"Come on, Tia! Let's go already!"

A young and eager Luna tugged at Celestia's foreleg, giggling with a gap-toothed smile as her sister trotted behind her. Everfree Castle grew steadily more distant behind them while the seemingly endless forest stretched out ahead. Barren trees sprouted leaves and beautiful flowers with every step, and the swirling sky rippled with shifting bands of color as the sun and moon circled one another like exquisite dancers.

A butterfly settled between Celestia's hooves, fluttering its glowing wings before disappearing into a small stream of lights. She looked back up, and the forest had become a cave full of towering crystals that shimmered with ancient magic.

"What do you think it is?" Luna asked her with the curious sincerity of a child. A tap of her hoof sent a pleasing tone, like a bronze bell, echoing through the cavern. "Try it!"

Carefully she reached out and touched it, the almost musical note causing the crystal to radiate with deep blues and purples. In an instant the sound became a shrill scream, so loud and horrible that she clapped her hooves over her ears, adding her own shout of terror to its deafening madness. Her vision shook, trembling with her body.

Then, just as abruptly, it ended. Now she was floating over a field of bodies, great flocks of carrion birds squawking in whirlwinds of feathers and bloodied beaks. Shattered pegasi fell all around her, plunging through the clouds, piling on top of dead earth ponies and unicorns. She screamed for Luna, called out to her with a voice that seemed no more than a whisper. A towering wave of ink-black darkness roared over the mountains, rushing over the land with impossible speed. Desperate, she yelled for her sister. Her wings moved agonizingly slowly, barely pushing her through the air. The black mass overcame her all at once, poured into her body, ripped at her from inside and out. She sank into its depths, silently judged by the dead, unblinking eyes of her people. In her last glimpse of sunlight, a sea of deer galloped by as shadowy silhouettes against a burning sky. Twisting and turning she was set upon by a formless creature of glinting armor, wrapping her in its embrace. Nightmare Moon flashed a predatory grin, and bit down with teeth like daggers of ice.

And yet...there was no pain. The corrupted monster her sister had become dissolved into dark flecks that drifted away on a silent wind, leaving only a pristine vision of the Sea of Lights in all of its grandeur.

"One day, perhaps soon, this wondrous place will be yours, from the mountains to the ocean." Celestia turned at the sound of her father's voice, so commanding and powerful, yet understanding and comforting. He stood upon a sea-slicked rock at the water's edge, his ethereral mane of midnight dotted with stars flowing behind him in the breeze. "When the day comes that we are no longer here, you will be the shepherds of this great nation. Its people will look to you for wisdom, for protection -- and above all, for leadership. You will see countless generations of ponies you care about come and go, and in time you may grow to resent your stead. But know this, my most precious daughters: you are Equestria's very heart and soul, and so long as you remain strong, so too shall it."

Her mother smiled at his side, her vibrant mane of orange and pink faded by time. The sky lit up with the wondrous display of the winter lights, casting a warm glow over them both. When she spoke, her voice was as soft as silk.

"Keep each other close, for yours is a love that few will ever know. Together, you will be the foundation upon which all of the world is built." She bent down and nuzzled Luna's face, then kissed her cheek gently. "Be strong, my wonderful girls. Rule with your hearts and your minds, and Equestria will persevere."

At that very moment, Celestia wanted to be with them more than ever. She galloped as fast as her legs would carry her, reaching out for her parents and her sister. They faded from her with every passing breath, and she called out with tears streaming down her face.

"Mother! Father! Please don't leave me alone!"

Luna stared at her through sad eyes, slowly turning away to become one with the vast expanse of nothingness.

"Luna! LUNA!"

"New message from the 17th Equestrian Guard, they're headed south to meet up with the 9th!"

"22nd as well!"

"41st Legion has been reassigned to the northwestern border expanse, but the terrain is difficult. They're requesting additional supplies, Your Highness!"

"The joint Royal Guard and Praetorian unit near Marestopholous has been halted by a crowd of deer sympathizers! No casualties reported, but the situation is tense. They need orders to proceed!"

