The door shut firmly behind the last of the intransigent nobles - many of whom were no longer so intransigent. Some would undoubtedly cause trouble behind the scenes, but Celestia was used to that sort of behavior. She could deal with them individually as time and necessity demanded, and once they were on the warpath… well, there were simply more options to deal with the intransigent in times of conflict. Namely locking them up for treason, she thought with a humorous little snort.

Fortunately, the majority of those who might have caused her issue quickly collapsed when they saw Luna, herself, Star Swirl, and the Empress presenting a single united front. There was to be war, and if they didn’t like that they could take comfort in the fact that a higher power had essentially forced them on the path. It still sickened her that such methods were needed, but Celestia was finding that stomach clenching pain to lessen with every moment. She would atone for her arrogance later when fewer lives were on the line.

WIthout Luna and Whisper though, none of it would have been possible. The former making dark proclamations of vengeance against those who ‘stood aside while the world burned’. The latter being reasonable and cajoling, assuring that the ‘loyal’ would be duly rewarded when the battle had been won. In the midst of them all, Celestia played the stern judge - laying down the law and facts of the situation and making clear the consequences of not obeying her commands.

It had been the sort of thing Celestia might have done in the far olden days, but she was quickly coming to realize how close to those olden days the Ki-Lin civilization still was. The entire nation appeared to be run in the same top-down manner as old Unicornia had been, except… the entire thing was oddly structured. Caste was not a matter of race, but of birth, and caste could be transversed if ones skills were significant enough. In fact, the entire thing had a strange air of the meritocracy about it.

The unworthy were deposed to lesser tasks, the worthy and capable risen up to higher station. Only the finest warriors became formally part of the army - and the rest relegated to town guard duties and militia groups. The result was a small - about a third the size of the Equestrian military - but highly elite armed forces with the possibility of en-masse conscription in times of crisis. The problem of course was that such conscription meant economic problems further down the road. Which was why the wealthy were less than enthused about the prospect of war.

Celestia sighed, leaning against the table and pressing her eyes gently into her hooves, trying to rub away the stress headache that was already starting to grow. She was glad that the meetings were over, but the work ahead of her was daunting in the extreme. “How long before we can be ready to march?” she asked in her quietest voice, hoping that she could convince Luna or Whisper to do some of her thinking for her.

There was a pause in the darkness behind her hooves, and Whisper spoke in a tone of surprising authority. “Less than a week for what resources we have about the capital. It will take nearly a month and a half, maybe less or more depending on the loyalty of our citizens, to bring all we have under our personal command and then have it reach the Equestrian borders. Most of that time will be spent travelling and training our militia forces as we travel.”

Silence came again, and Celestia had to marvel a bit at the awkwardness of the silence. A month and a half, at minimum. It could be longer. Twilight would undoubtedly be returning to Equestria at top speed with her newly converted army to break whatever tentative control Cadence and Shining Armor had managed to attain. There would be panic in the streets as the Shadow seeped through the veins of her beloved land.

Celestia almost didn’t notice the whimper of pain that escaped her lips at the thought of so many of her little ponies put into harm’s way. But even now, she could not return to personally confront Twilight. For all of her power, she was still only a single pony and even she could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The thought was causing her physical pain at the deepest level, and she had never so much wished to simply crawl into a hole and quietly sob her way to sleep.

Blessedly, Luna’s legs wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly and wordlessly. A gentle hoof took her shoulder and squeezed - smaller than Luna’s and clearly Whisper’s. “Do not despair, Amaterasu. Of those that stand against the darkness, you above all must not despair,” Whisper said gently, the stroking of her hoof across Celestia’s back trying obviously to soothe her.

Celestia sucked in a deep breath at that reminder and held it burning in her lungs. The Ki-Lin would expect her to lead them, to stand amongst them as both General and Goddess. She could not return home, so… she would have to be strong. She would be strong. She was strong. “Yes… You are correct, my little pony.” She placed her hooves firmly against the table and pushed herself back to a firmly standing position, then turned her gaze to Whisper. “But I will have need of a large group of your finest warriors. The very best you can offer. My sister will require all the aid she can muster to buy us the time we shall need.”

Empress Whisper tilted her head and smiled slowly. “I believe I have an idea, Amaterasu. Call for Gentle Blade - she shall be perfect.”

