Fallen Eagle

Chapter 64: Better to be Prepared

Okay guys, I know this isn't exactly what some of you were waiting for. But because of time constraints, I have had literally no time at all to work on this chapter. I've had to work on multiple videos for my channel, including two videos that are both over seventeen minutes long, (one of which I'm still editing together) and the movie theatre I work at has Rogue One. I've been pulling ten hour days at the theatre for the past week, so yeah, it pains me that I haven't been able to get much done. And this is the FINAL time I'm going to do this, but I've split in half what I've written down so far for this chapter so you guys don't have to wait as long for an update. That and what I have planned really needs a lot of time to get the quality all of you deserve. Otherwise, the last half of the original chapter would've been rushed, and I'm not going to do that to you, my readers. Again, I vow to NEVER split chapters in half anymore; I don't want these mini chapters to become the norm, especially with my plans for the final act of the story. Anyway, let's get to some review replies!

Gracie Ghost: I love catching people off guard like that :P

Nostalgia Cop: Well, this is awkward. I've actually never seen 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' Would you recommend it?

axelialea: Ivan's stated already that he's a one woman (or in this case mare) man, and is very loyal deep down. Plus, I really wanted to cement the fact that really nothing can tear these two apart with these facts coming to light for Applejack.

caleb200888: Thank you!

headreviewer mk2: EXACTLY! I also wanted to emphasize that he didn't start out wanting to do it, but once he saw that opportunity to make history, his ego blinded him from what he was doing, hence why I used the song 'Paper Sun' to show the audience that he's blinded himself.

SkullRabbit775: The president sealed his own fate once he allowed those two naval aviators to die in the name of making history. Plus, it was emphasized that if he'd gone quietly, then he more than likely would've lived at least until convicted for treason by the Supreme Court.

OBSERVER01: Yeah, it does have a somewhat '90s action feel to it. As for the party, just wait :) I was aiming for somewhat of a Tom Clancy feel

WarHusky2000: Yep, that's pretty much the last mystery about his life that's been solved. Now he has nothing to do but look forward to his life with his new friends and his Applejack. As for the cuddling, glad I could make it cute and romantic without it being mushy and forced. Even though they're different species, I want to make it seem and feel as natural as possible

Monkeyboy0118: HOLY CRAP SOMEONE KNEW IT! Yes! That's precisely what 'Paper Sun' was written about! Trust me, I don't like exposition all that much, but it was necessary because it was a flashback chapter. I did have an entire scene where the VP confronted the President in the Oval Office, but since it was a flashback chapter from Ivan's POV, it wouldn't have made sense because he wasn't there.

SquirtlePWN: Stupid server! It's going on the list! But thanks, bro. Practically ever since the beginning, I've been adding ideas for that part of the story. Mainly to prove why Ivan despised a lot of humanity, and that I needed an incident that Ivan had to be apart of so he could feel guilty, but one where it's clear it wasn't his fault. I was also happy to show Ivan's brotherly relationship with Adam, and even show off the personalities of his squad mates. As for Celestia, Luna, the Mane 6 and Ivan coming up with a plan to stay ahead of who or whatever caused Luna's kidnapping...here you go

Need4SpeedLover: He now just sleeps with AJ

So, I have nothing else to say really other than have a safe and Happy Holidays! I will do my best (after I'm done working on my last video for December) to get the next chapter out, and with the quality all of you deserve. A LOT will be happening in the story within the next few chapters, so stay tuned!

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(Canterlot Castle The Next Day; Ivan's POV)

So, last night was fairly emotional for me to say the least. Thankfully, Applejack was right there to comfort and assure me that everything was okay, and that I don't have anything to be ashamed of for what happened inside that limo. Yet, her comforting attempts didn't make today any less heavy, and it wasn't solely because it was officially one year since I'd arrived in Equestria, but because Celestia requested my presence at her and Luna's castle this morning from a letter delivered by Derpy. The real kicker, however, was how she didn't ask anyone else except Twilight as well. "I'm glad you two could come on such short notice," Celestia greeted the two of us once we entered into her personal chambers.

"We apologize for how early in the morning it is," Luna yawned. Her pregnancy seemed to begin draining a bit of her energy at this stage. I hoped that she'd be able to perform her duties of raising and lowering the moon without stressing herself too much.

"No worries," I grinned, giving Luna a quick hug. The midnight blue princess cooed affectionately, gladly returning the hug.

