Author's Notes:

And we're back after just over a month! Shorter word count this time around because this was actually one gargantuan chapter broke into two ...

Chapter 9 will follow in a few days time. It will be another giant and was a rather fun one to write, so stay tuned!

Meeting of Sun and Moon
Equis, Canterlot, Canterlot Palace
Saturday, 26th June 2551 CE Celestial Standard Calendar

When Luna awoke to the sunlight filtering in through the windows the next day, two things came to her attention immediately. The first was of the sun itself as well as Selene; had the moon been set yet? The second affair was the fact that her sister was presently sitting on her haunches on the balcony just outside, watching the sunrise over a cup of tea.

“Tia, what brings you here?” Luna asked with both surprise and amusement. “Did you fly across from your own quarters?”

Celestia turned around to look at Luna through the windows of the ajar balcony doors, a mischievous smile plastered on her face as Luna opened them to their full extent. “Perhaps … or perhaps I just let myself in so I could steal your balcony.”

Luna blew her sister a raspberry, promptly flinging the doors shut magically with a fabricated sneer. They opened once again a second and a half later as a now giggling Luna stepped outside to join Celestia.

“You slept, I can tell by the aura about you,” Celestia said with a beaming face as she offered Luna a second cup and saucer of tea she had been keeping warm. “I can tell also … by the fact that you were laying in bed, obviously. And don’t worry, I left the moon for you to lower.”

“Truly?” Luna responded with sheer delight that further warmed the older alicorn sibling’s heart.

“You had to resume your role sooner or later, is that not right?” Celestia asked with a delicate chuckle. “That includes raising it during the Gala tonight, and carrying on from there every day that you happen to be on Equis if you think you are ready.”

Luna sipped at her tea as Celestia spoke, increasingly delighted at the prospect. “I know that I am ready. I feel in my very being that I am. Come, I shall lower the moon as you continue the dawn whilst we discuss the dreams … and nightmares … that my mind presented to me!”

There was a noticeable fall in Celestia’s sanguine face at the mention of nightmares, but it was soon recovered.

“I would love that, Luna,” she replied.

Their tea finished, both sisters stood up side by side as their horns turned aglow in unison. Solaris continued its gradual ascent into the morning sky, whilst Selene meanwhile dipped below the horizon and away from view as both astronomical bodies serenely parted ways for the time being, to be met together again hours later.

As the arcane astrophysical ministration carried on, Luna proceeded to describe to Celestia the details of her dreams and nightmares during the night. The Empress was neutral and analytical in expression but her eyes remained warm and assuring as her sister retold what she had seen.

When the visions of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra, and the destructive wave of flashing energy were broached, Celestia grew concerned for the moment.

“Most of these dreams and nightmares are so abstract that it would take us days sitting here to properly interpret them, but this … this is something entirely different altogether. I know not about this great blue arc, but could it be that the Empire and that dreadful king could return?”

“After a thousand years, many things can change … I bear firsthoof witness; I would not deem this nightmare of mine a hollow suspicion for my part, my sister. The Crystal Empire could be returning,” Luna replied as her own expression sobered for as long as they were on the present topic.

Celestia’s response came without delay, “And neither should I, we both know that this particular event of our past would come back to directly affect us and the world again one day. Should it happen during this war, and likely it shall, it has the potential to alter the tide … we must prepare in the backdrop for its eventuality.”

Luna simply hummed in agreement as they both finished their tea and watched the rest of the dawn unfold. An unspoken consensus hung in the air that nothing more needed to be said for now in regards to the Crystal Empire and all attached to it.

It was then that Celestia prompted them to move the conversation forward again. “So, what came after those troubling visions?” she asked with a tender tone, reading in her sister’s eyes that there was more positivity yet to tell from the previous night.

“What came first was … still off putting ever so mildly at the beginning, but nothing of any kind of ill omen. It ended with one of the greatest senses of triumph I had ever experienced outside of the waking world. Lo, I beheld three of our kind, in our bipedal forms, our pony forms, and … in between.”

“Alicorns? More of us, like the Asphodel from our earliest years before we answered Starswirl’s call and travelled to Equestria?”

“Most definitely alicorns, but whether they were meant to represent our mentors is unclear to me. What I do know is that they carried what seemed to signify the Codex you gave to me, as well as the star on Twilight Sparkle’s mark.”

“Cutie mark,” Celestia interjected with a jester-like smile.

Luna’s face, which had up to that point begun to assume a one of lingering wonder, promptly fell into a blank, blinking stare of incomprehension. “Pardon … ?”