Canterlot Castle's war room was abuzz with activity, packed to the gills with all manner of military officials from across Equestria. They jostled for Celestia's attention, shouting over each other and passing scrolls between unit commanders in a barely contained flurry of commotion. The war with Cervidae was set to begin in less than two days, and there was currently a mad scramble to make last-minute movements. Thousands of soldiers across many miles were relying on timely orders, but even with the fastest pegasi and most powerful unicorns those orders could only get to their destinations so quickly.

Celestia was signing off on scrolls as fast as she could, but each and every one had to be looked over by her retinue of advisers from the nation's four military branches who, in turn, were frantically updating a large table map with unit markers. One mistake could result in the loss of countless lives, and so every movement was checked and double checked.

"The bulk of our forces are abandoning their siege positions outside Evinwiir at your order, Princess! General Phalanx will notify us as soon as they've reformed at Quillyyn Keep!" General Hoplon, the second-in-command for the Equestrian Guard, had to nearly yell to be heard.

"Make sure they meet up with the 24th Legion, we're going to need all of the scouts we can get," Celestia said as a trio of missives floated before her. They were signed in short order, then passed back to the appropriate stallions. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and she took a brief pause to sip from her cup of water. It was a wonder, she thought, that she was able to keep up at all. Nothing had been this trying since the first days of the war with Whitetail, but at least that particular conflict had had the decency to keep things more or less manageable. If the reports from the scouting parties were to be believed, Cervidae's army was at least double the size of Equestria's. This was especially true for the area immediately surrounding Evinwiir, where anywhere from six to eight thousand redtail were massing for the first battle. Forcing the enemy to fight them at the former Whitetail stronghold would bottleneck any deer reinforcements that might come in after the initial assault, her generals had informed her.

It had not been an easy decision to abandon their long-held encampment, for it would doubtlessly be considered a victory for the citizens of Whitetail. The end of the siege would be viewed as the doing of Elinwynn and her "cooperative" rule with the puppet chancellor, a sign that the joint Cervidae-Whitetail reformation was the right path all along. Their morale would be bolstered, a strong start to the new war, yet trying to hold the hills around Evinwiir would have been tantamount to suicide. It was a good place to bombard the walls, but it was far too open to being flanked. Thus, the majority of Equestria's military might had fallen back to a more defensible position. There wasn't much left of Quillyyn Keep, but there was enough for their purposes.

Feeling decidedly claustrophobic and stressed, Celestia stood and stomped thrice to get everyone's attention. The room quickly fell to silence.

"I realize this is a trying time, but for everyone's sake I feel it would be best if we reconvene after a short break. It is much too chaotic in here to get anything done in a timely manner. I am sure many of you would agree. Please, take some time to have a meal and refocus your thoughts. We will meet back here in half an hour, understood?" She pointed to a nearby water clock for emphasis, its rearing alicorn statuette marking the time as just past nine.

"Yes, Princess," they answered as one.

"Very well. Thank you all for everything you've done to keep Equestria safe. I will see you shortly." She waited for the crowd to disperse, then took a deep breath and trotted into the hallway, where a small retinue of guards waited for her. "That goes for all of you as well. Please feel free to visit the kitchen and order something to eat."

Tercio nodded to his comrades. "You go, lads. I'll stay here with the princess."

"Thank you," Celestia said politely. The other Praetorians saluted and headed down the hall, talking among themselves. "Would you mind following me to the garden? It's quite a beautiful day out."

"As you wish. I am here to serve, Your Highness."

After spending most of the day confined to a cramped room, the open air and warm sunlight was exactly what she needed. It was still just a bit cold, but not uncomfortably so. Clear days were rare during this time of year, and she intended to enjoy it.

"Are you all right?" Tercio asked her once they were free of prying eyes and ears.

