The Auroran Valley loomed ever closer. Jagged boulders and scattered evergreens jutted from the rocky escarpments to either side of the canyon road, obscuring the sun as the royal procession dipped below the crest. It was cold here, far colder than the open expanse of patchy forest leading to Canterlot.

Five open-topped wagons full of Praetorian Guards made low, circling passes over the area. Nobody trusted the deer, doubly so when the life of Princess Celestia was potentially at risk. The pegasus teams signaled to one another and began to land on the hard, frozen soil. The wagons rattled and shook as they touched down. Immediately a large group of Praetorians disgorged and spread out, forming a defensive wall between themselves and their deer counterparts a short distance away.

Tercio craned his neck to look through the open-air window of Celestia's sky carriage. There was already a small collection of chariots gathered below, made of dark red wood and polished crystal plate that the deer were so fond of. A line of soldiers in emerald armor stood at attention, spears jutting into the air. Behind them, slimmer, more petite figures in dark blue waited. The vaunted Imperial Protectorate, no doubt.

Polaris knocked his armored hoof against the floor twice. "As soon as we're on the ground I want a defensive circle around the princess. First and Fourth Barracks will act as our initial line of defense. Keep an eye out for archers on the ridgelines. Plowshare and myself will be on alert for any suspicious changes in magical presence. Rimeberry, Tercio, Bear and Portly will take front facing positions. If the deer do come at us I want them to meet a solid wall of muscle and steel.

"We will depart at the first sign of trouble, for I am taking no risks. Princess, if for any reason you wish to cut the meeting short we will have you airborne within seconds. If worse comes to worse and we are unable to evacuate as a unit, then I trust you are capable of getting yourself beyond range of any immediate danger."

"I am," Celestia answered, "but let us hope it does not come to that."

The carriage jerked as its wheels touched ground, rumbling over the stony hoof path, coming to a gradual stop just behind the protective formation. Celestia took a deep, calming breath to quiet the heartbeat pounding mercilessly in her ears. It did little to help.

"On me," Polaris said. The full contingent of Praetorians quickly stepped out, forming a semicircle around the carriage door with shields out and spears up. Everyone was on alert, scanning the environment for the slightest sign of any underhoofed trickery that Elinwynn's forces had become known for.

Celestia followed immediately after. She did not want to be seen as indecisive before the negotiations even began, though she wished she had more time. For days she'd practiced what she was going to say, speaking to herself at length and changing every little facet of her plea for peace. She had been careful in her tone and inflection, precise in her chosen words so as to appear reasonable but firm, and yet, as she stepped ever closer, she knew any plea she could make would fall upon deaf ears. Practiced speeches would mean nothing. Elinwynn had been difficult to speak with at the best of times, and the prolonged war with deerkind had not helped in that matter. How could it, when it had all been her doing from the very start? Celestia cursed the vile doe under her breath. Tens of thousands had died on both sides of a conflict that never should have happened in the first place, but it did not seem to matter to Elinwynn in the least. She stood across the way, her antlers visible among the spear points, no doubt waiting with that damned smug, condescending smirk on her face. This was all a game to her -- and the suffering she had inflicted upon countless innocents? All a means to an end.

The princess took a calming breath as she approached, forcing down the anger that was threatening to boil up to the surface. There had to be some way to get through to her! If only she could find something, anything! She had always believed that no one was beyond redemption, but with Elinwynn it seemed that course of action was a distant fantasy at best.

Her personal retinue moved in lock step as she walked to the empty gap between the two nations' battle lines. Elinwynn did the same across the way, taking a small contingent of stags and does with her. Her brother was nowhere to be seen, likely back at the camp awaiting his orders. Dealing with him would have been a different matter entirely, and Celestia was just a bit grateful that she wouldn't have to.

They came to a stop a scant few paces from one another. Elinwynn had come prepared for battle as well, it seemed, with a full set of mirror-smooth, gold-etched crystalline armor the color of midnight blossoms. A matching sapphire-blue banner flew from a ring on the back of her neck armor, long and thin, tapering off and ending in double triangular points . A long lance and a quinn-blade hung at her side.

For a time they said nothing, studying one another in an uneasy silence. A cold gust blew through the valley, swaying and tinkling the thin gold chains that hung from several of Elinwynn's antler points. A single length of blue and white ribbon fluttered from the center, tied off on either side, a symbol of honor and respect given to only the most qualified and gifted of Cervidae's military ranks; or, more likely, presented to Elinwynn by none other than herself as yet another unwarranted show of her apparent superiority.

With the other Praetorians watching their backs, Celestia's chosen spread out in a shield wall in front of her. Rimeberry took the position immediately before her, flanked by Tercio, Bear and Portly, with the pegasi and unicorns at the edges. Tercio in particular struck an imposing figure, easily a head taller than the tallest deer without their antlers. It would be the first time they'd seen him in the flesh, to be sure, and he used that fact to stare them down in an act of intimidation. They did not outwardly react, but she could tell they were unsure about the strange creature that stood before them. Good, let them worry.

