A new day dawned over Equestria, the dark blues of night giving way to a warm blanket of pinks and oranges as the sun peeked over the horizon. All across the nation, countless citizens would be rising from their beds with a renewed sense of optimism. Shops would open, families would gather for their meals. It was a magical time, one that embodied everything that made Equestria great.

After hundreds of years, it hadn't lost that special something. Cold air kissed Princess Celestia's skin as she took a moment to bask in the comforting glow of the first rays of sunlight, a contented sigh parting her lips in a smile. Her mane and tail sparkled like flecks of colored crystal and fluttered gently in the breeze. The worries and stress of everyday rule would come later, but for this brief time every morning she could feel like just another pony.

Across the room, a rustling of sheets. Ever the loyal soldier, Tercio would no doubt be up at first light. She quietly made her way over to his side and ran a hoof down his chest, pleased to see that his scars were mending. He was a strong man and a gentle lover, and she would have given anything to keep him from further harm. He slowly roused from his slumber, stretching and yawning as he blinked back the haze. Celestia leaned over and kissed him softly, her hair playing over his bare shoulder.

"Good morning, my love," she said quietly. "Did you sleep well?"

"With you at my side? Always," Tercio replied, pushing himself up on an elbow. His clothing still lay on the floor where it had fallen, and his weapons and armor rested against an oak dresser in the corner. "I've not missed my duties, have I?" he asked in a sudden fit of worry. Celestia giggled at his half-awake concern.

"It's still early, I've just raised the sun. I doubt your compatriots are even awake yet."

He blinked. "Oh. Right, I suppose I shouldn't worry about such a thing with you here." There was a knock on the door. Celestia opened it just enough to take her morning tea from Mended Heart with a sincere thank-you, then shut it quietly behind her. The prompt, cheerful mare was one of the select few who knew of the ongoing romance, though that number seemed to be rising, slowly but surely. It was only a matter of time until the other Praetorians knew. Even the most devoted of them would begin to wonder about his disappearance from the barracks several nights a week at this rate.

Celestia stirred in her spoonful of honey and added a twist of lemon, floating the cup and small saucer before her as she returned to sit on the edge of the bed. "Care for a drink, my dear?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm sure this has nothing to do with using me as your royal taste tester," he said as he took the cup in his hands.

"Perish the thought," she said dramatically, a hoof over her chest. "I'll have you know I deal in only the finest of poisons."

"I'm sure. If I die, make sure Rimeberry doesn't get my shield. He still owes me ten coin." Hot, sweet liquid dribbled down his throat, warming him from within as he sipped at what he was sure was expensive tea. "I haven't keeled over yet. Probably a good sign." He passed it back and pulled the covers off from himself, joining her to watch the sun rise over the mountains. It was the clearest day he'd seen in well over a week, with only scattered, wispy clouds marring the pristine beauty of the early morning sky. "How are you feeling? Any better today?"

"Somewhat. It's...complicated."

"I can only begin to imagine."

"Be thankful you don't have to," Celestia said. For a moment she became lost in thought, and Tercio wondered what inner turmoil she must be experiencing. He wished he could do more to help her. "I sometimes have to remind myself that Luna isn't behind everything. Is it wrong to think that it would be simpler if it was her? At least then I would have some idea of how to respond. For all these months I've been working under the assumption that I could save her; I don't know how I would have done so, but that small glimmer of hope was enough. But now..." She shook her head. "It's all been a lie. Elinwynn used me, and I fell for it completely."

"You don't know that for sure," Tercio countered. "The cultist mare you spoke with, she could have been lying to you. Perhaps this is exactly what she wants you to believe."

"No, she was telling the truth, without a doubt. I could sense it. As soon as that captured senator tells us what he knows, it is likely his story will corroborate hers."

"And then what?" he asked.

"And then...I don't know, honestly. I have far too much to be concerned with as it stands." Celestia rested her head against his shoulder. "Let's not talk about this anymore. I just want to be here with you."

