With the eyes of dawn creeping through the stained glass windows of the throne room of Canterlot, lighting across the floor the many scenes of the success of Equestria. The banishment of Nightmare Moon. The Second Griffon War being brought down. The Return of Harmony and Princess Luna. The Return of Discord. The Canterlot Wedding. The Dark Crusade. The Fourth Princess.

All these scenes dancing across the floor of the throne room. The rays of morning doing nothing to hide Dawn’s hatred. She sat on the throne and watched the Fourth Princess stained glass window, almost as if she knew something. She dug deep inside her mind to try and find out who that was. She would have mistakened herself but she was not lavender. It seemed strange.

She refocused as she noticed that the advisor of hers that was left behind was Solar Comet. A stallion who was slender like a mare but held a certain power beneath him, his bright white coat standing out of his bright gold armor. His nearly glowing blonde mane spiked and slicked back. Solar Comet was an Earth Pony but his talent was controlling magic, absorbing it into him and reusing it for his own purposes. The Mage Hunter, he is calling himself. He crossed his hooves over his chest and he asked in a voice like knives, “What troubles you young hunter?”

Dawn looked back at the panes and replied, “I don’t know...something about that Fourth Princess one...it’s strange....It looks like me but I know that it is not.”

Solar Comet stepped next to the throne and said, “I prefer not to ask if not told. She’ll tell you when she returns. Anyways...I bear news.”

Dawn looked over at her friend and said, “And that is?”

“The Talvani have refused to offer their arcane crystals,” Solar said coldly, “They claim that they do not wish to get involved with Equine Empire affairs.”

Dawn clenched her hoof and gritted her teeth as she added, “We are the Equine Empire no longer.”

Solar nodded and said, “That’s what I said, but they want to remain neutral in the civil war. And that they must keep to themselves.”

Dawn gawked and said, “Cowards. The first sign of danger and they are sent running back to their caves. They have not even seen a war before. It would do them good to have a war under their new nation. They cannot remain neutral forever.”

Solar raised his hooves, “If you are suggesting what I think you are suggesting then I would advise against it. They are beyond our borders and is too far to be reached within precise time. A week maybe two there and back.”

Dawn pushed herself off the throne and said, “Yes but they made an agreement to the Solar Empire. They have Talin in our borders, while their locations are unknown they will surely perish before they make it back to their nation. They cannot abandon us now...we are close to making them.”

Solar Comet pressed his hoof against the bridge of his nose and stressed, “But we have little troops to work with, and even if we did we would set off a lot of hate from some of the other nations. While they are not particularly strong militarily, we would still expend more resources than what is acceptable.”

Dawn said, “Then perhaps we send a hoof full and stage a coup.”

Solar’s eyes grew wider and asked, “I’m sorry can you repeat that? Did I just hear that you wanted to stage a coup against the Talvani?”

Dawn added, “Hardly costly and we only send a battalion. That is all we will need. Then once we have set up the leaders, we purge the Talvani.”

Solar was about to say something in replience but was stopped as Dawn said sternly, “That is an order as acting leader.”

Solar rolled his eyes and bowed, “Yes, of course.”

Solar turned on his hooves to the exit and slowly walked out. Leaving Dawn to think and rest. Dawn sat back in the throne and as she stared back at the windows her vision faltered on her and her eyes began to drift shut.

“And what am I supposed to do? Sit here and wait while Dracula throws his life away?” Twilight said exasperatedly. Throwing her hooves up in the air, had she not proven that she can handle herself in a fight? Had she not proven her worth? Discord pressed his griffon talon against the bridge of his nose and his other arm crossed over his chest.

Discord replied equabled, “It is not that he does not trust or doubt you. He just does not know if you would let your feelings get in the way. You would be going against your former teacher. While I would highly suggest that you do this I must respectfully decline it being your advisor. You do not have the time nor the resources to join a civil war.”

Twilight rested her hooves on her desk as they stood in the library once more, the combined rays being curtained behind a layer of clouds. Twilight affirmed her calmed mood, “I suppose that you are right Discord...I just wish I was able to do something other than just sit here and wait for an end to a war.”

