Author's Notes:

If you haven't read the real, CH 42. Then go do that before you read this. Now shoo, go away.

We arrived in Arcadia in just a few minutes after we got on the gunship. The ride was quiet and uneventful. The battalion of Pegasi didn't give chase, and the silence on the gunship except for the sounds of the magic-powered engine, rumbling like thunder in the night sky. Everyone was silent the entire time as all of us tried to come to terms with what just happened, and I don't blame them.

Even I sat on the cold metal floor under Spitfires forelegs, shivering from the fact that I just killed ponies without a second thought. I don't know what was worse, not feeling anything or trying to rationalizing what I just did. I have killed before, but in self-defense against other homeless people, muggers, the Columbian Cartel; which tried to hire me as a hitman afterward, and a cop got too close. Each time I felt like throwing up and wanting to cry for what I did, but each time I lost a bit of that feeling. The feeling that I was slowly becoming less human.

The people that I killed were assassins trained to hunt down other ponies and kill them without a second thought. They were ready to die and were willing to kill. That mare that pinned me to the ground was even enjoying it! I killed most of them and felt nothing afterward, just like those dogs a few months ago. I don't know if it was my cutie mark that meant that I was good at fighting and defense that was influencing my cold-hearted nature or that I killed so many that I do not give a damn anymore. If either was the case, then what's left of my humanity is gone, and all that is left is a broken pony that was trying to fix the missing pieces.

Spitifre felt my internal conflict and nuzzled the top of my head, causing the guards that were standing beside us to look at her with disgust that their Empress was being touched in such a way, but I didn't give a damn. She was my; hero, my friend, my family. I don't know why she acted the way she did, but what I do know was that she cared's enough about me to put her duty aside to do what's right. I cracked a soft smile and nuzzled her legs with a tear finding its way down my cheeks, happy that she came when she did.

We landed softly on the ground outside and the doors opened to reveal the castle that I designed a few months ago. We landed in a small courtyard surrounded by trees that were just outside of the main, gothic-styled, castle that was made on the side of, Mount Temptest. Guards rushed to our side as well as a medical team that was made of every single race on the planet. Spitfire and the others jaws dropped when a Diamond Dog and a Khajiit came up to us before the cat person left a wet mark on the dogs cheek in pure joy that we were okay. I rolled my eyes and tapped Spitfire on the shoulder to get her out of her daze before we were all escorted into the halls of the castle.

I marveled at the work the builders did on the interior of the castle as everyone was separated and taken to the guest rooms of the castle, even Spitfire much to my dismay, but they needed rest and time to themselves to work out the initial shock, and I needed to get to work.

After they left to get some rest, I was escorted by two guards in black, decorative armor that were reminiscent of the Black Knights design from Dark Souls. Not sure how that happened, but I don't care. They look awesome. The lead me through the white, gothic styled halls on the red carpet that didn't clash with the gentle colors of the giant castle. We passed by guards every other support pillar and window as we walked to the war room where Princess Luna and a few of her Thestral guards were waiting.

The trip was fast and we didn't meet any of the staff along the way to the war room. I don't want to know how they would react if they suddenly saw their Goddess of the Wind walking amongst them. I could only imagine that they would start to bow down and kiss my hooves, calling themselves "unworthy." As flattering that would be, it was still very creepy.

We came up to a wooden door that was reinforced with black steel. The door had an interesting design on it, depicting a tornado in a tribalistic sort of way. My guards opened the door before I walked in without them. Inside was a big room with lots of maps on the walls and radio equipment. At the center of the room was a round table with a three-dimensional map of the world on it. Beside the map was Princess Luna, her guards, the head of my counsel and the retired five-star general of Britannia, Normandy Mendez, with her. They all instantly took notice of me as I walked up to them, tired and slightly depressed.

"Your Highness!" exclaimed head of the counsel, Good Will the third. "What a pleasant surprise and an unfortunate one too." I rolled my eyes as I hoped up onto the map.

