The ominous rumbling of the WarShip woke Chartreuse from her restless slumber. She'd only been a Star Commander in Clan Wolf for the better part of a month, but things were getting hectic. Already she'd been in four battles, two of which ended in the death of one of her soldiers. To their credit, however, both of them had managed to take out multiple enemies before falling, themselves.

"Star Commander Chartreuse?" a voice said, rousing Chartreuse from her drowsy state. She turned her head to see a bright pink unicorn with candy apple green eyes and a short, spiky mane the color of dandelions standing at attention next to her bed.

"I already told you, Pixie, you don't have to act formal around me," Chartreuse said as she sat up in her bunk and winced at the soreness in the right side of her face. When Galaxy Commander Peregrine had offered to have her scars fixed after her Trial of Position, she had been tempted to accept. However, she had felt it was too important of a reminder of her past sins, and elected to leave the defacing marks.

Pixie motioned with her eyes off to her left, toward another pony who Chartreuse hadn't noticed at first. "It's the Clan way, ma'am," she said briskly.

Chartreuse followed her friend's sideways glance and groaned inwardly. The other pony in the room was Star Captain Ocean Breeze, a dark blue pegasus with indigo eyes and a silver buzz cut. He was the Captain of Trinary First in the 279th Wolf Battle Cluster, and he never went easy on the two Commanders underneath him. She quickly slid out of bed and snapped to attention, knowing the senior pony wouldn't be impressed by her messy state, or her comment about disregarding the military structure.

Ocean simply snorted and pulled a tablet from his uniform. He tapped on the screen a few times and handed the device roughly to Chartreuse. "We are invading another planet today, so get your Star in order. The DropShips are detaching in three hours. Do not make us late."

"Aff, Sir," Chartreuse said, giving him a salute.

"And clean this mess up, or there will be consequences. You freebirths live like pigs," Ocean spat as he turned on his hooves and stormed out of the room.

After listening to his hoofsteps fade down the hall to make sure he had gone, Pixie turned to Chartreuse and let out a nervous breath. "Always a breath of fresh air, ain't he?" she said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Chartreuse shrugged and turned the tablet in her hooves to look at their assignment. It was a standard invasion on a planet with minimal military force; they were going to land near the military bases, storm the complexes, and kill or capture any soldiers who didn't surrender.

"What's our assignment this time?" Pixie asked, looking at the small screen over Chartreuse's shoulder.

"The usual. Our entire Trinary is going planetside, but they're splitting us up. Ocean is taking his Star and Bravo Star over here," Chartreuse said, pointing to a small dot on the global map, "And he's sending us over there, to a training camp. Usually all of the cadets in training camps surrender without a fight, so we should encounter minimal resistance."

Pixie shook her head and took a step back. "Why wouldn't they fight back? I get that they're not soldiers yet, but wouldn't they be loyal to their Clan and follow orders?"

"No. Not in Clan Draconequus, anyway. None of the freeborn soldiers there actually chose to enlist," Chartreuse said as she scrolled down through the page of information. She had to do a doubletake when the planet's name came up, and she felt her face freeze in shock. "That can't be right..."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you weren't born in Clan Wolf. I guess you'd understand better than me, since - hey, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," Pixie said, finally noticing Chartreuse's expression.

Chartreuse nodded and double checked the planet name. "Yeah, it's nothing." She turned the tablet off and gave it to Pixie. "We need to get ready soon, so take that to the boys and tell them to meet us at the DropShip after grabbing breakfast."

Pixie did a mock salute and grinned at Chartreuse. "You got it. See you there." She turned and trotted out of the room, heading down the interior of the Liberator-Class WarShip toward their Star's other sleeping quarters.

The bunk squeaked slightly as Chartreuse sat on it and took a deep breath. "So they're sending me back to Dike. Not just that, but it's my old training camp. That's too convenient to be a coincidence, isn't it?" She shook her head and reached for the uniform hanging next to her bed. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm rescuing every pony there, right after I kill Charcoal."