The Conference of Nations hall was already buzzing with activity as Imperator Stonewall hurriedly stepped through the entrance doors, a pair of Royal Guards opening them wide and saluting as he passed. The grand, circular room was usually reserved for meetings with foreign heads of state and their associated representatives, but at the moment it was fully occupied by high-ranking Equestrian military officers. At the center of the room, standing over a round table, Princess Celestia was conversing with an older stallion in a Legion uniform. She looked concerned, but it was nearly impossible to hear her over the others.

"Imperator Stonewall, 105th Praetorian," he introduced himself to a nearby Royal Guard captain, having to nearly shout to be heard. The other stuck out his hoof in greeting. "What's all this about?"

"Centurion Port Lock. Gods banish me to the nine hells if I know, Imperator. Something about the redtail, I think. The princess has been waiting for everyone to arrive."

"Who's 'everyone', exactly?"

"Off the top of my head? Andesius and Winter Kiln from the 4th Equestrian Guard -- both Centurions I think -- along with a few of their second in command. Over by the table we've got Decanus Apple Tart, some lower-ranking officer whose name I'm not aware of, and Legatus Ignis. He's the one talking to Celestia. Legion to the last. Can't say I know the others, aside from Milites-Instructor Saffron Sage. Real hard-ass, that one."

He saw Celestia look around the room, counting off attendees with a hoof as she did. Apparently satisfied, she focused a small portion of her magical prowess.

"Order! Please, if I may call for order!" she bellowed in a commanding royal voice, causing every head in the room to snap to her in an instant. The unfortunate stallion in front of her raised his foreleg to his face to shield himself from the visible wind that gusted from the princess with every word. Complete silence took the room in an instant. "Thank you. Please forgive me, I was unsure of how to be heard otherwise. If you would all find your seats?"

Stonewall sat next to Port Lock and an Equestrian Guard officer, eager to hear what the news could be. Typically, important events and happenings would be spread down through the ranks via word of mouth or messenger, and it was exceptionally rare for a summons to be issued to so many at once. Something big was going on.

"First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you for attending on such short notice. Some of you have come from as far away as Brier Ridge, and I know it is not an easy journey even with the aid of sky carriages. I assure you, I would not have sent out them out without a good reason." A scroll floated from a bag at her side, stamped with a leaf emblem on a background of green wax. "Earlier today I received this missive from one of my messengers. It is a letter directly from Empress Elinwynn of the Cervidaen Hegemony, a name I'm sure you're all familiar with." If the grumbles and muttered swears were anything to go by, they certainly were. "Recently, Cervidae marched a sizable force into western Whitetail, up to and including the outskirts of Evinwiir. We've been keeping a close eye on them, fearing they may take action against their whitetail cousins when the opportunity presented itself. Yesterday, they did just that. The capital city of Evinwiir has fallen to redtail forces."

"Does this mean we've won?" Port Lock asked quietly, one of many who conversed in surprise.

"Hell if I know, but you won't see me lamenting those damned whitetail any time soon," Stonewall said. The rest of Whitetail might still resist, but now they'd be facing a war against two separate nations. Who in their right mind would agree to carry on under those circumstances? This had to mean the end of the war. About damned time, too.

"However," Celestia spoke up, quieting them down once more, "however...I'm afraid things have taken a terrible turn. Allow me to read this letter to you all." She raised the scroll to eye level, took a deep breath, and began.

To Princess Celestia, sovereign of Equestria.

For nearly the last year I have watched your nation grow increasingly war-like and aggressive against the innocent people of Whitetail. Despite your callous disregard for life, I have continued to hold out hope that Equestria and Whitetail could find an amiable solution to this conflict. Through repeated trips to Evinwiir and the constant, tireless negotiations carried out by my dear brother since the outbreak of your misguided war, I have sought to do what you could not -- perhaps would not. Unfortunately, my repeated attempts to bring about a truce have apparently fallen upon deaf ears. Needless to say, I am most disappointed. I thought you better than that.

