Author's Notes:

Now originally, this was going to be chapter 60, but due to a combination of minor writer’s block and my limited free time I thought I’d give you guys this one a little early. The next Sarah chapter should be next barring continued blockages.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this

“Okay General Dash, Private Cadence, this is what we do,” Twilight said, nodding towards an elaborate chalk diagram as her magic held a piece of said chalk aloft and used it as a pointer. The trio were currently sitting within a large fort constructed out of a combination of pillows and books along with several other pieces of furniture. “First, under the cover of darkness we slip by the enemy's perimeter defenses and disable the alarms located here, here, and here,” she continued, pointing to three points on the diagram. “Next, I use my magic to create an inverse gravity field allowing myself to avoid touching the ground-”

“Or, you know, I could carry you,” Dash replied with a raised eyebrow as she leaned into her beanbag chair. “We both know I can.”

“But I want to try this spell!” Twilight exclaimed, Dash’s eyebrow managed to rise further but Twilight ignored it. “- and as I do so you two will lay down a path making it appear as if I am taking the westernmost path which will play merry Tartarus with their scouting capabilities. After that, provided that we’re all still alive-”

“We could die?” Cadence asked, looking faintly amused.

“Private Cadence, do I need to remind you that the enemy is a ferocious group of colts who are just as likely to kill you as look at you?” Twilight demanded. “Continue to ask impudent questions and I will be forced to make demote you to Negative Private!”

“Twi... Private first class is the lowest rank in the Guard,” Dash said, giving Twilight a strange look. “I mean, if you want to put her lower down the chain of command then you’d just have to make her a civilian... in which case she can’t fight against the Traitor General, Armor for us.”

Twilight gave Dash a peeved look for both usurping her authority, and for proving her wrong. “Well then General Dash, I will simply create the rank of Negative Private!”

“Oh woooooe is me,” Private Cadence said with a dramatic wail.

“Exactly,” Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen Twilight Sparkle stated with an emphatic nod of her head. “Now then, provided we are all still alive by the end of that portion, we will surprise Rebel King Blueblood and his horde of-”

“There are three of them Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said.

“- traitorous slimes directly in single combat,” Twilight finished, ignoring Rainbow Dash’s comment all together. “Once we are victorious we will celebrate by claiming their stash of sweets and eat them in front of them without sharing!” she proclaimed grandly, rearing up on her rear hooves and striking a dramatic pose before she fell forward and it was only thanks to a quick bolt by Dash that she didn’t strike the ground.

“Careful Twi, the war hasn’t started yet,” the rainbow maned pegasus told her as she helped lower the other filly to the ground.

“A good point, thank you General Dash,” Twilight said, making a show of dusting herself off. “Now then, night is falling, we gallop!”

Meanwhile, in the royal garden, a slightly different meeting was taking place. A young colt with a blonde mane and white fur was pacing in front of both Shining Armour and Spike. The dragon had grown a good deal, becoming a sturdy little drake with a slightly muscled frame. He was watching the Leader of the Glorious Rebellion pace back and forth with something akin to curiosity while the teenaged Shining simply suppressed a grin at the sight of his nephew.

Then Blueblood began to speak.

“She took our glorious majesty Queen Celestia out of power and instituted herself as defaq-defact-de-”

“Defacto,” Shining filled in helpfully.

“-defecto Queen,” Blueblood picked up, not in the least bit out of time. “Mighty defenders of justice, will we stand for this blasphm-blasmpn-”

“Blasphemy,” Shining filled in yet again.

“-blasphemy against our sovereign?” Blueblood asked Spike and Shining, his little eyes staring at them impreachingly.

“No!” Spike declared, pounding his fist on his chest while Shining echoed the sentiment.

“Good!” Blueblood said before he reared up heroically. “Then my troops, I commend you, we have the grace of Almighty Celestia backing us! We shall emerge victorious from this great conflict and share our candy amongst ourselves while they grovel at our hooves, and toes!”

Spike cheered as did Shining, and Blueblood stood reared there for a moment before he lost his balance and fell over backwards. He scrambled for his hooves desperately for a moment before he regained control of his limbs and calmly, with great decorum, righted himself. Neither Spike or Shining laughed out loud, a fact for which Blueblood was very grateful.

“Right, well then, knowing our enemy they will attempt something convoluted,” Blueblood said as he began to pace back and forth again. “Thus we will counter with something equally convoluted!”

“You think you can out-convolute Twilight?” Spike asked with a raised eyeridge. “I don’t know Blue. She is the one who managed to sneak through the kitchen, past the kitchen staff, and get back to her room with the cookies all in under an hour via harnessing the powers of polka.”

