Star Yield dusted his heavy-duty winter boots off on the doorstop of a fairly makeshift structure, the small rectangular building being made of pre-built wood frames covered with sheets of plywood with insulation in between.

"Welcome back, Mr. Yield. From your smile, I take it the, uh... 'meeting' with President Mikhail went according to plan." The Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base Star Yield was currently at spoke upon seeing Star walk in.

"Indeed, it went well! Mikhail now has the aura, he will be seeing to it that all of the Stalliongradian military will be informed properly of the plan we devised, and will have 15 helicopters as well as 50 airborne search teams in the air assisting what little we have in the next 6 hours. Things are looking up." Responded Star Yield as he sat himself down at one of the desks in the building, the little structure being one of a couple liaison facilities of the base.

"With a full 3 days left until the lunar eclipse, we should have enough time to find her and transport her all the way to the Everfree forest."
Commented the Commanding Officer, whose attention was to the documents before him.

"I think we need to have search teams visit all of those little towns and villages up north. Celestia isn't in the best condition, and she's smart; so it's pretty safe to say her first step would be getting to some kind of town to recover for a while." explained Star.

The Officer hummed. "That's a good point. I'll have that put into action."

The conversation went quiet as Gate went back to writing, the sounds of his pen scratching on the paper and the light hum of a heater being the only sounds left. Trying to get Celestia all the way back into Equestria and then all the way into the Everfree forest to the ruins of the ancient Castle of Two Sisters was going to be quite the task; a time-consuming one at that.

The Castle of Two Sisters was almost as important in the process of erasing Celestia's mind as Celestia herself was. The Castle had deep magical ties with the land around it, and without these ties performing the complex set of spells to accomplish what thousands had worked for years to set up and execute would almost certainly fail. It could, in theory, be done elsewhere with similar magical bonds with the environment, but no place else in all of Equestria has such an intensely woven fabric of magic with the land around it; meaning the spell must be worked in the ruins of the castle.

Star had realized how inaccurate the statement 'we have 3 days left until the lunar eclipse' actually was; it was more like 2 to 1 days. Once captured, Celestia would have to be moved a full 800 kilometers south, and doing so in any short time would be difficult, even with the fastest helicopter.

"Have any of the teams we have deployed reported finding any evidence of Celestia, at least?" Star asked.

"Yes, actually. A burnt out campfire site was found approximately 10 miles due north of that house you kept her in, but the team said the fireplace had been there for a good 2 to 3 days. We've extended the searches to the north, which... why would she go north and not south as we anticipated her going? Anyway, the search has moved north. Ah, something to note..." Responded Gate as he stood from his desk, stepping to a map of the region tacked to the wall behind him.

"Here's where the found that campsite," Gate pointed to a red circle with an arrow pointing to the north on the map, "And look what's just 25 to 30 miles perfectly north of that site", his hoof moved up the map to a town, large gray letters spelling 'TISY' written over the simple diagram of the town.

"A town! So, you think she's there?"

"She'd have to be. Why would she go north 10 miles, stop and make a fire, then go another direction? It's pretty obvious she was navigating, there's no way she was able to go perfectly north by accident."

"The question still remains... why north?"

"Trying to throw us off? Or it could be that for the last 2 weeks or so Luna had been bringing the sun up the wrong direction. I think it's funny that it took everyone so long to actually inform her the sun was broken. I'd be willing to bet she was using the sun as a navigational tool... but it just doesn't make sense for her to follow it north. She's been raising it for over a thousand years, but wasn't able to see that it was coming up in the wrong direction?"

"Eh... well, she had no reference. If Celestia had been at the castle, or near some kind of recognized landmark, then she'd probably notice right away, but she was in the middle of the forest. She'd have no idea."

Lieutenant Colonel Gate was about to respond to Star's statement when the door of the liaison building was flung open, an excited soldier bursting in.

"Sir! A Stalliongradian base up north said they got a distress call from a town called Tisy saying they needed a helicopter to extract someone severely wounded! They think it's Celestia!"

Both Gate's and Star Yield's view instantly went to the map they had just been discussing.

"It's her! She just signed her own death certificate!" Exclaimed Star as he quickly stood from his chair.

"Corporal, go and have every helicopter spun up and have all of 47th Platoon meet me here immediately!" exclaimed the Officer.

The soldier gave a firm salute, sprinting out of the building.

"Oh, when we finally find Celestia I am going to ensure that the rest of her life is pure agony!" Angrily commented Star as he walked to the door of the liaison building, magic assisting him in putting his heavy boots back on.

