"Where is General Storm Bolt?!"

Luna was howling with anger as her officers clustered around the table arguing over what to do. No response from Celestia in three days and now a message from Cadence asking for help as the Crystal Heart had been stolen. Already the city in the north was being abandoned as refugees were piling onto the only train available to bring them south and set up a refugee camp in the north on the edge of the icy wasteland.

The telegraph lines had been severed from Canterlot to kingdom come and not one message could be sent out to warn other nobles to bring their forces to bear let alone get a message to more loyal forces near Tall Tale. All of Equestria was now a dense fog that encroached on them with every passing hour.

To make matters worse her best officer was still missing and they were waiting on his arrival before making any plans. Supplies were being loaded for Ponyville at Colonel Bright Lance's request since Twilight had chosen to ignore every. Last. Warning. So caught up in being friendly that now it was biting them in the flank.

Could it get worse? Assuredly. Forces had to be sent north to help the crystal ponies rebuild until the heart could be found, agents were being dispatched far and wide but many had failed to report in and with the telegraph system down it was not easy sending out waves of magical letters even with the aid of unicorns.

"Princess!"

All voices became silent as a guardsmare burst into the room running hard.

"General Storm Bolt was found dead in his home!"

A chorus of disbelief and anger quickly rose before Luna silenced them.

"Assassinated?"

"Unknown. Looks like he died in his sleep. One doctor suggested heart attack."

"He was only fifty seven!"

The mare shrugged and shook her head before being waved out by Luna and instructed to keep her informed. Died in his sleep. Until they could find out if he was poisoned there was no telling one way or another. Turning back to the map Luna promoted a reluctant Colonel Ironshoe and planning continued.

"Send a battalion north to help the crystal ponies..."

"That would weaken our position here."

"There is only one road up the mountain side colonel. We control it with at least eight thousand pony-at-arms. Any that would try and force the gap would face defeat, we can spare a thousand."

"As you command Princess Luna. What about Ponyville?"

"Hmm... Write orders for Colonel Bright Lance to conscript as many able bodied ponies as possible in the meantime to supplement her forces."

"That could cause a great deal of trouble..."

"General Ironshoe I am well aware but better to have a few plebeians with hurt feelings than DEAD plebeians."

"What do you mean you never heard of the Equestrian Tourism Bureau?"

"Sorry ma'am but your tickets, rooms and fancy ones I might add! Are all in order! Oh and there is also this stipend for your stay! Congratulations on winning... Whatever it was!"

Shadow's family looked at each other curiously as the heavy sack of coins was signed over to them, a small ransom really.

"Well I for one am not going to stand around here gawking all day!"

Night Ray took a key for one of the rooms and walked off with his parents soon following. It was a shame that Shadow Moon would not be able to join them but that was understandable. Now Night Streak was another matter.

Lots of apologies had been given a couple days ago saying she would love to join them but could not leave Canterlot until the nineteenth due to exams and would be joining them sometime after.

Opening the first door they awed over the first class room's that had been reserved for them. Every amenity was present and room service had already been paid for by third party. Three weeks of blissful vacation in a burning desert...

Dodge Junction could certainly use the tourism but three weeks was a little much to spend even in a minor city like this. Whatever bureaucrat in Canterlot that signed up this scheme must be rather desperate to get ponies to come all the way out in the middle of nowheresville in the name of tourism.

Shadow Dancer looked out the large window in their room at the bustling streets below and shook her head before looking at her husband.

"Three weeks in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do."

"Well even if there is nothing to do we get to keep this rather handsome sack of gold! All we have to do is stay for three weeks and I intend to!"

"I suppose... Well, lets enjoy our stay and save as much of that as we can to take home. How much did we get anyway?"

A few quick knocks on the door and Night Ray entered the room.

"Well the telegraph lines are out to Canterlot but... Wow that is a lot of bits."

Bright Moon had upended the heavy bag and they all marveled at the pile of shiny coins.

"I think we can manage to keep ourselves busy for three weeks if it means getting to take all this home. Right?"

They all nodded eagerly.

*15th, Underworld*

Shadow twiddled her fingers nervously as Valkardian carefully laid out tokens on the map of Equestria with his eyes glowing blue a crystal in the other hand. Events were fully in motion now and everything was on the verge of having all hell break loose.

A massive train column was screaming along the North rail line in a straight line for Canterlot like he had predicted. Celestia was a prisoner already, fake heart stolen, refugee's pouring south to avoid dying from the cold... As each day passed the problems kept compounding themselves tenfold.

Crazily enough Shadow was relishing it somewhat now that the Equestrians were getting similar treatment as what her own kind received so long ago. Another part was sad, there were only two alive... Well three counting Steelshod who had been alive during that time and only two of those three had anything to do with it.

Pity and remorse. Pity for the ponies who had been lied to and were now on the chopping block as higher powers toyed with their lives and used them as pawns in a chess game. Remorse for the part she would soon play in having to kill how many she did not yet know but if his hints were any indication it would be a true bloodbath.

After Valkardian's eyes stopped glowing Shadow leaned over and tapped the token near a little town called Ponyville and looked at him questioningly.

"One battalion of Luna's forces. They are digging in, trenches are being dug and palisades being raised around the castle. A single train arrived bearing another small contingent of soldiers with additional supplies. My guess is they are settling in for a long wait."

"There wont be a long wait though..."