---

Chartreuse shivered as the DropShip touched down. Being back on her home planet again felt strange, especially since she was in the one place she had hoped to never see again. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we finish up here, the sooner we can leave," she thought as the bay door began to open.

"Remember, don't leave the DropShip unless I say to. If the majority of the cadets don't surrender, you'll need to get in the air as soon as possible," Chartreuse said over the comms, thinking back to the heat signatures they had seen as they descended. If she had to guess, there were about thirty 'Mechs hiding in the trees, and even with the DropShip's help, there was no way the five of them could take on that many 'Mechs.

"We won't," Pixie replied. "I'd really rather not have to kill children, anyway. Soldiers are one thing, but colts and fillies who aren't even old enough to be in high school yet?"

"They're the enemy, it doesn't matter what age they are. Foals die as easily as any other pony," Steel Thunder jeered, another pony in Chartreuse's Star. He had shady morals, but at least his loyalty was unquestionable.

Pixie shook her head. "And that's why I refuse to sleep with you."

Before Steel could retaliate, Chartreuse cut in. "That's enough. Seriously, you two need to stop fighting all the time. I don't want any senseless chatter on the comms until the mission is over. Is that clear?" Both ponies grumbled in what she took to be an agreement, and she sighed to herself. The MechWarriors in her Star rarely got along, and it was very annoying to deal with at times.

The DropShip rumbled as the door finished opening, and Chartreuse piloted her Warhawk out into the open. They had landed in one of the training fields; the closest area to the camp that was large enough to land a spheroid 'Ship in. She stepped out a few dozen meters and looked around the clearing, waiting for something to happen. Nopony had replied when she had tried to contact the training camp as they landed, so she wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

The ground suddenly began to shake, and all at once, two Trinaries worth of 'Mechs came through the tree line. Even though Chartreuse knew the pilots behind them were relatively untrained, that didn't mean they weren't dangerous.

One of the 'Mechs stepped out in front of the others, and Chartreuse immediately recognized Commander Charcoal's config C Mad Dog. It stopped a few hundred meters from her, and the voice that she had trusted so long ago came hauntingly through her comms. "What are you doing on our planet, Wolf scum? We could easily kill you now."

"Then do it," Chartreuse said over the open comms. All of the cadets could hear her now, and she knew she would probably die if she couldn't convince them to surrender, "And throw away your one chance at freedom."

"Freedom? Death is freedom?" Charcoal scoffed. "You are here to kill us. Do not deny it."

Chartreuse shook her head. "We're not. Why would we bring a single Star of 'Mechs if we wanted to destroy you? Given your lack of air defense, sending in an aerospace Star would have been much simpler and quicker." Some of the 'Mechs shuffled uncertainly, and she knew logic was the right choice in this situation. Despite their numbers the cadets were scared, and she had to make them feel safe for them to surrender willingly. "No, we're not here to kill you," she repeated. "If you surrender peacefully and give up your 'Mechs, you will be allowed to go free with no consequences."

"And what if we have nopony to go back to? What if there's nothing left for us to live for?" one of the braver cadets called out. Chartreuse turned to see a Shadow Cat standing a few steps in front of the others, and she felt pity for them as she remembered the destruction of her own hometown.

"Then you must find a new reason to live, just as I have. It is entirely your decision. Just know that by the end of this war Clan Draconequus will be destroyed, and the survivors will be absorbed into other Clans, like I was." Chartreuse glanced around the line of 'Mechs. She recognized the cutie marks painted on a few of them, and she hoped they could do the same. Maybe she could use empathy to get through to them.

"A little over a year ago, I was in the exact same situation as all of you, underneath Charcoal's command. Some of the older among you may remember who I am, and that I was born in Styx, the first of many towns to be almost entirely wiped out in cold blood. I don't have anything to go back to, either. Yet I still chose my own path, and here I am, giving all of you the choice you should have had in the first place. If you surrender peacefully, you will be given the opportunity to join Clan Wolf and choose your own destiny. You do not have to remain soldiers. What you become is entirely up to you."