After only 30 minutes, all of the Equestrian Royal Air Guard helicopters available at the base were completely fueled and ready to depart, each aircraft carrying 3 teams of 4 soldiers, the teams consisting of 3 Unicorns and a single Pegasus. In total, 5 aircraft would be dropping off 60 soldiers into the small town of Tisy, 55 of them well trained in Military grade spells. After looking at a detailed topographical maps of the town Tisy, landing locations for each aircraft were chosen, and a plan was drawn up: 2 aircraft would land in the small field behind the town's hospital so that its chalk could search the building, and the other 3 would attempt to land in the middle of the town's main road to offload each of their 3 teams.

Once every soldier was on the ground, the 5 aircraft would take back to the skies and begin flying a search pattern in and around the city, and since they would be arriving in the dead of the night, the aimable searchlights built into the nose of every helicopter would be extremely effective in trying to see Celestia in case she tried running instead of hiding. The whole operation required precision and speed; it was almost surgical in manner. It was the first time something of its caliber had been attempted; thus far, the helicopter had been a tool not used for any type of combat, it was purely a logistical tool up until this point.

Lieutenant Colonel Gate had pointed out to Star Yield that the operation they had planned was absolutely the first of its kind, one that would most likely start a new way of thinking towards the helicopters that had been so underutilized in any Military that operated the machines.

"Star Yield, get your coat on; we're getting airborne." Spoke Gate as he peeked his head through the doorway of the small liaison building, the noise of 5 helicopters pouring in through the door.

Star stood up from his seat and swiftly put his winter coat back on, walking out the door and following Gate through the base to the aircraft staging area.

"We will be getting there at night, right?!" Called Star over the noise of the aircraft.

"Yes! We should hit the town at around 2200 hours!"

Star Yield had to pause and think, converting the strange 24-hour time format over into the 12 hour time he was used to.

"So... we're looking at a 5-hour flight?!"

"That's correct! Alright, Star, we're riding in the aircraft to the far left!" Lieutenant Colonel Gate shouted as they rounded a bend in the make-shift road of the military base, the road flanked by dirt-filled barriers.

"What!?!" Star yelled in return.

"Just follow me!!"

The two quickly moved across the unpaved staging area, the incredible wind from the 5 helicopters kicking up every bit of snow in the area; which made anything more than a squint impossible without goggles. Upon reaching their assigned helicopter, the right side door was slid open, one of the soldiers inside helping them up into the cabin, promptly shutting the door behind them. Star Yield and Sate sat themselves down in 2 of the 4 remaining seats in the cabin, the helicopter's internal volume not being all that great. Lieutenant Colonel Gate tapped Star's shoulder, holding up a headset in his hoof.

"Not the most comfortable things, are they?" Gate spoke once Star had gotten his headset on, but was still fidgeting around with it to try and find the most comfortable position for the item.

"No, it's not." Responded Star as he continued his adjustments.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Star. I assume you've been caught up with the plan?" Spoke the Pilot, causing Star Yield to turn and look to the cockpit to see the Pilot looking back at him.

"Yes, I am aware of our plan."

"Ah, good. I hope you've got a good pair of eyes on ya, because we'll need you to help in spotting Celestia if she tries running out of that town. The view from this cockpit is sorta limited."

"I think I can help with that. If you hold the helicopter steady enough, I might just be able to hit her with an incapacitation spell from here."
Star Yield commented as he looked out the large, rectangular window of the sliding door.

"Not too bad of an idea. Also, I suggest you put a seatbelt on if you don't have it on already; we're gonna be doing some fancy flying for a while to get there quicker."

"Just don't hit anything."

"And if you'll look to our left, you'll see the Capital of Stalliongrad, along with the Kremlin." Jokingly spoke Pushy over the intercom system of the aircraft.

The pair of aircraft began banking into a left-hand turn over the city, their altitude dropping ever so slightly as the pair began to approach the Central Kremlin Aerodrome, which was partly built off of the Kremlin.

"Kremlin Aerodrome, flight of 2 requesting immediate permission to land. This is an emergency; Princess Luna is on board and we need to see President Mikhail as soon as possible." Spoke Sliver, his voice calm yet urgent.

There was the typical pause.

"Roger, landing pad 2L."

The aircraft leveled out, but still continued to lose altitude as they began to approach the Aerodrome.

"Where are the other 4 aircraft of our flight heading?" Asked Luna.

"They're all moving directly into the forest to start searching. We're the only ones landing here." Responded Sliver.

