Canterlot Castle was without a doubt, the most glorious landmark in all of Equestria: its enormous golden roofed towers, its exotic gardens home to all manner of flora and fauna that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the world, and its awe inspiring vistas were a testament to the wondrous skill of its ancient artisans. The latter of these in particular was being enjoyed by a Unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. She stood on her bedroom’s balcony, forelegs over the railing as she read one of the many books from her personal library.

She looked up from her book at the regal architecture of Canterlot City sprawling below her. This was the capital of Equestria, and it was beautiful this time of year. Befitting of a ruler such as Celestia, every building was meticulously constructed with the care and unnatural precision of an egotistical perfectionist. The pristine cobbled streets were void of even a scrap of garbage and bustled with activity. Earth Ponies, the powerfully built but flightless and mundane subspecies of ponies were pulling carriages ridden by Unicorns too lazy or wealthy to walk themselves. Unicorns crowded the food courts outside the city’s prestigious restaurants. Bored looking Pegasi Royal Guards, unnaturally large ponies with enormous and majestic feathery wings, were on patrol about the rooftops. Twilight liked to think with a tinge of amusement that they were most likely wondering if all those years of intensive military training had been worthwhile after all. She recognized the signature spells of some of the unicorn street performers, young magic academy adepts eager to show off and make a quick bit. The morning air was punctuated by the melodious ringing of the belltower, signalling the beginning of a new hour.

Her horn glowed with a lavender coloured light, the same colour as her glossy fur coat, and the book she was reading called Journey to the Stars floated in front of her. She telekinetically turned the pages. She didn’t usually read fiction, but had been instantly hooked from the first chapter. She hadn’t read a story like this before, the idea of ponies exploring the endless void of space in enormous flying machines and discovering new life and planets was utterly new and fascinating.

She had only read through a few chapters before she remembered that she was scheduled to meet with Celestia and Luna this afternoon. She returned the book to her saddlebag and scampered inside and out of her room, which had been built next to the Royal Library. She called out to one of the pegasi guards sitting bored by the doors leading outside the tower to the castle’s staging grounds.

“Good morning,” the guard said, spreading his wings and bowing politely as Twilight approached. “How may I help, Miss Sparkle?”

She informed the guard of her appointment, and followed him outside into the castle’s staging grounds. The normally peaceful grounds were bustling with activity, she felt a lump in her throat at the sight.

On most days, Twilight would only see the occasional royal guard steadfastly standing, utterly unmoving at the castle gates or patrolling the battlements. But today it seemed as if the entire royal army had been assembled. These grounds, which were usually reserved for Celestia’s speeches to the public and for private functions for Canterlot’s most prestigious residents now looked like they had been fashioned into an enormous training field. Normally this part of the castle was open for visitors to explore the royal gardens, but the drawbridge was up, sealing entry from the public.

These staging grounds were crowded with hundreds of Pegasi performing drills, practicing with Sun Busters on makeshift firing ranges with wooden targets, or aerially sparring with training lances. The usually quiet atmosphere of the grounds was punctuated by the raucous of steel armour plating clashing with training lances and hooves, and the loud hiss of Buster weapons.

It made Twilight feel nauseous.

The very notion that the guards were wielding Sun Busters was a clear enough indication to Twilight that things weren’t right. Sun Busters, as she had read about them, were large devices that strapped around the foreleg of a pony. Jabbing that foreleg forward would unleash a fast moving magical projectile that cauterized and burned on impact. There were many variants such as the heavier belt fed Solar Buster and the devastatingly explosive Nova Buster. These weapons hadn’t been necessary in Equestria since the Discord Uprising, save for the occasional monster attack.

Twilight and her escort soon arrived at the end of the staging grounds, and she followed him through the doors to the castle’s Keep. At least there was a semblance of normalcy inside, save for the extra guards that had been stationed inside and the occasional panicked unicorn scribe galloping through the halls.

“The castle is unusually busy today,” Twilight’s escort, whom by his markings she recognized was a sergeant, mused finally. She was thankful it broke the awkward silence between them. “It was supposed to be my day off, but Sol assembled the entire regiment.”

“I’ve never seen so many guards assembled before, it’s making me nervous,” Twilight admitted. “I wonder what Celestia thinks she needs protection from.”