Chartreuse looked nervously at the cadets. Moving speeches had never been her thing, and as they all sat there in silence, she began to worry that they would choose to fight. "Should I have been kinder? They are just foals, after all," she thought anxiously. However, when the Shadow Cat took another step forward and its pilot began to speak, her confidence came rushing back.

"I'll join you. Though, to be perfectly honest, I don't think I could go back to an easy life after this. I hadn't considered the possibility of others in our situation until now, and I want to help free them like you, if I can." A few of the other cadets quietly voiced their agreement, but Chartreuse imagined most of them would choose a much safer career.

"Traitor!" Charcoal shouted. He turned the torso of his 'Mech toward the Shadow Cat, preparing to destroy it and kill the pilot inside.

Before he could fire, Chartreuse placed a PPC shot right in front of Charcoal's cockpit, wanting to draw his attention without damaging his Mad Dog. "Your fight is with me, Charcoal. If you hurt any of them, I'll make sure your death is extra painful."

Charcoal scowled and turned his 'Mech back to face Chartreuse. "You think that you can order me around just because you are a higher rank now? You are still just a freebirth, and you will always be a freebirth, lowborn scum."

Chartreuse let out an annoyed breath and ignored the slurs. "That was a threat, not an order. You're going to die today. It's your choice how gruesome it is."

"You are intent on spilling my blood? Very well, then we shall fight here and now, in our 'Mechs," Charcoal said smugly. "I will not be the one to die today, however."

Chartreuse shook her head irritably. The challenging process in the Clans wasn't supposed to happen like that, and she wasn't happy he had chosen to fight in front of the cadets where stray fire could injure them. Still, it also meant she could kill him sooner. "Fine. Then let's start-" Chartreuse cut off as her cockpit jolted suddenly, and the flashing damage indicator caught her attention. Charcoal hadn't waited until the fight officially began to fire, and her heavily damaged right torso meant she would start at a strong disadvantage. She growled in annoyance and brought her weapons to bear on the much lighter 'Mech. If he wanted to fight dirty, then she'd happily oblige.

Chartreuse quickly placed two PPC shots in the Mad Dog's right leg, ending Charcoal's attempt to circle around behind her. She then fired her two remaining PPC's at the 'Mech's hip actuator, removing its ability to turn its torso. Even though the outcome of the fight was decided long before it began, he seemed determined that he was going to win. Chartreuse almost found it admirable, if he weren't such a heartless pony.

A fast-moving dot on the radar caught Chartreuse's attention, and she whirled around in time to see a 'Mech using its Jump Jets to fly through the air toward her; It was Commander Juniper in her Gyrfalcon, trying to execute a death from above attack, something the partial winged 'Mech was designed to do. Even though the machine was barely half the weight of Chartreuse's Warhawk, it could still cause catastrophic damage. Chartreuse had completely forgotten about that pony, and she was annoyed that the fight had broken from the one-on-one rules of Clan warfare.

Thinking quickly, Chartreuse knew she wouldn't be able to kill the 'Mech with just her PPC's. The Gyrfalcon mounted reflective armor, which excelled at mitigating damage from energy weapons. It would take an alpha strike to destroy the 'Mech, and with four ER PPC's mounted on her Warhawk, that much heat would cause a massive spike in internal temperature that would spell certain doom for her.

Instead, Chartreuse took a quick step forward and reared the right arm of her 'Mech back. She then swung the torso so that the barrels of the two particle cannons in that arm rammed into the Gyrfalcon's center torso as it descended towards her, shattering the brittle reflective armor. She then fired the weapons in that arm at just the right moment to destroy the falling 'Mech and kill its pilot before its momentum ripped the arm off of her Warhawk.

The Warhawk's torso rocked again as Charcoal fired his dual Gauss Rifles at the 'Mech's rear torso, punching through the armor but doing nothing more than destroying a couple of heat sinks. Chartreuse smirked and turned back to face him in his Mad Dog. "Did you forget what I was capable of?" she asked as she leveled her 'Mech's remaining arm with his cockpit.