"Really, Princess, I'd expected you to be more amiable after all this time. No warm greetings for an old acquaintance?" Elinwynn was the first to speak, her voice light and airy, as if it was just another day. When Celestia didn't respond she scoffed and held a hoof to her chest in mock exasperation. "I can see I will have to be the voice of reason here. How unfortunate. And here I thought you prided yourself on your skill with words! All of this could have been avoided had you simply agreed to my terms of --"

"Enough, Elinwynn," Celestia said sharply. "Spare me your petty games. I did not come here to listen to you pretend to be reasonable. I want to put an end to this revolting war right here and now, and if you will not entertain the idea then I will leave. You will find no begging here."

Elinwynn's smile faded. "I never expected you to beg, Celestia. I want to put an end to this conflict just as much as you do. All I ask is that you surrender yourself. Do so, and your beloved ponies will be spared. On this, I give you my word."

"Your word? Your word means nothing. I would sooner trust a snake coiled around my neck. Withdraw your forces and return to Cervidae. Stop this unjustified slaughter. We can speak of territory later."

"I assure you, Princess, I can be --"

"Withdraw your forces and return to Cervidae. Please, think of the lives you will save, the families you will reunite. There has been enough blood spilled."

The empress cocked her head. "I would say I have reunited quite a few families. Or have you failed to notice the reunification of Cervidae and Whitetail? Perhaps you were too busy bombarding innocent deer to realize that you are not seen as a conquering hero among them. No matter, I shall carry that burden as well."

"Your burden is the death and destruction you have brought to these lands for your own selfish goals."

"And yours is the utter failure of your so-called leadership, nevermind your blatant disregard for your sister. What was it you said? Decades of resentment, and you wrote it off as nothing more than petty jealousy? You'll forgive me if I do not recall the words specifically, it has been some time since you took it upon yourself to destroy my wonderful pendant you so graciously kept at your side for all those months. Imagine what Luna would think! She's gone for a few months, and suddenly your entire nation comes tumbling down. I suppose we know who the real ruler of Equestria is...or rather, was."

"How dare you speak her name," Celestia said through gritted teeth. "You know nothing of my sister."

"On the contrary, I know all about her. I know that she used to enjoy opal berry amasec with her nightly meals. I know that she spoke passable Saddle Arabian, and envied your father for his extensive knowledge of foreign languages. And I know she wanted to put an end to this strapping example of a human before his 'gift' could manifest itself." Elinwynn turned to Tercio with an inquisitive stare. "Or am I mistaken?" Tercio did not flinch as she took a step closer and made a show of looking him over. The urge to reach out and strangle the life from her was almost overwhelming. He stood his ground and grasped his spear tightly until his knuckles turned white.

"Don't you speak to him. This is between you and I," Celestia warned her.

"It's fine, Princess," Tercio said. "She cannot say anything to harm me."

"Well at least one of you is reasonable," Elinwynn said. "It is so good to see you again, Sir Tercio Krosus of Summervale. I trust you have been well, andwyyn?" She waited for a response. When she did not get one, she carried on. "I would have thought you'd be more excited to see me. If I remember correctly, you told your precious pony princess that I was rather easy on the eyes. I must say, I'm quite flattered. Beauty truly transcends petty boundaries of race and species, doesn't it?" She giggled playfully. "You could always come back with me, you know. The deer are your true family, in a way, and family most certainly takes care of one another..."

"Like you take care of your own?" Tercio retorted. "I believe your uncle would say differently, had you not fed him to the crows."

"Ah yes, that. If you knew my uncle you would not be so quick to judge."

"Or perhaps you speak of your beloved parents actually being uncle and niece?" Her self-assured facade shifted ever so slightly, a barely imperceptible twitch threatening to turn it into a stern glare. "Strange how no one in Cervidae seems to remember that. At least, no one alive; but I assure you Celestia does. Didn't catch that in your eavesdropping, now did you?" He looked her straight in the eyes. "If murder and incest is the way of your 'family', then I will have to pass, Empress."

It was a cathartic exchange. He'd finally had the chance to put her in her place, if only for a moment. The look she gave him made it clear he'd hit a particularly sensitive nerve.

"You don't know the slightest --"

"Elinwynn. If you are done harassing my soldiers now?" Celestia asked.

"Oh don't be so stubborn," she said. "We're just having a friendly conversation, aren't we, human?" Those piercing green eyes seemed to look through him, as if searching for something. "I know all about the 'darkness' that you so struggled against. It would seem the whitetail finally managed to get their conditioning right. Quite the impressive feat, if I do say so. Did you know you were to be the first of a whole new batch of human warriors? What a pity that the ponies couldn't mind their own business long enough for Whitetail to complete its plans. Imagine the possibilities!"

