"How much farther are we going?" Rook asked with a bit of frustration in his voice, as he mantled over a fallen tree. "I'm starting to think that this whole signal was just a ruse for an ambush."

"You're not wrong there, Rook." Aegis Lead replied. "It's too quiet out here. There's no wildlife, or any signs of life in general. Something does feel off to me, but whatever happens, we can handle it."

"Agreed." Hunter Lead nodded as he pulled out a MRT tablet and powered it up. "I'll see if our recon drone has found anything. There's got to be someone or something out there, because the last time I checked, you can't send a signal like that without physically doing it yourself."

"Makes me wonder if we're being watched…" Sparrow grumbled, but the group pressed onward nonetheless. Then, Aegis Lead held up his closed fist, and the other Ghosts came to an immediate halt.

"Boss?" Domino asked quietly. "What's out there?"

"I'm not sure, but I saw a blue and gold flash at 2 o'clock, not sure of the distance." Aegis Lead replied. "Guns up, we may have company."

As the Ghosts circled up into a defensive stance, the quiet gave way to tension, and every Ghost there was scanning through their vision filters to identify what was going on. However, a faint blue light soon appeared, hidden in the bushes, and it pulsed once. Out of thin air, a magical shield, colored deep blue, covered the encircled Ghosts.

"Shit!" Kozak swore, striking the barrier with the stock of his Goblin PDR. For his effort, he felt a small shock course through him, and he fell to one knee in an instant, as the world began to spin, distorting his senses.

"Kozak!" Hunter Lead called out, quickly making his way to his fellow Ghost, and injecting him with a Stim shot. "You good?"

"I'm fine...at least I hope I'm fine." Kozak breathed in warily as his senses returned to normal, and he stood back up. "Whatever this shield is, it really messed me up there."

"Okay, Ghosts, focus up.." Aegis Lead called before going for his Cross-Com radio.. "Griffin, Aegis Lead. You copy?"

"3 for 5, Aegis, whatcha got?" Mitchell replied. "Tell me you found the source of that signal."

"Negative, sir. We're trapped in some kind of magic, a dome shield." Aegis Lead replied. "Not sure how to get out. Kozak tried to break through, and he was disabled for a short time."

'Copy, we'll reach out to the Equestrians for more info, so just stick to the mission for now and we'll get you some support ASAP." Mitchell replied. "Good luck, Griffin out."

"So we just stand here and wait?" 30K frowned. "What the hell's going on here?"

"Look, we'll make it out of this thing somehow." Aegis Lead replied. "Just keep calm, we'll figure something out…"

Then, Aegis Lead snapped his fingers, causing the others to look at him.

"I take it you got an idea or something like that?" Rook asked.

"Yep." Aegis Lead said, and he set down his ACR and placed his hands up in a non-threatening manner, before he began to call out loudly.

"Whoever's out there, we mean you no harm. We're here in search of a signal that was sent to us a few hours ago. We're just here to speak with whoever contacted us. If you'll let us out of this shield, we can talk this out."

There was silence for a few moments, then the shield went down with a faint flash of blue light. Then, Aegis noticed two invisible figures approaching. What really caught him off guard was that they were Equestrian in shape.

"Ah, our sincerest apologies. We didn't realize who you were." the figure on the left said as their cloaks dissipated, revealing two Equestrians that up until now, hadn't been seen since Eqaharians took Canterlot…Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"Princesses." Hunter Lead called. "You sent that signal?"

"Yes, we did, and now we'll show you inside to a safe location where we can talk." Princess Celestia smiled, and then, the forest around them vanished, leaving behind a large clearing…and the three-story oak-and-granite mansion that now stood right in front of the group. Off to the side, there was a waterfall with three populated bird baths, several flower gardens, and a cobblestone path leading up to the entrance.

"Holy shit." Sparrow said in awe. "How'd you manage this?"

"This mansion was made secretly as a safehouse for us both, should an external threat compromise Equestria." Princess Celestia replied, motioning for everyone to head inside. "The veiling magic surrounding it distorts the surrounding area, making it nearly impossible to locate on a map. Should anyone reach the edge of the veil, magical sentries keep them in place until we can arrive."

"Huh...that's really impressive." Pepper nodded, as they entered the mansion's foyer and set their weapons down against the wall. "So…what have you been up to since the invasion?"

"A lot of planning, for one thing." Princess Luna motioned to a large map on the wall with several pieces of paper and photographs pinned to it. "We raise the sun and moon each day and night, check for disturbances along the veil…there's plenty to do here."

"I see." Aegis Lead nodded, as the Ghosts took their seats on the wide couches and seats near the fireplace. "What happens now that we're here?"

"Well, you should take a look at that map. I think you'll find it quite helpful when you assault Canterlot in due time." Princess Luna said. Aegis Lead got up, took one look, and his eyebrows went skyward.

The map contained a full diagram of the city of Canterlot, including three secret entrances into the palace located beneath the mountain. Not only that, it contained the locations of every Eqaharian position, a roster of how many soldiers occupied each one, and several identified weak points in the defensive lines outside the city…it was everything the Ghosts needed in one place.

"How in God's name did you find all this out?" Aegis Lead asked, dumbfounded. "This isn't an intel jackpot, it's a goddamn motherlode."

"We have several informants inside the city, both Equestrian and Eqaharian." Princess Celestia replied with a small smirk of pride. "There are a good number of Eqaharians that have grown disillusioned with King Diomedas, and while they cannot act openly, they certainly resist in the dark. However, most of it came from one Eqaharian in particular."