Chartreuse wished she could see the look on Charcoal's face through his neurohelmet, and as much as she wanted to gloat more, she knew she couldn't wait for his Gauss Rifles to recharge. Instead, she fired both of her PPC's, smiling spitefully as the glass of the Mad Dog's cockpit disintegrated and the pony inside was incinerated. Chartreuse sighed in relief and leaned back in her seat. She definitely felt better now that the fight was over, and in a way, she felt she had avenged the deaths of her friends.

The memory of being told none of her friends had survived their fight on Strana was painful. Chartreuse could clearly remember the cold emptiness that had gripped her heart when Galaxy Commander Peregrine told her a group of assault 'Mechs broke through the Ghost Bear lines and had killed Sundance and the others while she was unconscious. She felt obligated to keep fighting, thinking she was the only one of their group still left alive.

"So... what happens now?" the cadet in the Shadow Cat asked, rousing Chartreuse from her thoughts.

Chartreuse sat back up and glanced around the group of 'Mechs. Not a single one of them had tried to help Charcoal and Juniper, and she was glad they all seemed to have common sense. "Well, not much as long as you're cooperative. This planet will be under Clan Wolf's control in a few hours, so you can either choose to stay here and catch a ride with the salvage team when they come through, or you can go and find work somewhere else on Dike. It's all up to you."

The Shadow Cat pilot nodded and glanced at Charcoal's fallen 'Mech. "How long is the training process in Clan Wolf? I was supposed to join the war later this year, so my cadet days are pretty much finished. I'd really like to fight against Clan Draconequus after everything they've taken from me."

Chartreuse shrugged. "I'm not sure. They allowed me to fight as soon as I was officially a Wolf, but I already had battle experience at that point. You'll have to take that up with somepony else."

"Okay. Thank you for saving us," the cadet said. She turned to go back to her friends, but she paused for a moment and looked back. "My name's Honey Bee, by the way."

"And I'm Star Commander Chartreuse. Good luck out there," Chartreuse said with a nod before turning back to the DropShip. The other 'Mechs milled around for a few short moments, but soon they started filing down the path toward the hangars, and Chartreuse smiled to herself. It was a good feeling to know that she had personally put an end to a part of her old Clan's tyranny, but she had much more work to do before she could fully forgive herself.

---

Meanwhile on the Eclipse, somewhere in Inner Sphere space...

Discord wiped his eyes dry and rose unsteadily to his feet. He was back in the Earth Deck of the Eclipse, where he had just finished burying Princess Skyfire's body. With the exception of her cutie mark and the presence of a horn she looked exactly like Fluttershy, and because of this strong resemblance, all Discord could see at the time was the closest friend he'd ever had dying a horrible, painful death because of him.

"No, it wasn't my fault. I'm justified in my actions," Discord told himself for the hundredth time since setting out after the princesses. It lacked its usual conviction, however, and he found himself unable to believe the words that had kept him going for so long. Even his tracking spell, which he had cast again to locate the princesses after Prince Orchard teleported them and himself to safety, was not as strong or confident as it had been before.

Discord shook his head impatiently and tried to force himself to concentrate. Even though Orchard was an alicorn, they were far enough out into space that he wouldn't be able to teleport the princesses off of the Eclipse. They were still on the ship, so why was the spell taking so long to find them?

"Finally," Discord said dramatically as he felt the familiar tug in his mind. They were in the hangar, prepping one of the escape pods. It was an act of desperation; surely they knew they'd never get off fast enough to escape? The air around Discord crackled and warped as he teleported himself to the hangar, not far off from where the three ponies were standing. Celestia and Luna were inside the escape pod, while Orchard was busy moving a few small devices into the cramped spacecraft. He was the first to notice Discord, and he dropped what he was carrying and turned to face the draconequus.

"Stay back, Discord," Orchard growled as he placed himself between Discord and the princesses, "or I'll-"

"Yes, yes, I get the point. We don't need to waste time on that conversation," Discord said, faking a yawn. "Now, step aside, and we can all go home sooner."