"Since we are within the Stalliongradian borders, and there is a well-established communications network here, can we make contact with that flight?"

"Probably, yes. Why, do you have something to tell them?"

"No, I was simply wondering."

Luna turned her attention back out her window to look at the large Aerodrome below, her attention being caught by what looked like a great number of personnel moving towards 2 specific landing pads.

"Is it normal for so many individuals move to the landing pad in preparation for a helicopter to land?" Asked Luna.

No response came for a moment.

"No... no it's not. They aren't ground crew, they're soldiers. Your Highness, I feel we might have a problem here."

"What's going on?" Greff asked, standing up from his seat and walking to the left side of the helicopter and looking out the window of the sliding loading door.

"There's a large formation of troops moving to greet us when we land." Answered Sliver.

Luna felt a knot tie in her stomach.

"I think Star Yield might have gotten to Mikhail before us." She spoke nervously, beginning to take her headset off.

"Admiral, when we created this plan, what is the possibility those in the room reported our plan to Star Yield?!" Shouted Luna over the noise of the aircraft.

"I don't know... why?!"

"Because a worryingly large number of Stalliongradian soldiers are converging on the landing pads to greet us!"

Cloud Drop stood from his seat, moving to the left side of the aircraft as well. Luna had also noticed that the other crew member and the three rescue team members were looking out their windows. Luna quickly put her headset back on.

"Bring the helicopter to a halt! Tell the other aircraft in our flight to do the same!"

"Roger that." Responded Pushy, the instant she spoke the helicopter pulling up hard to cancel all forward movement.

"Is there any way for you to alter the intercom to where I can speak with the ground controllers?"

"Yeah, I'll change the channel for you," there was a moment's pause, "Alright, I'll hold the transmit button, you say what you need to."

"Ground controller, this is Princess Luna, I request to know why you are amassing so many troops on our landing position!"

"Princess, please have your flight land." Spoke the female on the other end, Luna being slightly surprised she spoke Equestrian so fluently.

"I am not having this helicopter land until you explain to me why so many troops are organizing below!"

"Princess, you have no other choice than to land. If your aircraft turn away, we are authorized to have you shot down. We know you are looking for Princess Celestia."

The knot in Luna's stomach became tighter.

"You must listen to me, myself or those onboard this aircraft have had nothing to do with what has happened to my sister! I believe the one who was been behind this plot spoke with President Mikhail and lied to him about what is actually going on, we are trying to save Celestia, not harm her!" Luna shouted with urgency.

"Princess Luna, have your aircraft land." Sternly returned the female air controller.

Luna paused, thinking over the choices she had.

"Luna, can't you form a force field around our aircraft?" Asked Greff.

"Around a moving object of this size? Not at all... not at all."

Luna sighed heavily.

"Land the helicopter. I have a plan; once we touch down, everyone except myself will exit. Once our sister aircraft has landed, I will form a force field around both aircraft; and everyone will stay aboard, no matter what! I'm going to try and get myself to President Mikhail, if I can get so much as 2 meters from him I can remove the Aura." She explained.

"Roger that, Luna." Pushy said nervously, beginning to maneuver the helicopter to land.

"1-2, Luna's got a plan. We're landing, but the second you touch down keep all the doors closed and do not leave the helicopter, she's going to put a force field around both our choppers and try to remove that mind control spell thing from the President."

"Copy that, 1-1." Spoke a previously unheard male voice of the pilot of the second aircraft, Luna having never heard any of their communications because the intercom was set to exclude any outside chatter.

"Let me talk with the ground controller once more."

"Alright, you're good, start talkin'."

"This is Princess Luna, I wish for your President to meet our aircraft once we land so I may speak with him to get this issue sorted out."

No response came for a while, the ground getting closer and closer as they landed, Luna shifting in her seat nervously as she saw all of the soldiers below; each a unicorn with the ability to single-handedly shoot down both helicopters in rapid succession. Any wrong move on her part might be the end.

"You will be taken to Mikhail. I don't want you hurt, your Highness, so comply with everything the soldiers say."

"Miss, please tell the soldiers on the ground that the crew aboard each helicopter has nothing to do with any of this, and should not be detained."

Once again, there was a pause.

"They will remain in their seats, and your aircraft will be boarded." Spoke the Controller

"That is fine, just... do not harm any of my friends and colleagues."

Suddenly, there was a thud, Luna looking out her window to see they had touched down on the landing pad, a voluminous halo of white dust surrounding the aircraft, the bulky uniforms of the soldiers surrounding the helicopter whipping in the downdraft of the rotors.