"I would rather not. I've seen what even one of them is capable of if left to the machinations of your kind. No one deserves such cruelty -- which, it seems, is the only thing you excel at," Tercio said.

"Hmmph. The human who became a misplaced orphan. The orphan who became a soldier. The soldier who became the lover of royalty; such a strange and fascinating specimen you are, Tercio."

"So I've heard," he said.

Elinwynn stepped back behind the safety of her guards. Using her magic, she reached into a side pouch on the doe to her right. A scroll floated out, and she tossed it Celestia's way. The princess caught it with her own magic and levitated it before her. It was an old length of parchment, faded with time and curled along its edges.

"I trust I have your attention, Princess? Please, if you would read the letter aloud for the benefit of all in attendance. I think they will want to hear what is written."

Celestia wearily unrolled the scroll, curious as to its contents and weary of Elinwynn's deceits. The words were familiar, with the sweeping curves and long tails so intrinsic to the deer languages, but different enough to make following along somewhat difficult. She had not had to read Ochroer'iniis in centuries.

"To Brother-General Telindryyl of the Ochrouran Collective," she recited aloud. "I hope this missive finds you well. The flaring of tensions between your whitetail and redtail races is unfortunate, and I sympathize with the internal strife that threatens to tear your nation apart. Equestria is a place of frequent turmoil and stubborn hold-outs from the old ways of thinking, but I believe we are finally reaching the turning point in our efforts to unify our lands.

"I have had time to think upon our previous meeting and consider your words, and after much deliberation I have made my decision. Your dreams of shared prosperity are inviting, and though the road may be long and sometimes terrible out of necessity, it is with firm stance and clear mind that I offer the backing of Equestria to..." Her voice trailed off, and she stopped and looked up at Elinwynn with uncertainty. "What is this?"

"Please continue," Elinwynn said firmly.

"...to the cause of the whitetail and their fight for independence. By royal edict I am opening our coffers and offering access to our ley lines in the name of continued cooperation between our peoples. I ask only that you do not divulge the nature of our acquaintance, and remember our aid in the coming years. Peace and honor be upon you, my friend. Signed, King Argo Navis, 1E 3280."

Celestia couldn't believe what she'd just read. Her father had provided funding, at least in part, to the then-fledgling whitetail independence movement. Decades of slow escalation would later result in the deer civil war, a crisis that she and Luna would have to deal with a scant few years after the deaths of their parents. How could this be the first time she'd heard of such a thing? It had to be a trick.

"Where did you get this from?" she demanded. That damned smug grin had returned.

"Unsurprisingly, from Evinwiir, my dear Princess. The archives are quite thorough, if one knows how to search through them. At least, what remains of the archive building after your catapults reduced half of it to rubble. Curious thing, isn't it? It would seem the whitetail are not so inept as I'd thought. Their record keeping is impeccable, if nothing else."

"I don't believe any of this. You clearly forged this scroll as an attempt to justify your meaningless war."

"Believe what you will, but I assure you this document is as authentic as the army at my back. You see now that it was Equestria, not us or the whitetail, that acted as the fuel for the fires of war. Your father provided our oh-so-righteous cousins with the means to declare their superiority; coin for their equipment, magic for their experiments. Some of those very experiments would be quite unique in nature. I believe you called one of them 'Secundus'? Of course, they were not content to stop there, were they?" She looked back to Tercio for a brief moment, satisfied with herself. "How ironic that the very deer you now fight against provided you with your dashing lover, all thanks to your father's generous donation. I wonder what he would say if he were here..."

"Even if this scroll is real," Celestia said, "it does not give you the right to act so callously, and it certainly does not justify a war more than two hundred years later."

"On its own, perhaps, but one day the good deer of the expanded Cervidaen Hegemony will read all about how the now-defunct Equestria brought about its own ruin through barbarism and lies. The great Princess Celestia, so beloved by her people, saw fit to launch an unprovoked attack upon the poor deer of River Run -- the first of many such atrocities that started all the way back with her father. Only through sacrifice and bravery in the face of adversity did our brethren put an end to her warmongering, and that of her foul sister who sought to use our very own citizens against us. Quite the harrowing tale, wouldn't you agree?"

A deep abhorrence burned through her like poison. She had not expected Elinwynn to give serious consideration to any sort of peace, but this was beyond the pale.

"So," Elinwynn continued, yanking the scroll back to her side, "the way I see it, there are two options: either you surrender yourself to my custody and your ponies are spared, or you continue to resist and see your precious Canterlot burn to the ground. I suggest you choose carefully."