Aegis Lead immediately took out his MRT, and began taking photos of the map, along with the pinned materials. Then, he leaned into his radio and reported to Griffin everything that had happened so far.

"Fantastic work, Ghosts." Mitchell said, and if Aegis had been in person, he would've done anything to see the proud look on Mitchell's face. "We'll pass that along to our forces, and I imagine that we'll have a battle plan soon enough, all thanks to you. Griffin out."

Once Aegis Lead finished, he turned back to Princess Celestia, who raised an eyebrow.

"Princess, we also heard there was an Eqaharian defector around here," he asked. "Do you know who that is?”

“He’s on the third floor, in the library.” Princess Luna replied. “All we ask when you meet him, is that you trust him, and don’t jump to any conclusions.”

Aegis Lead nodded, and headed up the nearby staircase, with Hunter Lead not far behind. As the other Ghosts passed around canteens and some MREs, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thought it best to move to a separate room. Until Aegis Lead’s voice could be heard on the comms.

“Ghosts, get up here now!” Aegis Lead loudly growled.

“Boss, what’s going on?” Kozak replied, swinging over the couch to retrieve his Goblin PDR.

“Come on up and see for yourself.” Hunter Lead replied.

The Ghosts hurried up the stairs to the third floor, with their sidearms at the ready. The Princesses followed, hoping their presence would dissuade the humans from any form of violence towards their informant. As the Ghosts filed in, Aegis Lead spoke into his shoulder radio.

“Griffin, you copy?”

“5 for 5, Aegis Lead. What’s your status?” Mitchell replied.

“Sir, we’ve linked up with an Eqaharian defector, and you won’t believe who it is.”

“Try me.” Mitchell deadpanned.

“It’s the third Eqaharian prince, Chiron.” Aegis Lead said, his voice split into equal parts of shock and distrust. “He sent the Princesses that intel on Canterlot.”

“Yes, that was me.” Prince Chiron replied, getting up from his chair. His coat was silver instead of gray like his two brothers’, and his mane was a paler shade of brown, almost like tan. His blue eyes were observing the Ghosts, not sure of what would happen next.

Princess Celestia broke the tension by asking Aegis Lead for his radio. Aegis raised an eyebrow, but handed her the radio nonetheless.

“Princess Celestia?” Mitchell asked. “This is Lt. Colonel Scott Mitchel, US Army, 5th SFG. Glad you could rejoin us.”

“As am I.” She replied. “My sister and I now agree that it is time to emerge from the shadows. Is there anything you wish to know at this moment?”

”How did you manage to capture Prince Chiron?” Mitchell asked tentatively. “Judging from the video feed from Hunter Lead’s Cross-com, he appears to be physically unharmed.”

“We didn’t capture him. He came to us seeking refuge.” Princess Luna said, taking the radio from her sister. “King Diomedas has apparently begun to lose what is left of his fragile mind due to his and Prince Hector’s unstable position of power in Canterlot. Recent events, such as the failed attack on the Crystal Empire and the battle of Manehattan have turned many Equestrians to open resistance.”

“Hmm.” Mitchell murmured. “Is that why Prince Chiron switched sides?”

“I’ll field that question, if you will allow it.” Chiron asked, extending a hoof. Celestia tentatively handed him the radio, and Chiron took a breath before speaking.

”The reasons I have defected are many, but I suppose I should start from the beginning. Ever since Prince Hector’s failure at the Crystal Empire, and General Azheran’s death…my father has gone mad, and it worsens every day. Even his most faithful are expecting his death, and if that happens…my older brother will assume the throne. He intends to marry Princess Twilight and use her as a bargaining chip should Canterlot come under attack.”

”Hmm, keep going.” Mitchell requested.

“Well, the situation in Canterlot by itself is also at a breaking point.” Chiron added. “Many of the Equestrian citizens are considering a revolt, and both the Eqaharian and traitorous Equestrian nobility have been advocating for it to be suppressed with force. To say one spark could ignite an inferno is putting it lightly.”

”What Equestrian nobility are we talking about here?”

”Mostly those who were discontented with Princess Celestia’s reign, her nephew Prince Blueblood included. He is often attributed to opening the gates that led to the city’s capture.” Chiron replied. “They are one of the last tethers keeping my father in power, and his gift is failing him as well.”

”A gift?” Mitchell asked in a dubious manner.

“My father was given the ability of foresight before he became the King of Equaharia. It’s the reason that he rose to power so quickly. He could see every move his enemies planned before they made them. as of now, it has been found wanting in its abilities.”

Mitchell was silent for a few moments, contemplating this information. The Ghosts looked at each other, unsure of what would happen next. Even Princesses Celestia and Luna wore worried expressions.

“Alright, listen up.” Mitchell finally spoke. “Thanks to you, we have our game plan ready. Chiron, should your intel prove genuine, we’ll take you into protective custody. Until then, you will stay where you are.”

“Aegis and Hunter Lead, start heading towards Canterlot. Kingslayer and Cyclone will link up with you along the way with reinforcements from the Crystal Empire. We only have 48 hours at most before Hector takes the throne and we lose the Element of Magic in the process. Air support is being preparing as we speak, so you’d better get moving.”

“Sir, yes sir!” Aegis Lead replied, and as the Ghosts headed downstairs to retrieve their weapons, Prince Chiron turned to Princess Celestia.

”What will happen to my father should he be captured?” He asked. Princess Celestia sighed before giving a simple reply.

“He will pay for his crimes however it is seen fit.”

Good lord, this took forever. I’m glad that it’s finally done now.

EDIT - 5/7/2024 - Hopefully fixed the last of the typos. If you see any more lemme know.