“He’s kind of right Blue, are you sure we shouldn’t just meet her with a standard formation?” Shining asked his cousin.

“No, she’s expecting that after it worked last time,” Blueblood said, his young face turned into a grin at the memory of his defeated enemies lying ‘dead’ at his hooves. “No, this time we fight fire with more fire!”

“Does that mean you want me to burn things?” Spike asked. “Because you know I’m not allowed to do that.”

“No, it means that we shall do the most devious, convoluted, and exorbitantly, complex plan ever conceived by all of pony kind!” Blueblood shouted, rearing up again and this time managing to stick the pose and the landing.

He then looked up at the sun which was beginning to set. “Now then, the sun is setting, come here so that I may tell you of my incredible plan before it is too late!”

Twilight’s plan was working perfectly. Blueblood’s petty defenses had been nothing before her forces’ might, between herself and Rainbow Dash, they’d managed to disable every single one of the ‘alarm’ chains of cans. Now the trio stalked towards the Rebels’ base quiet as thestrals on a starry night.

“Okay, this is it,” Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen Twilight Sparkle said with a whisper as they approached the pathetic enemy fortifications. A simple stockade made out of wood had been assembled in their path and manning it was the Traitor General himself!

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen Twilight Sparkle and her band of militaristic swine,” the Traitor General said with a smirk as he surveyed them. “What a pathetic rable you are.”

“And if it isn’t the Traitor General who betrayed me!” Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen Twilight Sparkle exclaimed angrily. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, betraying your Queen and country!”

“Me? Betray the Queen?” the Traitor replied with a shake of his head. “I did no such thing, I serve the true Queen. Queen Celestia!”

“She took a vacation and gave me control! How often do I have to explain this?!” Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen-Regent Twilight Sparkle demanded.

“Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen-Regent Twilight Sparkle, perhaps I could talk to him,” Private Cadence suggested from behind her. “After all, I was his second in command.”

Archmage Supreme Commander and Queen-Regent Twilight Sparkle frowned for a moment before glancing at Cadence and nodding.

“You have three minutes Private Cadence,” she said as she stepped back to allow Cadence to step forward.

“I see you are still slaving away under the commands of a Tyrant,” the Traitor General said with a frown. “You know Sub-General Cadence, if you returned to me then I would have you reinstated with your propper rank.”

Private Cadence shook her head. “General, Shining, you know that this cannot go on. Our great kingdom cannot survive fractured in this way!” Private Cadence exclaimed, walking closer to Shining. “Look into your heart Shining, you know this is true!” she begged, her large eyes looking at Shining imploringly.

Shining stared into her eyes and for a moment looked conflicted before he sighed and looked away. “I’m sorry Sub-General but I cannot,” he said, looking up to meet her eyes again. “I have made my choice in this conflict, and my Prince needs me.”

“Shining,” Cadence cried, her voice breaking.

Shining quaked at the noise but turned his head away. “No Cadence.”

“Is there something going on between those two?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Twilight.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Twilight replied with a shake of her head. “The Private is just-”

She cut herself off as the General stepped forwards and pulled Cadence into a kiss.

“Bwaawwaawawawawaawaw,” Twilight gasped in surprise. “Shining what are you doing?!”

“Oh my gosh!” Rainbow exclaimed in surprise, any soldier’s dignity evaporating from her stance. “Oh my gosh Twilight, they’re making out!”

“Bwawaawawawawwaa?!?!” Twilight replied, the image breaking her mind.

“ATTACK!” Before Twilight realized what was happening, she was pinned down beneath a net made of string with a triumphant Prince Blueblood smiling down at her.

Rainbow Dash charged him, but found her way blocked by Spike who threw a similar net at her. She dodged it, but overextended and ended up face first in the ground, where she had a net thrown on her.

“And checkmate,” Blueblood announced with a grin. “Now then, General, you and the Sub-General can stop,” he added, looking over his shoulder at the two teenagers.

“Aye sir,” Shining said, disengaging himself from Cadence who was glowing a bright pink. The mare shot a glare at him and whacked him across the back of his head.

“In the future; I will be the one who kisses you,” she hissed in his ear. “You don’t seem to know when you shouldn’t.”

“No, no, I think it was the perfect time,” Shining replied before glancing down at Twilight. “Though I think I’ll have some ‘explaining’ to do...”

Meanwhile Twilight finally managed to throw the net off of herself and glared at Blueblood. “How dare you! Brainwashing my brother like that! I’ll tell Queen Celestia on you!”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow at her. “Twilight, you lost and I won fair and square,” the colt replied with a grin. “Okay, maybe not fair but definitely square.”