"I will be. There's so much going on, so much to think about, and it seems like every time I look away there's another scroll being shoved in my face or another group of unit commanders pushing each other to vie for my attention. It's almost maddening at times." The early day's sun renewed her energy and cleared her mind, giving new life to her flowing mane and tail as it sparkled like polished diamonds. Even now she exuded an aura of beauty and radiance, a flawless facade that hid the trepidation within. "Tonight is going to be sleepless, I fear. In my worst nightmares I would have never imagined that my nation, my people, my friends, would be thrown into two wars in such a short span of time. There's already been so much senseless death and destruction, and just when I thought it might be coming to an end, Elinwynn steps in and starts it anew. If I had known she was such a vile snake of a doe I would have never invited her to the castle in the first place."

Her lip began to quiver, and tears welled in her eyes. She would have never let anyone else see her cry, yet even with someone she loved at her side she felt as if she would somehow be failing her duties if she broke down. "I wish Luna were here," she said in a shaky voice. "Even in my dreams I am alone..."

Tercio set his spear and shield down and embraced her. "It's all right, my love. You're not alone -- you have me. I'm not going anywhere."

She sniffled and pulled back, wiping her eyes. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you too. First my family, then the man I love...you mean so much to me, Tercio. When I'm with you I feel like...like more than myself. You give me a reason to wake up every morning."

"And I very much feel the same about you," he answered with a comforting smile. "So long as I have any say in it, we will be together even if it means I have to carve my way through the entire deer army myself. The gods themselves couldn't keep us apart if they tried." Picking his equipment back up, he fell in at her side as she continued along the winding path through the evergreens and magical winter plants.

"Do you know my greatest fear, Tercio? I fear that I am not doing enough to see Equestria through its time of need. Sometimes I imagine myself standing at the base of the castle as it burns around me, wondering what I could have done to prevent it, second guessing every decision and waking moment."

"I'd say you've done an admirable job keeping us going. Our military had not had an open conflict in many years, yet we showed the whitetail that were strong and capable. We will do the same to the redtail, and it will be thanks to your leadership."

"I want to believe that, truly I do, but the Cervidaens are unlike anything we've faced before. Their numbers are vast, and Elinwynn has complete control over her people." A deep disgust came over her at the mere mention of the name. "Elinwynn. I have never liked her, or anyone else in her lineage to be completely honest. At least her mother had some common sense."

"I get the impression that no-one particularly cares for her demeanor," Tercio added.

"To say the least! Emperor Galdron, Elder Mwolan'e, King Haajial...they've all openly expressed their disdain for her dismissive, holier-than-thou attitude over the years. Even the late Chancellor Artellus couldn't stand her. I'd always tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, despite my personal biases; looks like the others were right to be weary of her."

"And yet they will not send soldiers to help..."

"So it would seem. I cannot say I blame them for not wanting to get involved, but I know what will happen if Equestria falls to the Cervidaens. Elinwynn will not stop with us, she is far too aggressive."

"You say it so plainly. I can only hope the others come around before it is too late." They came to a small bridge over a stream, the source of the garden's water supply, pulled up from deep within the mountain. Its banks were lined with thin sheets of crystal-clear ice that were slowly melting in the warmth of the mid-morning sun. Cold water babbled over smooth stones and fed into a small pond, its surface partially obscured by the previous day's snowfall. Tercio placed his arm around her, leaning into her gentle touch as they enjoyed a quiet moment together. "I know not what the coming days have in store for us, but I will be at your side no matter what. I promise."

Another day down, another report due before he could get any sleep. Under the light of a nearby torch Tercio pored over his notes for the most pertinent information to pass along, quill in hand. Milites Skyfall was still doing an admirable job of leading his fellow recruits, having proven himself as someone who responded to situations quickly and decisively. Stonewall had taken notice of him as well, and had made sure to be particularly rough in the hopes of seeing what the young pegasus was truly capable of.

Then there was Milites Sicarius, an earth pony from the east and a veteran of the opening battle against Whitetail. He was brash and tended to be confrontational, but his skill with sword and board was second to none. Thunderburst and Rimeberry had been hammering down on him to bring him in line, and were making slow progress, but it was a difficult prospect at times.