Serenity. Stillness. Grace. Power.

Gentle Blade was a mare who had devoted her life to her arts. The first daughter in a long line of those who had proven adept in the art of war, she had followed inexorably in the same hoofsteps as her mother and father before her. She had mastered the basic sword-forms by the age of ten and was skilled enough to best her tutors on a regular basis by the time she was fourteen. Some might have said she had lacked a childhood - never knowing the joy of freedom from responsibility and destiny.

Gentle Blade would have told them that she felt no such loss - for her, the arc of a sharp sword slicing through the air was a freedom enough for her. The feel of the same blade biting into a rolled mat and giving it a clean and perfectly angled slice was a joy in and of itself. As she grew older, so too did her skills. By the time she was sixteen - and her Mark of Destiny had appeared - Two swords, slicing through a lotus flower - there had been none in her small village near the great Eastern Sea who could compete with her abilities… and so her parents, brimming with pride, had sent her to learn at the hooves of the great masters in Neighpon.

There, surrounded by the cosmopolitan life of the high nobles, she had run into the first challenge of her life that could not be solved with greater discipline. Politics. Oh, Amaterasu’s Grace how she hated politics. Her skill was more than sufficient to make her one of the Empress’ Jade Guard, and her abilities beyond the martial grew quickly enough to grant her some level of prestige and position, but never would she be granted the right to stand amidst the Attendants of the Goddesses.

So she had done all she could, in the only way she knew how - with a stubborn determination and a will to succeed. She had prayed thrice daily to the Sun and Moon shrine for signs of how she might improve herself. She had tested and honed her skills to the utmost edge of the blade. When her skills with the sword had been taken to their limit, she had mastered the other weapons of the Ki-Lin. The iron stave, the lunar-hammer, the naginata, even the hoof-to-hoof martial arts.

When she ran out of martial skills to practice, she had pursued the airs of philosophy and logic. She had spent many a night where the other guards had gone out to celebrate or socialize deep in the ancient texts that spoke the wisdom of the great sages. It had been how her current name - Gentle Blade - had come to be. She who disdained violence, but was unafraid to wield it when necessary. Yet in spite of all of her work, of all of the years she had dedicated - she was simply deemed unworthy by virtue of her blood.

Or at least, it had been that way until today.

Just the thought of knowing she had stood in the presence of the Moon Lady and the Sun Lady and been privy to their bantering jests sent a hot fire of pleasure through her body. Perhaps the foalish Attendants had not thought her worthy, but the Goddesses surely had seen her dedication to her duties. Amaterasu herself had plucked her out from the crowd and demanded she tend to her needs. Tsukiyomi had bent a smokey look upon her at many a turn, and it had long been known that the Moon Lady granted her personal favors only to those who perfected themselves in every way they could.

And now she sat here, her legs crossed perfectly and her breathing slow and steady as she awaited the commands of her Goddesses. Let the Attendants rage silently at her good fortune. Let Head Attendant Storm Spear fume at her ascendant star. At long, long last, she needed not worry herself over the petty politics of others. All she needed to care about was the battles that were to come, and the duty she would be called to acquit before the Goddesses. Even now she had a list of names perfect for the duty - those like her who had dedicated themselves not to advancement in the Jade Halls, but to perfection of the martial form. To the pursuit of skill in that most brutal and elegant of all professions: war.

The door swung open, and like the breeze stirred to life she was on her hooves and ready to carry out the needs of the Sun and Moon. There was Tsukiyomi - beautiful beyond compare, elegant and deadly as the blades she carried. “Come, Gentle Blade. We have need of your skills at last.” Then she was gone, only the wisps of her mane filled with the endless stars of the night sky left in her wake.

Tsukiyomi was - just as the legends had said - the more stern of the two sisters, but there was also a depth to her that belied that outward shell. Beyond it, Gentle Blade could sense the deep and burning passions within and wondered what else might be concealed even beneath that. There were many layers to both of the Goddesses, but Tsukiyomi was far more intriguing to Gentle Blade. Amaterasu’s flame was far too hot for her to approach… at least for now. Perhaps with time that flame might recede, but it was painfully clear that she was deeply wounded by the blight that had befallen her lands.

