"Ahhh..." I sighed, leaning back in my chair. A hot cup of holy black coffee was in my hands, and I was relishing every sip of it. "This is bliss..."

"You're weird, mommy," Suki pointed out, drinking apple juice on the side of the table opposite from me. She made an adorable pout at me as she held her cup of apple juice in her paws.

I chuckled. "Well, you're not wrong, sweetie." I lifted my cup. "But believe it or not, you'll be just as weird as me someday. You may even start to like coffee like me."

Suki's pout intensified, and I swear my heart hurt from the sheer cuteness. "Nuh uh! Coffee is yucky!"

I laughed, put my cup down, and reached over to pat my daughter's head. "Sure, muffin top. Sure."

I leaned back and picked my cup back up, looking out to the horizon. We were on the balcony that our room thankfully had, which meant we had a great view of the countryside of Equestria, since we were on the side of a mountain face. I hummed a bit as I swallowed down some more of the precious nectar of the gods. 'Spies still haven't been able to figure out how the ponies got this whole damn city to sit on the mountain like this. Too many guards near the base to do so.' I took another swig as my thought process continued. 'Might have to look into strengthening our efforts...' I hummed again. 'Speaking of spies, I wonder if my eyes in Griffonia have found out anything else about Gilda's gun project...'

The sound of heavy footfalls interrupted my thoughts, even more so when a gravelly, brutish voice called from the balcony door. "Queen Petremol?"

I turned my head to find what I could only describe as a bipedal husky standing by the balcony door frame, garbed in ornate steel plate mail, likely ceremonial if the carvings, etches, and inset gems were any indication. He also had a crown on his head, one made entirely out of diamond with pickaxes as the 'teeth' of it. The crown honestly looked more like a helmet than an actual crown to me, though.

The husky bowed his head a little before continuing where he left off. "Pardon me for barging in unannounced. I had been meaning to catch you earlier, but certain obligations kept me busy." He raised his head, silvery grey fur and molten ruby eyes staring back at me. "I am Emperor Droolius Caesar of the Diamond Dog Empire. A pleasure." He smiled, then noticed Suki. "Ah, is this the young Storm Princess?"

I put my cup down again as I put on a gentle smile, trying my hardest to not laugh at the obvious and terrible pun that was his name. "That is correct. She's my pride and joy." Suki blushed at this and buried her face in her paws. I chuckled at this, as did...*Ahem* Caesar. I looked back to Caesar. "So, what is so urgent that you'd feel the need to contact me while I'm enjoying some quiet time?"

Caesar replied swiftly. "Well, I was hoping I could get some schematics or the like for arms and armor. You see, my people are currently still somewhat scattered, and we need something to give us an edge over the Tribals."

I hummed at this, cupping my own chin. I did not feel like giving any more guns out. It was too risky having that many available to other nations, so, what should I do? I didn't have an answer for a short while, but thankfully Caesar was a patient one, and I found a solution. I looked up at Caesar. "Well, I'm afraid I am not comfortable with giving you what you ask," I started, but continued before he could retort or complain, "But, I am willing to give you aid via troops. I'm certain having our forces work together will help to instill bonds of camaraderie, am I wrong? After that, we can talk about the trading of arms and armor, and further reinforce the ties between our nations."

Caesar frowned, giving me a hard look, but eventually he sighed and managed a smile. "Well, I'll take what I can get." He raised a paw, and I grasped it firmly and shook it. As we released our grips, he bowed again. "Thank you for this, Queen Petremol. I look forward to deepening the bonds of friendship between our nations." With that, he left.

I sighed deeply as he did so, then looked back to Suki. "Sorry about that, muffin top. I know this was supposed to be an 'us' day."

She smiled brightly and shook her adorable head, cup once again held in both her paws. "It's okay mommy! I like watching you work!"

I gained my own smile. "Trying to be like dear old mom?" At her enthusiastic nod, I laughed. After swiftly calming down, I continued. "Never change, sweetie. Never change."

It had been three weeks since the Council meeting, and it was a rather eventful time. I had arranged for the fight between me and Ember to happen on the eve of the pony version of Christmas, and thankfully she agreed. It lined up with a certain plan I had to figure more out about the Elements, so I was glad Ember agreed to the terms. In addition, I had sent three small fireteams from each of my Vanguard's divisions to Caesar's lands, with one of my Regime Lieutenants of the Lightbearer's division to lead them. Based on the letter I received from her four days ago, things had gone off without a hitch.

