I asked Mama Luna if I could stay home today. I don't want to head back to school just yet. I'm not ready for that. She agreed, sending a note to the school magically. I haven't missed a day yet, so it shouldn't matter. Not that I care though. Right now I just want to clear my head. I'm filled with nothing but rage right now. I want to march down to school and choke the life out of Diamond Tiara right now, in front of everypony. But I have to wait. I want to do more than just harm her. I want her to regret even thinking about crossing my family. I want her to beg for me to stop, and then I want to harm her. If I'm going to do that, I'm going to need a clear head. Right now I'd just make a foolhardy mistake. I have to be careful. I need to be precise.

Knock knock knock

I don't respond. I don't want to talk to anypony right now. Of course the pony on the other side of the door doesn't care about that. They open the door and enter anyway. I pull my blanket over my head and hold my eyes shut. Maybe if I try to act as distraught as possible they'll give me some time alone.

"Sit up Shadow." I flinch from Dads command. Is he back already? How long have I been here? I slowly bring my blanket over my head and peek out at him. He's standing in the middle of my room looking down at me with those serious eyes of his. I've only seen them a few times, but never directed towards me before. I swallow the lump in my throat before obeying him, sitting up and facing him.

"Y-yeah Dad?" My voice comes out in a squeak. My heart is pounding violently in my chest as I start to think about what he has to say. Is he going to try and talk me out of taking revenge? Is he going to try and tell me everything is going to be okay? As much as I don’t want to hear it, and I really don’t want to hear it, there is a slight curiosity to what he’s going to say.

"Follow me." He doesn't wait for me to respond. He just steps out of the room and waits for me in the hallway. I take a few shaky breaths before slipping out of bed and slowly walk out after him. He continues down the stairs and out back, and I follow after him. My knees nearly give out a few times, but I manage to stay standing the entire way. He stops before the door to his shed and motions to it with a head jerk. "Open it."

"I don't know the password-"

"Open it," he repeats in a firm tone. I flinch from that for a moment before stepping up to the panel. One, three, three, seven. The door clicks open and I step back, head held low. Dad doesn't say anything. He just walks in and leaves the door open for me. I try to step in, but my knees give out and I collapse onto myself. All of the tension and frustration comes out and forces a new wave of tears to fall from my eyes and I start to cry.

Why is he doing this? Why won't he talk to me? Why did Diamond take this from me!? I sob for a moment longer before I see Dads hooves before me. I look up and see his stern face, flinching on reflex.

"Dad..." I sob, trying to find the words. My emotions are too rampant right now to think clearly. I scared of what he's thinking. I'm angry at Diamond for what she did to me! I'm sad because I know nothing is going to be the same ever again. I'm confused because I don't know what's going to happen next. I don't know how I'm going to get through this.

"Shadow," Dad says calmly, making me choke on my sobs. "If you are going to get revenge on Diamond, then you need to get up right now and follow me inside. You need to find the resolve in yourself and get up. Nothing I can tell you will make this easier, nothing anyone gives you will help you. You need to want this enough to see it through. If you can't make it through the door, then go back to bed. This path is not for the weak."

He walks away, leaving me to cry to myself. I don't understand why he's being so cruel all of the sudden. Did I do something to upset him? Is he mad at me? This is all Diamonds fault! Why did she have to do this to me!? What did I ever do to deserve this?

No. No, I'm not going to sit here and cry about it like a little filly. That's just what she wants me to do! I don't care what it takes, I'm going to make her pay for what she did to me! I am not going to let her, or anypony, walk all over me anymore! I push myself up and wipe my face on my leg before walking into the shed. My legs are weak and my knees nearly give out several times, but I make it down the stairs and into my father’s workshop. I find him at the computer in the back of the room, swiping away at a few screens. I take a moment to collect myself before I speak up, still finding it difficult to speak to him.

"W-why did you bring me here?" I ask, my voice coming out dry and raspy. He pauses for a moment before looking back to me. It's the first time I’ve ever seen him frown, and it almost breaks me resolve on the spot. He’s usually so confident about everything he does. He usually does his best to hide his pain from everypony, so I know this is really troubling him.

