Swift stopped by the door by the pair of guards, giving it a single knock before opening it, letting me inside before closing it behind me.

It didn’t take long for me to the alicorn in the room. She was wearing a set of armour, reminding me of Luna's. Just larger and golden instead of silvery.

“Looking good,” I commented to her, giving Heavy Hammer a nod on the way as he passed me, carrying her helmet.

Celestia smiled slightly, “Five hundred years since I wore it last. Still fits.”

“Now that’s impressive considering the food in the castle,” I commented before I frowned slightly at her, “Do you think you’ll need it?”

She shifted her wings and sighed softly, “I… I hope not. I heard you and my sister managed to make contact with the Storm King?”

I nodded, “We did,” I said as I sat down, looking up towards her, “He was less than receptive. But we’ll check in another week and see how things have changed. I did send a message to the border guards to be extra ready in case he decides to move. That’s the riskiest part.”

Celestia nodded and spread one wing to allow Heavy Hammer to start fitting it with the flexible cover plates along the over side, “If we can avoid war, that would be preferable.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” I said, “But if we can’t, I prefer if we stomp them so hard into the ground nopony would dare try it again.”

Celestia sighed softly and tried folding her wing before extending it again to allow him to make some adjustments, “You sound like my sister once did.”

“Well, considering the fact that nopony else had attacked Equestria in a long time, it seems to have worked,” I said as I watched the armour being fitted. That was a clever way to protect the wing and still make flying possible, if not easy.

“One of the reasons,” Celestia agreed and folded her wing again, allowing Heavy Hammer to work on her left, the earth pony expertly manipulating the straps and such necessary, “but I would prefer if it didn’t come to that.”

“Sometimes the only winning move is not to play,” I said before I shrugged my wings at her look, “A saying from back home. But sadly it only applies when both sides see that it’s true.”

Celestia nodded slowly, “Wars don’t have victors. Only those that lose less.”

“And we’ll do what’s necessary to make sure it’s not Equestria,” I told her, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”

She nodded again and folded her other wing before picking her helmet up in her magic, putting it on before she turned to me, “I want you to go talk with Commander Tempest. Anything she can tell you could be useful.”

“Okay,” I agreed, “I can give it a try at least.”

“Thank you, Page,” Celestia said and then took her helmet off, “And thank you, Heavy Hammer. This works nicely. Dismissed.”

He bowed slightly and left the armoury before Celestia turned to me,

“Is there anything from your old world that could help us?

Fire.

The sky on fire as the clouds rose up to meet space... Liquid fire clinging to beings. Humans dying in the thousands in muddy trenches from gases eating them alive. Soldiers charging into steel rain.

Not here. Never here.

“No, I’m afraid not, Celestia,” I told her, “While humans have some advanced weapons, none would work here from what I have seen. They all need infrastructure that we don’t have any in any case, I don’t have the expertise needed for any of them.”

Celestia nodded and gave me a small nuzzle, “...Perhaps it’s for the best. Go speak to our prisoner.”

I gave her a small nuzzle back before I turned to leave. I really, really didn’t want any of that stuff to come to this world.

Ever.

There were enough monsters in this world without putting ponies on that list too.

Swift joined up next to me as I walked outside, “So, where to?”

“Dungeons. I'm going to have a talk with Miss Berrytwist,” I told him, “but we’re stopping by the kitchen on the way.”

He frowned, “The kitchen?”

“The kitchen,” I confirmed.