New requests for training supplies, updates on injuries or sickness, suggestions for individual training sessions -- all of it had to be ordered and jotted down to be added to the stack of scrolls that meticulously kept track of all goings-on in the Praetorian ranks.

He stretched and yawned as the long hours caught up with him. He was free of night shift duty for the first time in a week, and though he regretted not being able to see Celestia he was grateful for the opportunity to get a full night's rest. The Praetorians were beginning to trickle in from their posts in ones and twos, tired and worn out to the last. For some, a trip to the bath house would be in order, a chance to relax after a trying day. For others, their beds were the only things they could think of.

"Evenin', Tercio," Windlass said as he trotted by, his helm kept against his side.

"Windlass."

The young Praetorian, one of the newer inductees, set his things down on his cot and set to work removing the various pieces of armor from his body. It was a long process, even for someone used to doing it day in and day out. He struggled with the straps and buckles, swearing at a stubborn bit of foreleg armor.

"Have you spoken with Thunderburst lately? I think he's looking for you."

Tercio shook his head. "Can't say I have. Any idea what he wants?"

"Sorry, no. He's pulling hall duty for another couple of hours near the throne room, if you wish to find him."

"It's always something with him. New recruit troubles, I'd be willing to bet."

Windlass laughed at the thought. "Wouldn't surprise me. He's got the dogs thinking he's from the nine hells, that I can guarantee you. Him and Rimeberry both, matter of fact. Rimeberry, of all ponies!"

"I didn't think he had it in him. He's usually so quiet, you know? Maybe he should stick with Thunderburst more often, we'd have these recruits whipped into shape in no time." Tercio gave a once-over to the scroll to make sure nothing had been neglected, then rolled it up and bound it with a short length of purple ribbon. "You headed to the baths with some of the others?"

"I might be," Windlass shrugged, "provided I can ever get these damned greaves off."

"Best of luck, then."

"Yeah, thanks..."

He called out as he left the room. "Try pulling it toward you and lifting!" The sound of a latch falling free followed him down the hall.

The Praetorian barracks hall led to an open air path that curved around the western side of the castle. Patches of snow dotted the ground, a far cry from the nearly knee-deep powder he'd trudged through only a week ago. From there, it was a short walk to the guarded side entrance, then past the senior officers' quarters. Aside from a few ponies going about their business the area was relatively quiet, with the crackling of torches serving as the only compliment to the echoing of Tercio's marching sandals on the marble floor.

"I thought you had the night off," Cloudtop said as Tercio approached the doors to the throne room. The metal of his wing-blades clacked against each other as he stretched.

"I do, but I'm looking for Thunderburst. Is he around?"

"Storage room just down there. He's been in there for a while. Rearranging supplies or some-such, I think."

Tercio thanked him and headed back the way he came, turning right at the intersection that led to the storage area. He knocked on the door frame and stuck his head inside. The air smelled stale, like old parchment and dust. The unmistakable sound of someone dragging and dropping supply barrels and chests came from the far end of the room.

"You back here, Thunderburst?" he called out.

"Tercio?" came a reply. "Yeah, glad you came by. Mind giving me a helping hoof for a moment?"

Floor to ceiling stacks of long-term supplies, a precaution against the possibility of a prolonged siege, formed a maze-like path between himself and Thunderburst, and he had to twist sideways to get through more than one gap. A white tail bobbed from around the corner, accompanied by Thunderburst swearing at a heavy chest.

"Gods above! What is this damned thing filled with, pig iron?" The dark-coated pegasus wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Tercio. "Think you can help me out? I need to move this next to those wine casks, but I'll be damned if I can actually lift the thing."