"Alright, there has been a change of plans, everyone! I will be taken to Mikhail, and the Stalliongradian soldiers will be boarding the helicopter, so I want you to do whatever they say!" Luna shouted after taking off her headset.

"Princess, what's happening?" Asked Twilight, fear and confusion very evident in her expression.

"Most likely Star Yield knew what our plan was and got to President Mikhail before we could."

"But... how can he know what you came up with?"

"There are almost 3 thousand ponies in the New Order, and almost every one of them is in a Government or Military position within the Equestrian Government. It is not surprising that someone in the room was still part of the New Order without us knowing; I still have no way of detecting whether someone has it or not."

"Aircraft on landing pad 2L! Lower the rear door of your helicopter!" Echoed a male voice with an accent over what sounded like a loudspeaker.

There was a mechanical whir as the hydraulics began to move the door down, a good 15 soldiers all with their horns aimed into the cabin visible as well as a Unicorn with a megaphone standing besides three Officers, their highly official looking uniforms, the insignia on their hats, and the many other ordainments on their figures showing their seniority.

"Princess Luna, step outside! You will follow the three Officers standing outside!" Spoke the Unicorn with the megaphone.

Luna looked around at everyone aboard the helicopter, their eyes all focused on her.

"Your Highness, be careful. If Star Yield did get to Mikhail first, then he didn't tell him anything good." The Admiral spoke, his voice holding a weight of concern.

She took a deep breath, sighing nervously as she walked to the rear of the helicopter, stopping right at the end of the loading ramp.

"I am to be taken to Mikhail, and not detained for what you were told I have done to my sister, correct?" Luna called.

The Unicorn turned to the three and began translating what she had said.

"You are to be taken to Mikhail, yes. Now, as I said, please go with the three Officers." Responded the Unicorn after being spoken to by the other three Officers.

"Before I do, you must listen to me; if your Officers are going to have me detained instead of directly taking me to President Mikhail to speak with him, you will be signing the fate of Princess Celestia, for she will be re-captured by the one organizing all of this, not myself!"

The Unicorn translated her words, upon hearing what she had said there was a short conversation between the three Officers.

"You keep mentioning some other party involved in this plot against Princess Celestia, and you keep saying you have nothing to do with it. Who is this other party?"

"The New Order, to be exact. Star Yield, the head Spellwork for the Equestrian Royal Guard and former Head of Magic at Celestia's School of Magic, is the mind behind this organization, and I believe he has made contact with President Mikhail and given him a special mind control spell a thousand years old called the Aura. Star Yield is using your President to get help searching for my sister, which is what I have come to do; ask for help. You must understand, sir; if we do not get to my sister before Star Yield does, it will be the end of her life and the end of the day as we know it. He wants to use my sister's body as a vessel to bring back Nightmare Moon!"

As the Unicorn translated, the three Officers shared a look between themselves upon hearing Luna's words, peering back to the frightened Princess with skeptical looks. Their conversation continued; their exact thoughts unclear to Luna.

"What does Star Yield look like?" Inquired the Unicorn upon being spoken to by the Officers.

"He is a Unicorn... with a, uh... a light brown coat, his mane and tail a kind of goldish color." Luna stumbled, trying to draw a mental picture of him.

Once more, much conversation occurred between the four; the three main Officers occasionally looking to Luna during their speech. It was very difficult to tell, but Luna was beginning to think they might just be listening to what she was saying.

"What are your intentions behind meeting the President?" Finally spoke the Unicorn.

"I wish to remove the mind control spell I mentioned earlier from President Mikhail; I am most certain he has been given it. It will not cause him pain, and it will not cause him to go unconscious. The only known side effect from the removal of the spell is acute memory loss of any recent events."

Once more, the explanation was given to the three Officers who resumed talking amongst themselves. Luna watched as the Officer to the far left peered at the middlemost Officer after having said something. After a little explaining, the far left Officer seemed satisfied.

"You will, as we have told you, be taken to see Mikhail, but you must have your magic disabled until we feel it is safe. You will be escorted by the three Officers as well as 4 extra soldiers who will shoot you if you do anything other than what you've said. Is this understood?" The Unicorn informed solidly.

Luna felt her heart skip a beat, her legs shaking even more than they had been a moment ago.

"Y-yes... I understand."

Luna turned her head to look into the cabin of the helicopter; Cloud Drop and Twilight both looking at her with concern.

"Now!" Shouted the Unicorn, causing Luna to jump.