"Revenge," he tells me simply before giving one final swipe. A hologram of Barnyard Bargains and pictures of Diamond and her family shows up before me. "For whatever reason, this prick Filthy Rich has been secretly waging a political war against me. Usually it would be small things. Up selling here, under buying there, but recently it’s gotten worse. I have no doubt in my mind now that he’s the one behind the embargo on Terradisia. He’s gotten smarter, but we’ve handled that in the past. Now he’s making it personal, and I will not have that.”

I nod to him and ask, “You think Filthy wanted Diamond to write that smear campaign?”

“I’m not entirely sure. This is all speculation at the moment. But, it’s all I have. Regardless of whatever motivation they really have, what’s done is done. Diamond has made a move against family. As the Grand Captain of the Spartan Regiment, I cannot allow this to be swept under the rug. But, I can’t actively smear a child, nor can I take any type of military action against Filthy."

"And that's where I come in?" I ask, finding a bit of my confidence. He nods to me, swiping the hologram to zoom in on Diamond.

"I may not be able to help you directly, but I can give you the tools you'll need to wage this war. I am giving you permission to use this facility freely. Whatever you need you can take from here, bar any weapons of course. Don't worry about explaining this to your mothers, I'll take care of that. All you need to do is to take that bitch down. Understand." I take a deep breath and nod to him, feeling my emotions start to even out into one single objective. But, as I start to focus on that, a questions pops into my head.

"Why are you letting me do this? You've never wanted me to fight before." He frowns and sits before me, motioning me closer with a hoof. I walk before him and he grabs my shoulder firmly, squeezing lightly.

"Shadow, I love you. I know you know that. I want to keep you safe, you know that as well. But I can't fight your fights for you. I'm doing this to teach you to fight back. I'm doing this because I don't want people to walk all over you. I'm doing this because I am a Spartan, and I will not allow people to muddy our name. I am doing this because I hate that ass hat Filthy Rich and I want to beat him at his own game. Shadow, there are countless reasons that I want to do this. But none of those matter. What matters is whether or not you want to do this. This will all ride on you, and I want you to be ready for that. This is your last chance Shadow. If you don't want to be a part of this fight, go home. I won't think any differently of you, I promise. You are my little girl and there is nothing anyone can do to change that."

Hearing him say that none of this will change the way he thinks of me; that there’s nothing that will stop me from being his daughter… I know I knew all of this, but hearing it come from him directly, it means the world to me. I know I can always rely on him when I need to, but it’s time that he relied on me to get something done. I’m going to do this, and I’m going to make him proud of me for it.

“I know you just want to keep me safe, but I want to do this. I want to be the one to take her off her high horse. I’m ready to do this.” He gives me a smile and pulls me in for a hug. He breaks it before I could really enjoy the comfort. I take a moment to compose myself before looking back up to him, feeling much more confident about all of this. He looks just as relieved as well, though not entirely himself.

“Do you have a plan of what you want to do?” he asks.

“Not really. I know who I want to talk to in order to get started though. Is it okay if I bring friends over? Not today, obviously, but later on?”

“Of course, just make sure none of them learnt he password in or get into any of my projects, okay?” I nod to him before realizing something.

“I don’t mean here. I know you offered to use this place, but I wasn’t going to-“

“If you don’t use this place, that’s fine. But I would suggest using my workshop though. No one can spy on you here. And once you start making moves against Diamond, she’s going to make your life a living hell. Or, she’s going to try to. Information it power, Shadow. The more you have, the better prepared you are.” I hum in response. He’s right, but I just don’t know if it would be wise to use this place. I’ll have to think it over some more.

“Well… do you want to get lunch then? Or, do you have work to do?” He sighs at that, dampening my mood a little.

“Nah, I need to drag a dragon down to the boutique so his girlfriend can kick his ass for getting married. But we’ll all do dinner tonight, promise.”

“Oh… well, it was nice knowing Spike.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

I hum to myself as I watch the sewing machine rhythmically weave two pieces of fabric together. There’s only five more days till the Grand Galloping Gala and I’m only starting to catch up on my work. If I can keep this pace for the rest of the day, I’ll make it to the deadline without over stressing myself. I’m so proud of myself! I followed Twilights advice and made the perfect schedule this year, and it worked! Who would have guessed simply-

CRASH

I yelp and jump straight up when some barbarian kicks in my front door. I rush to the front room to yell at them but stop when I see who it is. For a moment, that is.

“Miles! Spike! What is the meaning of this!?” I yell as I walk over to them. Miles has Spike by his ear spike with his magic and is twisting it lightly. Spike is trying his best to avoid the pain, but isn’t doing well.