Gentle Blade quickly followed the Goddess’ command, striding into the room with confidence and vigor. The Empress awaited there, and though custom would have demanded she prostrate herself before the Speaker for the Goddesses, Gentle Blade did not. Her position was now beyond the politics of the Kingdoms. She served the Goddesses directly, now. “Gentle Blade,” the Empress began in her regal voice, but there was something odd about her. Gone was any assumed arrogance or lack of confidence - she was brimming with a certainty that Gentle Blade recognized immediately. “Amaterasu has a task for you, Gentle Blade. One which will require your utmost dedication.”

It was the same certainty that she herself felt. After all, when one served directly in the shadows of the divine, one became far less likely to doubt oneself. Amaterasu herself was still leaning broodingly over the table where a map of the border had been carefully arranged with battle flags and strategic points of contention, and even from where she stood it was clear a great weight had settled upon the shoulders of the Sun Lady. “Gentle Blade, I beg of you to accept my apologies.” Amaterasu’s shoulders came up as she spoke, and her mane almost appeared… agitated. “For I must set to you a task of great peril.”

Amaterasu turned, and Gentle Blade could see the naked anguish in her eyes - and the steely resolve behind it. “With the fall of Roam coming so swiftly, I must presume the Shadow will continue to move with frightening speed and continue to bolster its numbers. We need time to bring our own strength to bear, Gentle Blade. Time we do not have.” She bowed her head, as though under a great sadness and Gentle Blade wished it was within her to reach out and comfort her. Already she understood what she was being sent to do… and already she knew why the Goddess mourned so deeply.

So she spoke quietly, daring to interrupt her in order to - perhaps - save her a little pain. “I understand, Amaterasu. I already know those I can bring. We shall ensure the Darkness is held at bay until you can arrive.” It would be an act of self sacrifice of course. Even with the finest blades under her direct command, she was certain any direct efforts would be brutal and deadly. But she had no fear of death in the service of her Goddess. The Sun would keep her soul pure and whisk her away to the Shining City when her death finally came, knowing that in the end, she had served the greater good.

Amaterasu’s smile was quiet and proud as she gazed into Gentle Blades’ eyes. “I thank you, my little pony,” she said with a motherly affection, one that made her feel flush with pleasure. Her eyes trailed to her sister, and she spoke with a more firm voice. “Take care of her, Lulu. And Star Swirl too. And…” she hesitated, and took a deep breath - obviously struggling with the next words that came to her. “If the opportunity comes… please… I beg of you to…”

Tsukiyomi’s head shook as she pressed a silver-clad hoof to Amaterasu’s lips. “Speak not dire words, sister. We shall endeavour most mightily to bring thy student home to you safe and sound.” The Moon Lady smiled faintly, then turned to the door. “Come, warrior. We shall gather thy chosen kin and return to Canterlot poste haste.” Her steps were brisk as she exited the room, and it was all Gentle Blade could do to keep up with her. Gentle Blade could not help it - she felt her soul soar and her chest burn with an emotion she could not quite express.

Canterlot. The Shining City itself.

She would be going not to defend just any land, but the lands it was said where the Gods dwelled and peace had reigned for a thousand years and more. The land of Harmony. Even with the grim work of war ahead of her, she could not help but feel a skip in her step as she followed Tsukiyomi. What a remarkable adventure this was already turning out to be.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza sat heavily in the thickly cushioned chair she used in place of the grand and soaring throne in the receiving room. As far as she was concerned, the throne was for Celestia and Luna and nopony else… no matter what some of the nobles of Canterlot wanted to believe. Fortunately, that stress was getting steadily worked on by the firm and talented hooves of her beloved husband slowly massaging the tension out of her shoulders and back. “Ohhhh…. Gods, that feels good,” she whispered out as his talented hooves hit and soothed away another knot of stress in her back. “Name your price, I’ll do anything if you keep that up…” she muttered softly, trying her darndest to relax in spite of everything that had been happening lately.

The news had been almost universally bad for weeks. EIS unable to stop Twilight from reaching the griffon kingdoms. Total silence from the kingdoms themselves for the past few days - with what few messages they could get being incredibly confused. Scattered reports of griffon military units apparently fleeing en-masse from their lands into Equestrian territory. No word from Celestia or Luna. Winterlight and her cursed Shadowbolts causing problems all over the Everfree containment zone. Twilight’s friends - unaccounted for. And strangest of all, Discord had become… melancholy.