The sergeant shrugged his muscular shoulders, his armour plates clinking. “I heard that the situation with Imperia’s deteriorated over the last few months, maybe that has got something to do with it?” he suggested. “Damn savages are becoming a threat.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure Celestia will have a perfectly good explanation,” Twilight said, more in an effort to reassure herself. The two ponies ascended the staircase of the Keep’s entrance foyer. At the top, the great doors leading into the castle’s main hall were ajar.

“His majesty and her highness are inside. I shall take my leave,” said the sergeant with a polite bow. “Have a good day.”

“Thanks, you too.”

“I shall take my leave, Miss Sparkle,” said the sergeant with a polite bow. “Have a good day.”

“You too.”

As Twilight entered the main hall she couldn’t help but remember the first time she had been here with her friends at her first Grand Galloping Gala. That night had seen this regal place turned into a disaster zone. Admittedly she found it hilarious in retrospect.

Twilight sighed, it was hard to believe that seven years had passed since then and her time in Ponyville was long behind her now. Those old memories, though the ones from the disastrous Gala seemed awful at the time, were rose tinted by nostalgia. She missed those days. Hanging out with her friends, studying and writing reports on the magic of friendship instead of spending every waking night studying at the Royal Magic Academy to complete her Master’s Course. Everything had just seemed so simple back then compared to now.

Twilight saw Celestia sitting with Luna at the end of an extravagantly long table, surrounded by her advisory council of unicorns. Standing beside her was Rainbow Dash. Twilight smiled. Seven years ago she never would have believed that Rainbow Dash would eventually become the military affairs advisor of Celestia's Council. But ever since she had been inducted into the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash now just looked so... disciplined.

Twilight once would have scoffed at the thought. That was the last word she ever would have expected to someday associate with the once authority defying, lazy, and egotistical mare. Something about becoming a Wonderbolt had positively changed Rainbow Dash. She had risen through the ranks of the elite organization faster than anypony had before her, and was now second in command next to Spitfire.

Strewn about the table haphazardly were a plethora of scrolls and parchments. One of particular interest to the group was pockmarked with tiny red flags. Twilight kept a respectful distance from them, she didn’t want to seem rude and Celestia looked deep in thought. Luna on the other hoof was busy making a daffodil and daisy sandwich.

“These latest Griffon troop movements worry me, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing a hoof towards a section on the map with many pockmarked flags. “The concentration of troops in these areas has increased dramatically. I don’t know what they’re doing, but this doesn’t follow their usual movement patterns.”

Celestia looked deep in thought, finally she spoke. “That is true, and this is worrying. But we have been at peace with Imperia for many years, save for the trade disputes. I just can’t help but wonder why they would suddenly feel the need to attack us.”

“Well the last time we tried to bargain with them for Magnite, it didn’t exactly go swimmingly,” Luna scoffed, munching absently on her sandwich. She peered over the map. “If you ask us, it’s as if they’re gathering, waiting for something to happen.”

“What makes you think that?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

Luna circled her hoof around five points on the map. “Notice how all their forces are moving to their borders? This regiment here if our memory serves, was stationed at Zebara a month ago. These movements are leaving only a fraction of their army inland.” She looked up from the map. “Oh and Tia, Twilight has arrived.”

Celestia blinked, and noticed Twilight standing a few paces away in awkward silence. The unicorn looked like she was stressing out between choosing to be silent or to speak up and seem rude. “Twilight? I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were here already.”

“Oh that’s alright Princess,” Twilight said, bowing. “I can see that you’re busy, should I come back another time?”

Celestia shook her head. “No, please come sit with us, this matter concerns you too.” She turned to her advisors. “Let me know when the Griffon emissary arrives.”

The advisors nodded and left the hall, leaving the four ponies to sit around the grand table. “I’m sorry about this, Twilight,” Celestia apologized. “I know we were supposed to meet today but last night, the griffon Patriarch requested a review of our latest proposed trade agreement and I just couldn’t ignore it.”

“Especially after the dispute last time,” Luna added.

“I don’t mind, the future of national relations is much more important than a tea party,” Twilight chuckled. She relaxed, the royal sisters might’ve been ancient deities who had lived for over three thousand years and had unconditional authority over Equestria, but they treated their subjects like friends rather than lowly subordinates “Speaking of which, I couldn’t help noticing that the entire Royal Guard are assembled outside. I’ve never seen so many soldiers before.”

