Cold wind swept across the land, bringing snow with it as it fell onto the ground below. The Griffon nation had always had untamed weather much like the Everfree forest in Equestria, so noone knew what to expect of it. Princess Celestia had made her way into the nation by herself and without any guards for protection. Upon arriving at the boundaries of griffon territory she was met with no hostility from escort that led her to the capital. It was a short flight and uneventful, but the escorts would always turn their heads to check her location behind them.

It had been almost a hundred years since her last visit to the griffon nation and as time passed, new rulers would take a stand over the nation to help guide it along the right path into the future. Although Celestia would send letters back and forth to keep on the nations good side, It had recently taken a fall in standing from more recent events. Mainly due to the appearance of a new Alicorn in Equestria, and a weather patrol who had been hired by the griffon nation from Equestria to help maintain the weather around the less populated cities and forests to try and force better plant growth so that wildlife would flourish. Being a griffon meant that their diet would consist of mainly meat, which meant many hunting parties would be sent out to hunt for food in their forests. However, wildlife had seen a massive decline as of late due to over hunting game. This meant that the plants would start to grow large and over a wider area since there would be less herbivorous animals to eat them. The nation has even resulted to hunting other predators in order to keep the nation fed.

Celestia had arrived in the capital with many watchful eyes resting on her as she trotted into the building. She noticed that quit a few of the griffons around her seemed to be malnourished and rather weak. Once inside the building she made her way toward the receptionists desk at the entrance to see a young female griffon sitting behind the desk.

"Princess Celestia, it's an honor to finally meet you." The young griffon spoke giving her a nod. "If you will follow me, I will lead you to the kings meeting room." She spoke as she stepped from behind the desk and began to walk toward the far right door within the large room. Upon entering the receptionist nodded her head to the princess once again before taking her leave.

The room was dimly lit by a single lamp in the center of the room just a few feet above a large round wooden table that was glossed over and looked as smooth as glass.

"Princess, so good of you to make it." Came a voice from the far side of the table as a chair slowly spun around revealing a severely scarred griffon. He was rather large but had several scars over his face and beak. One going across his left eye and across his cheek. Feathers being bare from the marks length. Another scar being present across the top of his head and right shoulder as well. Feathers also bare from the area. He leaned forward as the light reflected from the table onto his face and torso before he brought his talons up and began to tap each one together from pinky talon to index talon. "Please princess, have a seat." He smiled as best he could.

Celestia took a seat directly across from him as he began. "Princess Celestia, Goddess of the sun, and the most powerful being on the planet for the past few eons. I must admit that I am envious of your lifespan. It was my twentieth Great Grandfather who met with you for the first time and agreed to allow you to reside on this planet was it not?" He smiled once again.

"It was, he was a very kind hearted being. Always willing to lend help where it was needed." Celestia smiled remembering her first encounter with him.

"Yes, he was a good being. I have read much history about him, as well as my other fore fathers. They all seemed to love having the ponies of Equestria. Well, except a few of them." He snarled a little as he remember three of the great wars.

"I do regret those times highly as I felt I could work out the details with your nation during those hard times. Your fore fathers during those times did not want to listen to reason however and it resulted in a war each time, at one time taking almost half of each others population during the fight. I do not wish to go through another war and will do what I must in order to avoid it." Celestia sighed. "I am guessing that is why you have called this meeting."

"Very good Princess, I am surprised that you would be so willing to meet our demands head on." He stopped as he noticed Celestia giving him a stern glare. "Pardon me, I meant wishes." He continued. "As I am sure you have heard, our food sources are running rather low due to many parties over hunting wildlife and have resulted in hunting many of the predators within the forests in order to maintain a healthy population. Sadly though we must ask other nations to aid us in our time of need. We have already spoke with the other two great nations which have agreed to give us more hunting ground through their massive forests. Equestria is the last in line to fall into line to help aid us." He gave a slight smirk seeing Celestia raise a brow at the comment.

"So what are you asking for then? Equestria only has a few forests that are populated by some very dangerous creatures. Among the manticor's, dragon's, and even the Ursa's, I would think that they alone would be hunting the forest already to its limit." She said to give him headway as to how dangerous it would be. "Having any griffons within any of the forests of Equestria would only result in endangering the current populace nearby. I'm sure you understand that due to the power and ferocity of the current predators within our forests, having even a single hunting party could result in lost life other than those being hunted."

"Is that a threat?"! He shouted, catching Celestia off guard.

"Not at all, I am simply stating that the dangers within Equestrian forests far exceed any other forests within this world. The only reason my kingdom has maintain balance is because the populace are strictly herbivores and do not hunt."

"I see, so then you will not agree to let the griffon nation to add you to it's list of allies in this event?"