“Pony symbols and marks have come to be called ‘cutie marks’ by most Equestrians over the past few centuries,” Celestia explained, her smile readjusting to her usual default serenity.

“I see … that is a modern custom I am unlikely to ever adopt. No offense to those who use it, but are we all but little fillies these days?” An accompanying snort with Luna’s remark caused first Celestia then both sisters to share a bout of chuckling before the younger Princess continued. “Furthermore, the alicorn in an uncertain state between our two forms bore the familiar of a phoenix gripping a key in one hand, and a glyph I have seen in the company of the ancient ruins on Fenris in the other. The meaning of the glyph is lost on me, and the phoenix I can only speculate … well really all but the Codex we can only speculate upon in truth.”

“Did you attempt to greet or approach them?”

“Aye, and they retreated, each as quickly as their erstwhile counterpart whilst I had to circumvent and overcome each obscure obstacle the dream realm casted onto my path. It was that moment of triumph when I reached them and collected their possessions that the dream came to its terminus.”

“This is another one I feel we should delve into at a later date if you are willing, Luna,” Celestia stated. “We cannot be fortune tellers, but perhaps we can yield some new insights,” she added with a smile,

“Verily! Now, of the bright things that followed before I awoke!”

For the next several minutes, Luna told story after story. Celestia was regaled by descriptions of of lush gardens bathed in moonlight, pranks, moments of inspiration and the creation of treasured art, the slaying of foul beasts and the rescuing of innocents, the rallying of allies to the final moment of decisive victory in battles hard-fought, chocolate and coffee and the wonders of modern technology, and more.

By the time Luna had finished, the both of them found themselves in a hurry as they realised just how much time had passed already on what was promising to be a busy day and a prominent night.

With all her attire on, Luna grabbed a still sleeping Cortana and placed her crystal into her bag before scrambling to begin her day.

Suited for Battle
Canterlot Palace, Royal Guard Armoury

Breakfast had been light and fast for Luna, as well as for almost everyone else in the Imperial Palace.

Most activity in general was urgent and bustling for the rest of the morning, as final preparations were being made for the Grand Galloping Gala that evening. Save for Celestia on the balcony, Luna did not mention to anyone the cryptic dreams she’d experienced the previous night. With the Gala so close, everyone, including herself, was simply too busy for such discussions.

Luna had still yet to meet with Rarity for her sizing and fitting, making that undertaking part of her immediate object of focus. She recalled from Galas long ago that even as an alicorn, simply appearing in the usual royal regalia was not considered ‘regally festive’ enough by Canterlot’s cultural standards.

With that in mind, Luna’s aim as encouraged by her sister was to be sized for whatever passed as modern regalia for royalty in Equestria and the western hemisphere of Equis.

Also on her mind was the eventual acquisition of armour that would serve her well in her quest to help end the Great War she had only just recently found herself awakening to.

Others besides her also had pressing thoughts on their minds, dominated by a central and obvious overarching affair and punctuated by the distinct sounds of Equestrian, Capricorn, and human footsteps across the royal floors.

“Some of the admiralty and generals of the various nations will be present in small numbers,” Trixie stated to nobody in particular but still partially aimed at Luna as their by now default company followed them as a single group to their current destination.

They were headed for Canterlot Palace’s forge and armoury for the Royal Guard that defended the capital and most of its rulers. Celestia could not accompany them due to being needed elsewhere in the castle for Gala preparations as well as other daily duties.

“I would expect nothing less in a wartime social event as this,” Luna remarked.

“Admiral Tempest and Lord General Svelte will be present,” Trixie stated. “They are some of Trixie’s most favourite Imperial commanders besides Vice Admiral Clara Cutter.”

“That’s hilarious, you bothered to actually leaf through that damn bloated invitation list, just like approximately four other people in the whole Imperial Province,” Johnson chuckled with a slow clap. “You just won the Colonial Cross and the Star Swirl Prize for sheer Trixieness!”

“What about a Star Swirl Prize, now?” Twilight asked with a frown. “I have never heard of such a thing before … and I would definitely be the pony to know about such a thing!”

Trixie tsked. “Just another product of what Trixie has long since dubbed the Johnsonverse. It is probably a region of the Elsewhere dimension.”

“Elsewhere?” the Master Chief asked. “Something attached to Tartarus? Combat does not give me a chance to get versed in other dimensions unless fighting takes me into one,” he added after Trixie looked at him with an arched brow.