"No. They are facing a full siege once Canterlot falls, they are lucky enough and unfortunate enough to be sitting on one of the primary rail lines going south. The alternative is to travel East to Phillydelphia then turn south but there is no rail line to Dodge Junction. Ponyville has to fall for Steelshod to have full access to the rail lines."

"You would think a place that strategically important would receive more than a token force..."

"They have not been at war in many centuries, a REAL war. Most no longer have the ability to think in such terms but obviously Luna has not forgotten..."

"Your smiling."

"Yes I am. Luna is trusting in her instinct's not her sisters teachings. Not that it will save her."

"You still love them. Dont you."

Valkardian looked at Shadow and stared for a minute with a strange expression on his face that made her feel a little wierd.

"Yes I do. I hate them. I love them."

"Your insane, how can you both hate and love your... Immortal enemies?"

"I can not truly explain it but we have a long history and believe me when I say they are wonderful mares. Truly wonderful. They care deeply for each other and those they consider their own. They are doing their best to do what they believe is right and though I would gladly kill them for it... That does not mean I can not love them for it."

"Deep rooted respect for them?"

"No... Yes I do respect them, they have earned the right to be taken as a serious threat mind you but it is more than that. I very much doubt I could ever explain it to you."

"So now what? Is my family safe?"

"Yes. Three of four are safe."

"Three of four?"

"Your sister ignored the summons to Dodge Junction and opted to remain in Canterlot. Lines are already cut so she will not be getting out in time."

"Do something!"

"Shadow, I already did. I moved a small mountain for your sake. Be grateful."

"I did not mean it that way..."

Shadow slumped down in her seat and looked at the Canterlot token with worry etched into her face

"There are things beyond our control at motion now one of those being free will. Your sister chose to stay and there are too many risks involved to snatch her away from Canterlot when the city is on the verge of siege. If I were to make a move now it would expose my hand prematurely and warn both sides to my presence before I want it known."

"So you are sacrificing her..."

"Shadow..."

"No. Your right." Shadow looked up and stared straight into his eyes with sincerity. "My sister ignored her chance to get out and nothing will ever change that. Even if I went it would be too late to change that now. It just doesn't sit right with me, expending one piece here in favor of another."

"Thus is war."

"Do you think she will survive?"

"She is not a soldier right?"

"No, student."

"Unless she stands directly in the way of an oncoming fireball the odds are very good she will walk away from this was without a scratch then. Steelshod wants Canterlot intact not burnt to the ground not that he wouldn't if put in such a situation. That also means not turning the population against him until after forcing them to kneel before his throne."

Shadow let out a shaky sigh and buried her face in her hands while clenching her eyes shut. Her mother, father and brother were all safe because of the monster sitting across from her and he had truly tried to save her too but could not. It was completely out of their hands now and all she could do was pray that her sister stayed out of the way.

"Well look at the map and tell me what you think we should do then."

Pulling her hands away she looked over the map quickly.

"If we attack Canterlot after it falls that would leave us exposed dangerously to these other forces unless we can escape in time. Only one way up and down favoring the defender not the attacker so we would have to lay seige for... Months."

"How do you think Steelshod plans to do it in one afternoon then?"

"One afternoon? He must have a... What did you call it?"

"A hail Mary."

"He must have a few saved up to pull that off. Sneak in and breach the gates? He would be spotted marching up..."

"Alright. What about Ponyville?"

"Doomed. They can hold for a short time if the entire population is put under arms but it will be a slaughter. A couple of days at best unless Princess Twilight pulls one good out of her flank."

"Now about the other traitor armies..."

"Okay stop. How exactly are we going to destroy THIS many armies without all of them banding together to stomp us?!"

"Hmm. I have my own answers but you tell me. What would you do?"

"...Use... Your portals. They link you to any part of Equestria you choose. Take one army and attack them one at a time in rapid succession before they can unite. Destroy rail lines here... Here and the bridges here. Cut them off."

"Or channel them to one major focal point. Continue."

"Also we should do something to lure them away from Canterlot."

A light seemed to go off as Valkardian grinned and motioned for her to keep going.

"I dont know how... Do something they can not ignore... Steelshod will have to prove he is worthy of being king right? Okay so do something so brazen he has no choice but to move his forces away from Canterlot to engage us on more even terms. Something so big he risks being dethroned like Celestia if he ignores it."

"What would it take?"

"An army... I mean a BIG army. There are how many of them?"

"Steelshod has over ten thousand with mercenaries in the few thousands backing him up. After the war is over the traitor nobles could unite their armies to form a force some... Three hundred thousand strong if they ALL came together at the same time which is no small feat."

Her eyes lowered to the map in defeat.

"Unless you can pull an army numbering in the quarter to half million or more from your bag of magic tricks I doubt there is much we can do to make him leave the safety of Canterlot. Even if we drew him out I dont think that after what you told me he would actually risk his forces unless it was dire."

"Hmm. We shall see. But wouldn't a hoard of soldiers like that make him RUN rather than stand and fight?"

*Augh!* "I know! But the threat has to be convincing enough to make him risk it or loose it all! Like a diversion-!"

"Catching on are we? That will be your part to play. Luring the fox from the hen house long enough for the hunter to shut the door behind it and block any chance of retreat."

"Each of those tokens numbers in the tens of thousands right?"

"Just about."

"So am I to run out there with my two companies and just... Charge down the ballista's and pray for the best?"

Valkardian broke out laughing and slapped the table making the pieces shift.

"No. You will have more than enough soldiers to accomplish your task. Trust me."

Trust him? She did trust him but this was taking their trust to new extremes.