“Get in here!” Miles yells out the door. Another dragon pokes her head around the door, and I begin to panic. We’ve talked about this before, but I never thought it would happen. He said he’d never need anypony else, but I always knew. Deep down I always knew this day would come. Okay Rarity, just compose yourself and try to big the bigger pony about this. It’s a good thing I’ve got my groceries yesterday, I don’t think I’ll be leaving the house anytime soon.

“Miles,” I start out, my voice wavering ever so slightly. He looks over to me and nods, letting go of Spike. He stands up and rubs his ear, avoiding my gaze. “Who is this dragoness Spike?”

He looks up to say something to me, but looks back down. I can see him trying to form the words, but my usually confident Spike is at a loss. I can feel my emotions start to well up, but I do my best to push them aside. I am a lady in front of a friends and strangers. I will upkeep my image! It may be all I have left…

“Well?” Miles demands, shoving Spike forward. He stumbles forward and blurts out the words I thought I’d never hear.

“Rarity will you join my herd?”

I blanch from the question. I was expecting more of a heartfelt apology, not a marriage proposal! Miles shifts over to stare at Spike, mouth agape. The dragoness looks more scared than anything else, but I’ll inquire about her later.

“Join… your herd?” I repeat, trying to wrap my mind around everything. If he already has a herd, then I guess that explains the other dragon. But he intends to marry me? Does he actually wish to marry? Or is he trying to maintain his image? This is too spur of the moment to answer properly, not to mention Miles is standing here.

“Ahem, Miles. Could you be a dear and give us some privacy? Spike and I… and this other dragoness, need to discuss some personal effects. And, could you watch Sweetie tonight? I don’t think this is going to be resolved easily,” I tell him, still staring at Spike.

“… yeah. Let me know when you’re done with him, there’s still work to be done.”

“Uh-huh,” I can’t give Miles any of my attention right now. Spike just proposed to me… and I’m not jumping with joy. I’ve always fantasized what our wedding would be like, right down to who would sit where and what would be served, among other things. But I never thought about us being a… herd. Big Mac has a herd and it almost drove Fluttershy away. And Spike had always said that I was his one and only true love. So, why is he asking for a herd?

“Rarity, let me explain,” Spike starts out, rushing to kneel before me as he holds my hoof. I’m still too dumbfounded to really register what’s going on, but I try my best to follow. “In order to join the summit Bolas forced me to marry Maant. It was the only way I could get into the moot-“

SMACK

I don’t need to hear any more than that. I would have never imagined Spike marrying for… POLITICAL reasons! How could he have thought presenting it in such a manner would ever be okay with me? What has gotten into him?

“Maant, dear, come here please.” She gives a startled look before complying, kneeling before me just like Spike. Spike tries to say something, but I give him one look and silence him. “Maant, I am Rarity.”

“Maant… why are you-“

“Forgive me for interrupting, but there is something I have to know. This is very important to me, so please answer me honestly. Are you and Spike in love?” She gives me a confused look before shrugging. I look to Spike one more time before asking my final question. “Very well. I understand dragon culture is vastly different, but did he force himself onto you?”

“Rarity-“ Spike starts, but I hold his mouth shut magically. Maant looks a bit flustered by the whole situation. She tries to answer a few times, but keeps looking to Spike for help.

“I’ll put it more bluntly then. Did Spike force you to have sex with him. Did he make you mate with him for any reason other than the two of you wanting to be together? Did he force himself onto you?” She tries to back away from me, but I keep pace with her. I don’t want to believe Spike would ever do something like this, but I also never thought he’d start a herd!

“Um… he… I… Bolas said to… um… well…” she stammers as she presses her back against the wall, looking for a way out.

“I’m not mad at you darling. Regardless of the answer you will not be in any trouble, I promise.” I tell her, trying to come off as compassionately as possible. The change in tone seems to only confuse her further. I guess she doesn’t really come from a culture that uses their words as much as we ponies do. I’ll have to teach her our ways eventually.

“I mean… we both wanted something out of it, so no… I guess.” I let out a sigh of relief. It was consensual, somewhat. I’ll take it, if only for Spikes sake. “And… force is putting it strongly. He more… um… lightly did his thing?”

“…” I stare at her as I try to follow her logic, slowly getting there.