"Yes, well, when the assassins came things got bad...And fast. From what I have heard on the radio on the way here. Tia and Cadence are trying to throw it under the rug, even though everyone knows that they were the orchestrators of the entire thing. It's only a matter of time before tensions lead to war," I sighed. "Anyways, Luna, why are you here and without your crown?" I asked.

"I gave up my crown and my throne. No matter what I tried to do to prevent all of this from happening. I couldn't stop my sister from being blind from her arrogance and jealousy from her mistake," she replied in a somber tone like she fail everyone she has ever met.

"At least, you tried, and that's what counts," I said giving her a soft smile as she bowed her head in shame, whispering, "Thank you."

"Anyhow, Luna if you need a place to stay, you are welcomed here, so long as you can do me a simple favor," I said, she perked up as did everyone else in the room.

"What kind of favor?" she asked curiously.

"I want you to train me on how to fight, and my reason for is that I don't want to use my two special skills as crutches anymore." This caused the entire room to stare at me like I was insane, and at Luna in wonder if she would actually consider it.

"Why would you want to learn how to fight when you are already skilled enough?" she said, still baffled. I just raised a brow at her.

"I am not skilled, I just have a trick that makes me look like I am skilled. In reality, I couldn't use that trick to beat the assassins as they knew how to counter it. I had to use prediction and I had to make them come out of hiding before I used my Air Blades on them while their guard was down. As you can see, I don't like the fact that I am a one trick pony, and I know that I need training so that I don't screw up if something like that occurs again," I replied. Luna hesitantly nodded in agreement.

"I understand that reasoning and I will be happy to train you, Empress Rose."

"Thank you," I said before I went serious again. "Now that, that's out of the way. I need a status report on all the players on the field."

"Of course, you Highness," Mendez spoke up in his old, gruff voice. He levitated a bunch of red and blue flags and placed them all over the table map. I quickly realized that the blue flags represented us and our allies while the red flags represented our potential enemies. I was rather surprised to see that most of the world was not on our side, but rather on Celestia's, however. The nations that were on our side were the biggest and strongest while everyone else was pure cannon fodder.

Once he was finished he spoke up again while he placed little towers that must have represented forts or strongholds of some kind. "As you can see your, Highness, this is the current layout of the world and who is siding with who. The towers show the other nations strongholds of interest as well as their main military strength. If we were to go to war, these towers are a necessity to capture. I just hope that it doesn't come to that, your Highness," he said.

"What's our political standpoint?" I asked Good Will. He cleared his throat and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Not good, your Highness. The assassination attempt is being used as a scapegoat from the reality of the situation to cause sympathy for Equestria and her allies. Since the Elements were seen at the area where the assassins were killed, many believe that it was a work of dark magic that helped in your escape. This caused an upheaval in the political structure in most nations to take up arms and join Equestria's side to help destroy Arcadia. If things go they way they are now, I am afraid that war is unavoidable."

I sighed as I thought of what he said as I viewed the map while Luna shifted uncomfortably in silence. If things go the way they are now, war will happen and Celestia will sit on the sidelines as a beacon for all that is good and holy while I get sent down the shitter. I had to make a plan if a war was to happen and ask Luna for advice on the politics crap as strategy was my game, and not talking. Firstly, I need to know the resources of everyone as well as their body county and tech level. If I was going to war, I will do it my way. 'StarCraft 2 style.'

"Mendez?" I said as I turned away from the map. "Yes, your Highness?" he piped up.

"I need a team to give me all details regarding every nation's; resources, body count, terrain, tech level, and average recovery time. Once you have that, I need details on our own military strength." He gave me a quizzical look but didn't say anything about it. "Yes, Ma'am," he nodded.

"Good, and as for you, Good Will," he just gave me a curious nod. "I need you to call a meeting with all heads of power in Arcadia. Make it a week from now. That is all."

"Of course, your Highness," he replied.

"Excellent," I smiled a tired smile before I let loose a heavy yawn. "Get some rest and we'll meet again in a week, and as for you Luna."

"Yes, Rose?"

"Let's start training at five in the morning, starting today," I said through a yawn.

"As you wish, as I have fewer duties at the moment."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me. I have a waifu to cuddle to death."