Luna offered an explanation, for the name was familiar to her and caused her ears to prick up.. “Where spirits of chaos and other mischievous and surreal attribution hail from. Discord’s homerealm; I presume you know of him? I saw Elsewhere once.”

“What’s it like?” Johnson asked, blinking twice as he recalled the statue he had seen in the garden dozens of times.

“Imagine if you will a circus in a dream, but inverted and you cannot tell audience from troupe, or clown from ringmaster. Throw in confectionary shops that also offer mercenaries and city streets rife with drunken celebratory mayhem, then you have the slightest of ideas of Elsewhere’s nature,” Luna finished.

Russ remained quiet, but his neutral expression gave way to a smirk at the mention of the city streets’ apparently most predominant activity.

“Like Luna said, it’s where they say that Discord’s kind hails from as well as Johnson’s personality it would seem,” Trixie replied with an eyeroll to Johnson as the Sergeant Major smirked.

“Oh, well … anyways, I can’t wait for you to meet the rest of my friends at the Gala, Luna! I already know that Rarity will positively adore you, since you are already in the ‘regality category’ as she would put it,” Twilight enthused to the Princess.

“I look forward to meeting your friends as well, Twilight. You appear to be of the nature of pony that attracts the noblest of friends,” Luna replied, smiling.

“I do? I mean … erm, thank you, Princess!” Twilight replied as her humbleness melted away and she offered Luna a beaming smile that was positively glowing.

“There is no need to offer gratitude for me pointing out the obvious,” Luna added with a wink as they all reached the entrance to the armoury.

Ruman and the armoury that well predates his own custodianship of it was set in the least decorated and mostly plain portion of the palace, where its stately and opulent royal look gave way to just the mighty and proud construction and walls that the palace and indeed Old Town’s foundations both also boasted.

Only the wrought iron wall sconces of yesteryear and the trim on the tops of doorjambs demonstrated any kind of strictly decorative craftsponyship.

“Your Highness,” the two unicorn Royal Phoenix Guards watching the armoury entrance greeted plainly with matching salutes against the breastplates of their crimson and gold armour.

“Good morrow,” Luna greeted them kindly as they let up their stoicness just enough to genuinely return her smile and opened the ancient heavy wooden and iron doors to usher everyone inside.

To some degree of surprise amongst Luna’s companions, the guards continued lukewarmly smiling even as Bjorn’s hulking frame passed them by as the last person to be admitted into the armoury.

They were immediately greeted by the expected smell of a forge and applied alteration magic in addition to the distinct ringing of metal against metal and other hard surfaces. A particularly massive male minotaur garbed in a simple red tunic and multipocketed apron was hard at work while an orange-coated earth pony mare with a blonde mane observed his work with something akin to delightful admiration.

Some of them were semi-surprised, Luna included, by the added and conflicting smell of something more fit to the rest of the palace wafting over from the far end of armoury room.

Weapon and armour racks shared space with anvils, workbenches, chests of tools, and the forge itself that dominated the closest portion of the armoury with the minotaur and the mare. High, narrow windows provided natural light to the room and the forge ventilated via a sizeable steel hood in the ceiling. The remaining portion of the workshop was a sharp contrast, and not just visibly.

At the far end was another, white-coated unicorn mare whose mane was, arguably, more than a little ostentatiously kept in delicate violet coifs and curls. She surrounded herself with workbenches just like the equally busy minotaur armourer and blacksmith. Instead of metals and heat however, she was working heavily with textiles, fabrics, gems, and illustrations all in a telekinetic and auditorily chiming flurry that appeared ostensibly chaotic to Luna at a glance.

But Luna knew better, for she was well acquainted with both of the trades that were currently being practice in the room she and her friends had just been admitted into.

As the doors closed, with everyone having finally entered, it was the orange mare that registered the newcomers’ intrusion first as she heard their boots and hooves in unison with the doors thudding shut.

“Ruman, Rarity, oh man! You’re not going to believe who finally paid you all a visit,” the earth pony said with a welcoming grin; both the minotaur and the unicorn tailor immediately turned their surprised gazes to follow that of their companion’s. “Princess Luna, a legend with some other bona fide legends in her company. Your Highness, Ah can’t even begin to elaborate on how honoured and delighted Ah am to see you.”

“The honour is mine, Lady… ?” Luna intoned questioningly.

“Wait, I would know this mare anywhere, this is my friend Applejack!” Twilight rapidly informed the Princess before the mare could speak. “Hi!”