It was a laundry list of problems that grew by the day, and only the presence of Shining Armor and the dogged determination of the Equestrian military had kept her from going completely insane. “Oh?” Shining Armor breathed into her ear, his voice hot and sending a shiver of desire down her spine. “Anything?” he whispered fiercely, and Cadence felt her cheeks flushing a bright red. Shining Armor never failed to rouse her ardor for him… or for the love they shared. As the maids of Canterlot Castle knew all too well, recommitting that love to one another was amongst their favorite past times. Often times not even in their bedroom.

And just as Cadence was turning into a slow and passionate kiss with her husband… “Princess Cadenza, You have an… important visitor,” came the thoroughly unwelcome voice of Ms. Inkwell, who had taken up the post of seneschal that she had also held for Celestia. She was also incredibly sneaky and unobtrusive, and Cadence was absolutely positive she enjoyed interrupting her and Shiny. One of these days, she was going to simply grab the prim and proper mare and drag her into a threesome. After she’d blown her mind with a few orgasms, Cadence was certain she wouldn’t interrupt them without checking in with them first.

But today was not going to be that day - as Shining retreated from the kiss with an apologetic - and smokily promising look - on his face. So she sighed and pushed herself up to a more regal seat in her chair and eyeballed the unicorn who was poking her head through the main doors of the receiving hall. There she saw something she certainly was not expecting, because Ms. Inkwell never looked hesitant or nervous. Ever. “Well… send them in then, Miss Inkwell,” Cadence commanded firmly, brushing her mane into place with her hooves as best she could - and thankful that she didn’t have to wear that absurd crystal mane style every day.

Ms. Inkwell nodded belatedly - only for the other door to swing open with a blast of air that swept through the room filled with the scents of deep summer in the midst of the forest. The wind scattered Inkwell’s coiffed mane into a whipping creature of hair - and would have done the same to Cadence had she been standing any closer to the door. Green leaves scattered across the white marble of the floor and rustled into the corners where they would undoubtedly be the bane of the housekeeping staff for days. And behind all of this, a single figure strode gracefully into the hall.

Cadence felt her jaw drop a little in total shock at the sight of her. After all, she didn’t look so much as a day older than the first time Cadence had seen her those centuries ago, when she had first become the Alicorn of Love. Her beautiful blue eyes, her graceful legs - the White Doe was as untouched by the ravages of time as Celestia had been and was thricely mysterious. But that was not the source of Cadence’s shock… the shock came from seeing her outside the White Tail Wood, which legends had said she had not left for thousands of years.

The Doe strode with a boneless grace that Cadence was a little envious of, stopping only a few yards away from her chair before giving a courtly bow. “Bright greetings to you, young Cadence. Even in these dark times, your love and beauty remain a beacon of light for all to take heart from.” Then she turned and gave a second bow, her smile broadening just a fraction as she spoke again, “And honor met, Prince Armor. Your valiant struggles against the Shadow have not gone unnoted by me and mine.”

She rose from the bow with a sigh of sadness, her voice serene enough… yet thick with grief. “It pains me to bring you both dark tidings from the land of the Caesars.” Her eyes closed, and she visibly shivered with some unseen pain. “Roam has fallen to the Shadow. The Kings of the Griffons are no more. The citizens of the griffon kingdoms are even now being corrupted to the will of the Shadow.” The words thundered through the room and struck like a gavel of judgement.

Cadence had to fight back the bile rising in her throat, and the stifled gasp from Shining Armor was enough to tell the tale of his own shock. Not even Commander Hurricane had been able to breach the walls of Roam. “Goddess, no,” Cadence whispered unwillingly, pressing her hoof into her chest. Imagining Twilight with so many griffons under her command was…. terrifying.