When I heard of your prolonged siege of Evinwiir, I made the decision to march a portion of my military into western Whitetail so that I might observe these atrocities for myself. Along the way, I put a thorough end to the followers of your horrific sister; it would seem a lust for bloodshed runs in your family. These cultists had become a nuisance for Cervidae and Whitetail equally, and while I'd hoped that extinguishing their murderous lives might warrant some sort of response from you, it would appear that I was, once again, thinking far too highly of you.

By now you will have likely heard that Evinwiir is under control of my forces. I assure you that this is only temporary, and is a necessary step to ensure the safety and stability of the center of Whitetail culture and trade. I have watched from afar for too long, and no more shall I allow Equestria to continue its conquest of our beloved cousins.

Because I am a fair and just ruler, I shall give you one final chance to make amends for your crimes against our kin. You have until the rising of the crescent moon to turn over those responsible for the heinous slaughter of River Run's inhabitants, as well as anyone connected to the murder of Chancellor Artellus, so that they might face justice. In addition, you must pull back all of your forces from Whitetail territory immediately. Should you refuse, I will have no choice but to consider your silence as a declaration of war on the entirety of deerkind, and thus, on Cervidae itself.

There will be no second warning. Do what is right by your people, and spare them the humiliation of defeat.

Signed,

Empress Elinwynn

Discontent had been rising steadily as she read, and had now become a chorus of angered shouts and disbelieving swears. She could not blame them, for she herself still did not believe the words before her eyes. War with Cervidae. Such a thing had been an occasional thought at the back of her mind for several months, yet she'd always managed to reason it away as paranoia.

"This is completely unacceptable!" someone yelled, a chorus of agreements answering him.

"She knows damn well we weren't behind the attack on River Run or Artellus! She's playing us for fools!" another said.

"We should have crushed the deer months ago! Now look where we are!"

Celestia called for silence once more.

"I know this is an upsetting turn of events, but it is not entirely unexpected. I've had my doubts about Cervidae's 'neutrality' for some time and, in truth, I should have seen this coming long before this letter arrived." She set the scroll down on the table and produced a sketch of an amulet, holding it up to be seen. "Back when the war first started, I had a meeting with the good empress herself. She was amiable, if aloof -- common for her family, and for her previous meetings. At that time, she presented to me a large pendant, about the size of a hoof. She said it was a symbol of good luck. Having no reason to believe otherwise, I kept it with me, typically in a saddle bag, for some time. It was quite the striking design, as you can plainly see. Anyone would have been honored to receive it.

"Then, a few months ago, our forces started discovering nearly exact duplicates of this pendant in the scattered Nightmare Moon encampments. As we came to find out, they were being used as communication devices -- a sort of conduit for magical energies . It was difficult to obtain an intact one, as the cultists were apparently under orders to destroy them immediately at the first sign of trouble, but eventually one of our Legion squads did just that, and they sent it here, to the castle.

As you can imagine, I was shocked to find out that the two pendants -- the one given to me, and the one taken from the followers -- were exactly the same. At the time, I thought it meant that Elinwynn was working with my fallen sister. And so, perhaps unwisely, I took the two pendants to one of the old spires and summoned Nightmare Moon to appear before me. Eventually she did so, like a creature of living smoke and starlight."

More surprised chatter.

"Unfortunately, 'Nightmare Moon' was uncooperative. Outright threats and verbal abuse were the only real answers I received." She hesitated, unsure of how to say what she was feeling. "I...I wanted it to be Luna with all of my heart. Most of you have had the pleasure of meeting her at some point, and you know how much she meant to me; how much she meant to all of us. Then and there, in that dusty tower, I was trying to save her. I needed to save her. When she refused to listen to reason, I grew angry and demanded to know what her connection to Elinwynn was. It seemed to catch her off guard, and a moment later she vanished just as quickly as she'd appeared.