Discord clapped his claw on her slightly armored shoulder, “Sometimes all we can do is wait.”

Twilight looked distantly at the wall. She had so much on her plate. Her parents were staying with her. Spike had fallen ill. And her country was in jeopardy of falling apart. She needed Dracula the most now and he was away fighting a war that she hoped would be taken care of soon. But she could not dismiss the sneaking suspicion that crawled up the bowels of her stomach that she would be forced into the war. Like it or not.

The oaken door to the library opened and in came Fluttershy, who was staying at the castle as well as Pinkie, as they were trying to find the source of Spike’s illness. Fluttershy seemed troubled, as she always looked knowing that Spike was fallen ill.

Twilight dared not ask anything other than, “How is he?”

Fluttershy let out a sigh and responded, “He is doing fine. His condition has not worsened or improved. He seems sustained in a coma. I tried everything I could Twilight I’m so-”

“It’s fine,” Twilight interrupted, “At least we know that he is still living. I just… I wish I could do something…”

Twilight Velvet stepped into the room and Twilight tried not to notice her ushering in. Twilight focused on her not trying to cry in front of her friends. She kept her back to the door and closed her eyes and felt lost with her thoughts. She felt tender hooves rest on her shoulders. She wanted them to be Dracula’s but she knew they weren’t. Everything was going great, everything was going so well. Then this war had to start and she could not even support him. She heard her mother’s voice soothe her, “It will be okay.”

Twilight grabbed her mother’s hooves and choking back her tears she said, “I just hope that he’ll be okay...both of them…”

Twilight turned and pulled her mother in for a hug and Twilight felt warmth she had not felt in years. The warm embrace of her mother, lulling her and telling her that everything was going to be fine. Twilight chuckled to herself letting a few tears fall as she said, “I must be pathetic right now...A princess crying…”

Her mother moved her chin up and she looked into her eyes and her mother said, “It just means that you are a pony. That you still have a heart, and I know for certain that you always will have one.”

For what felt like an eternity she held her mother. Just letting out her emotions, and after a few minutes Twilight pushed herself away and wiped her eyes and nodded at her mother with a smile. Twilight looked at Fluttershy and said, “Keep tabs on Spike. Let me know if anything changes.”

“Okay Twilight.”

Fluttershy let herself out and hung a right. Twilight looked back to her mother and said, “Thanks mom. I needed that.”

Twilight Velvet smiled and replied, “Anytime sweetheart. I think I go make dinner, I will call you when it is ready.”

She left the room and Twilight looked back over at Discord who released a fake sarcastic tear and said, “That was so sweet…”

Twilight chuckled and said to his jest, “Shut up Discord.”

They shared a round of laughter and Discord coughed and said, “Yes...well. I do believe that we have reports to read. The nightwatch claims that we will have conscriptors from the Solar Empire in a few days.”

Twilight regained her former noble and strong compsure and said, “I will let the Ebonmanes stationed here to take care of that. Next.”

“The new watchmen have been recruited and are now awaiting training,” Discord lifted a paper, “We as well have come up with a scouting team that is willing to watch the outer perimeter of Ponyville. Shall I send the order for them to begin scouting?”

Twilight sat back down at her desk and mused tapping her chin with her hoof, “Yes. Spit it into shifts. One group makes their rounds once and then exchange with the second group.”

Discord replied, “Excellent. I will issue the order immediately. And...we as well have some suggestions for new laws and some modifications to others.”

Twilight nestled herself comfortably in her seat. She knew that it was going to be a while, with the amount of democratic power that Ponyville has. She felt her soul cleansed and her mind cleared getting that off of her chest. If she was to sit there and wait for a victor then she would improve provisions there and a chance to improve the martial skill of the guards under her control. She was not about to let this impede on her skills of ruling over ponies.

But what was kept fresh in her mind was that grueling vision of Ponyville set ablaze. Twilight activated her magic and summoned a piece of paper and a quill and said with the powerful lavender aura enveloping the quill, “Let’s get this done.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the short chapter. I needed to clear up a few things before I segwayed into the armies marching! Don't worry, there will be some hard core blood spilling for the next few chapters.

See you guys next chapter!
~Sylus~