"We are allies, and I do not wish for war for any means, but having hunting parties within our forests will only cause further disharmony and the balance would shift, possibly causing massive loss of life for any lands involved. But I am sorry to say that I must decline your request. However, I would like to share my knowledge on how to keep your populace at an even level so that over population will not cause this problem again." She smiled, but it soon disappeared as he began to speak again.

"I am sorry princess, but I do not believe in lowering the male population just to decrease the overall population. That and we do not believe in having more than a single female to a male. As you are aware, Griffons will usually mate for life and will have up to five children in a litter. Decreasing our male population would only result in weakening our military force. Although our females are quite aggressive, nothing can compare to a male griffons raw power and fighting stamina." He grinned while raising a taloned hand and clenching it into a fist.

"I understand, and I am sorry to further decline to aid your nation in its time of need. But overpopulating will only result in this event each and every time. I do wish you the best of luck in your hunts and hope that your populace will remain healthy." Celestia gave a nod as she stood up turning to the door. "However, at this time I must take my leave, this discussion has been concluded and I do not wish to further anger you." She sighed as she headed toward the door but stopped as two large griffons stepped into the room in front of her. She turned her head back to the now grinning Griffon she had been speaking to, giving a loud sigh. "Has it come to this? Would you really challenge me know that I can move the sun and the stars?"

"It has, and I will my dear. For you see, I have come across a rare artifact that does something miraculous." He chuckled softly as he stood up and walked casually over to the princess. "Guards, take our prisoner into the dungeon. Let's let her stew for a while." He smiled wickedly before tossing a small pendant to one of the guards.

"I am sorry to say, but I cannot stay and become your prisoner." Celestia smiled as her horn lit up to cast a teleportation spell but only fizzled out causing her to gasp in surprise as she attempted the spell several more times. "What is this?" She spoke in shock as she tried many other spells only to have the fizzle out.

"Something my fore fathers cooked up over many years only for me to bring it to fruition. A device that can cancel any and all magic within its radius. Even the most powerful of magic." He grinned before raising a talon and balling it into a fist then striking Celestia across the face knocking her out cold and onto the floor.

"Take her to the dungeon, then get me a messenger. I have a letter to send to her worthless sister." He sneered as the two griffon guards picked up the unconscious princess and dragging her out of the room.

"I do hope the negotiations are going well. It has been almost two days since my dear sister went to the griffon nation to speak to their king." Luna sighed as she worried about her sisters well being.

"I'm sure everything is fine. I remember negotiations from my home world when nations were at each others throats." Midnight sighed thinking back to the many wars that had emerged from them going bad.

"What happened?" Luna asked, looking hopeful.

"Usually a war each time. Every nations wanted total rule either by democratic parties or dictatorship. Other countries refused and would always end up trying to kill each other off." Midnight gave a heavy sigh wondering if that could happen to this world as well.

"Equestria has had several wars in the past, each one as bloody as the previous. Over time though my sister has grown more motherly and has wanted to take care of every single life within this world. But to do so she must keep a balance of harmony. The other nations have all grown bitter at her methods to create that harmony, saying that it would only weaken them further when in fact it would strengthen them to no ends." Luna sighed again rubbing her forehead with a hoof.

"No worries Luna, I'm sure she is flying back as we speak." Midnight smiled before a small green cloud flew in through the window to her room, quickly manifesting into a scroll with a bright yellow seal on it.

"Its the griffon nations seal. Maybe this is some good news." Luna smiled as she broke the wax seal, opening it as she began to read. After a few seconds she gave a gasp before her magic left the scroll, letting it drop to the floor.

"Luna? Whats wrong?" Midnight asked as he quickly pulled the scroll to him and began to read it.

"Nation of Equestria.

The griffon nation has failed to sway your leader Princess Celestia into allowing our nation to hunt in your forests to help feed our ever growing nation. All we have asked for is a place to hunt for food to further feed our starving populace. We do no take kindly to being denied our right to live and feed in order to grow. For this action we are declaring war on the Nation of Equestria. We have captured your precious princess Celestia and will return her once we have had our fill of hunting within your forests. Any and all attempts to save her will result in the extermination of her and any being trespassing within our lands. Your current leader Princess Luna will be required to surrender your forests to the griffon nation for the Sun Princess' safe return. Any ponies not bearing the seal of the griffon kingdom within our land will be killed on site. Your leader has one day to surrender to our terms before the execution of Princess Celestia."

Luna watched as Midnight read the scroll, with each passing second his mane and tail growing a deeper shade of crimson until it was a licking black flame that looked as if his coat had come to life and began to move on its own.