"And if I die, then what?" Celestia countered. "You do realize you'll be condemning this world to an eternal twilight, don't you? No matter what you think of me, the fact remains that the sun must continue to rise and fall upon our world, and I do not know of anyone else who can accomplish such a task. It would be the slow destruction of everyone and everything, and you would be to blame. Is that really worth a centuries-old grievance?"

A disbelieving laugh was her answer. "Please, Celestia, do not think me so ill-informed of your history. I know all about how your unicorns used to band together to accomplish the same task that you now carry out so selflessly, back before your 'alicorns' appeared one day to lord over them like gods. They can be taught to do it again, if need be. And if not, well...I have no lack of confidence in the ability of my wonderful and talented does to concoct a solution. I assure you, you are not irreplaceable.

"Your father obviously feared the power the united deer could wield -- as should you. Moving the sun and moon will be a challenge, undoubtedly, but I would not underestimate our resolve. Now, about that answer? And do hurry, I grow tired of this cold."

Celestia tried not to let her frustration show through. Trying to figure out the redtail empresses had been a nearly lifelong endeavor, with each one of them using their words in subtle, different ways that were difficult to pin down. It had become yet another part of the game of international politics, a routine that could largely be ignored.

Now she was paying for that complacency in the worst way possible. She could not detect a single crack in Elinwynn's boastful demeanor, and it was blatantly obvious that she did not care for negotiating. Why would she? She held all the advantages and she knew it.

Worst of all, Elinwynn had what appeared to be proof that her father had conspired with the whitetail. Why hadn't he told her? Perhaps he thought her too young, or the matter too unimportant. After all, it was not the first time Equestria or one of its neighbors had sought to secure its own future against a perceived threat. Whatever the case may have been, it was as close to a serious justification for war as Elinwynn had produced, and certainly more than Whitetail's easily-dismissed claim of Equestrian soldiers attacking River Run -- that particular lie had been seen through by many whitetail in exile, but like Elinwynn had said, the truth would be whatever she wanted it to be, once she won. If she won. Celestia was not about to lay down and die.

"I have long suspected your family of harboring grudges. Your entire lineage has been full of egotistical, petty leaders who have put themselves above the well-being of their people. I had hoped that trend would change with you, but it would appear I was wrong.

"You have been manipulating entire nations from the very start, casting aside countless lives in your misguided pursuit of 'justice' for a centuries-old perceived slight. You are a liar, a criminal and a butcher!" Celestia stomped a hoof, taking a step closer. The guards around Elinwynn closed ranks, forming a solid barrier between them. The Praetorians did the same in return, and they stared each other down with weapons at the ready.

Elinwynn was utterly unimpressed, letting out a dramatic sigh as she held a foreleg across her chest.

"Oh, Celestia. You talk and talk, yet you say so little of value. I am a reasonable doe caught in the midst of an unreasonable situation; one which you, in all of your 'grace', have seen fit to ignore entirely in the name of some silly, misguided attempt at standing atop the moral high ground. History does not care for petty morality, and neither do I."

"That much is clear," Celestia bit back. "I would never surrender myself or my nation to your so-called mercy. You want my answer? There you have it."

That was it, then. There would be no peace between them. Thousands would die needlessly before the fighting was done, and one way or another Cervidae and Equestria would never be the same. Even now she second-guessed herself, wondering what she could have done differently since the onset of the war with Whitetail to change things for the better. Who could have seen a single false-flag attack turning into the largest war the known world had ever seen? Furthermore, Elinwynn had not shown any sign of aggression before her sudden push into Whitetail. Perhaps if she'd been more cautious, more attentive, she could have seen it coming. It was no use speculating on such things now.

"Hmm. How amusing you are," Elinwynn said, unfazed by her finality. "I wonder: will you still feel that way when you see your city burning and your citizens dead in the streets? I suppose we shall find out shortly." She clicked her tongue and lifted a hoof in a shrug. "Delwa'yyn tirr draal. So be it, then. Such a shame. I had hoped you would see reason, but once again you prove to be incessantly prideful."

Her antlers suddenly crackled with magical power. A large earthenware pot near her guards was hurled into the air, climbing above the rock walls until it became a distant speck silhouetted against the clouds. It hung there for a heartbeat, then exploded in a brilliant flash that left trailing tendrils of red smoke.

The sound of Cervidaen war horns echoed through the canyon, followed by the collective battle cry of tens of thousands of deer.

"I suggest you leave, Princess. Now." Elinwynn bowed courteously, then turned without so much as a glance back in Celestia's direction, taking her guards with her. "I will be seeing you shortly," she said aloud. "That I can promise you."

The princess remained for only a moment, shaking with anger and fighting back tears of disappointment and sorrow, and boarded her sky carriage at Polaris' urging. The escorting flights of Praetorians clustered around her, using themselves as shields and obscuring her from view.

It was a short flight back to the castle, but it was the longest wait of her life.