“We have heard of the humans' landing.” Luna said, in one of her visits to Goldleaf and Hemlock via the dreamworld.

“Yes, we're here.” Hemlock said. They were sitting on top of a sand dune, looking down at a beach filled with blurry and ghostly shapes. “We've been here for a few days.”

“That explains the camp.” said Luna.

“How so, princess?” Goldleaf asked.

“Things in the waking world tend to become imprinted on the dreamworld with time. If something stays in one spot long enough, it becomes a part of this place.” she explained.

“You've been doing your studying with Lord Aegis.” Hemlock said.

Not with Aegis... She felt a twinge of guilt at that. Everything Luna had learned of late had come from her mysterious new friend. He knew so much, and seemed to trust her with so much more than Aegis did. And if he had been a close friend of her father, then who was she to reject his help? If Aegis wanted to mistrust her, he could. She wouldn't need him before long.

“We have learnt much of late.” Luna said. “But war is upon us. That must be Our focus now.”

“It's going to be a disaster.” sighed Goldleaf. “You haven't seen the army here, Princess. You don't stand a chance.”

“Nevertheless, it is Our duty to stand with Our sister. We do not like this anymore than you, but We cannot betray Celestia.”

“We wouldn't ask you to.” Hemlock looked down at the spectral camp again, twitching her ears. “Though if you suddenly found a way to make peace, it'd be for the best...”

That it would. Later in the evening, Luna met with her friend again. He appeared as usual, a little nightjar perched somewhere at eye level. “War is afoot in your lands?”

“Have you been following me?” asked Luna.

“I have ears in many places, my child.” He could have been laughing for all she knew, but birds didn't laugh, even when they spoke. At least, this one didn't. “I have faith that I don't need to follow you around and keep you out of trouble, unlike someone else. Speaking of him...”

“Aegis suspects nothing, as far as I see.” Luna said. “I don't like going behind his back, though.”

“Nothing we are doing is wrong.” the nightjar assured her. “The Golden One's heart is in the right place, but he will be reluctant to let you stand on your own.”

“Aegis is rather protective...” sighed Luna. “But I don't have time to worry about that now. There's a battle coming. Celly is marching the army to the coast to meet the humans.”

“Bold... but foolish.” said the nightjar. “Your mother would have never been so rash. She knew how to fight a war.”

“Of course she did, she spent decades rooting Discord out.”

“Celestia giving them a pitched battle is exactly what they want. Have you considered letting her go ahead, and suffer the consequences? Sometimes, a hard-learned lesson-”

“I'm not going to let hundreds of lives go to waste.” snapped Luna. “No lesson is worth that blood.”

“Do the lives of the few outweigh the lives of the many?” asked the nightjar.

That gave her pause. “Some would argue,” Luna said slowly, “that it is better for the few to die sooner so that the many might live later.”

“And do you agree?”

“I... I don't know.”

Morning brought the daily council with Celestia and Aegis, and all the other assembled monarchs. The Equestrian army was made mostly of unicorns and pegasi, with reluctant earth pony auxiliaries tagging along. The latter were not included in the council.

“We are only a few days' march out, and that means only a few hours flight out! Let me take a force to strike at them in the night!” urged Silver Farpeak, already half into her armor.

“And give away our approach?” Queen Ember of the unicorns scoffed. “I think not!”

“Let me take two hundred of my warriors, and we'll burn all that black powder of theirs. They'll be helpless without their iron-fire!” Silver said.

“Splitting our forces would be foolish when we have not yet met the foe in battle.” Whiteglen of Eastmarch spoke calmly. “I'm willing to put aside our rivalry with the unicorns in face of this new threat.”

“Agreed.” Clearspring of Highcrest said. “Stand down, Lady Silver.”

“As you command...” muttered Silver. Luna tried not to smirk.

“Everything will go as We have planned.” Celestia told them. “No heroics, no fooleries. We will meet the invaders as one and crush them against the sea. They will have no choice but to flee back to their ships... if they survive.”

“Your confidence inspires us all.” Queen Ember said.

I wish it were better placed... Luna now tried not to frown.

The march to the coast went on, the foothills of Unicornia giving way to flatter patches of forest and field. What roads there were had been well-kept, and the army's passage was swifter than Luna expected. Lady Silver's scouts had been spying upon the human encampment through the scattered clouds, but they'd found traces of human scouts spying on them as well. Their approach was no secret.

“They're about six miles west, right on the shore.” Lady Silver reported on the third day. “But there's more of them than we thought, each day we count more.”

“How many, exactly?” asked Lord Aegis.

“At least twenty-five thousand.” Silver said.

“Impossible!” Celestia snorted, rolling her eyes. “A fleet that large doesn't exist.”

