Tia and I returned to the meeting around the crate. The two Ponies were still arguing, but they had became less intense. Cookie and Clover had joined the gathering, standing respectfully off to the side.

"Quiet you two." Tia spoke, addressing the still bickering Ponies. "We'll come back to it, but there's a more pressing matter right now. Smart Cookie was it?" she continued, now addressing Cookie.

"Yes Ma'am." Cookie replied.

I felt an ear cock itself sideways.

I knew what Cookie was going to propose, but did she really consider Tia a 'Ma'am' already? I suppose she had to, if we were going to make Tia leader of this 'new tribe' than I guess she needed to be addressed as such.

"Lu told me your proposal, and while I'd personally prefer to think it over first, we need to have that conversation."

All of the Ponies present, besides Cookie, Clover, Tia, and myself, looked supremely confused at this statement.

"Well alright then." Cookie breathed. "Did you want me to start now or-?"

"If you would be so kind."

"Uh... Kay... No pressure." Cookie sighed. "Alright, I'll just come out and say it." she glanced around the 'table'. "We can't keep doin' this. The wars and the fighting between the tribes. We all saw those things last night, and we know what keeps them going. Clover if you would?"

Cookie stepped aside to allow Clover to take her place.

"They're called 'Windegos', and we're all doomed if they get what they want." Clover informed.

"Well out with it! The suspense is killing me!" a Pony exclaimed.

"That! That exactly!" Clover pointed at the offending Pony.

As I looked over, the Pony, an Earth Pony mare, looked taken aback and surprised.

"M-Me?" she stammered.

"What?! No!" Clover exclaimed. "The aggression! The antagonism! The Windegos have been feeding on the fighting between the tribes and causing the Winters to be longer and the Summers shorter!" she pulled out the book she had shown me yesterday, already open to the page with the drawing of the Windego.

I couldn't help but think that the picture did little to capture the otherworldly hate that seemed to emanate from the creature. Again.

"If the tribes keep fighting, these Windegos are going to make Winter last forever." Clover stated, tapping a hoof on the page that depicted the Windego.

"So..." A Pegasus mare whose name I didn't know began, twirling a hoof. "What are you proposing?"

"We have to stop fighting! And the best way to do that is to unite into a single tribe!" Cookie proclaimed.

"A SINGLE TRIBE?!" a voice from behind Cookie exclaimed in shock.

Everypony turned or looked over Cookie's shoulder, Platinum stood there, here jaw dropped in shock. The other three 'important Ponies' stood behind her, surprise was evident on their faces as well, but not nearly to the extent as it was on Platinum's.

"Bu- Bu- Bu- Bwuah-" she stammered.

"Well what an intriguing idea!" Starswirl interjected suddenly. The only one of his 'compatriots' who didn't look surprised at this development was Puddinghead.

"Buh- Starswirl!" Platinum exclaimed indignantly.

"If I may be so bold my Lady;" Starswirl rolled his eyes. "I personally, have been far too close to one of their breath attacks to doubt the veracity of my Apprentice's claim." he approached Clover and gestured for Clover's book. "Additionally, given the argument presented, I am am unsure another path forward can be found. You know as well as I my Lady, that the food shortages have been getting worse and worse for years now." He ran a hoof over the page as he looked for a line. "Here, this passage." He offered the book towards Platinum.

"It's not your book that concerns me!" Platinum growled, pushing the book aside. "Lower ourselves by uniting with these-"

Platinum's mouth was suddenly clamped shut by an aura of golden yellow.

Tia's horn was ablaze.

"Careful with your words Princess." Tia growled, her tone cold despite the heat coming off her horn. "Some of these Ponies, are more kin to me than any who wears a crown."

Platinum's brows were knit together in confusion, her eyes darted to me, and then back to Tia several times before they widened in realization.

Starswirl, meanwhile had a realization of his own.

"Y-You!" he suddenly exclaimed, pointing a hoof at Tia. "You're the mage who protected that Earth Pony village!"

"And you're the one who broke my shield." Tia coldly replied, her eyes narrowing at the grey aura around his horn and Clover's book.

Tense, awkward silence fell over the meeting as the three Ponies stared each other down.

"Um..." I heard a voice break the silence.

Wait... That was my voice!

Everypony's gaze fell on me. Even Platinum, her muzzle still clamped shut by Tia's magic, had awkwardly turned to regard me.

What are you doing Luna?! All you had to do was keep your mouth shut! Why did you break the silence?!

It's too late now! What were you going to say?! Say it before this gets even more unbearable!