A fair amount of tourists had flocked to my territories as well, from all the nations in the world no less, and I would be lying if I said it hadn't caused me a headache. Already I had gotten complaint after complaint after complaint about the strict rules and laws that I had placed, and I had also received a good number of reports of minotaurs and, more interestingly, griffons, trying to get sneak peeks of some of my government facilities. A quick boot and ban from the country settled those, but I made sure to send fines and strongly worded warnings to their leaders as per the arrangements at the Council meeting.

Not only that, but I had a spy watch each and every one of the bastards who broke my rules. I was not happy about those developments. Especially since I was currently putting my factories into overdrive to try and outfit all the infantry in my army. Already I had had to set up twenty extra factories in the Sea of Clouds, and that wasn't easy since the material used to make the smoke from the stacks blend in with the rest of the clouds was hard to come by. Not only that, but I had gotten a few...well, I wasn't sure whether to call them complaints or concerns, but either way I had gotten letters from all four princesses and the Abyssinians on my continuous and rapid growth of military power.

To soothe the princesses, I told them I would meet with them on Hearth's Warming to discuss the matter further. To soothe the Abyssinians, I told them the increase of forces and technology was to more easily protect them and my close allies, which prompted them to invite me over to sign a treaty. That took an entire five days to do, and when I got back home Suki was a mess. Apparently she had been worried I was gonna try and adopt another kid. That was one day I didn't mind using up with her.

Right now I was on my personal airship, or, at least, one of them. My real personal airship was still at the Isle of Storms. Regardless, I was on the bow of the airship, a secondary Command Ship with more flare than care. In other words, it was more for showing off than for actual use. As such, I called it, "The Arrogance."

...I paused as I remembered how V said it fit me so well, and then sighed.

"Something wrong, Your Highness?" asked the bubblegum pink mare next to me, looking up to me with concern.

I waved it off, smile returning. "I'm quite fine, don't worry. Just thinking."

"Burdens of the crown?" Starlight asked, raising a brow. I shrugged, smile still on my face.

"As always. Politicking is politicking," I replied smoothly. I looked back to the cabin, where a certain Princess was fawning over all the delicate instruments still. "Though I feel like your teacher has less of a liking for it than me."

Starlight followed my eyes, then sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, that's Twilight for you." She looked back to me. "Though hearing someone say they actually like it is kinda surprising. Not even the Royal Sisters have said they like it." She blinked, then waved her hooves frantically. "I-I-I mean, not that I'd know, we aren't really best friends or anything, but, ya know, I've just never heard them say it."

I chuckled at this. "No need to get flustered, it's fine." I looked to the horizon, where countless clouds turned to golden mist under the sun's rays, painting a picturesque view. "Truth be told I didn't like this title at first. I can't say I still do, not entirely, but..." I smiled and looked back to Starlight. "...I can say getting to boss others around is fun." I winked at her, and she giggled.

Heh, she's easier to bait than I thought.

"~Land ho, My Queen! Land ho!~" cried the captain from the cabin. I smirked, and it only grew when Twilight popped into existence next to me and Starlight, the violet mare shaking with what I knew was excitement.

On the horizon, hovering among the clouds just like the Castle In the Sky, was Cloudbreaker College, it's silver pillars, terraces and towers shining and gleaming like a freshly polished blade. The main campus drew eyes no matter what time of day it was, what with the statues lining it's circumference that told a tale. I liked to think of it as a scene from a play immortalized in silver. It was hard to tell from the current distance, but I recalled how it was basically telling the history of the college, at least in summary. The entire landmass was being held in place just above the clouds by magical crystals I had learned were called 'Cloudbreaker Crystals,' which was the namesake of the college. The massive black crystals hanging under the clouds and barely poking out at the edges of the landmass reminded me of one of those contrast art pieces I'd seen back home. As we drew closer, we could make out more.

I gained a more genuine smile as I saw the statues making up the wall of the main campus showing me mining Cloudbreaker Crystals, then on the opposite side of the gates of the campus it showed me holding the Crystal I found up, with a lot of Skili all bowing down to me. It was a fair bit too exaggerated, but about as close as you could get to what happened, sadly.

We saw some other things, though, things that drew Twilight's attention more than the campus walls. Specifically, some outdoor lessons.