"Y-yes, right! I am going." She stuttered, quickly moving down the loading ramp.

One of the three stopped Luna after she had walked a little further onto the tarmac, a specially built ring used for cutting off a Unicorn's ability to manipulate magic being held in the Officer's red aurora. Luna took a breath as he slid the ring down to the very base of her horn; she was now at the will of the three Officers.

As the group moved Luna began looking around the large Aerodrome, her eyes going from the helicopter she had arrived on to the second aircraft of the flight, which also had it's rear gate lowered and a large squad surrounding it. Looking behind herself, she was able to see the four soldiers escorting her as well as the Unicorn who had been translating, his megaphone no longer floating in his magic. Luna locked eyes with the Stallion for a split second before she quickly turned back around.

"Try not to do anything out of the ordinary, Princess. I know you're nervous, but so are we."

"You should have no reason to be nervous. I now pose no more threat than any regular Pegasus." She spoke, her voice shaky.

After a long walk, the group came to a pair of doors that lead into the huge building that was the Kremlin. The Officer in front of Luna opened both doors with his magic, walking in and waiting once every person in the group had entered before closing the door. Luna nervously watched as the three Senior Officers turned and stood in front of her, blocking her path.

"Remove your coat, pants, and boots, please." Spoke the Unicorn, he and the four escort soldiers standing back a bit.

"W-why?"

"You are being searched. Remove your coat, pants, and boots."

Luna began to clumsily remove her thick, black coat, the piece being made of pure cotton. Once the coat was off, one of the Officers took it in his magic and began to search the coat's 4 external pockets and 2 larger internal pockets. With all four boots now fully taken off, Luna began taking off the dark gray utility pants she wore, leaving her with just her short sleeve undershirt and scarf. The Unicorn, who was not busy checking either of her clothing items, noticed the Princess's shining golden watch.

"That is quite the piece you have, your Highness." He spoke.

"Uh... w-wha... oh, my watch?" Responded Luna as she held up the hoof the mentioned timepiece was located on.

"May I see it?"

Luna paused.

"Do you wish for me to remove it?"

"If you would, please."

Luna reluctantly complied, carefully undoing the mechanical latch that held the watch to her hoof, the timepiece falling to the floor. The Unicorn took the watch in his magic, looking at it up close. Luna couldn't tell if he was simply curious about her watch or if he was searching it for something. Upon turning the watch over to look at it's back, the Unicorn paused.

"This has Prussian writing on it. Did you get this watch here?" He inquired, his tone a little more genial than it had been in their previous conversations.

"Um... yes, I got it from the Grand Bazaar a long time ago."

Luna's attention was temporarily taken away from the Unicorn as several items from her coat and pants pockets were floated into her view. They had found several heat packs, a flashlight, and a chocolate bar that she had forgotten to eat. There were a few words from the middlemost Officer of the group.

"You can take your items and put your clothes on." Translated the Unicorn, floating Luna's golden timepiece back to her.

Luna complied, trying her best to quickly re-add her coat, pants, and boots back to her figure. She listened intently as the three Officers spoke amongst themselves, Luna hearing the words 'Princess Luna' come from their speech several times. Her legs were shaking even more than they had been when she first stepped down the loading ramp of the helicopter, not having any idea what the three Senior Officers were saying was; to say the least, terrifying. She stood silently while the three Senior Officers continued speaking; eventually, they noticed she was finished dressing, and gave a few words to the Unicorn.

"Keep moving." He spoke solidly.

Luna complied, the group returning to the formation they had previously used.

"I heard the word Princess a second ago, are they talking about me?" Princess Luna nervously inquired to the Unicorn.

"Mind your own business." He responded sternly.

"May I at least know why I was searched so extensively? I have never carried any sort of weapon on my person."

"I assume you are uninformed of what charges have been placed upon you?"

Luna looked to the Unicorn with apprehension.

"Ch-Charges? I... I did not know I was wanted for crimes..." Shakily spoke the Princess.

"Yesterday the Equestrian Government, Stalliongradian Government, and the Governments of surrounding Nations were given the right to arrest you for Attempted Murder, Attempted Overthrowing of the Princess, and Treason. You are ext..."

"Treason and murder!? I... I have not committed any of those crimes! Sir, you must believe me!" Luna exclaimed in pure fear, stopping and turning to face the Unicorn, her sudden action causing the four escort soldiers to back up and take combat stances.

"Princess! Turn back around and keep walking!" Yelled the Unicorn.