“Hi there! Twi’s got it right, Ah’m Applejack, Your Highness. And this here is Ruman,” the mare called Applejack answered with a chuckle before she bowed her head, and then waved to the royal weapons master before also doing the same to Twilight. “Ah was visiting around the armoury to check up on Rarity’s progress, seems my timing couldn’t have been better!”

Ruman continued to stare across his anvil and several tables at the newcomers, Luna in particular, and blinked in astonishment as he processed just who it was that had assembled into his armoury. His eyes were practically twinkling. Had Trixie not met the armourer and weapons master before, she personally would have anticipated him letting out the minotaur equivalent of a squee based off looks alone.

Any of Ruman’s visitors that had similar expectations of seeing a minotaur squee saw them promptly dashed as the bull finally greeted back with possibly the simplest baritone response imaginable. “Hello.”

Hammer and tongs were placed neatly on a nearby table while heated metal was placed in a bucket of water to cool as Luna and the others approached, the former giving a friendly nod. “Well met! Another soul I have met in long succession that has been humbled by the toil of a forge. And let us not forget … Applejack, who is the other fair inhabitant of this reputable shrine of armament and armour?”

“That there, is …” Applejack was promptly interrupted by the other mare as she put down what she was doing and joined the rest of the armoury.

“I am called Rarity, and by Celestia I cannot begin to iterate how long I have been waiting to finally meet you in person, Your Highness!” the seamstress greeted as Applejack scoffed at the interruption, as well as the mare’s posh voice that fit the city and her readily dramatic flare of mannerism. “Or perhaps I can … approximately one entire grueling businessweek, heavens what an ordeal!”

After spending a few split seconds tracing the curvature of Rarity’s mane with her eyes and puzzling to a rather intense degree over how long it must have taken to facilitate such over the top extravagancy when it came to one’s hair, Luna found herself taking a cue from Ruman and offering a simple greeting of, “Charmed, fair Rarity.”

“Not as much as myself, Princess Luna!” Rarity responded with elation, gleefully putting a hoof to her muzzle.

“Are you quite alright?” Luna asked, her puzzlement lingering. “You seem as if you are on the cusp of fainting, or possibly … hysterics.”

“That’s actually just Rarity being Rarity,” Twilight offered as a cryptic, if rather lacking explanation for Luna’s taste.

“Or perhaps the fact that your company includes a veritable contingent of armoured supersoldier giants, war heroes, and the like … hehe,” Rarity elaborated as she rubbed at her withers before rapidly shifting to a more mercantile but still entirely posh demeanor that made some of the Wolf Guard, Erik especially, want to poke fun in some manner on an almost instinctive basis. “On to business, if you all do not mind? Pleasantries can wait for the evening, after all, is that not right?”

“You’re not wrong,” Johnson commented with a chuckle. “Just depends on your definition of ‘pleasantries.’”

“Pfft, semantics, oftentimes as useless a field as politics in the grand scheme of things,” Trixie added on.

Ruman folded his arms and looked neutral as he disregarded much of the sidebar commentary being thrown about as many of the others present with a comparable mindset instead focused on Rarity and Luna’s exchange or continued to visually inspect the entirety of the armoury from wall to wall, appraising the multitudes of weaponry and armour.

“I understand I was to meet with you much earlier for this very affair?” Luna ventured sheepishly, her ears flattening as she fully recollected the fact.

“Indeed you were, but there’s no need to fret over a trivial little thing. It was a good development; it gave me and Ruman—mostly Ruman as I am a mere designer—time to perfect your gift!”

Ruman, still quiet and having turned completely casual in his demeanor, shifted and began grinning at Rarity’s mention of a gift as well as to reach inside a chest he opened at the foot of the closest work bench.

“A … gift?” Luna answered back in curious awe, too speculative of what it could entail to be more verbose.

It was already obvious to Luna that the high chance probability dictated it was armour, but of what kind?

“Not just any gift,” Ruman said as he broke his own quietude with a note of pride in his voice. “Perhaps the finest armour I have ever worked on, certainly for a non-Royal Guard and quite possibly for any Royal Guard as well.”

The weapons master produced a sizeable parcel wrapped in burlap in his weathered and powerful hands, handling it as a filly or a little girl would hold a beloved doll.

Applejack tapped her right hoof against the armoury floor with excitement. “That there fella that Ruman is holding is the reason Ah was grinning like a fox in a henhouse when you all came in. He was just in the middle of working on another version of the armour, using the same pioneering technology and forging processes.”