The lessons covered basic things about electricity and steam power, and some advanced things, as shown by the Tesla Coils and steam engine. I looked to my two esteemed guests, meaning to ask them what they thought of the college, but currently, the Element Bearer of Magic was too engrossed in nerding out over the stuff going on in the courtyard to pay attention to anything else but the lessons and the tech. Starlight, her student, was marveling over the architecture.

I decided their enraptured expressions was enough of an answer.

"Oh my gosh! Starlight, look!" Case in point, Twilight was fascinated by the fact so little of the tech here was magical. "There's not a single charging, focus, or runic crystal on any of those machines! I can't feel any magic from them at all!"

"Is that class learning about steam engines?" Starlight asked, sparkles in her eyes. We soon touched down by the end of the airway, where I walked alongside the two down the ramp and into the courtyard, with two of my Legionaries standing on either side of the three of us.

I had purposefully and personally let the staff at the school know of this visit, and the result was that while it may seem like everything taught here was advanced (which it was), it was nothing terribly important to my plans or my nation's tech. In fact, all of the lessons today were fabrications, thought up by me and Ventus before Twilight and her protege came.

Of course, some lessons were about things they already knew, like steam engines and the minor electronics, but they were just to keep the other fabrications appearances stable. We even went a step further and allowed the instructors to go more in depth with the lessons about household appliances and items, like refrigerators and microwaves.

And these two mares were buying it all, hook, line, and sinker. I kept my genial smile on as we walked the courtyard's grounds, all the staff and students bowing to me as we passed before getting back to their lessons.

"This is amazing..." Starlight breathed as we walked. I looked to her to find her eyes wide and full of wonder. "I've never seen a school like this, especially one this beautiful! It's like a piece of art!"

"Contrast art, to be specific," I pointed out.

"It's a marvel of architectural engineering," Twilight agreed. My smile grew.

"I'll pass that onto the architects," I replied. I looked to the side and hummed happily before gesturing to said side. "If you'll look over there, you'll see the young, budding architects in the architecture class taking their time with design concepts."

The two mares eyes were instantly drawn to the sight of numerous young Skili drawing design concepts whilst their teacher, a wizened old Skili with a beard reaching down to his ankles walked along the rows of his students seats, wearing the lead, er, graphite, out of their pencils on pieces of paper.

"They teach architecture here too?" Twilight asked, looking up at me.

I nodded. "Correct. It's one of the ways we honor the builders of the school."

I saw Twilight's eyes sparkle as she started to nerd out again. "That's amazing! Most ponies have to go to separate schools entirely to do that! Not even Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns does that!"

"And your school teaches exclusively friendship, if I'm correct?" I queried as we continued walking.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, but..." She bit her lip and looked around. "I'm not so sure mine is up to snuff compared to yours..."

Starlight wrapped a foreleg around her teacher's neck. "Don't be like that, Twilight. Your school is awesome, just like this one."

I nodded, though inside I was laughing. After all, having a school built for the purpose of teaching friendship was not only funny, but sad. "She's right. If what I've heard of it is true, it's a sight to behold."

Twilight blushed. "R-Really?"

I put on my best smile. "Really."

Her blush grew a little and she tried to look small. "Th-thanks..."

I chuckled. "No need for thanks when I'm only telling you the truth." I chuckled on the inside for that one too.

Eventually, we made it to the entrance, where the massive doors were situated. The doors were made of ebony wood, to further add to the contrast between it and the silver of the rest of the complex. They were thick, and decorated with Black Iron plates which held ornate engravings that looked more at home at a fantasy dwarven fort than a school. They basically had a lot of pictures of old Skili men's faces and Skili building the school.

After my guards pushed them open, we walked in, and the tour began in earnest. We went from the advanced physics class (which threw Twilight and Starlight for a loop, as most of it was way different than their magical physics) to the mundane woodworking class and quite a bit inbetween, and after all was said and done I had guided them back to the runway, where their own ship had come to pick them up.

"This was really fun," Starlight said with a happy smile on her face. I shook her hoof.

"It certainly was," I replied with my own smile.

"I had a really great time too. Maybe we can do this again sometime?' Twilight asked, looking up to me with a hopeful smile.

My smile grew. Bingo. "I see no reason to say no," I winked at her. "Especially for a friend."

Her eyes widened for a moment, before her smile went huge, and I swore I heard a 'squee.' "Great! I'll talk to you later, then?" At my nod, she beamed and turned around, bouncing happily onto her ship. Starlight waved goodbye as she walked aboard as well, and I waved back.