Orchard dropped into a defensive position and snorted. "No."

Discord shrugged. At least he tried. "Have it your way, then." He waved his clawed hand dismissively and sent Orchard flying with his magic, feeling a surprising amount of guilt as the orange pony's head hit the wall with a dull thud and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Hoofsteps caught Discord's attention, and he turned back to the escape pod to see Celestia walking toward him, with Luna not far behind. "It's time to stop all this, Discord. You have us. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is indeed." Discord felt the magic surge though his body as he prepared to kill them, properly this time, but a question in the back of his mind stopped him. It was something he wanted an answer to before they died. "I want to know one thing first. If you were going to give yourselves up without a fight anyway, why wait so long? After all the death and destruction I've left in my wake, you should have surrendered from the start. Less ponies would have died that way."

Neither Celestia or Luna spoke. They both seemed genuinely unhappy at that statement, but he could tell there was a good reason behind it from their hesitation. "Well? You're about to die. Might as well reveal your secrets."

Luna sighed and shot Discord a wholehearted glare. "Fine, I will tell you. We wanted to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat you, but to do that we needed to find the bearer of the Element of Loyalty." she glanced sideways at Celestia. "I never believed we would find the correct pony. Almost every Element bearer has been a descendent of a previous bearer, and as far as we know, all of the descendants of Rainbow Dash reside in the Clans."

Discord tapped his chin. "Ah, now I see. You were just grasping at straws. Even if you had found the pony you were looking for, I don't think the other bearers would have been as harmonious as you believe."

Celestia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say a certain dark gray alicorn was helping me plan your murder before I regained my powers."

Celestia took a step back, flustered. "You - how long have you been planning to overthrow us?"

"A few years now. This all started when you refused to attack the Clans. We could have wiped them all out, you know. We still can, in fact. My underling is preparing for war as we speak, and once you are dealt with, our invasion will begin." Discord chuckled again. "You really should have listened to me. This all could have been avoided."

Luna shook her head. "When will you learn, Discord? Nothing can justify wiping out billions of ponies. Think of all the innocent lives that will be lost!"

"That's the least of your worries right now." The room became darker as Discord prepared his magic again. "For real this time, goodbye."

"This isn't like you. What happened to that kind, chaos-loving draconequus from a thousand years ago?"

Discord's head whipped around at the faint voice that was unmistakably Fluttershy's. Obviously she wasn't actually there, but he had heard it as clearly as if she were standing right behind him, and it had been accompanied by the unforgettable feeling of her presence. He growled to himself and turned back to the two princesses. "Like I said, he died half a century ago. He's not coming back."

"Of course I believe in you! I've always believed in you!"

Discord shook his head vigorously, trying to clear the warring thoughts from his mind. He kept seeing flashes of memories from times much brighter and happier than the present; Spring Bud taking one of his vacation days off from work to spend time with Discord, him and Fluttershy laughing at one of his jokes, the first time he had realized how much friendship meant to him...

"No. My mind won't be changed. I've come too far to back down." Discord raised one hand shakily toward the two princesses and pressed his thumb and forefinger together firmly. "I'm ending this. Now."

---

Discord sighed as he took his first step on Terra in what felt like decades. He was back inside the castle, where surprisingly little had changed. He'd almost expected the entire place to be covered in dark décor and for the air outside to be foggy and dreary, but everything looked exactly like he had remembered.

The memory of his actions on the Eclipse made Discord shudder. At the last moment he'd seen a flash of Princess Skyfire again, dying from his magic, and he'd felt his power falter slightly as he subconsciously cast a different spell. He'd been unable to kill Celestia and Luna, and they were now hidden in Chaosville where they were statues instead of corpses. He was so sure he could have killed them, and had it not been for Skyfire sacrificing herself and bringing back memories of Fluttershy, he would have. Now, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.

Discord raised one hand and stared at it for a moment. "What am I doing? I've gained nothing and wasted half a millennium wallowing in bitterness. Fluttershy was right." He sighed again and put his hand back by his side. "Maybe I should call off the invasion. Do I really want to kill ponies who had nothing to do with the war all those years ago?"