“Do you mean to tell me that he only… well… did the deed?” I ask to clarify. She nods, still looking confused and blushing heavily. “So… you didn’t finish?”

“… finish what? We finished… I think. He did his thing and put his seed in my belly, what else is there to it?” I stare at her for a moment longer before shooting daggers at Spike, making him fall back in fear.

“You forced her to marry you and you didn’t even satisfy her!?” I yell at him, making him squirm in fear.

“I didn’t want to cheat on you more than I already was!” he yells in defense, scrambling backwards.

“It was a little too late for that when you decided to marry her! Why would I want to join your herd if this is how you’re going to treat your wives!?” I yell as I march towards him. He puts his hands up to try and stop me, but I just pull them down with my magic.

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t in love so I didn’t feel-“

“SPIKE!” I yell in bewilderment, making him curl up into a ball in fear. I stare at him as I try to think of what to do, but there’s only one thing going through my mind at the moment. I flare my horn and summon my gun, making him go wide eyed.

“Rarity, let’s talk about this. I can fix this, I swear! Let’s just put the gun away and-“

PEW

He lets out a yelp and hops up as I singe his right foot. This will hurt him, but not badly. His scales are too resilient for this to really cause any lasting damage. But it’ll hurt enough to send a message.

“I want you out of my house. Don’t come back until you’ve learned your lesson. Maant will be staying with me for the time being. Understand?” I ask him, pointing the gun directly at his face.

“Yes ma’am,” he answers quickly. I stare at him for a moment before shooting his stomach. He jumps up in pain and runs out the front door. I follow after him and send a few rounds after him, just to send my message more clearly. When I make it to the door I find Miles leaning against the side, chuckling lightly to himself.

“Miles, it is rude to intrude on other pony’s personal matters,” I scold as I teleport my gun back to its place in my room.

“Meh. I needed to make sure you didn’t kill the little whore-“

“Language.”

“-before I sent him to the Frozen North. So, are you going to be alright?” I groan from his question, getting him to chuckle even more.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just have to work over time to finish all of my orders now that I have to plan wedding for three and teach a dragoness manners. But, there isn’t a date, so I have time. Take care Miles, and thank you again for taking Sweetie Bell tonight.”

“Veni, et vidi,” he tells me before walking off. I let out a long breath before walking back inside, finding Maant at in the same spot she was in before, only more terrified.

“Come Maant, we have much to discuss as we plan our wedding. And I hope we’ll become good friends by the end of all of this!” I tell her cheerfully.

“How have your people not conquered the world yet?” she asks in fear, making me chuckle.

“When Spike earns his right to come back I’ll have him show you why. Now come along! I have a fabulous idea for a day dress for you! Also, have you eaten? I have some gems if you’d like.” I tell her, getting confused looks from her. It’s going to be a long day. But! I can set all the stress aside for now. Maant and I are to be married! We have much to plan now, there isn’t a second to spare!

It’s been a long morning, but I only have one more pony to meet with before I can head back home and finally relax. I really shouldn’t complain too much though. Celestia and Luna deal with much more than this on a daily basis. But, they also don’t have to take a train out to Detrot for six hours either. Not to mention the ride back home is going to be strenuous. But, I’ll manage. I always do… somehow.

“Ma’am?” I look up from my notes and look over to the Royal Guard by my door. “We will be arriving shortly. Your chariot will take you to your destination after that. Is there anything else you would like before then?”

“No, thank you Honor Bound.” He nods and steps back to his post, shutting the door quietly. I hope I got his name correct. It was something Celestia taught me to do, but it’s hard to tell who’s who with the guards. Maybe I should just follow Miles’s advice and call them by rank.

I pack up my belongings and wait patiently for the train to enter the station. No matter how many times I see the city, I love the view before entering Detrot. It’s an older city, being founded shortly after the founding of Equestria. The brick buildings seamlessly blend into one another as they each grow taller and taller. There’s a wild diversity here, something I’m not entirely used to just yet. With so many new factories popping up here, people migrate here for the steady jobs, which is why I’m here.

I’m meeting a noble named Carneighgy. He owns the steel mills in Equestria and has tremendous sway in the political world. I’ve read up on him as much as I can, but I still have no clue how this meeting will go. On some accounts he’s depicted as a ruthless business pony who willing to do anything to win. On the other hoof, he’s one of the biggest donators to charities and has donated dozens of public buildings. According to Celestia’s notes, it seems mostly out of guilt. She has the feeling that he thinks that karma will catch up to him and make him pay dearly for all of his success. If it’s true, it’s something I can use. Though, I’m not entirely sure how.