As they slowly took off and rose into the air and away from the school, I couldn't help my grin nor the phrase that came out of my mouth. "Suckers..."

Pharynx could not be happier.

He had woken up this morning to the news that a Skili had arrived, heavy, metal case in hand. When he rushed out of his room, forgetting his breakfast and hurrying to the entrance to the Hive, his mind swam with all sorts of ideas of how his gun would look, the kind of chaos he could create with it. He'd been waiting anxiously for three weeks since his brother came back from Canterlot with the news that his gun was going to be made, that all he had to do was send the Storm Queen a letter with specifics on the design and he would get his weapon of mayhem. Each day he'd wake up and ask his brother if he'd received word yet, and each day he'd pace around his room, or lie about patrolling the grounds just to watch the entrance for the delivery boy or girl.

And now, as he stood there in the sand outside the Hive, case at his hooves, he was shaking with excitement. Slowly, carefully, he undid the latch on the case, opening it up to reveal his prize. What he found made him smile so wide that a very audible 'squee' emanated from him.

A jet-black, cannon like gun rested in the thick, white foam of the black case, it's frame wrapped in glowing blue engravings of vines tipped with green, similarly glowing roses. He lifted it with his magic, feeling the heft of the weapon. With a manic grin sure to make Discord jealous, he aimed the gun towards a cactus and pulled the trigger.

With a crackle and roar of echoing thunder, a blue ball of condensed lightning shot out and impacted the cactus, flash-cooking it and soon making it's base crack, then fall over. Pharynx hugged the cannon to himself like it was some stuffed toy.

Pharynx, could not be happier.

And neither could Lucette.

Suki stood at the front entrance to the world-famous, sprawling School of Friendship, it's colors matching it's headmare's coat in nearly every way. The young feline looked up to her mother, shifting her weight a little as she frowned.

"Do I really have to go, Mommy...?" she asked.

Lucette smiled, kneeling down to her daughter's eye level and putting a hand on the top of her head. "Don't worry, muffin top. You'll be just fine."

"But..." Suki started, but Lucette interrupted her.

"But nothing, sweetie," Lucette rubbed one of her daughter's ears. "This is good for you, hon. You need some friends." She caressed the young Abyssinian's face. "And if you need me, remember, all you have to do is give me a ring with this," she held up the little button on the feline's backpack strap. "Okay?" Suki kept her frown, gaze turning towards the cobbled stone of the path beneath her. Lucette raised the girl's chin with her finger. "Come on now, muffin top. You can do this." Lucette smirked. "Where's the little girl who sneaks past hundreds of trained guards just to 'play' with some krakens?"

Suki sighed. "Okay, Mommy..." She conceded.

Lucette's smirk turned back to it's caring smile as she patted her daughter's head. "That's my girl."

Lucette stood up, watching as Suki made her way up the path and up the stairs to the front doors. Suki looked back at her mother for a brief moment, then turned back to the doors and pushed them open, letting them close behind her shortly after.

Lucette let out a deep breath she didn't know she'd been holding in. "...V." She said simply.

Ventus appeared. "What's up?"

Lucette went quiet for a short moment, before answering, "Tell Regime Commander Frista to keep an eye on the school and to report directly to me or Tempest if something or someone hurts Suki."

Ventus giggled. "You really have grown attached to her, haven't you?"

"...Just shut up and do it," Lucette said, a tinge of deep blue dusting her cheeks as she whirled around and walked away from the school.

Ventus simply giggled again.

EDIT: Added a new, better intro, complete with a new, more fitting song.

Well, I'm out of my funk, and pushing onwards! I made a promise to myself during 2018, and I plan to keep it. What that promise entails is something you all will have to find out.

Now, I know what you're all thinking. "Why would you have Lucette give Pharnyx a gun that shoots lightning?" Simple. Skili are highly resistant to electricity. So, even if he did turn it on them, it'd be nearly useless since Skili are resistant. And considering how Changelings are in this little 'verse of mine, as well as the other plans Lucette has in motion, if he tries to reverse engineer it, well...

...Her previously mentioned spies will be ready~

Anyways, thanks for reading, guys. It means a lot to me, to have some extra support from you all, especially at a time like this. So, thank you all. Truly.

Also, if you all could give a look to my new stories Cursed Fire and Within Everhoof, I'd be one happy man. I have a Patreon now, too, so if you could check that out I'd be even more happy!

Thanks for reading!

-Timeless Celestial