Shining’s voice cut through the terror though, rough and fierce. “What about the Legion? What about the Praetorian guard?” he demanded, striding a step forward with his body rigid with anger and fear. “What happened? How the buck did she manage to get past the Outer Walls?! And… and if the Kings are dead, is there anypony left in charge?” His voice was rising - not with panic, but with a deep concern. All of their defensive plans had relied on having to fend off a primarily ground based invasion. If Twilight had the means to bypass those defenses…

But then The White Doe’s head came up and she smiled faintly. “The Legion stands, Prince Armor. As does the Praetorian guard, and that is why I have come here this day. The Legions are beating a valiant retreat into Equestrian lands - towards Cloudsdale and Stalliongrad. And there is one who leads them.” Her eyes shone with a fierce flame, her smile triumphant. “The Third Caesar, Scipio Grifficanus. You must make ready for the refugees that will undoubtedly be arriving close on our heels, and make ready for - ”

The White Doe’s words were cut off a moment later, as a crackle of power snapped in the center of the hall - directly over the great circular seal of the Sun and Moon set into the floor just in front of the throne. “What..?” Cadence half said, whipping around and calling all of the power she could into her body. The crackle of power came again, and a rumble of thunder and power echoed through the halls from overhead. “There’s not supposed to be a storm today…” she whispered, as her coat hair seemed to stand on end from the massive amount of energy building in the room.

Suddenly, Shining’s horn blazed to life - engulfing all three of them in a tightly woven protective shield, and in mere moments he stood directly in front of Cadence with a look of grim determination on his face. A bolt of pure energy appeared from nowhere and struck straight down into the circle… and the entire hall lit up with eldritch power. Runes of ancient magic glowed to life that Cadence had never seen before - the entire hall was covered in them! The sun and moon emblems set into the floor almost looked like they were moving, as power flowed off of the thing in waves as an ancient spell roused to life.

Energy spun and whorled around the center of the circle, brighter and brighter still until a burst of bright light nearly blinded her in an explosion of sparkles and energy that bathed the room in radiant light. When the glare in her eyes finally cleared, Cadence felt her heart soar with happiness - all stress, fear and pain forgotten. “AUNTIE LUNA!” she called out, her voice thick with joy as she shouldered past Shining Armor, his shield falling sheepishly to nothing.

Luna stood - armored for battle and with a slightly stunned look on her face - amidst one hundred other unicorns, each wearing strange looking armor and bearing long curved blades on their backs and many other strange weapons in their hooves. And next to her was another figure, wearing a broad brimmed wizard’s hat and a deep blue cloak - and bearing a glowing black staff with a shimmering red gem atop it.

Yet none of these other oddities meant a single thing. Luna’s gaze sharpened and her mouth curved upwards into a beautiful smile as Cadence flung herself at her aunt and embraced her tightly. “Oof! Peace, Cadence. It is good to see you again too,” she murmured softly into her ear, her hoof stroking soothingly.

Cadence shook her head vigorously and glanced around quickly. “But… where is Celestia? What has happened? Who are these ponies and…” Her voice trailed away as the blue-cloaked pony strode forward slowly, leaning on the ancient stave that hummed with restrained power.

Only now, looking closely at him, did she see the golden bells that bedecked his cloak and hat. Only now did she see the scraggly white beard and the piercing golden gaze. Shining Armor’s own face was a study in dumbfounded shock as he stared at the unicorn, as the wizard strode across the room towards where the White Doe stood with a look of shock, awe, and an almost ecstatic happiness.

There was a pause that felt like it would last forever, before a growling and gravelly voice echoed out from the pony of legend. “Ah. Titania. Good. You’re already here.” He shifted his stance, shouldering the staff and looking up at the Doe. “That simplifies our problem.” He spoke again, his voice sly and almost… teasing in its confidence.

The Doe took a tentative step forward, and then another - and Cadence could see the shining crystal tears streaming down her eyes. “You live?” she whispered - half a question, half a statement. The tears struck upon the marble, and where they landed beautiful white flowers sprouted up through the stone, cracking it and blooming into full glory. She fell down to her knees directly in front of him, her voice wondering and soft. “How?”

The wizard leaned down and brushed his hoof across the White Doe’s cheek, his voice soft but still clear enough to be heard throughout the room. “Because I made a promise, old friend.” And then his voice turned humorous and wry. “And besides, peaceful death in bed seemed like an awfully boring end for Star Swirl the Bearded.”

Celestia turned resolutely away from the charred circle of grass where Luna and Star Swirl had teleported away. She took in a deep breath and exhaled it - only to find Whisper’s hoof gently encircling her own. Celestia smiled faintly over at the Empress and nodded. “We must not tarry. We march with the Dawn,” Celestia commanded quietly, and the Empress returned her nod solemnly.

There was work to do, and a long journey yet to Canterlot.

Author's Notes:

I Will get my update schedule back on schedule!

FOR PONY!