“To put it bluntly, we’re showing off,” Rainbow Dash laughed. “You see Twilight, griffons are predatory by nature. If the emissary they sent today is not impressed by our display of military might, they might think us weak and attack us. Oh and I should mention, it's good to see you again Twi.”

"Same, it's been too long," Twilight said.

“Anyway, continuing on Rainbow Dash's point Griffons and Ponies have never exactly been the best of friends,” Luna explained. “Many of our advisors fear that the tension is close to boiling point. We must tread carefully with whatever choice we make from here, we do not want to bring war to our nation.”

“The way things are going, I fear that Equestria might be standing on the razor’s edge of another war,” Celestia said earnestly.

“War?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. “There hasn’t been a war in Equestria in over three thousand years since the uprising against Discord. Why would they attack us now?”

“I’m hoping that I’m just being paranoid,” Celestia sighed. “But recently, the Griffons are becoming more and more hostile. They have never forgiven me for banishing them from Equestria.”

“You banished them?” Twilight asked, astonished that Celestia would indiscriminately exile an entire species from their home. “Isn’t that a little harsh, Princess?”

“To be frank, it was kind of like a school bully getting what he deserves,” Rainbow Dash interjected. Twilight had read that long ago the griffons once populated Equestria, but disappeared shortly after Celestia came into power. She had always thought that their disappearance was due to a voluntary mass exodus.

Luna shook her head. “It wasn’t harsh enough. The griffons served the Chaos God and caused widespread misery and destruction. They deserved death, but we were merciful to let them settle someplace else. Imperia is a barren wasteland. Unfortunately, it does have one thing going for it - Magnite.”

Twilight remembered reading about Magnite in one of her library’s books on electricity. Magnite was the ultimate power source, a magical ore that powered Equestria’s industry and was responsible for Equestria’s rapid technological development in the last hundred years since the resource was discovered.

The doors behind them opened, revealing one of Celestia’s advisors, who promptly bowed. “Princess Celestia, the emissary has arrived and is waiting for you in the courtroom.”

“Thank you, captain,” Celestia said, rising from her cushion and striding out of the room. “Twilight and Rainbow Dash, you may come with us.” Twilight and Dash obediently trotted behind the two sisters and through the open doors leading out of the main hall.

“For the last hundred years we have traded with the griffons for their magnite. Food and water is scarce in Imperia and they didn’t have any use for the resource until now,” Celestia explained. “Twelve years ago however, they started getting greedy. They wanted to use the Magnite for themselves, that’s fair enough and I was glad to see them wanting to make something of their nation. But we need that resource for our own industry, and they were suddenly expecting us to pay far more for their Magnite than we had ever before.”

“I see, so trade disagreements combined with their old grudges has worsened the situation between our nations,” Twilight said, glancing about at the guest rooms and guards quarters. The guards they passed looked nervous, as if the slightest agitation would set them off. “No wonder everyone’s on edge.”

“Exactly,” Celestia answered sadly. “It worries me. The griffons are becoming bolder with their demands. I fear that they are no longer the small and helpless country they used to be, but now a threat. I just hope that today’s negotiations are successful.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “You’ll have to forgive me Princess if I withhold my optimism, especially given the outcome of your last meeting.” She turned to Twilight. "I'd love to stay and chat with you Twi, but I have drills with some new recruits in a few minutes. Spitfire said she'll have my plot if I'm late again." She said sadly. “If you’re not busy, maybe we can catch up after I’m done showing off to the new bloods?”

"Sounds great," Twilight said, hugging her. "You know where to find me. I’ll see you soon."

"You too, Twi."

Twilight watched her go. Dash might’ve jested about her work but that didn’t change how tough it was. The Wonderbolts had to uphold one of the toughest training regimes in the country, and the hours were long and the stunts exhausting. At first Twilight thought that the Wonderbolts were just a small band of performers but in actuality they were an organization of elite fliers with military training just as harsh and disciplined as the royal guard.

The two princesses and Twilight soon came to the doors leading to the courtroom. “I’m afraid I can’t let you inside,” Celestia said sadly. “With how tense the situation is, we must handle this ourselves. Do you mind waiting here until the negotiations are done?”

