your past and your fitness for command. I'll be attending."

Fate nodded. "You don't sound happy about that, ma'am."

"I'm not. I won't be able to help you, Fate; I have my own damage to control." Luna's lips pulled back in a slight snarl. "There are some that think you've managed to… bewitch me. Control my mind. While the idea is… not without precedent, they're still wrong."

Fate seemed to blush at that. "As if I could control somepony like you, ma'am."

"Indeed. Now, my sister has promised that she does, indeed, have a plan. Until she decides to execute it, however, we must prepare."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Nahodha!"

Fate paused as she heard the familiar call as Radi rounded the corner behind them. His green eyes seemed to glow against the evening gloom even while the black Shadowbolts uniform seemed to swallow the light. He quickly skidded to a halt, then saluted towards Luna. "Forgive me, Mama ya Majira ya Baridi. I did not realize that-"

"It's alright. At ease." Luna waved him off and glanced at Fate. "We can discuss preparations later. In the meantime, tend to your unit, Captain."

"Yes, your majesty," Fate said with a quick salute.

Radi remained silent as Luna walked off. Fate turned to face him with a sinking expression in her stomach. His whole attention was on her, his eyes unblinking and his expression neutral. "Shikamuu, Radi," she greeted formally.

"Marahaba," he replied, then fell silent again.

For a minute, the pair stood there in silence. Radi's gaze slowly slid over her before returning to her face, his expression unreadable.

"Is it true, Nahodha?" Radi's question was blunt. "You are… human?"

Fate sighed. "Were. Past tense."

"You… were human?" Radi quirked an eyebrow. "You were not born of pony, yes?"

"Radi…"

"Yes, or no, Nahodha?"

"If you want to put it like that, yes. I was not born a pony."

"I see." Radi looked her over again before returning to meeting her eyes. "There is story to this, yes? Long?"

"And complicated." Fate exhaled slowly, and closed her eyes. Maybe it would hurt less if she wasn't looking at him. "If you wish to resign from your position, I-"

"Why would I resign, Nahodha?"

Fate looked up at him. The zebra reached up and carefully removed his beret, his expression shifting to something more solemn. "As I said before, you are my Nahodha. I owe you my life. Against that, what does it matter if you are human or pony?"

Fate smiled faintly. "Sorry, Radi. I didn't mean to question your loyalty."

"It is fine, Nahodha." Radi replaced his beret. "You thought I would be upset, yes? Perhaps mistrustful? After all, you did not reveal this falseness to us, yes?"

"I wouldn't blame you if you were," Fate admitted.

Radi snorted. "Unlike those other gold-plated wajinga, I am not a fool. As my Nahodha, your truths and lies are your business. Unless they become my business, I have no part of them."

"Good to know."

Radi nodded, then turned away slightly. "The other officers are present. Shall we meet with them?"

"Yes. Lead the way." Fate gestured with a hoof. "I take it they're not as pleased with the recent news?"

"Not exactly. But then again, none of us are."

---

Clomp clomp clomp clomp…

High Sail glanced up from his spot on the waiting room chair at the muffled stomping, a hoof file clasped between his teeth. The source of the stomping was from one of his companions, who'd resumed pacing in a tight circle in the center of the room, her ears folded back and tail swishing.

And here I thought the Night Guard was renowned for their grace and control, he thought to himself as he watched the mare pace. She was a compact and petite little thing, which made her stomping all the more amusing. Her coat was the same charcoal gray as her fellow Night Guards, her tufted ears, bat wings and dragon-slitted golden eyes marking her as a Thestral. She wore the black Shadowbolt uniform well, her neatly trimmed black mane and tail streaked with jade green stripes. A bronzed metal armband was visible on her left front limb, decorated with a princess-cut purple gem. Her cutie mark was a scattering of purple starbursts surrounding a black cloud.

She paused, then shot him a glare. "What? What're you smirking about?"

"Nothing, Vespertine" High Sail replied as he removed the file from his mouth. He was hardly much of a threat compared to her; a chubby, brown-and-white pinto stallion that was missing most of his right wing. She would've probably been able to take him even before he was discharged. He inspected one of his hooves, then pushed a few strands of his curly white mane out of his face. "Just admiring your delicacy and composure."

Vespertine bared her teeth at him and let out a decidedly un-equine hiss. "I can't believe you're just sitting there twiddling with your hooves like nothing's wrong."

"Better than getting all pissy about it," their third companion growled in from the long couch. High Sail glanced over at the other Shadowbolt. You didn't see a lot of gryphons in uniform, especially ones with the appropriate coloration. She was a black-winged kite in the front, her fluffy plumage dyed jet black, which made her brilliant red eyes and red-tinted beak stand out further. Her back half was some sort of jaguar, though he was pretty sure most great cats weren't that particular shade of blue-black. The black Shadowbolt uniform added yet another shade of black to the mix, broken up by the gold buttons and white undershirt. A heavy metal chain dangled from her neck, attached to an arrowhead-shaped red jewel.