Hoofsteps approaching Discord's direction drew his attention, and he was unable to continue that thought. He turned just in time to see Celestia and Luna step around the corner, very much not encased in stone.

"But - how - I turned you two to stone!" Discord sputtered, thoroughly confused. There was no way somepony could have found the princesses, reanimated them, and brought them here in the few seconds he'd been gone. He was about to cast the spell again, but Celestia raised one of her hooves and motioned for him to stop.

"Calm down, Discord. We're not really the princesses," Celestia said just as her and Luna were both enveloped in bright green fire. After a brief moment the flames cleared to reveal two sky-blue changelings that looked similar enough to be siblings. "Vendetta's been waiting for you. He says the invasion is ready to begin, on your command. Here." The first changeling walked up to Discord and forcefully handed him a tablet.

Discord felt a strangely familiar twinge go through his body as he grabbed the device. It felt similar to when he had taken the enchanted ring off of his finger, but distinctly different. As a test he tried to turn the changeling in front of him from blue to pink, but nothing happened.

"It's enchanted to take away my magic!" Discord thought just as the second changeling darted out from behind his companion and lunged toward Discord, holding a very heavy looking shackle. He flinched back and dropped the tablet, but he'd been too preoccupied to notice the changeling had moved closer, which didn't give him enough time to react. Before the enchanted device left Discord's hand, the shackle slammed shut around his neck and clicked as it locked into place. He tried to use his magic to shove the two changelings away from him, but nothing happened.

Both of the changelings suddenly morphed into large minotaurs, and they grabbed Discord and threw him to the floor. One held his legs in place while the other grabbed his arms, and despite his best struggles, he couldn't budge them. "You vermin! When I get this thing off, the first thing I'm conjuring is a giant flyswatter."

"Oh, Discord, you never know when to accept defeat, do you?" a menacing voice said from the shadows. Discord twisted his head around to see a six-legged monster step out into the open, its body a horrible mess of pony and machine.

"Vendetta," Discord growled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"The right thing," Vendetta said in a way that sounded like he were explaining this to a small child. He shook his head and walked up to Discord. "It's a shame for you, really. You used a bit too much magic when you created me, and you didn't think your spell through thoroughly enough. As it turns out, having two brains and two computers that work as one is quite the powerful combination.

"I've been watching you on your little vacation. You've been having doubts the past few days, and while I couldn't see what was going on between you three in the Eclipse, I now know you didn't actually kill the two princesses based on your exclamation earlier. Were you even planning on invading the Clans anymore?"

"As a matter of fact, no. I've decided against it." Discord struggled vainly against his captors one last time, and gave up when he felt their grip tighten. "Why betray me like this?"

Vendetta snorted and leaned his head close to Discord's so only he could hear. "It's in my nature. You created me to wipe out the Clans, remember? That's my sole purpose in life, and with the help of that enchanted shackle around your neck, you can't use your magic to change that. Now that you're opposed to the invasion, you're nothing more than an obstacle." He straightened back up and jerked his head down the hall. "Take him to Tartarus. We'll decide what to do with him later."

Discord felt himself being lifted off the ground, held between the two minotaurs. He glanced back as they carried him swiftly down the hall. "You filthy traitor."

Vendetta's chuckled. "You're one to talk, Discord."

Discord swung his head back around and let it hang limply in front of him. Vendetta's laughter echoed eerily through his head and down the hall, and as the two minotaurs carried him into the portal room and through the portal to Tartarus, he knew the monster was right.

---

Vendetta shook his rough mane and turned to face the door that had opened behind him. Four alicorns filed out, a dark gray stallion with a short blue mane and violet eyes in the lead; Prince Shadow Chaser, the leader of the House of Generosity, and the only House leader in the Inner Sphere who wasn't directly related to his predecessors. He glanced down the hall at where Discord had disappeared. "Well, I think that was all we needed to hear."