Tercio sized it up and nodded. "I think I can do that. Might be able to get it myself." With a grunt of exertion he hefted the chest, his muscles straining against the weight, and set it down on top of a thick stack of wooden boards. "Right, that wasn't so bad. Is there anything else you--"

As he turned around he was roughly shoved against the wall, nearly stumbling over a pile of small crates. Thunderburst hovered in front of him, his armored hooves pressed into Tercio's chest hard enough to be painful. He stared down Tercio with disgust and anger, pushing him back once more as he spoke.

"How long, human?"

"What are you--"

"How long have you been fucking the princess?!"

Tercio flushed with dread. "Thunderburst, I have no idea what you're--"

"Don't fucking lie to me!" A hoof slammed into the wall next to his head. "I saw you with her in the garden. You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you? I see it in your eyes. What, did you think no one would notice? I've had my suspicions for some time; the constant night shifts, the repeated requests for you to serve as her sole guard, the favor she's shown you for months on end. Everything I'd suspected was proven true the moment I saw you embrace her like only a lover would."

It had finally happened. Someone had found out about them, someone who was not the understanding sort like Stonewall or Mended Heart. Of all the ponies, it had to be Thunderburst. Tercio cursed his luck. Cautiously he moved the irate Praetorian's wooden foreleg replacement out of the way, feeling the sting where it had left a bruise on his chest.

"Look, Thunderburst...I am not going to deny it, for I see no point in doing so. Yes, the princess and I are in a relationship, and have been for a short while now. Perhaps a few months at most. Is that what you want to hear?"

Thunderburst stumbled over his words and swore in frustration.

"This is a betrayal! You took the oath just the same as the rest of us, and you swore on your life that you would protect the princess! Our duty is to her, to the very idea of what she stands for! We are supposed to be impartial to everything outside of her well-being! She is our very reason for serving!"

"She still is, and always will be," Tercio said calmly. "I am no less of a Praetorian for being intimate with her."

Thunderburst laughed in disbelief. "You would claim to be no different from the rest of us when you've buried your cock in her, like she's some common street mare? You disgust me, and soon everyone will know the truth. You are unfit to call yourself 'Praetorian'!"

A welling of anger surged within Tercio, and he shoved Thunderburst away from him.

"I am unfit?! When I fought against the whitetail who sought to slaughter us, was I unfit then? When I suffered terrible injuries protecting the throne room, was I unfit then? When I saved your very life from the assassin while you hobbled away with a bleeding stump where your foreleg had been, was I unfit then?" He stepped toward Thunderburst until he was mere inches from his face. "I have given everything that has been asked of me and more! Despite everything that has stood in my way as the only one of my kind, despite battling against a dark magic I could not even begin to describe, and despite the words of ponies like you who would deride me for my choices, I am still here! I have earned my right to call myself a Praetorian, and nothing you can say will ever take that from me!" When Thunderburst didn't immediately answer, he stepped back and took a moment to calm himself.

"You may think of me what you wish, but I love her. Celestia is far more than I could have ever hoped for, and probably more than I deserve. I did not force her to be with me. It was entirely of her own choosing, and I would say she has earned the right to find some modicum of comfort and happiness in these terrible times. If you truly care about her well-being you will not look down upon either of us for it."

"It's not that simple," Thunderburst objected.

"It is that simple, my friend. Celestia is not a deity, nor someone wholly unconcerned with the same things as the rest of us. She may be more capable than any of us and far longer-lived, but she is still a pony. With the renewed war and without Luna here to be her anchor, she faces stress unimaginable to anyone else. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and happy, no matter the situation." Tercio shrugged. "If you cannot understand such a thing, then nothing I can say will change your mind."

Thunderburst dropped to his hooves, folding his wings back against his side, and fumed as he considered Tercio's words.

"Do you know what will happen if everyone hears about this? Your precious Imperator training will be but a memory."

Tercio narrowed his brow. "Is that a threat?"

"Not a threat -- an inevitability."