"Yes, princess!" Twilight exclaimed, trying to sound awake. The bags under her eyes sort of negated her attempts. "We're ready for whenever you need…." She let out a high pitched yawn, "us!" A flushed look appeared on her cheeks. Celestia giggled at her former protege's sleepiness. Her horn glowed gold, and a tray full of coffee mugs levitated over from her personal desk.

"I think this may be of help," she smiled. Twilight and I each generously took up the offering, sipping the coffee while Luna more or less downed a whole cup like someone who was dying of thirst. She exhaled loudly, a huge euphoric smile on her face.

"Thank you," Twilight thanked politely, sighing comfortably as the mug levitated near her head within her magic. Glock and Bat Fang scooped up their own mugs within their wings, seeing as how they didn't have any magic themselves, and stood next to their respective princess at the ready. "Are we ready to start, princess?"

"Just abo-"

"I am so sorry for my tardiness, aunties!" a male's worried voice apologized in sync with Celestia's chamber door swiftly opening and closing. I turned to my side and saw Blueblood halfway galloping toward our group, a look of regret on his face. He wasn't even wearing any formal attire like he usually would. "I was on my way when I accidentally bumped into a maid in the hallway. I had to help her pick up what I'd knocked out of her grasp before escorting her to her destination," the prince gave us the play by play, huffing a little.

"Calm down, nephew," Celestia's gentle voice soothed the stallion. "We were just about to begin anyway, but your reasoning is perfectly excusable," she smiled. Blueblood breathed a sigh of relief as his aunt patted his back.

"Oh thank you, aunt Celestia," he took the last remaining mug in his magic. "I trust you slept well, aunt Luna? Nothing keeping you awake yet?"

"Well, other than strange cravings and frequent trips to the bathroom during the witching hour, I am sleeping just fine," the alicorn replied, tapping her chin as she thought.

"Nice to see you again, cousin," Twilight greeted the prince, seeming a little more chipper now that she had caffeine in her.

"Cousin Twilight, Cougar! I'm glad you got my auntie's letter on time," Blueblood greeted us happily. "I trust with your expertise in military strategy and your personal dealings with varying personalities of ponies, we can get to the bottom of our dilemma," he looked between the two of us.

"This seems more like something you, Twilight, Cadence, and your aunts should discuss together, but I'm not one to deny a request for help," I replied, giving Celestia and Luna a wink.

"We made you a knight for a reason, Cougar; don't be modest now," Luna smirked. "Anyway, now that we're all here, let us begin," she cleared her throat and levitated her half-moon spectacles onto her eyes. Both her horn and Celestia's lit up, and a large circular stone table arose from the floor, resembling a slightly smaller version of the map in Twilight's castle. "Sister?"

"As you all know, the past month and a half has been rather….long for all of us," Celestia set her mug down on the tabletop, "but going off what Princess Ember brought to our attention, it would take some time to properly research all possibilities for how Garble knew that Luna could enter dreams," she announced. "Without jumping to conclusions or causing widespread panic I might add." I grimaced, for after six weeks of doing what Celestia asked of me, she wouldn't like what I had turned up.

"And what did you find out, Tia?" Glock questioned.

"Well, after talking with the head of every train depot in Equestria, and the owners of every hotel in Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Whinniapolis, Applewood, and Manehattan, they haven't reported anything too out of the ordinary in terms of travelers. And I was sent the train logs of every train that ran from at least a month before my sister was taken, but nopony has traveled further south than Appleoosa," Celestia reported dejectedly.

"Did you ask for any police reports from the major cities?" I questioned, scratching under my chin.

"Indeed, Cougar," Celestia sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing of interest was reported in except the usual break-ins to stores, public drunkenness, or the illegal brothel that was raided in Las Pegasus."

"Eww," Twilight shuddered, the feathers on her wings ruffling up. The Princess of the Sun levitated a saddlebag over, producing a few scrolls and folders for all of us to look over.

"This is every log, every report, and every document I've managed to get a copy of since Princess Ember last visited," Celestia added very stoically. I couldn't blame her for feeling disenchanted over coming up empty hooved after such a long time investigating. The rustling of paper and quiet murmuring replaced the sound of talking over the next few moments as we skimmed through what the alicorn had given us. I'd been handed a folder containing arrest records from all around Equestria with, as Celestia said, nothing to get too alarmed about. "Thank you for helping me with this task, Glock," the princess broke the silence.

"Think nothing of it, Tia," the guard actually managed a smile. While reading over one of the arrest records, I heard the faint sound of Celestia's lips kissing against Glock's cheek, proceeded by the guard's embarrassed chuckle.