Twilight was about to respond with some form of retort when Spike cut her off.

“You know he’s right Twi,” the dragon said with a cocky smile. “You got out-convoluted.”

The filly sighed and looked down. “Fine... you win Blue.”

“Thank you for being so gracious,” Blueblood stated, grinning. “Now then; I believe-”

*Zap*

Blueblood was sent rolling backwards as Rainbow Dash blitzed at Spike and knocked the unexpecting to the ground. A magical cage erupted around Blueblood while Cadence’s horn glowed at it’s new place at Shining’s neck, a faint magic ring springing around it.

“Wha-you-bwa?” Blueblood stuttered as he stared at Twilight’s smirking face.

“I believe that’s check-mate,” Twilight said with a smirk. “Oh, and Spike,” she turned to look at the dragon who was struggling beneath Rainbow Dash’s grip. “Nopony out-convolutes me.”

“I can’t believe it,” Shining said as he and Cadence walked down the hallway. “She already knew about us?”

“Yes, she figured it out after I came over to your house every day for a month,” Cadence replied with a small chuckle. “You really should give her more credit Shining.”

“I know... it’s just... I can’t believe she did it,” the stallion said, shaking his head again. “I really didn't know she could act.”

“I think it’s one of the things that she picked up from my mother,” Cadence replied with a shrug as they arrived at the door to the Royal Suit, she leaned up to give him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Shining replied with a smile before he gave her a nuzzle, causing her to glow a faint pink. “Good night Cadence.”

“Night Shiny,” Cadence said before she pushed through the door and let out a small sigh. The day had been... excellent.

“Now if that’s not the sigh of a happy mare, I’ll eat my helmet,” Tornado Kicker said from his guard position beside the door. “Had a good day did you?”

“Yes, yes I did,” Cadence replied, giving the Guard Captain a smile. “And what about you?”

“Same old same old,” Tornado replied, shrugging slightly. “Kept the Queen safe all day, dealt with a minor security issue, made sure that the young imbeciles got their rounds in. You know, Guard Captain stuff.”

“Neat,” Cadence said before she skipped past him. “Have a good night Tornado,” she called over her shoulder.

“I’m sure I will,” he called back with a small smile.

Before Cadence could reach her room, Celestia’s voice rang out. “Cadence, going to bed without even saying goodnight to your mother?” Cadence turned to find Celestia standing in the doorway to her own room.

“Oh, absolutely not,” Cadence said as she made her way over to Celestia. “What kind of daughter would I be if I did?”

“A bad one,” Celestia replied with a small smirk. “I observed your ‘game’ today by the way.”

Cadence blushed. “You did?”

“Indeed I did,” Celestia stated, chuckling softly. “And I must say, you are a very convincing actor.”

“Thank you mother,” Cadence replied, smiling at Celestia. “I do my best, and I like to think I learned from the greatest of them all.”

Celestia’s eyes shone outwardly with happiness, though on the inside she flinched slightly. She didn’t like to think of herself as an ‘actor’ but she knew that Cadence didn’t mean any harm. So instead of saying anything, she simply knelt down and gave Cadence a nuzzle. The teenager replied in kind and for a long moment, they were the only two ponies in Equestria that mattered. Then, Cadence broke away.

“Well, I’m off to bed mother,” she told her with a smile. “Sleep well.”

“And you too,” Celestia said. She watched Cadence depart, and then smiled. This... it brings me back, she thought to herself. I hope that when Luna returns we can regrow that sort of bond.

The elder alicorn sighed and walked back into her room.

Meanwhile...

“That was sooo AWESOME!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a grin as she pumped her hoof in the air. “The look on Blue’s face was sooooooo surprised. He was all like ‘I’m the most awesome guy around’ and then you were all like ‘I don’t think so’ and then you blasted him in the face!” She fell backwards in the air and her wings caught her at the last second.

“It was awesome wasn’t it?” Twilight agreed with a smirk. “Private Cadence earned her general's stripe back.”

“Hehe yeah, I still can’t believe you made her a ‘Private’,” Rainbow added with a small shake of her head.

“Yeah... I think I owe her,” Twilight said, blushing a little. “Still; everything went according to plan.”

“Yes, yes it did,” Rainbow agreed. “So... are you staying over tonight?”

“I’m not sure,” Twilight replied with a frown. “I forgot to ask my mom.”

“Hmm... I could fly over and ask,” Rainbow suggested.

“Or I could teleport there,” Twilight replied with a smirk.