Twilight’s ears flattened, she had watched a few negotiations before and they were always good learning experiences. “Oh that's alright,” she said, feigning a smile. “I hope you and the emissary can come to an understanding.”

“As do I,” Celestia replied. She telekinetically pushed open the doors and the princesses stepped inside the courtroom. This room was used for bestowing judgment on the most serious of criminal offences and for debating the introduction and refinement of laws. She’d stood in the jury stands to help pass judgment on criminals a few times before.

Twilight couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. She peeked through the keyhole. Waiting inside, flanked by a pair of royal guards was the griffon emissary. He was clad in the traditional ambassador’s robes but Twilight noticed that he was unusually small for his species. Most griffons were about twice the size of a pegasus, but he was nearly a pony’s size.

“Ah, the Royal Sisters,” the griffon emissary greeted, his voice was sincere and unusually void of the undertone of scorn for Celestia that was typical of other griffon emissaries. He bowed low to the approaching princesses, abasing himself before them. “You honour me with your audience.”

“It is good to see you again, Meekwing. I am glad the Council decided to send you this time,” Celestia greeted, bowing her head respectfully. “And I am glad that the Griffon Patriarch is willing to negotiate after last time’s...” she mulled over how best to put it lightly. “Less than agreeable results.”

“On behalf of His Majesty, he extends his sincerest apologies,” the emissary replied, rising to his feet. “Now, shall we get down to business of the proposed refinements to the treaty?”

“Yes, that would be great,” Celestia answered.

A guard walked in front of Twilight’s view through the keyhole. “Damn,” she sighed, her curiosity piqued but unsatisfied. She couldn’t hear what Celestia and the emissary were saying over the quiet chatting of the guards blocking her view so she would just have to wait until the negotiations were finished.

She trotted over to one of the cushions sitting against the wall of the courtroom lobby, at least this time she had come prepared. For her last few visits to Canterlot Castle, her time with the princesses had often been interrupted by royal matters that could take hours to resolve, so she decided the best use of that time was to read a good book. She telekinetically pulled out the book she had been reading before from the saddlebag strapped over her flank.

For a moment she considered going to see Fluttershy instead. The shy mare had spent the last few years working in Canterlot Castle’s private hospital, drawing on her vast veterinarian knowledge and applying it to ponies. She had by now earned a reputation as a miracle doctor. Rarity also worked in the castle now too, designing outfits for some of the most prestigious clients in Canterlot. She looked up at the clock and frowned. It was three thirty seven, still in their working hours and she didn’t want to disturb them.

Twilight missed the simpler times back when she lived in Ponyville, but those days were long gone by now. Rainbow Dash was now co-captain of the Wonderbolts, and Pinkie Pie was the head of an Equestria wide candy franchise, though she still lived at Sugarcube Corner. Applejack was the only one of her friends, who for better or worse had stayed the same. The farm mare appreciated the simpler things in life and didn’t want to chase a more extravagant livelihood. Twilight was happy for her friends and still regularly saw them at the same time every weekend, but life and aspirations had gotten in the way of all the grand adventures they used to have. She missed those days terribly. As for Twilight’s aspirations? She had to move from Ponyville back to Canterlot to continue her Masters’ Degree at the Royal Magic Academy. The hours were long, the material excruciatingly difficult, but if there was anypony that could do it, it was her.

She broke out of her thoughts and continued to read her book. She wasn’t sure how long it was until she broke herself out of the obsessive trance she often worked herself into when reading, but she had read at least a third of the thousand page book when she did. The sun outside the window had nearly disappeared over the horizon. Celestia was taking her sweet time, it wasn’t normal for negotiations to take this long.

The doors swung open. Twilight looked up from her book, beaming. Finally! But her high spirits faltered when she saw a disgruntled Luna step through the doors, angrily slamming them shut behind her.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

Luna sat on a cushion beside her. “Celestia sent me out for being too snarky,” she muttered. “The offer the Patriarch’s given us is suspicious. We think it’s too good to be true considering all the tension over the last few months.” She rubbed her temples with her hooves, exasperated. "Meekwing's a good emissary but we think that his superiors have ulterior motives."

“You don’t suppose he’s planning something?” Twilight asked, suddenly concerned that Celestia was now alone.