I snap back to reality when the train comes to a stop. I gather my things and follow the guards out into the station. A crowd has gathered to see what is going on. When I make eye contact with the first pony out there they all start to cheer. I blush from the praise and give a few waves before hurrying along. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. The admiration, the worship; I’d rather be back in Ponyville where I can read a book under a tree and not be bothered.

I get into my carriage and we take off through the city. Carneighgy lives on the outskirts of town, so it’ll be a bit longer before we actually make it there. This’ll give me some last moments to study up on the old stallion before we actually meet.

From what I can tell from my notes, he’s a pretty average noble. His few key differences are that he made his own wealth instead of inheriting it, prefers not to dabble in politics, and has no heirs. Most nobles are very keen on continuing their bloodline, so that is very curious. I don’t know how I’ll use that to my advantage, but it’s good to know. I wonder what he plans to do with all of his wealth and businesses when he passes.

Let’s see. He’s worked to get to where he is by himself. So he must value personal achievements and hard work. Both of which Celestia has well covered. He doesn’t like to dabble in politics, so I need to keep this short and to the point. And if I can work something about the future of Equestria in there, I think I can tug on his heart strings. I’ll have to do my best to convince him, but I believe I can do it! Diamond Heart was a doozy, but he showed me what I need to focus on. I can do this!

My carriage stops before his estate and I take a moment to marvel at it. It’s massive. The land is surrounded by black rod iron gates that look as if they can fit Sweet Apple Acres within them. Lush, well-kept shrubberies cover large portions of the fencing until we make it to the main entrance. The gate is held shut with metal ingots crossing over it, a simple copy of his cutie mark. They seem to open of their own accord, but I can sense the magical connection from inside.

The manor inside is just as impressive as any building I’ve ever seen. Three stories high and being made of mostly brick and marble, it still holds that distinct Detrot architecture about it. Impressive topiaries dot the lush fields around the manor as exotic wild animals roam freely. I almost feel as if I’m in a zoo rather than somepony’s home. My guards take me up the stone road and stop at the top of the roundabout before the massive manor. A line of servants stands before me, bowing deeply as the head butler opens the door for me.

“Princess Twilight, it is my honor to welcome you to the Carneighgy estate,” he tells me, laying on the charm thickly. I look to my guards, who smirk back at me, before I step out. This is a little out of the norm for me, but I just do my best to play the part.

“Thank you, sir. I am grateful that you all have come to welcome me to this lovely home. I hope it wasn’t too much of a bother for Mr. Carneighgy though,” I tell the butler as he shuts the door behind me. A pair of workers switch out with my guards and take the carriage away as the butler starts to escort me in.

“Mr. Carneighgy will always open his doors to Royalty. Though this usually was limited to the Sisters in the past, he has opened his doors to all of the rulers of Equestria and Her territories.” That statement makes me cringe for a moment. Though it’s not too popular, there are many ponies who view Saddle Arabia and the Crystal Empire as territories of Equestria. It’s still a touchy subject, and it’s really only a problem when somepony openly takes a side.

“Of course,” I mutter, trying to remain neutral on the subject. The butler does seem to mind as he opens the massive while doors to the manor.

The inside is exactly what I was expecting. Fancy floors, priceless art, statues and artifacts, all sorts of high class paraphernalia. The entrance is almost as big as the dance hall back in Canterlot, maybe even bigger.

“INTRODUCING THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC AND PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA; TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” the butler announces to the empty room. I wait for a moment before I see a door at the other end of the hall open.

A stout stallion makes his way over to our small group. He’s older, having bits of white in his steely grey coat. His black mane is styled back neatly, keeping its form despite his light trot. He has a cigar in his mouth that’s leaving a light trail of smoke behind him. He has a purple earth mare following after him with a several saddle bags on her hips. She’s wearing an elegant business suit and has her grey mane up in a tight bun. She doesn’t look too pleased by my presence, but I ignore that as I put on my best smile. Time to get to work.

“Mr. Carneighgy, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” I greet him, holding a hoof out to shake. He closes the distance and gives a rough chuckle before shaking my hoof, showing off his superior strength.