"Hmm," I pondered, stopping on a specific name in a record for Manehattan.

"What is it, Cougar?" Blueblood questioned.

"Oh not much. Luna and I have just had some personal experience with this one," I pointed to a name in particular on the list.

"Really?" Luna set down what she had been looking over, her interest piqued. I quickly circled the name with a nearby quill before sliding it across the stone table over to the night princess, who readily adjusted her glasses. "Ah yes, Darkheart," she exhaled. "After spending a few weeks in the dungeon, I shipped him off to a halfway house in Manehattan so he could get his drinking under control. Some ponies just never learn," she shook her head, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

"Huh, you don't suppose he could've had anything to do with your disappearance, princess?" Twilight scratched at the side of her head with her hoof. The purple mare's tongue was sticking out the side of her mouth as she thought.

Luna and I exchanged a brief look before chuckling, "Yeah, I don't think so, Twilight," I flipped around the pages of a separate record sheet. "He was just more of an angry drunk."

"Didn't he attempt to crush the both of you in the library?" Celestia cut in, darting her eyes in between myself and her sister.

"Indeed he did," Luna nodded, "though like Cougar said, he was completely drunk and well, our friend here showed him the error of his ways, even if those lessons didn't last."

"Very well, sister. Did you happen to find anything of interest while patrolling your nightly domain?" Celestia continued with our meeting. The smaller princess snorted, putting down the folder her sibling had granted her.

"Unfortunately, no. Throughout countless dreams and nights of searching, I've found nary a shred of evidence that could point us to whomever could have done this. And you know how much I despise encroaching upon dreams that need not my help, Celestia. Though, I did find myself a few times comforting Rainbow Dash's friend, Misty Fly, a few times from nightmares about dragons," Luna reported.

"Auntie? Did you happen to investigate the dreams of any dragons to see if they knew anything?" Blueblood inquired, holding his chin with his hoof.

"Yes, nephew, but alas, I found nothing. And as it would seem, I must limit my dream walking in the coming weeks," Luna added, looking down and rubbing her ever growing belly with her wings.

"Of course Luna, I understand," her big sister offered a sympathetic smile.

"Ahem," I coughed, gathering the attention of the others in the room. "I hate to rush things, Celestia, but at the rate this is going, I'm pretty positive that everyone here has turned up nothing since we found out that Garble's dead." The magenta eyed mare turned her head to the side, humming. "And I only say this because remember this is only a hunch that Ember and her father came up with. There's no real evidence of what happened, or even when they were killed."

"Are you saying you don't think we should prepare for somepony who wants to tear my and Luna's rule from Equestria, Cougar?"

"Oh come on, of course not!" I frowned. "I understand that it's better to prepare for something and nothing happens than being unprepared and something happens." Celestia quickly turned to her side, looking from Glock all around the table to me. Twilight on the other hand was subtly cutting her wing across her throat while glaring at me. "Look, I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything; it concerns me too that Garble knew what Luna can do to dreams."

"Uh-huh, so before I ask, does anypony have anything interesting to bring to light about the past six weeks?" Celestia looked back up at the rest of the group.

"Nothing princess," Twilight exhaled sadly while Glock and Bat Fang shook their heads. "Though, I have been keeping in touch with Princess Ember!" The purple alicorn chirped. "She said that nothing else has really happened in Draconia, but she promises to keep her eyes and ears open for anything," she produced a letter from her own saddlebags.

"Blueblood?" I noticed he'd stayed silent after his aunt asked him if he discovered anything.

"Oh, s-sorry everypony, I was just pondering something," the unicorn apologized. "I truthfully haven't discovered anything through the grapevine of the Canterlot elite."

"Why did you talk to them?" Bat Fang's gravelly voice spoke up. "What would they have to do with anything?"

"Well, I did want to try and not raise any suspicion by keeping in touch with those I'd befriended before my stay in Griffonstone. Besides, a few of them still dislike your presence here, Cougar," the prince said, rubbing the back of his neck. That fact really didn't surprise me at all, though it still made me roll my eyes. "I thought perhaps maybe one of them or a group of them could have plotted against my aunts because of their support for you."

"And….did you find out anything, Blueblood?" Luna leaned forward, looking above the rim of her spectacles.

"N-no, but a thought did in fact cross my mind…." the prince paused, seemingly unsure of whether or not he should finish his thought. Biting his lower lip, however, Blueblood took in a deep breath through his nostrils. "Aunties?"