"P- Perhaps we could discuss this later... In private?"

Tia, Starswirl, and Platinum regarded each other, speaking in the way only Ponies unmarked by the Moon seemed to understand.

"I- Yes. That might be best... Right my Lady?" Starswirl turned towards the still bound Princess, raising an eyebrow.

The Princess nodded.

"I'm glad we can come to an arrangement!" Tia chirped, suddenly smiling. Platinum gasped for air as Tia let go.

"W-Would you prefer after this briefing, or during dinner?" Platinum asked after catching her breath.

"Whenever I have time." Tia smugly stated. "Lu?" she continued, turning towards me. "Could you find a suitable place for these Ponies to stay? We need to settle somethings amongst ourselves before we start discussing any unification efforts."

"Yes Tia." I nodded, stepping away from the gathering. "Come on." I waved for the four to follow.

Starswirl eagerly moved to join me, with Platinum close behind him, and Puddinghead and Hurricane came behind her, with the later having her arms folded grumpily as she flew through the air.

"Pardon my asking Luna..." the old stallion began when we were out of earshot. "But what is your relationship with that mare?"

Platinum's ears perked up in interest.

Aw shit... How much should I tell these Ponies? Starswirl seemed alright, as did Puddinghead. Although she hadn't really reacted to anything at all... Platinum and Hurricane however seemed to have their own agenda.

I suppose the truth was going to come out sooner or later...

"She's my sister." I responded. But I said no more.

"... And?" Platinum asked after a moment of awkward silence. But by then we had gotten to the gang of Ponies looking over the carts.

"Excuse me, do you Ponies have any spare carts?" I asked the nearest one, ignoring Platinum's question.

"Naw." the Earth Pony stallion drawled. "Whatchu need it fer?"

"We have important guests, and they might appreciate sleeping off the ground."

Behind me, Platinum huffed indignantly.

I smiled.

"Ah." The stallion nodded. "We got wun tha's wait'n fer some new wheels." he pointed off to the side, where a cart with no wheels sat in the dirt.

"Perfect. Thank you." I thanked him, cantering away to go claim it.

"What?! Only a single cart for all of us?!" Platinum exploded from behind me.

"Do we look like we can spare a cart for each of you to sleep in?" I retorted, stopping and casting a glance backwards.

"My Lady please..." Starswirl rolled his eyes.

"Can't you give each of us a separate place? As your Aunt I think-" Platinum began.

A nearby Pony had been hauling blankets to the injured happened to wander nearby.

"May I have a few of these? Thanks." I asked her.

Poor mare was too weighed down to answer before I took a few.

I then turned to the still talking Platinum and shoved one of the blankets into her face.

"Happy Birthday, my condolences, and Happy Coronation." I snarked as she started to spit out the blanket.

"Wha- What?!" she exclaimed.

"Being family is more than being blood related." I replied, giving the remaining blankets to the other three. Hurricane had her hoof in her mouth, desperately trying not to laugh outloud. "Tia knew Mom better, so she'll get the final say. But in the meantime, you're amongst Ponies who may actually break away from Unicornia and your crown. You're lucky we haven't considered building a stockade yet."

Platinum's eyes were wide in shock.

Hurricane and Puddinghead suddenly broke out in laughter.

Hm, maybe that was too harsh?

"If you want your own cart, then you could offer to help the search parties, but I don't expect anypony will give you special treatment." I tried to mollify.

"It will be fine your Highness." Starswirl stated, nudging the mare towards the incomplete cart. "All things considered, they are being very accommodating and we shouldn't rile them up anymore than we have to."

The four continued for 'their' cart, leaving me alone.

It was at that moment that the excitement of the previous night caught up to me, forcing a yawn from my jaws.

Shit... I probably should take a rest shouldn't I?

I glanced around, looking for a place to lay down.

The only place I saw was with the injured.

Eh... Good enough.

I trotted over.

"Hey;" I asked one of the medicine mares. "Is it alright if I sleep here? I'm not injured or anything but I've been up since yesterday-"

"Oh dearie me!" the mare exclaimed. "Of course! Here, take this and get some shut eye!" she picked a blanket off a nearby pile and pushed it into my chest. "Go on! Get! You'll do nopony good if you keel over when we need ya the most!" she shooed me away with a gentle push towards an empty spot.

Huh... Guess that's settled then.

The blanket was large enough, so I laid it down on the ground and folded it over me as I curled up.

I was asleep before the blanket even settled.

Join the discord! https://discord.gg/RVvqpuGaRa