“Twi, you can’t go that far yet, remember what happened last time?” Rainbow asked her with a frown. “You ended up stranded in a tree.”

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad,” Twilight replied, giving Dash a sideways glance.

“Twi, we had to search the entire city, twice!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Only because you guys forgot the park,” Twilight said sourly. “It wasn’t my fault.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Of course it wasn’t Miss ‘I have enough power to go anywhere’.”

Twilight frowned at her. “Oh get over it, it was one time,” the other filly said with a casual flourish of her foreleg.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” Rainbow said with a frown. “Besides, wouldn’t it be easier to just send a letter?”

“... I should have thought of that,” Twilight said, her eyes widening. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Cause I’m the real genius here?” Dash asked, smirking slightly. “After all, I’m the coolest, most awesome, incredible maverick ever known to Equestria?”

“I think you’re talking about me,” Twilight said, nudging Rainbow Dash in the side.

“Na, you’re the smartest, most incredible super unicorn Equestria has ever seen,” Rainbow replied. “Big difference Twi.”

“Mhm,” Twilight stated with a slight roll of her eyes as they got back to Rainbow’s room. With a flick of her horn, Twilight appropriated a piece of paper from a nearby desk along with a pencil before she began to write.

Meanwhile, Rainbow flapped her wings twice and launched herself onto the fluffy bed. She landed with a *puff* and smiled. It was true that she missed the feeling of sleeping on clouds, but even she had to admit that the beds in the Castle were a step above the normal ‘bed’ that most ponies slept in.

While Twilight was still distracted, Rainbow noticed that there was a new letter on her nightstand. The envelope was a light yellow color and immediately told Rainbow Dash that it was from Fluttershy.

With a smile, Rainbow quickly opened it up and brought the paper up to see.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

As always it was nice to get your last letter and I’m extremely happy to hear that things are still going well for you in the City! I’m doing fine as well and just yesterday Gilda and I went for a wonderful night flight along the western edge of Cloudsdale and we saw the most adorable owls in Equestria!

Rainbow smiled a little more, it was good to see that Gilda had managed to convince Fluttershy to fly more.

In other news... I... I stood up to some of those meanies who’ve been picking on me when Gilda isn’t around... It went surprisingly well. They agreed to leave me alone after I... stared at them and gave them a lecture about how mean they were being. I don’t know why it worked, but it isn’t the kind of thing I would question.

Rainbow shrugged a little, she’d been on the receiving end of a few of Fluttershy’s trademarked ‘stare lectures’ and had to say, she’d have stopped bullying her too.

Oh and before I forget, Gilda told me to tell you that she’ll kick your flank in flying next time you race.

Best wishes, your friend Fluttershy.

P.S. Tell your friend Twilight that I say hello.

“Ha, if Gilda thinks that she can beat me then she’s got another thing coming,” Rainbow Dash boasted to herself. Twilight looked up from her own letter and smiled as she teleported it to her mother.

“I don’t know Rainbow, griffons are technically better flyers then ponies,” her friend told her.

“Are not,” Rainbow replied.

“They have a better bone structure for it and their wings are larger, thus capable of pushing them farther and faster,” Twilight continued to lecture.

“Oh yeah? Well they’ve still got nothing on me!” Rainbow Dash declared.

“They’re also much more streamlined and are thus able to outmaneuver the average pegasus in aerial maneuvers,” the unicorn said as if she hadn’t heard Rainbow’s declaration.

“Not me, I’m the best around!” the pegasus protested. “There’s not a thing in the sky that can ‘outmaneuver’ me!”

“Of course, most ponies agree that the highest advantage that griffons have over ponies is their eyesight which can rival that of-”

Twilight was cut off as Rainbow Dash tackled her from her post on the bed and bore her to the ground. “I’m better than any stinking griffon!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “And don’t you forget it!”

“Oh, I know,” Twilight replied as she pivoted where she was on the ground and ended up on top of Rainbow with the pegasus below her.

“Then why did you just give me a lecture?” Rainbow asked her friend with an irked look as she struggled to reverse her position.

“Because it’s fun to get you riled up,” the other filly stated with a grin.

Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, then she pushed Twilight off of her chest with a snort. “Very mature of you Twi,” she stated with an air of mock dignity that failed completely thanks to her newly messed up mane and ruffled fur.

“I thought it was,” Twilight agreed with a nod. “So... what do you want to do now?”

“Hmm... raid the pantry?” Rainbow suggested with a raised eyebrow.

“That is an awesome idea!” Twilight replied, grinning from ear to ear.