"Yes?" Both Celestia and Luna replied in unison.

"You don't suppose the Pony Purity Pride might've had a hoof in this?" The sound of silence penetrated the air; every other pony in the room enlarged their eyes at the thought while I just stood at my spot, completely flabbergasted at what the stallion had suggested. I hadn't the slightest clue what in the world he was talking about, but based off his pessimism just to mention the three words, it didn't sound good.

"The PPP?" Twilight blinked, cocking her head to the side to aim her ear toward her royal cousin. "Um, Blueblood-"

"Nephew," Celestia interrupted, "they haven't been relevant in decades. Why, Twilight was just a filly the last time they made headlines."

"Even then they'd been splintering off into different chapters and weakening for years," Glock added, staring coldly at Blueblood. Luna even nodded despite the fact she'd only been away from the moon for a hair under six years.

"I seriously doubt they would have the strength to pull off anything as complex as what happened to me if they cannot even gather enough followers to hold a rally. The Pony Purity Pride is about as concerning as a smudge on a window, Blueblood."

"Oh, sorry everypony," Blueblood apologized, his ears drooping to the side of his head.

"There's no need to apologize," Celestia said warmly to her nephew while I still stood with a confused look on my face. "We are looking for any possible answers to prevent anything further from happening after all."

"Uhhh," I sheepishly raised my hand like a nervous student.

"Cougar?" Twilight acknowledged my request.

"What in the hell is the PPP?" I had a slight idea of what it was…..I hoped it wasn't what I was thinking. The three alicorn princesses exchanged a look of shame before simultaneously looking back at me.

"A group of ponies with nothing but self-righteousness and hatred in their hearts," Celestia replied rather bitterly. Before she could add anything, her sister cleared her throat, cutting off the larger alicorn.

"They hold the belief that ponies should not interbreed, let alone marry, other species," she explained.

"For years, any pony they discovered in a relationship with a donkey, griffon, or zebra…" Twilight continued, only to trail off with an audible gulp.

"Those buckers also condemned and even attacked ponies who married and started families with different races of ponies," Bat Fang added with a snarl. "Like you and your coltfriend, Princess Twilight." My eyebrows immediately furrowed at the thought of Twilight being harassed just because Flash was a pegasus whilst she was an alicorn. "Heck, even Princess Luna and Checkered Flag, or even Princess Celestia and-" Bat Fang shut up when he saw the flames in Celestia's magenta eyes.

"Yes," the white pony hissed. The bat pony slinked behind the shadows to avoid the princess' moment of anger. "But again, their numbers have dwindled so much the past few decades that we haven't heard a peep from them in years," her wing suddenly draped around Glock, pulling him closer to her.

"Okay then," I gave a single nod, folding my arms.

"Anyway, back to the matter at hoof," Celestia rubbed the side of her head. "Since nothing has come to light, does anypony have an idea on how we can keep a close watch for anything that could threaten my sister again, or the safety of Equestria?" It wasn't going to be easy thinking of a solution to something we knew little about. We all understood that a treasonous citizen was still a theory, but it was all we had to go off of.

"Well," I sighed, "we could do what pretty much every first world country in my world did. We don't have enough information to look for anyone specifically, so could we station more guards or police ponies at train stations and harbors, and have them search through everyone's belongings for anything we can use?" I suggested. To my surprise, everyone had a look of shock on their faces, almost as if I'd insulted them.

"Absolutely not!" Celestia barked, glaring at me. I was beginning to feel a little hesitant being around the sun princess today. "Firstly, we need to keep this under wraps so as not alert whoever could be conspiring against us that we're on to them, and so we don't let our fellow citizens know that something may be threatening their safety and cause a mass panic."

"Not to mention that we would be sending messages to our little ponies that we do not trust them," Luna agreed, shaking her head. "Plus, visiting dignitaries may take offense to that, and it could cause a rift between Equestria and another country, something we do not need, especially at a high security risk time such as this."

"Withdrawn," I politely raised both my hands in defeat. "All I wanted to remind you of is we can't be everywhere at once. There's not too many of us who are aware of Garble's death, and we need eyes and ears in as many places as possible."

"True," Twilight nodded, "I mean, we've already got Ember on the lookout for anything in Draconia. And as much as I agree that we need to keep this matter as quiet as possible, I don't think it would hurt if we had other allies across Equestria lending us their eyes and ears," the alicorn proposed to her former mentor. Naturally, Celestia's lips curled into a frown as she thought, though it was easy to tell she was fighting with herself about the pros and cons of more ponies in the know.