From behind her came a shout from one of the Senior Officers, causing Luna to flip around in fright. There was a quick exchange of dialogue between the Senior Officers and the Unicorn, their gaze constantly resting upon Luna's fear-ridden expression. Her eyes darted from the three Senior Officers to the Unicorn and the four escort soldiers as she took a step back, her breathing quick. The only thought going through her mind was that she was about to have her life ended by the four escort soldiers, who were still aiming their horns directly at Luna's chest. Her gaze went to the middle Officer as he held up a hoof and calmly spoke to the group.

"He says to calm down, your Highness." Spoke the Unicorn, the four escort soldiers standing to his sides redirecting their horns from Luna's direction.

"I... h-how do you expect me to calm down after saying I am wanted by my home Nation and the Nation I am currently in for Treason, Murder and overthrowing my sister!?" The Princess exclaimed, her breathing still heavy.

The Unicorn translated her words; upon hearing his speech the three Senior Officers looked to Luna, their expressions giving the indication they felt slightly sorry for her. After a moment of complete silence, the middlemost Officer looked between his two comrades as he spoke, his words seeming to spark some curiosity with the two. Suddenly, the middlemost Officer's horn lit up; Luna feeling an electric sensation travel through her body to her horn as the magic inhibitor ring was removed, leaving Luna to look at the three Officers with both fear and confusion.

"W-why did this Officer remove the ring?" Luna stuttered, her words overlapping with the middle Senior Officer's as he spoke with his comrades.

"Senior Officer Ilya is proving a point; he asked if we were in the same position as you if we would try escaping." Spoke the Unicorn, confusion of his own showing through.

Luna's expression caught the attention of the middle Officer, who nodded to her and spoke.

"Senior Officer Ilya says they have decided to trust you since everything you have told them up to this point has matched perfectly with the story they've been given, and they think letting you see the President is the best choice."

There was a stutter from the Princess, the flurry of different thoughts and emotions in her mind rendered her speechless. For the last 15 minutes she had thought the Officers were speaking negatively of her, but now the translator says they are going to trust her?

"I can only thank these three for believing me. Tell them I am extremely grateful."

Just as it had been done many times before, the Unicorn turned to the three Senior Officers and explained things. There was much conversation between the three Officers, the vast majority of the words being questions asked to the middle Officer by those around him.

"Senior Officer Ilya wants to know if there is any way to know President Mikhail in under the control of this spell you mentioned."

"N-no... there isn't. The only way for us to know is if I attempt removing the spell. If he does not possess it; then nothing will happen."
Explained Luna.

"Then you understand that if President Mikhail is not under your mentioned spell, and you have lied to us, you will be imprisoned for your crimes and put to trial?" Questioned the Unicorn.

"Y-yes... I do." She spoke, a terrible feeling resting in her stomach.

There was an exchange between the Unicorn and the three Officers, their constant use of the words 'Princess Luna' and the skeptical looks still being given to her by the Officers causing Luna much concern.

"M-may I please know what they are saying, Sir?" Luna stuttered to the Unicorn.

"The Senior Officers agree that if you were guilty of your crimes you most likely would have attempted to escape at a much earlier time, and agree that you would have been much less compliant if you were not telling the truth. Senior Officer Vadim also wishes to apologize for causing you so much fright."

Luna's eyes went to the leftmost Officer as he gave her a nod; she assumed that this Stallion was the one named Vadim.

"It is alright, he is doing his job." The Princess spoke with relief.

With a short exchange of words with the Unicorn, the three Officers looked back to Luna.

"We are going to continue on to President Mikhail's office, so get moving again." Explained the Unicorn.

Luna reluctantly stepped back with the group as they began walking through the expansive area they were still located in. The inside of the structure looked a lot finer than the exterior; fine wood panels and trimmings making up the walls, light gray granite tiles giving the floor a wonderful contrast with the dark wood walls and plaster ceiling. Just now beginning to look around the area; Princess Luna met eyes with the few ponies that had stopped to see the Princess being detained; many of them wore Officer's uniforms similar to the three escorting her or suits. She turned her gaze from those watching her and focused on following the Officers.

"I must ask... earlier when you stated that I would be shot if I did not follow exact instructions... were those four soldiers actually ordered to kill me?" She asked shakily, looking at the Unicorn walking to her right.

The Unicorn began speaking to the Officers to the front, who upon hearing his words simply responded with 'nyet.'

"I'm not allowed to say."

Author's Notes:

I've spent more time than I'd like to admit trying to fix any grammar and spelling errors in this long story... but I know there still are some. If you spot one, please notify me