"Midnight, please calm yourself. We cannot do anything brash or it may result in my sister loosing her life. Please." She spoke out in worry as she had never seen the male Alicorn this angered.

Midnight slowly turned his gaze to Luna as he spoke, his words dripping with ice and venom, giving an echo similar to the changeling queens.

"I am going to destroy this little shit and the entire nation of griffons. I am going to make him suffer for this. He will beg for death when I am through with him, but it will not come. He is going to suffer for a very long time." Midnight rose slowly from his sitting position and began to head out the door.

"Where are you going? What do you plan to do? Do you not care that my sister could loose her life if you attack the griffon nation?" Luna spoke out through trembling words causing Midnight to stop and turn his vision back to her.

"I'm going to the royal vault to get a few potions, and yes, I do care for Celestia. I love her with all my heart, and that is why I must save her." He snarled.

"But the vault can only be opened by myself or my sister, and I do not plan on opening it for a crazy rescue mission that would result in her being killed or having you captured as well." She spoke sternly seeing Midnights eyes narrow.

"If you will not let me in, I will force my way in, and you know what that will cause." Midnight grinned evilly causing Luna to slightly hunker down in fear.

"I will not allow you to endanger my sister. GUARDS! SEIZE HIM!" She shouted just before a row of unicorn guards began to file into the room. All of their horns lit up and ready to attack.

Midnight gave a grin as his horn lit up casting a spell onto himself as he began to walk toward the door once again. Guards on either side of him began to cast spells to halt his advance but only stood there in shock as he continued to move toward the door.

"Princess, our spells aren't working." One of the guards shouted causing Luna's horn to light up as well. She attempted to use a seize spell on the dark Alicorn but failed in each attempt.

"MIDNIGHT!? HOW?!" She spoke in shock, he turning back giving a devious grin.

"My own type of nullification spell. Handy little thing isn't it." He smirked as he left the room, a group of unicorns and the night princess in utter shock at what had just happened.

Luna shook herself from her stupor as she yelled to the guards. "Get the other guard units ready in the courtyard. If Midnight is going to really try and free my sister, we need to stop him so that she will not loose her life." She shouted to them as they quickly ran out of the room to gather the pegasi and earth pony units.

Midnight arrived in the royal vault to see many of the elite guard standing firm in front of it. One of them stepping forth and speaking.

"On the order of Princess Luna, I must ask you to halt." He spoke out, a hint of fear in his voice.

"I suggest you step aside, I am in no mood to hurt a pony today." He spoke as he stepped right up and into the guards face as he continued. "You know what I am capable of as I trained you and your friends. You know that right now I will not hold back in order to achieve my goal. Do you wish to continue?" He asked while withdrawing back a few steps.

The unicorn guard lowered his stance while staring at Midnight. "I may not be able to win this fight, But the least I can do is slow you down a bit." He gave a loud snort before charging his horn with magic.

"Lightning magic huh, good choice, but fruitless all the same." Midnight smirked as he walked forward through a blaze of lightning that cracked like thunder as it hit his nullification shield sending loud shock waves through the room.

Midnight continued his advance until something caught his eye from the side as a large earth pony collided into his side, sending him to the floor and pinning him there.

"Iron Clad, what a surprise." Midnight chuckled. "I take it Luna sent you as well as the other captains." He laughed while looking up to the earth pony holding him down.

"She did, and we don't want to hurt you but we will if you do not stop your advances. Listen to reason, you will only cause harm to come to her if you continue." He spoke up as the other two captains came to his side. Shining armor standing a good distance away with his horn glowing.

"You know as well as I do that I will stop at nothing to save those I love, This is your only warning, so BACK OFF!" Midnight shouted sending an explosion of air from him, knocking back everything within ten yards of him.

"As Midnight slowly got to his hooves he looked to Shining Armor who was standing in front of the vault, his horn a blistering white and glowing with magic.

"Last chance to move pretty boy." Midnight grinned as his horn lit up.

"I'm sorry." Is all that left Shining Armors mouth before he let loose a spell that hit Midnight hard. Midnight stood there for a moment as he wobbled on his hooves staring at the stallion that had just cast a spell onto him.

"How?" Was all that escaped his mouth before he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Get him to a holding cell, and put a ring on his horn, he is going to be pissed when he wakes up." Shining spoke up as he watched the other guard carry him away. Whip Lash trotting up to his side as he began to leave the vault room.

"Captain, how did you do that?" He asked in surprise.

"It's all thanks my Twilie really. She knew Midnight was a hot head and decided to share his spell list with me. I'm thankful that he shared it with her, because had he not, he may have been already heading toward the griffon nation at this moment." He sighed. "Let's just hope we can change his mind when he wakes up."