Luna chuckled, “what could a mere emissary do against Tia?” she asked. “Meekwing’s a good griffon, Tia’s even invited him to stay for tea a few times, rather than kick him out after the negotiations were done.” She noticed the book sitting at Twilight’s forehooves, and smiled. “Say is that Journey to the Stars that you’re reading? You have good taste.”

Twilight smiled back, hardly anypony ever said that she had good taste in anything. “Yes it is, have you read this book?”

“I wrote it,” Luna said matter of factly. She pointed to the author’s name. “Lulu was my pen name at the time.”

Twilight gaped at her. She never would have thought that Luna would be the type of mare to be interested in writing fiction. The thought that she was reading a book written by a goddess was sobering. “Wow, you wrote this? It’s so fascinating!”

“Oh Twilight, it’s hardly our best work,” Luna laughed. “We wrote that book about fifteen hundred years ago. We were but a foal back then compared to how we are now.” Her ability to so casually state that she had lived for such a vast length of time was mind boggling for Twilight.

“Still, it’s amazing,” Twilight praised. “I never thought that airships could be used to explore the stars. Why did you use a pen name, though?”

“Back when we wrote it, everything that Tia and us said or did was law,” Luna explained. “We could have released the book under our name and everypony would have compulsively bought a copy just to please us. But we wanted release a book and have it become popular by its own merit instead of just having our name slapped on the cover.”

“Did it work?” Twilight asked. She had always liked that humbling part about Luna, the lesser princess had a tough exterior but wanted to be respected and appreciated for her own achievements rather than just because of her title.

Luna shook her head, “not at all. Everypony scoffed that the ideas written in there were an impossible and dangerous flight of fancy. Some of the more fanatical of our followers claimed that nopony deserved the honour of living amongst our stars.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight said sadly. She knew exactly what it was like to have her work unappreciated and misunderstood.

“Oh it’s no big deal, our next books were rather well received,” Luna reassured her, rising to her hooves. “I think we need some dandelion and honeydew tea. We’ll bring you a cup too.”

“Thank you, princess.”

Luna soon returned levitating a pair of cups and saucers, which Twilight gratefully drank from. “Hmm, Tia sure is taking a long time," Luna mused finally after she had finished her drink. "She normally doesn't take this long, we wonder when -”

A blood curdling scream sounded from inside the court room.

Luna leapt off her cushion and dashed for the doors to the courtroom, the cups and saucers clattering on the floor. Twilight followed behind her, her stomach twisting. She had never heard Celestia scream before, let alone in pain. Luna channelled her magic into the courtroom doors, shattering the lock and shoving them open. The alicorn and unicorn dashed inside, and their eyes widened in shock.

Hovering in the centre of the room was a small, almost insignificant looking device that bathed the room in an eerie green light. Celestia was suspended in midair by the entangling glow, as if it had been made solid. She was screaming in agony. Visible streams of magic poured from her body and funnelled into the device. The Griffon Emissary was gone. A broken window above the jury stands a clear sign of his escape. Royal Guards were galloping into the room, rushing to help Celestia but the magic of the device was holding them back from her like a force field. “Tia!” Luna screamed. She seemed to know exactly what the device was, and the danger it posed.

“What is that!?” Twilight exclaimed, pointing at the device.

“Get behind me!” Luna shouted, bracing herself in front of the terrified unicorn. Her horn crackled with magic, sucking in the light around it. She searched within herself for the spell to destroy the artefact, her brain running the mental gauntlet to physically channel its magical power into the device. She squinted; her head felt like it was burning from the mental exertion. The darkness around her horn magnified, sucking the light into it like a black hole. Her head throbbed. The tiara adorning her head shattered. “Come on Luna, you can do this,” she told herself through gritted teeth. “You have to save Tia!”

With an unworldly scream the Occultice shattered, overloaded from the sudden, massive spike of magic. The eerie green glow faded, leaving Celestia to drop to the floor in an exhausted heap.

Luna’s legs buckled. Her head felt like it was splitting. She felt so irreparably exhausted. Somewhere, as if spoken from miles away she could hear Twilight’s muffled voice screaming out to her, but she couldn’t make out the words. The last thing she saw before drifting into unconsciousness was Twilight's panicked face, begging her to get up.