"Oh, like you're one to talk, Yvette." Vespertine rounded to face the gryphon. "I seem to remember somegryphon throwing a tantrum when we got the called here…"

"That was because I might not be getting paid if this goes south," Yvette replied. "But you don't see me stomping around like a pouty little filly. Boreas' balls, I thought you were a Night Guard, not some spring foal fresh from your mother's cootch…"

"Mother Night, protect me from mercenaries like her," Vespertine said as she looked skyward. "Especially ones not even the gryphon's own army would keep."

"Look who's talking," Yvette smirked, her eyes narrowing. "Last I checked, you weren't exactly all buddy-buddy with the rest of your kin either, little miss zealot."

"Ladies, ladies," High Sail interrupted, "you're both lovely, terrifying flying engines of death. How about we all settle down?"

"Shut up, High Sail," the pair replied almost in unison.

High Sail shrugged. "Alright," he drawled, "just don't blame me if Radi gets mad at you two."

There was a click at the door, almost on cue. The heavy wooden door swung open as Radi walked through, then stepped aside to let a familiar, gold-colored mare through. "Attention," Radi snapped to the trio.

High Sail, Vespertine and Yvette quickly stood, claws and hooves going to their brows in salute before falling into attention. Fate nodded, then waved a hoof. "At ease, everyone," she said wearily. "I suppose you've all heard the news by now?"

"Yes, ma'am," High Sail replied succinctly as Radi shut the door. "Kinda hard not to have by now. It's all over the castle."

Fate glanced around the room before letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Permission granted to speak freely, you three. Let's go ahead and get this over with now. Who wants to go first?"

High Sail shrugged. "I can't speak for the other two, but it honestly doesn't matter to me if you're a pony, a human, or a diamond dog. You're got me back in a proper uniform and on the deck of a real skyship, so I can't complain much."

Fate smiled faintly. "Really, High Sail? A bit mercenary of you."

"Considering the alternative was sailing some rich jerk's private yacht around Horseshoe Bay?" High Sail laughed. "If you weren't my superior officer, I'd kiss you."

"Well, if you're looking for something a bit less greedy from me, then you're going to be disappointed, ma'am," Yvette said. The gryphon buffed her claws against her uniform coat and made a show of checking them. "Here's what I want to know; are the Shadowbolts getting disbanded, and is the Royal Treasury not going to sign my checks anymore?"

"The answer to both is 'probably not.'" Fate replied.

"Then we're good." Yvette smirked, her tail lashing behind her. "I don't get paid enough to care about petty pony popularity politics. You and the crown pay me, so you're in charge, Captain. The fact you treat me fairly is just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned."

"Well, at least you're honest about it," Fate then turned to the thestral. "Vespertine?"

"Ma'am?" Vespertine was almost vibrating from controlled rage.

"Is there anything you'd like to say?"

Vespertine steadied herself, then met Fate's eyes with a challenging look on her face. "P-permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

Fate quirked an eyebrow. "I already gave it. If you've got something to say, then please, say it."

"I-If you say so, ma'am…" Vespertine took a deep breath. "And I say this with all due respect…"

"Here we go," High Sail muttered to Yvette, causing the gryphon to snicker.

"With all due respect, Captain," she shot High Sail and Yvette a glare before returning to Fate, "but what in the name of the moon were you thinking?!"

Radi took a threatening step forward, causing Vespertine to back up slightly. He stopped, however, as Fate put a hoof in his way. "Let her speak," Fate said, her eyes never leaving the thestral.

Vespertine inhaled and drew herself up, her wings flapping as she tried to make herself look bigger. "How dare you bring such shame on our Princess? Our Kaiser? I know this probably isn't your fault directly but the fact that you concealed this from the world at large has put Princess Luna in danger. By my pride as a Night Guard, I would have rather seen myself marched to the stockade than risk such… such dishonor! And worse, you've clearly exploited the Princess-"

"Ukimya!" Radi's interjection was sharp and clipped as he lunged up beside Fate. "You go too far, kijinga mtoto!" Vespertine's ears pulled back and she began to rear before Fate stomped a hoof.

"Radi," Fate said calmly, "I said let her speak."

Radi snorted and turned away, his whip of a tail swishing irritably as Vespertine coughed.

"As I was… um… saying." Vespertine seemed to gather herself again. "You've been exploiting Princess Luna's patronage to benefit your career, even while you had this secret of yours. You had to know this was going to come out eventually! And yet, you said nothing!" She stomped a hoof as if punctuating her accusation. "What do you have to say now, huh?!"

"Sorry."

"Aha!" Vespertine jabbed a hoof at Fate. "You're trying to… worm… wait…" She paused, her hoof going slightly limp. "Huh?"

Fate sighed. "I said I'm sorry. A lot of what you said is, technically, correct. Yes, it was Luna's clout that helped me get into officer school at West Pommel. Yes, Luna chose me to be in charge of the Shadowbolts instead of another commander. It was at her request that I attend officer training and that I take command of this squadron. You'd be hard pressed to turn down a direct request from the Princess too, I'm sure. If you want to think of it as 'exploiting her patronage,' then you're allowed your opinion.