Vendetta nodded and glanced at the other three alicorns. "Do you see now? We were right to be suspicious of him."

Princess Flurry Heart nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but that doesn't change my mind about invading the Clans. They've done nothing to us since the war ended, so why start fighting again?"

"Restarting the war has nothing to do with Discord," Shadow said patiently. "They're a dangerous, warmongering group of ponies. They shouldn't have invaded us in the first place."

Flurry shook her head. "But they only invaded us because we drove them out. Nothing would have happened had we left them alone, and we might even still be allies."

"I, for one, am with Vendetta and Shadow on this," another of the alicorns said. He had canary fur, a bouncy pastel pink mane that framed a feminine face, and bright emerald eyes. "Flurry, you remember what the Clans were like when they first formed, don't you? Even if they never directly attacked us, they were full of infighting. All it would have taken was one stray round destroying one of our ships, and our citizens would have been calling for Clan blood. It was only a matter of time."

"I know, Cheese, but..." Flurry sighed and turned away. "It just isn't right. We're at peace now. I don't want to break it."

Nopony else spoke, and after a moment, Vendetta turned to the only pony who had remained silent. Her multitone purple mane stood out sharply against her pale lavender coat, and her violet eyes carried the slightest hint of blue. "Princess Twilight?"

Twilight Solace closed her eyes and scowled slightly. After a short moment she opened them and glanced around at the other ponies. "The Clans killed the last Twilight, my great-grandmother, when we drove them out, and later my grandfather and his sister when they invaded. I know it's wrong to start the war again, but Cheese makes a really good point. Also, it's hard to fight my emotions. So many ponies in my family died to them." She sighed heavily and turned her head away.

Flurry stared at Twilight with her mouth agape. "But - Twilight! What would your mother think about this?"

Twilight shook her head. "She's not here anymore. My decisions are mine, and mine alone. It's up to us to protect our citizens." She locked eyes sadly with Vendetta. "I'll join the invasion, but once we take over the Clans, the fighting must stop immediately. I don't want unnecessary casualties, especially to innocent ponies. And I won't take all of my soldiers. Only the ones who are willing to attack unprovoked like this."

Vendetta nodded and turned back to Flurry. "There you have it. Majority rules, and the invasion will take place." Noticing her confused expression, he snorted. "I'm excluding you, of course. The Crystal Empire isn't nearly large enough to contribute a meaningful amount in terms of soldiers and supplies, so it's only fair that you don't get a say in the matter."

Flurry opened her mouth to protest, but Li'l Cheese stepped in between the two. "I don't think that's right. Even if her military isn't nearly as large as any of ours, she's still one of us. Her voice counts as much to me as anypony else's." Flurry shot him a grateful glance, and he nodded to her. "We should wait for Orchard and Skyfire to get here before we make a final decision. If the vote ends in a tie, we'll decide what to do from there."

Vendetta scowled, but before he could reply, another pony stepped around the corner and spoke up. "Skyfire is dead. She doesn't get a vote anymore."

Everypony turned to look at the newcomer, and there was a collective gasp. Prince Orchard was standing at the end of the hall, leaning heavily against the wall and holding a hoof over a bleeding wound on his head.

"She's... dead?" Twilight asked, shocked.

Orchard nodded solemnly. "She sacrificed herself to save Celestia and Luna. I went back for her body, but couldn't find it anywhere. Discord must've done something to it," he said with a low growl.

Nopony spoke for a long moment, having been stunned into silence. The alicorns were all very close, and losing one was almost as bad as losing a sibling.

Flurry broke the spell first, moving over to where Orchard rested. "Don't worry, we'll find her and give her a proper sendoff," she said quietly in a way that sounded like she was holding back tears. "For now, let's just get you to the infirmary."

Orchard nodded, but turned first to where Vendetta was standing. "I'll join the invasion, too. My mother died when the Clans attacked. I want revenge."

Flurry gasped. "But Orchard, what would Skyfire think?"