“Please, call me Carneighgy. The whole Mr. and Mrs. thing drives me crazy,” he replies heartily, his gruff voice sounding genuine. “Welcome to my home Princess. I do apologize for all the formality though. When you hire the best, the expect the best.”

“I understand,” I tell him, relaxing a bit. “And please call me Twilight. This is a casual visit after all.” He scoffs at that, turning to invite me in.

“Trust me, Twilight, nothing is casual in the big leagues. Come, let me give you a quick tour of my home. Would you like anything to drink?”

The walk around his home was pleasant and helped remove any tension I previously had. His home is amazing, but exploring it with him was odd. There were several times we walked up to rooms that he didn’t know existed, or had items that he didn’t even know he owned. There was this painting that we walked by that he -or rather his assistant- told us he bought for two hundred thousand bits! Apparently a rival of his was at the auction and they started fighting over it. It started at five hundred bits…

I’ve never seen such a disconnect between a pony and their finances. My parents were never really without, but they made sure every bit counted. The Apples and Rarity are the same. They are fine, but they couldn’t afford to just spend bits however they wanted. If they did, they could lose everything. Even Celestia and Luna are tight with money. Not because they needed to be, but because they see it as the right thing to do. But not Carneighgy. He has money, and lots of it. If he lost a million bits today he wouldn’t even notice. I never looked up his net worth, but by the looks of things here, he probably has more money than most cities have!

And then I start to notice little things. He never really talks about other ponies. It’s always ‘I bought this’ and ‘this cost this much!’ I’m not saying he doesn’t have friends, but his priorities seem to be vastly different. But he also wants to provide for everypony. He almost insisted that we all have something to drink, my guards included. I had to tell them that it was okay, even when Carnieghgy pushed for them to have a beer. They earned it! he insists.

He takes us to his personal library, something he said he knew I’d like, and we took a seat at a massive reading area. I was more than impressed by his selection, but put all that aside as I began to get to the purpose of my visit.

“Carneighgy, your home is wonderful! And you’ve been an amazing host! But, I’m afraid that there is a reason to my visit,” I tell him as a butler sets drinks before us. I take my lemonade and begin to stir it, feeling a bit nervous about the talk we’re about to have.

“And here I thought this was just a friendly visit by our newest Princess,” he jokes, taking a moment to sip his brandy. “But I understand. How may I be of service Princess?”

“Before I begin I must ask for privacy. What I have to say is of national security.” He chuckles at that, taking another drink.

“I assure you that none of my staff will speak a word-“

“I’m afraid I must insist,” I cut him off, setting my drink down. He eyes me for a moment before waving his staff off. I look to my guards and nod to them, getting them to leave. Once we’re alone Carneighgy speaks again.

“Not even the Royal Guard are privy to this. I am intrigued,” he tells me, becoming more serious. I take a deep breath before I begin.

“As I’m sure you are aware there are ever growing tensions in the world. Relations between some other nations and Equestria are starting to boil over, and we ourselves have only recently decided to enter a preparatory state in regards to these possible threats. But, an obstacle; the first of many, has occurred. This obstacle will be decided by the nobles of Equestria and will determine Her future as we know it.”

“Well, I was intrigued before. Now I’m captivated. Do continue,” he tells me slowly, setting his drink down to focus solely on me.

“I’ll be very blunt with you now. A war is coming. A war the likes of Equestria has never seen before. Our military is starting to take its form, and we are starting at the very top. But, there are some issues arising and it will come to a vote between all of the nobles to settle it. Who will lead Equestria during wartime.”

I pause to check his reaction. But he’s just staring at me with those old grey eyes. He either doesn’t believe me, or already knows.

“As it stands right now, Celestia would lead. But Luna is trying to convince other nobles to put her in charge. I’m here today to convince you to vote for Celestia to lead Equestria in the event of war.”

“…”

I gulp as I wait for him to respond. He doesn’t seem to care about anything I’ve said so far, which I don’t understand. I just told him we are about to go to war! And all he does is sit there!? There has to be something in there! How could he not care about this in the slightest? I need to get him to say something.

“Carneighgy, do you understand what I just told you?” I ask him, leaning a bit forward to look him directly in the eyes. We stare at each other for a moment before he scoffs and starts to light a new cigar. I can’t help but recoil from that. Why is he so smug about this? What does he know?