“It is a new armour system hosting highly advanced technology,” Rarity proclaimed. “It is the first ever Imperial-reconquisitioned collaboration I have ever done with Ruman. I have accepted GSC military contracts before for uniform and ballistics armour designs that brought out the best in soldiers’ appearance as well as their defense before. But this? This was the most challenging and, dare I say it? It was the most fun project I’ve had to date!”

“Advanced technology?” the Master Chief asked as Luna quietly processed the trio’s words as well as the parcel Ruman was still gripping patiently and almost lovingly with her own sense of awe still budding. What the group didn’t notice due to their keen interest in the armour or general indifference, was the Fangs in the background snickering and eye rolling at what was being talked about.

“Advanced by current standards as sure as my apples are red, Chief! This will also interest Trixie and Johnson for sure, dunno about you, Twi, or your big armoured friends, there,” Applejack began as she eyeballed each person she mentioned. “You see, Your Highness–”

“You may call me Luna,” the alicorn Princess interjected as she gently levitated the parcel away from Ruman and began opening it.

“You see, Luna,” Applejack began again, this time with an admiring smile as Luna paused to listen, “this here armour they’ve made for Luna is a cousin of the Mjolnir project, it’s a prototype for the armour systems that the Praetorian Guard is about to be fitted for before the year is out.”

“Wait … Luna here is getting Phase II Praetorian armour?” Trixie sputtered in shock. “We’re still only halfway through our own augmentation procedures just to be considered Phase II-ready. Trixie hasn’t even undergone the procedure yet … ”

“I saw the data from Luna’s medical tests. Alicorn bodies, at least Luna and Celestia’s, are already physiologically robust enough to equip all known kinds of powered armour without the need for prior physical augmentation.” Twilight said, but noticed Luna’s curious glance and leaned in to her ear to add in a whisper, “Celestia showed me the results because my curiosity was so infectious.”

“Intriguing, most certainly,” Luna said in reply to Twilight, Trixie, and Applejack at once. “I thank thee for such a wonderful gift. It is time, methinks, that I inspect it for myself.”

Luna finished unwrapping the heavy parcel to first discover the lustrous mithril helmet of the Praetorian Guard that slightly resembled those worn by the Imperial Legion, but without the crest and instead a place for a crown to rest in addition to a socket through which the wearer would fit their horn. The argent helmet sat on its side atop a yet more complex affair that was neatly folded on itself with the only non-flat shapes of the bundle being those formed by the curvature of the cuirass and other armour sections.

“You are going to equip it here?” Ruman asked with an expectant look.

“But of course,” came Luna’s smiling reply.

Luna proceeded to unwrap the bundle in full, holding the suit out in its proper arrangement with her telekinesis.

Like Trixie’s armour, there were a distinct set of symmetrical plates accompanying a violet gambeson that came down to the barrel on ponies and to the waist on humans. Luna recognised with a personal eye for armours that the plating encompassed the whole body with only minor chinks in between each plate.

“Any variety of full bodysuit, pressurized or not, can be worn beneath it and the gambeson for usage in all environments,” Ruman informed the Princess. “Pressurised bodysuits enable operation in the vacuum of space, complete with magnetized boots that can be worn under the knee plating.”

“Some find the bodysuits more comfortable, whilst others still find just the armour and gambeson suitable alone in comfort over their coat or uniform,” Rarity added before she turned sheepish. “Luna, may I take just a few tiny measurements of you in bipedal form before you try out the armour? It’s for the bipedal version of your new Praetorian suit as well as your attire tonight.”

To Rarity’s relief, Luna’s smile did not falter despite her obvious eagerness to don the new armour. “You may measure me, aye. I will assume my alternate form. Do take your time, within reason, fairest seamstress.”

Rarity gleefully gathered up his measuring equipment and set to work as soon as Luna cast the magic to assume her bipedal form. Once more her humanoid body was without a lack of clothing save for her crown and the moon sash she always wore. Only Ruman demonstrated any kind of noticeable reaction to the change, eyes widening for a split second before the bull cleared his throat and leaned against his anvil with the default neutral gaze.

A minute passed as Rarity measured Luna’s height, waist, arms, and legs before finishing up with a satisfied hum. “Excellent, these numbers will work perfectly!”

“Are you making something for me like the armour ere the Gala begins, or do you have attire in mind already?”

“Secret!” Rarity replied in a sing-song tone. “I mean, you could of course order me to elaborate, but what fun is there in premature reveals? You shall see just before the Gala’s opening events!”