"Overcome by grief, filled with a rage and sadness I could hardly begin to describe to you, I stomped those pendants into dust and scattered them to the wind. It was at that moment, I now believe, that Empress Elinwynn chose to carry out her plans."

A stallion from the Legion stood up near the front. "If this Elinwynn is the true force behind the cults, does this mean she was also responsible for the attack on Canterlot?"

"I see no reason to believe otherwise, yes." The mention of that bloody day was like a kick to the gut for most of them, and soon the demands for Elinwynn's head had reached a fever pitch. Many of the military's finest had lost good soldiers to those who believed they were following Nightmare Moon, and the resulting destruction of the camps had been correspondingly brutal in many cases. Now they had someone else to focus their anger against.

"But why would she kill her own pawns? Why not throw them at us one last time?" someone asked.

"Because the cult of Nightmare Moon was a threat to everyone, not just us. Now we know that was by design. Elinwynn created them, used them to her own ends, and then destroyed them so that she would be seen as a bastion of safety and a leader who spoke through actions, not just words. I have to admit, it's quite cunning. Despicable and wrong, but cunning nonetheless."

She tapped the scroll on the table. "All of this -- the reasons for war, the apparent willingness to act as a bringer of peace through negotiation -- is a formality and a smoke screen. Elinwynn wants this war to be remembered as justified. No doubt she has numerous copies set aside for future archival. I am sure the timing to coincide with the takeover of Evinwiir is no mere coincidence, either."

Stonewall raised a hoof. "So where do we go from here? Talking about the how and why of our current situation is fine and all, but we need to discuss what happens in the immediate future. The crescent moon is less than a week away. That's not enough time to move the bulk of our reserves into position."

"Nor is it enough time for the Legion to relocate from the west," Legatus Ignis added. "We've been hunting down the remainder of the cultists for some time now, especially since the threat from the deerfolk has been marginal at best lately. We have a significant force on the way to the Whitetail border now, thanks to word from the front, but it will take time to get there."

Celestia paced as she considered her options. So much to account for, and so quickly. She'd hoped to avoid being in this situation ever again, but fate clearly had other plans. "What about the Equestrian Guard?"

Winter Kiln stood, along with his compatriot, Andesius. They quietly conversed with each other for a moment before speaking up.

"I cannot speak to our exact numbers, Your Highness, but we still maintain a sizable force just outside of Evinwiir. I do not know how long we could hold, however, as the redtail armies are reportedly extensive in number."

"There is also the matter of the whitetail refugees," Andesius said. "Reports vary, but we've taken in something close to five thousand civilians and a small number of defecting Capital Guard troops. They're being interrogated for any information they might be able to provide before we figure out where to send them. We're leaning toward Marestopholous, with the rest of the prisoners. We can construct a camp within a few days time, if that is what you wish."

"See to it," Celestia said. "You have my full permission to requisition whatever you need, and if General Iron Heart objects to it then he can speak to me personally. Marestpholous is far too important to be tied up in bureaucracy." Andesius saluted and took his seat, pulling a length of parchment from his pack to write down his orders. "Alarming though all of this is, we are at least somewhat prepared. Ever since my communication with the false Nightmare Moon, I've had a hunch about Elinwynn's schemes. We have a sizable force of three cohorts along the north-western border, and there is a decent number of auxilia waiting in reserve. All told, we can muster close to eight thousand combat-ready stallions by the time of the crescent moon. It is still short of the numbers we'll need, but it's a start. We'll begin massing just south of Whitetail for the time being. I'll have orders prepared for each of you by the end of the day. Understood?"

"Yes, Princess," they answered together.