“Twilight, you are young so I won’t be too cruel, but I must ask you why I should vote for Celestia when I could vote for the human instead?” I blanch from that, getting him to smirk. “I was there when he made the reveal you know. I’ve kept quiet, but I didn’t forget. Miles is a much better candidate to lead our army.”

“Miles is bound by the Spartans and would not willingly take charge over our forces! I know this from first hoof experience!” I tell him, trying to crush these thoughts as quickly as possible.

“Yes he would. Twilight, don’t think us nobles’ fools. The ponies of Ponyville may keep quiet, but we have our ways of getting information. Have you not read of the Spartan capture of Mt. Iron in Zebrica? Or the leveling of Shadow Hill in the Ape Empire? The Spartans are well equipped to fight, but they have no reason to fight for us.”

“We are allies! They would not abandon us in our time of need-“

“But would they capture cities for us? Would they allow themselves to become bogged down in the frontlines with us? We need him to fight for us, not with us.”

“And that is where you are not only wrong, but mistaken,” I tell him, getting a bemused look from the older stallion. I take a look around before I decide to use one of the cards up my sleeves. “What if I were to tell you that Celestia and Luna were citizens of Terradisia?”

“Pffft, preposterous! They would never demean themselves to the level of common ponies!”

“It wasn’t really their choice,” I tell him, getting a smug look on my face. He goes quiet and waits for me to explain. “All Spartans are Terradisians, as are their families. The moment Luna and Miles were married Celestia and her became citizens. As am I. We attend the monthly meetings with the rest of the Terradisians and have direct influence into their political system. By the laws of their Codex, if any outside force attacks a Terradisian citizen, the Spartans will answer. Mark my words, if Equestria is attacked, the Spartans will have no choice but to fight. We need every advantage we can get. Luna shouldn’t go because she has a foal to watch over. I can’t go lead because I will be attending to all of the logistical work in the background. We need a pony to lead, somepony that will inspire us to fight! We need to ensure that, in the case of the unthinkable, we have a future to hold onto. We need your vote Carneighgy, will you help us?”

He leans back in his seat and rubs his chin as he thinks to himself. I don’t think there is anything else I can say. He didn’t even mention Luna, so I think it’ll be safe to say that he isn’t even considering her. That leaves Celestia and Miles. And we can have both! All he needs to do is to vote for Celestia and we get the both of them.

“Does Celestia have a plan to win the war?” he asks quietly. I smile at that. He’s willing to consider her! It’s not a yes, but it’s a start.

“She has several ideas of what needs to be done. Reforms are being made in the Equestrian military to make mobilization easy. We’ve even started working on contingency plans for worse case scenarios. With Celestia in charge we will be ready for whatever may happen.” He hums back to me, stoking his chin some more.

“Well, all I can say is that you’ve given me much to think about. I will have to think about this some morethough… there was information that I wasn’t aware of,” he tells me, obviously still deep in thought.

“Of course, I understand completely,” I tell him, bowing my head slightly.

“But, I do have to ask. Do you really believe Celestia ready to kill?” His question stuns me for a second. It’s something that I’ve never really thought about before, but seems obvious to me.

“Celestia has fought for our nation before. I see no reason she won’t be ready for this either,” I tell him confidently.

“But, as you said, this is a war the likes of which we’ve never seen before. And if the threat is truly this real, is it not better to rely on the disposable pony?” I shake my head from his statement.

“Mile is not disposable! How could you say such a thing?” I ask, bewildered by his remark.

“Miles is as foreign to us as the Griffins we will soon fight. He has no interest in our politics, even less in our business, and very obviously wishes to conquer. Look at his track record! He has colonies all over the world and is-“

“What colonies? What track record? The Spartans have done nothing like that!” I retort, getting a confused look from him. “What?”

“Perhaps you know less than you believe, Twilight. Because I can tell you for a fact that the Spartans do in fact have colonies. Trust me on that. If we’re talking about putting one of the major Alicorns in direct harm’s way, why not the one that lives and breathes war? I cannot give you a direct answer for how I will vote. You have given me new information to think about. But… I can say that I still feel strongly about my previous decision. Though, I would urge you to learn more of your own people before you make anymore decisions.”

I stare at him as he stands and leaves the library. If the Spartans had colonies they would have told us at the meetings... wouldn't they? No, they would have to! It's their way of life! There are no secrets in Terradisia... right?

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