"Celestia," Luna called out, "I do not believe we have much of a choice. If we are to stay ahead, then we must let a select few others know what we're looking for so that they may alert us should they discover anything." The elder sister let out a great sigh, lowering her head until her flowing mane laid lazily atop the stone table.

"If we have little choice," she continued to frown. "I'm just a little concerned with whom we can trust to keep this matter to themselves and only themselves." That was a pretty fair point she brought up. The last thing we needed was to trust someone close to the sisters or Twilight, only to have them slip what they've been entrusted with and blow our progress before we even began. "Or who can keep from being found out," she added.

"Cousin?" Blueblood chimed in. "With your experience working with numerous types of ponies, perhaps you know just the right ones for the job?"

"Hmm," Twilight's wing stroked her chin as a smile grew on her face. "I may know a few ponies we can trust with this information, and my friends may know other ponies of their own!"

"You mean like Rarity's friend Coco Pommel in Manehattan?" I asked.

"Or Rainbow Dash's coltfriend, the captain of the Wonderbolts?" Bat Fang added.

"Very well," Celestia smiled, picking her head up from the table while Glock gently petted the side of her neck. "Twilight, you may have your friends suggest friends or family of their own they think they can trust, and relay those names back to myself or my sister for a final judgment," the alicorn announced. "Luna and I will reach out to Cadence and Shining Armor as well."

"You know, if you trusted the king of the griffons with whipping Blueblood into shape, do you think maybe you could ask for him to keep an eye out for anyone out of the ordinary?" I questioned. Blueblood began chuckling nervously before seething and taking a step away from the table. His aunt, however, pursed her lips together.

"I'm not sure if that would do anything, Cougar," she admitted. "Truthfully, not many ponies venture out as far as Griffonstone, so he may never stumble across somepony plotting to harm myself or my sister. But, it doesn't sound like a bad idea," she placed a hoof on my shoulder.

"Just doing what I can to help, Celestia," I smirked back.

"And that is why we trust you as a knight, dear friend," Luna bowed her head. "Oh, but before we adjourn this meeting," she added, trotting around her sister and throwing her forelegs around my neck. "Happy anniversary, Cougar," she said, embracing me in a hug.

"Thanks Luna," I chuckled, folding one arm around her and gently returning the hug.

"Now I do believe we've gone over everything we can for today," Celestia announced as Luna released me and both she and her sister sent the stone table back into the floor. "Enjoy the rest of today as much as you can," she wished me luck. "We must begin our duties to set our plan in motion."

"Of course, princess," Twilight bowed. "Cougar and I will have a little talk with our friends on what you want us to do. But in the meantime, there's a little something Cougar needs to see," she said slyly.

"Give my regards to Checkered," I winked at Luna while giving Celestia a quick pat on the back. And with that, the two princesses, Blueblood, and Glock and Bat Fang bid us farewell as Twilight and I embarked back toward the train station.

"Hey Cougar," Twilight spoke up once we were out of Celestia's chambers, heading toward the exit of the castle. "Do you mind if we stop by Joe's Doughnut Shop? I uh, didn't really get that much to eat this morning." The alicorn's cheeks lit up pink when her stomach growled like a rabid wolverine. "My treat!" She giggled embarrassingly.

"Heh, sure thing Twilight," I chuckled.

End Chapter 64

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So, again guys, I know some were definitely not looking forward to a short chapter, but I don't like making you guys wait longer than necessary. I can promise you, however, that the next chapter will be worth it, especially with how important it is to one of the main characters. And I just really want to make sure its quality is up to the standards all of you deserve. And luckily, I do have a pretty good start on the next chapter since I've split in half what I've written. Once I get my Christmas video done for my YouTube channel, I'll get right back on Chapter 65.

As for Celestia and the PPP, I understand it may not seem like her to brush off something like that, but hear me out. First off, I won't exactly say what, but it will be brought up again so it's NOT a one-off issue. Second, Celestia has been around for THOUSANDS of years, and in my story's universe, has easily seen the worst of what the Pony Purity Pride can do. So if she says their numbers have dwindled so much that she doesn't view them as threatening as in the past, then I'd honestly believe her. She will, though, keep it in mind should something else arise.

Also, please, everyone have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza or whatever you celebrate! Having loyal readers like all of you is a pretty good Christmas present to me.