Luna chuckled at that as she shifted back to pony form. “Touche. Now, my armour!”

Cobalt magic fetched the Praetorian armour from the workbench top Luna had set it on and brought it over to the alicorn for a second examination before being equipped. Luna put on the tunic-like gambeson first with a deft flourish that was more subconsciously than intentionally done. Nevertheless, the movement garnered the awe of Rarity, Ruman, Twilight, and even Trixie.

Twilight was quick to recover as she began enthusiastically briefing Luna on what she knew of the armour, eventually causing even Rarity and Ruman to begin looking at clocks and their own devices to chart the passage of time.

“For regular soldiers, this armour would grant heightened reflexes on top of existing physical augmentations they would have undergone to be compatible with the suit, as well as magic casting accuracy, and basic life support functions including internal temperature regulation! My favourite aspect of it has to be the full-body energy shield that can ward off, in order of effectiveness: ballistic projectiles, directed energy, and destruction magic.”

Cuirass, pauldrons, and then knee and leg plating were donned as the unicorn mare finished her lecture, with the helmet being slipped on last. Now in full armour, Luna walked a meter in one direction and then another back, also testing the joints. To her initial surprise despite Twilight’s information, the plates had coalesced their enchantments together via internal miniaturized magitech components, forming a fine layer of energy shielding that encompassed Luna’s entire body.

Luna paced once again for a final judgement of her new vestments. She nodded with approval as she tapped the tiled floor of the armoury with her right hoof three times.

“Look at you, Princess, you look suited for victory,” Johnson commented with a grin.

“Sized for success!” Rarity threw in off to the side.

“Yes, my friends. My standing in full war regalia that is not the cold of Nightmare’s plating in this new world triggers a foregone conclusion when we shall face the enemies of this age in earnest. Now … this feels quite like the armour Leman lended me …” the alcorn and the Praetor both exchanged brief nods of respect. “It feels ... right. You have my thanks again, Praetor Russ. The touch of uncorrupted armour, fighting as a warrior within such armour once again, was but one thing of many I had craved during my internment on the moon.”

“My pleasure, it would do us no good to let you fight without armour,” Leman added.

“I have heard word of your discovery. I hope that someday we might have a chance to take even a peak at armour of your own designs, Fangs of Fenris,” Ruman said with the beginnings of a smile, “compare our work and see just how wide the technological gap is.”

“Someday? Well why not right now seeing as how we’re in the armoury,” Applejack interjected. “We’ve got a few hours yet till the first parts of the Gala begin and all.”

“Haha!” Ylva laughed, cutting off any reply from Russ. The barking laughter of Ylva caused more than a few good chortles from the rest of the Fangs, even Russ was grinning. “You ponies are sure entertaining at times. Asking to look at our armour!”

“‘Sharing is caring’ is an old unicorn adage my grandparents tried to teach Trixie,” Trixie said with a cynical eyeroll.

“Ahh but why take away the fun of designing and building new equipment in the hopes of improving upon old creations?” Emil asked.

“Simple,” Twilight interposed as her scholarly side was triggered. “The accruement of ever more powerful and efficient tools to achieve an end.”

Before another Wolf Guard could respond, Russ voiced his final statement, “The armour of a Fang is maintained only by a Fang, no other. Not even a capricorn uninitiated can own or study that which we design for ourselves. The weapons you have used are shows of good faith, weapons that most likely you know of already, and weapons that break over time. Our armour is different, for it is beyond personal and a Fang that cannot keep his armour is no longer a Fang. Such knowledge is held to our hearts and ours alone.”

“Well, that settles that affair,” Ruman said with a simple shrug. “All well, plenty of other exotic armour out their in the galaxy. I’ll have something new to tinker with by and by.”

“Anyhow, Luna, this is all so promising. Oh my stars and garters, I take it as a compliment already!” Rarity all but squeed.

“Yours and Ruman’s creation is comfortable, to be sure. But lo, I know the mettle of the wearer, but what of the worn?”

“We actually have a huge cavern adjacent to the underworks of the castle just a few minutes walk from here, used to be an ancient unicorn mining works over a thousand years ago. Now the Imperial Legion and Allied Command share it with the Guard for War Games simulations,” Ruman proposed.

“Training and practice matches using illusions?” Luna asked. Several nods responded to her from those familiar with the practice, prompting her to chuckle. “Consider me interested. Let us begin these ‘War Games’!”