"Good. I know these past months have been trying, and many of you are exhausted from the tireless job of keeping our nation safe, but I must ask you to remain vigilant and strong. I need your help now, more than ever. Together, we'll get through this, and Equestria will be at peace once again." She placed a hoof over her chest and dipped her head in admiration, putting on a brave facade to mask the fear and uncertainty that twisted through her veins and gripped her heart like strangling vines. Equestria was not prepared to face Elinwynn's forces, not after months of open warfare with Whitetail. Her soldiers were tired and depleted, and the strain of a war economy had stretched the country's coffers nearly to the breaking point. It would be a long, long week to come.

"Honor to Equestria. Thank you all for coming."

A cool, humid wind whipped through the sickly yellow leaves of the strange trees that twisted and contorted like wooden statues, each studded with long, thin branches that jutted out from their trunks, like spikes on a mace. In the distance, guttural howls and disquieting shrieks echoed across the plains of swaying brown and red grasses that seemed to almost glow in the strange, orange light that permeated the air. Numerous firefly-like insects chirped from the short, thorny bushes that dotted the ground, taking flight with sudden flashes of color before scattering like embers from a fire.

Caethil was nearly at the point of collapse after three days of continuous travel. Every muscle in his body ached, and his legs burned like fire with each step. He was not a young buck anymore, and he was reminded of it every time Baer'barisater scrabbled over a stone or deftly maneuvered through a copse of tangled trees.

At times he hated the zebra, though he knew it to be an anger born of jealousy. Bear was always so confident in his movements, so decisive in his statements, with a determination that bordered on obsessive at times. He fully believed there was a clear path set out before him -- the 'vision' his so-called Elder had spoken of -- and he insisted that Caethil was the key to it all.

Caethil was not so sure. He'd just led forty-six of his own soldiers to their deaths; what could he possibly do to make their sacrifice mean something? He could live a thousand times over and not repay such a debt. It would have been easier to join them in death. And yet...the slimmest notion of vengeance was enough to keep him going. If there was any chance, no matter how remote, of living to see Corvalix die at his hooves, he would march on.

Carefully he jumped from stone to stone as they crossed a shallow river, ignoring the flies that pestered him before moving on. Zevran was a miserable place, with a climate that made him sweat even as he shivered with each gust. The comfort and familiarity of Whitetail seemed so far off. He would have given anything to feel it again.

The river led to a clearing. There, the first signs of civilization awaited him: a trio of carved totems, covered in the pictograms of zebra language. Bear assured him that they were signs of welcome and good fortune, though the exaggerated faces of strange animals depicted in the tall poles did little to set him at ease. He wondered if they were being watched. If even half of the stories he'd heard about zebra magic were true, he would likely never be able to tell.

The sun was beginning to set over the rolling plains before him, bringing with it more sounds of terrible creatures that made his imagination run rampant. Not long now, Bear assured him. Just keep going. The smell of strange spices wafted in on the breeze, intermingled with the familiar tang of burning wood. A cooking fire. A place to rest. The end of his journey.

As he crested the next hill he was given a second wind, reinvigorated by the prospect of a proper meal and a place to sleep that wasn't exposed to the elements. There, in the valley below, an expansive collection of earthen huts, their domed roofs zig-zagged with colorful patterns. A tall perimeter wall of stone and wood surrounded the village, dotted with lookout towers manned by zebra warriors in tribal paint, many of whom noticed him the second he appeared on the horizon. They kept long spears at their sides and watched him and Bear approach the open gate that was lined with torches.

A party of zebras awaited him just inside, a dozen of them in all; veteran warriors, he guessed, going by the stacks of golden rings adorning their necks. They were shorter than him by a head, but stocky and muscular, and not a single one of them moved as he approached. He stopped as they parted. An aged stallion hobbled out from a nearby hut, a walking stick in his hoof that rattled with colored beads and small icons of his spirit-gods.

"You must be Caethil," he said after a moment of consideration, his long beard swaying as he spoke. "Welcome to Zevran, my friend. I've been waiting for you."