"Do you really think you're the only one who knows about us?" he asked in amusement. "Mended Heart has known about the princess' attraction since before even I did. Stonewall not only knows of our relationship, but encourages it! In fact, he knew before I was ever considered to enter senior officer training." It was enough to make Thunderburst lift a surprised foreleg, a move Tercio considered a satisfying victory to behold. He bent down so they were eye level with one another. "Still think my career is in jeopardy? Go ahead, tell our brothers. Tell the fucking entirety of Canterlot for all I care. My actions as part of the Praetorian Guard speak for themselves. I would follow all of you into the depths of the nine hells themselves if that was what was asked of me, and everyone knows it." He stood back up and pushed his way past. "Do what you will, Decanus Thunderburst."

Everyone had their own way of dealing with the stress of impending warfare. Some retreated into drink and excess, spending their hard-earned darics with the knowledge that it might be their very last night on this earth. Others wrote letters to family and friends, to lovers past or present, intending to leave nothing unsaid should the worst come to pass.

For Corvalix, his ritual was simple. Just before sunset he would gather his weapons and armor out on the balcony, arranging them neatly before him on a long table. Helm, neck guard, chest plate, pauldrons, foreleg guards, segmented torso armor, hind leg guards, quinn-blade and shield -- from one end to another, displayed within easy reach. A decanter of berrywine would be his only companion for the next several hours, its warmth comforting him while the sun set across the hills and gave way to the darkness of night. By the orange glimmer of torch light he would meticulously clean and polish every last piece to a mirror sheen, using the time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.

An officer must make himself known. He could hear his father's words as he inspected the deep emerald quinndryll that had been marred by combat. The old stag might have been foolish in some ways, a puppet to his far more powerful wife than anything else, but his advice still rang true. Corvalix would blind his enemies with the radiance of Cervidae, and those who fell to his sword would know that they had been bested by a true leader, just as he had been taught.

He smiled briefly at the memory, at the face that faded more with every passing year. If only his parents were around to see their children now, taking the fight to the ponies at long last. Centuries of resentment had brewed within the redtail nation, simmering like a mountain of fire waiting to erupt, and his mother and father had been no different. Who could blame them? Equestria had been instrumental in the division of redtail and whitetail, using the racial divide to split the once powerful land of Orchourus into warring nation-states, so that Equestria would be free to expand unopposed. King Argo, the damnable winged unicorn of old, had always hated having a powerful neighbor to the north. His subservient queen had followed him in lock-step, never questioning his motives -- a trait that had been passed on to Celestia, the maddeningly stubborn 'princess' that had brought so much ruin to Whitetail.

In truth, he had expected Whitetail to fall. Planned on it, even. The flood of disenfranchised and desperate refugees would have drummed up immense sympathy among the people of Cervidae, giving plenty of reason for his sister to declare war and be justified in her actions. It was unfortunate, then, that Celestia had not invaded the capital of Evinwiir properly, choosing a prolonged siege that was almost entirely limited to self-defense while she sought to find some way, any way, of getting Chancellor Vinawyll to negotiate a surrender.

Vinawyll. The coward who dared speak to Elinwynn as if he were an equal in any sense of the word! He had thus far managed to keep his life, for he was still useful in keeping his people in line...for the time being. The recent purge of dissenters and traitors had been swift and unforgiving, winning him no favors except among the most hard-line of war hawks. In his eagerness to appease Elinwynn he had turned his own people against him, conveniently leaving a gap in their hearts and minds that would be filled by the staunch leadership of the empress from across the border who now called Evinwiir her own.

From the false-flag attack on River Run and Artellus' assassination, to the detonation of the aetherflame stockpiles, and now the gradual change of power in Whitetail, Elinwynn's plans had proven to be a masterwork. Even better, they had been carried out nearly flawlessly, and no one was any the wiser.

As he watched the moon rise over the horizon, the cratered image of Celestia's fallen sister burned into its visage, he truly felt contented. Only one obstacle stood between Cervidae and the greatness it deserved: Equestria, the self-serving nation that embodied everything wrong with the world. Soon he would lead his bucks into battle once more, and together they would tear Equestria down, burn it to ashes, and in its place a resurgent deer empire would rise to its rightful glory.