"And yes, my actual heritage should have been disclosed before I'd gotten this far," Fate continued, cutting Vespertine off with a gently raised hoof. "However, it was on a strictly need-to-know basis. Those who did know were asked to keep the information to themselves by Princess Luna. Her Majesty meant well by it, I'm sure." Fate cocked her head to the side. "Anything else you'd like to say?"

"Um…" Vespertine scuffed the ground with a hoof and looked down nervously. "N-no, ma'am. I… uh… that's all I really had prepared."

"Got your wings clipped there, eh new girl?" Yvette grinned smugly as she elbowed Vespertine in the barrel.

"Shut up, bird brain," Vespertine muttered as she smacked Yvette with her wing, then turned back to Fate. "I'd like to apologize, ma'am. I shouldn't have thought about you like that…"

"Trust me, Vespertine, it takes far worse than that to put a dent in me," Fate replied. "It was a good rant, though."

Vespertine blushed. "It… kinda lost steam when you started being reasonable."

"So I noticed."

Vespertine glanced nervously at Radi, then at Fate. "I'm… not in trouble for this, am I?"

The calm was broken by a chime from Bardiche. "MASTER, INCOMING TRANSMISSION."

Fate sighed. "You're fine, Vespertine… excuse me for a moment, everyone."

High Sail watched as Fate turned away. She paused, then jerked as if she'd been slapped on the horn. A hoof went to her head as High Sail rose to his hooves and crept over to Radi. "So…" he stage-whispered to the zebra, "any idea what the plan is?"

Radi gave an unfriendly snort. "The Princess has a plan."

"Ah. Right. Good to know. And hey, don't take Vesper's whole outburst too personally," High Sail said with a wry smirk. "You know how thestrals are about Luna… Besides, she's young and stupid."

"I heard that," Vespertine said loudly.

"Whoops," High Sail said brightly. "Guess I said that last part out loud."

"Do not excuse her, High Sail," Radi said calmly. "She should show respect to her superiors. Were I to speak like that to my elders, I would not have all my teeth."

"Like I said, young and stupid."

---

Time-Space Administration Bureau Headquarters (AW #0)

Dimensional Sea

"…so he looks me dead in the eye and says, and I'm quoting here, 'Just because you discovered an alien civilization doesn't mean you get first pick, Admiral Harlaown.' Honestly, you'd think they would've gotten over that by now. It's not like I flaunt my achievements."

Chrono snickered as he lounged back against the decidedly well-padded couch in his mother's quarters, his good arm laying across the back behind Amy's shoulders. He had to admit, the place was pretty nice. "Well, that isn't exactly a thing you can just live down, mom."

Lindy rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, her hands pressing against her face. Her seafoam-green hair was starting to show just a tiny hint of gray. "I'm starting to think they made me Admiral just to drive me crazy," she groaned. "If I'd known I'd have to put up with Fuga's crap, I'd have let someone else find Equestria."

"Admiral Fuga's just jealous," Amy said with a wave of her hand. "I'm pretty sure not even his staff like him. Some of the gals I eat lunch with call him 'Fuga the Frog.'"

Lindy grinned at that. "Well, his face is pretty unfortunate. Just don't let him hear you call him that."

"So," Chrono said as he settled in against Amy. "Are you going to be reassigned to an LC class yet?"

"Sadly, no." Lindy shrugged. "I don't have seniority, even if I'm stunningly accomplished for my age. Still, the number of LC class ships should bump the Home Defense Fleet up to twice its current size. Plus, the Claudia is in good condition, so she'll likely be one of the last to get mothballed."

"Still weird that they're doing such a massive upgrade." Chrono shimmied slightly as Amy leaned against him. "It's not like we're on a wartime footing…"

Lindy shrugged. "I don't make the decisions around here. You'll-"

There was a loud chime, followed by a loud knocking at the room's heavy doorway.

"Sheesh, someone wants to see me in a hurry." Lindy raised a hand and summoned a window, quickly tapping on a few holographic buttons. "Yes? Who is it?"

"Representative Blueblood, Admiral. I wish to speak with Captain Harlaown, immediately. I know he's visiting you, but it's urgent."

"Blueblood?" Chrono blinked as Lindy looked in his direction for confirmation. "Let him in, mom. Might as well see what he wants."

"Alright. Come on in, Representative…"

There was a hiss as the door slid open. Prince Blueblood, Duke of Canterlot and Equestria's representative to the Bureau, strode in with purpose. His long blonde mane was tied back in a professional looking ponytail, while his cream and sky-blue suit was almost aggressively fastidious. "Admiral," he said with a curt nod to Lindy, then turned and did the same to Chrono. "Captain."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Prince?" Chrono leaned forward, extracting himself from Amy as he did so.

"Well," Blueblood said, his expression decidedly grumpy, "I just thought you might like to know that Bureau documents regarding Captain Testarossa-Sparkle have been leaked, and the Council is going to be holding a hearing soon to see if they can strip her of her position."

Chrono blinked. "…What?"