"Didn't you hear what Twilight said? The dead's opinions aren't relevant to the future. We can't get caught up in the past." Orchard sighed and whirled around before plodding away in silence. Flurry's head drooped as she followed, escorting him to the infirmary.

"Well, I think our course is settled, then," Vendetta said after a moment.

Shadow nodded. "Our armies are nearly ready. Once we've had our time to grieve and a new leader of the House of Kindness is chosen, we should meet again to discuss our plans."

"Is... is her son even ready to take the throne?" Cheese asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Cedar's training won't be complete for a couple more years, at most. Skyfire's council will likely take over until then."

Cheese sighed. "In the meantime, didn't Discord say Celestia and Luna were turned to stone?"

"Yes, but where would he have hidden them?" Shadow asked, feigning curiosity.

"I think... I think somewhere in Chaosville. Only he can traverse that place without getting lost, so it would make sense," Twilight said. "We should send out search parties immediately. Should Flurry be in charge of that?"

Shadow shook his head. "I have a few units in my military that aren't up to snuff, so I'll send them in and let them do their own thing. I think we should just leave Flurry and the Crystal Empire out of the fighting, and have her pick up some of the slack of leading the Great Houses while we're fighting. Obviously we shouldn't leave everything to her, but she can still help."

"That sounds acceptable. Get them in there as soon as possible. We shouldn't make Flurry take on that much responsibility for longer than we need to. She wouldn't want that much stress." Twilight bowed her head and walked slowly down the hall. "For now, let's go our own ways. I want to be alone for a while."

Cheese nodded in agreement and trudged in the opposite direction, leaving Shadow and Vendetta alone in the empty hallway.

Once the others were long gone, Shadow leaned in close to Vendetta and spoke in a hushed whisper. "So do you think the princesses really are in Chaosville?"

Vendetta nodded. "I think Twilight hit that nail on the head. It's the most logical solution for him to make. Even with an entire army searching there, it could take years to find them. Electrical systems are affected by the chaotic aura, so we're limited to searching by eyesight alone. And once you find them..."

Shadow smirked. "Don't worry, my soldiers won't find them. I'll make sure of that. And when this war is over..?"

"I'll help you take over the other Great Houses, as promised. I have no need for power. My sole purpose is to destroy the Clans."

"Good." Shadow stretched his legs and started down the hall. "This is turning out to be quite the profitable business deal."

---

Twilight held her breath as Shadow walked right past without noticing her. After the few longest seconds of her life, when he had disappeared from sight, she let out the anxious breath. She was so glad her great-grandmother had included an invisibility spell in one of her spell books. She'd had a feeling learning something like that would come in handy one day.

Twilight peeked around the corner carefully, but Vendetta was nowhere to be seen. She'd thought she heard his unique gait heading in the other direction, and it looked like she was right. The air crackled around her as she dropped the invisibility spell, and she teleported herself to her dedicated guest room in the Canterlot castle.

"So... Skyfire is dead, Celestia and Luna have been turned to stone, Discord is in Tartarus, a new war is soon to begin, Shadow is betraying us, and Vendetta lied to us, just as I had suspected." Twilight sighed and flopped back onto her bed, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "This is a lot to take in at once."

Twilight rolled onto her side and lifted the small picture on the end table. It showed her and the other seven alicorns at her coronation, nearly two hundred years prior. She was the youngest of all of them, but they still treated her like she was one of them, and she was extraordinarily grateful. They'd all taken her under her wing, both literally and figuratively, and she felt it was time she paid them back. She just hated that Skyfire had died so suddenly, that Celestia and Luna might not come back for a very long time, and that one of her very own friends was a traitor and was planning their deaths. He wasn't a true friend at all. He didn't deserve to bear an Element of Harmony.

Twilight set the picture back down and sat up in her bed, determined to do something about their situation. She wasn't sure the others would believe what she had heard without proof, so she'd either have to get some, or solve the problem on her own. "Don't worry, guys. I'll put a stop to this, no matter what it takes. This time, I'll be the one protecting all of you."

Next Chapter: Chapter 11 - The Clawing Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 6 Minutes