“Your highness, with all due reverence, you haven't seen their fleet.” There was a grim look about Silver. “I saw the biggest ships I've ever seen, with the biggest red stars on their sails I've ever seen. It's like a forest has sprouted out of the sea, from horizon to horizon. Facing them in the open without weakening them first would be a less than wise idea.”

“We are loath to say this, but We agree with Lady Silver.” said Luna. Those words left a foul taste in her mouth. “If we must attack, we must even the odds.”

“You all forget that we have magic, they do not.” Celestia said. “They are a race weak in spirit, cold and dead on the inside. What can mere numbers do against us?”

“Weak in spirit as they may be, and as confident as I am in our warriors, I do think it might be wise to force them to fight on our terms, at least.” said Aegis.

“And what do you propose?” sighed Celestia, seeming to relent.

Aegis was quiet for a moment, as he studied the map. “Unless they want to walk along the beaches for their entire time here, they will need to move inland. And the best way to do that is to take this village here- Cedarton.” He levitated a marker onto the map, placing it on the town. 4

“What a creative name...” Luna muttered.

“Cedarton is at a junction between the Highcrest road and the Lithton road; wherever they want to go, they'll need to go here first.” said Aegis. “We'll have time to choose our position and hold there, they'll have no choice but to attack.”

“Very well.” Celestia agreed.

“I'll have my pegasi take a look this afternoon.” said Silver. “In fact, I'll go myself. If you want something done right, do it yourself...”

“Do so.” ordered Aegis.

When Silver was gone, Luna had to make a comment. “Despite how horrible she is, at least she has sense for war.”

“At least.” her sister agreed. “I don't like her either, but she's useful.”

It didn't take long for Silver's findings to spread throughout the army. Many of the pegasi, especially Highcrest pegasi, relished the opportunity to win glory against a larger force. It was all the better that the evil bastard daughter of the traitor Maelstrom Blackwind, the much-maligned Tempest, was with these invaders! Some even believed that the notoriously treacherous Hearth Blackwind and the known murderer General Coldstar were with her too. Conflicting tales about the human leader were abundant; some said it was Emperor Katastanîôs, whom Luna knew to be dead; others said it was an icy-hearted king from the north who worshiped demons.

But not all were excited about the looming battle. The unicorn nobility were beginning to mutter, and the earth ponies especially were outright discontent. They wondered why they were going against what seemed like such a superior force. None of them had ever seen unicorns in battle, and none of the unicorns had ever seen pegasi in battle. Luna had seen no battle since the fall of Discord, and she had been just a child then, sent forward with her sister in a desperate last ploy. Which worked magnificently...

Cedarton was barely a village; more a collection of houses surrounded by fields than anything. There were no hills nearby, but there were patches of forest. Aegis and Celestia devised a plan of action: the main force would be positioned directly on and around the road, between two large groves. The unicorns would form the first line, being able to use shields and weapons with no hindrance, while their trained magicians would be behind them. The earth ponies would guard the flanks, while the pegasi attacked from above. The idea was to force the humans to condense their numbers and prevent them from bringing their entire army to bear against them; almost like a bottleneck. Luna doubted that the trees would do anything to protect them, but Aegis was confident their mounted knights wouldn't be able to get through them. They'd be forced to come right down the center, into the line of fire of the unicorns; earth-ripping spells had already been planted in the most likely line of attack.

Luna hoped they wouldn't have her near the battle; it was likely to be gruesome.

The next morning, before sunrise, Lady Silver's scouts brought the news: “The humans have left their camp! They're headed this way!”

“Finally.” Lady Silver growled, already in her armor again. “Princess Celestia, I still think you should have let me make a night attack beforehand.”

“And win without honor against these vermin?” she countered. “No, they will be destroyed cleanly and swiftly. There's no need for such under-hooved tactics.”

“As you command.” sighed Silver.

The Equestrian army deployed, forming up on the chosen field of battle. Celestia rose the sun from the command tent, and they saw the first glints of metal in the distance. Luna shivered, and her stomach fluttered. “It's actually happening.” she said.

“It is.” Aegis nodded.

“There they are.” Celestia pointed down the road. Five columns were advancing, a wall of pikes across the road, from grove to grove. Dull drumbeats echoed in the distance. The Princess turned to her assembled nobles. “Tell your troops this: Equestria expects every soldier to do her utmost. Drive the invaders back to the sea!”

“It shall be done!” Queen Ember answered.

“By your command.” Queen Whiteglen said.

“Death to the foe!” Queen Clearspring boasted.

Luna swallowed nervously, daring to think: We just might be able to win-

Then, they heard a sound never heard before on Equestrian shores: the challenge of a hundred trumpets, clear and sharp, ringing gold in the light of dawn.

Author's Notes:

I've had this done for a week but forgot to post it. We've finally gotten to what you've all been waiting three years for!