If you enjoy my works, please consider supporting my Patreon.

Alternatively, do consider buying me a coffee.

Two days passed after my previous entry. Two more days of relaxing downtime as we continued our march to the east. Every day, I scanned the horizon as carefully as I could while out on the wide and vast Empty Plains. But now matter how hard I strained my eyes, I could not see anything unusual on the horizon. With how far we had traveled, surely our destination would be coming into view before long. The Heaven's Pillar. A narrow line reaching into the sky. That was what I assumed we would see when the time came. It is easy to forget just how massive the world is and how long it can take to travel so far on foot.

At least the marches were fairly relaxing. And I was in good company every time. Ember and Rain Shine were always at my side. I have appreciated their presence both on and off the field. Although I have been hesitant to visit Ember again after what happened last time. Might be wise to wait a few days before I allow myself to be alone with her again. I suspected she was of the same mind too and only allowed herself to see me during mealtimes.

After yet another long day of marching, I decided to pay a visit to the local mess halls for a change of pace. Perhaps some extra company would help perk me up after too many days of not much happening at all. The waiting was getting to me. I took a seat at one of the longer wooden tables in the hopes that I would get some guests. And before long, that was exactly what I got. My eyes perked up when I saw a pair of winged friends swoop my way. "Hey there, James! This spot taken?"

"Hey, just who I was hoping to see. Evening, girls." I retorted as Rainbow Dash and Gilda took a seat across from me. Those two are seldom seen without each other. At least whenever I see one or the other. It was good to see that this whole mess ended up being the perfect opportunity for those two old friends to reconnect after such a messy departure last time. "How's the march treating you?"

"Lame! So lame! I mean the drills help with keeping me from getting too lazy, but I swear I've been taking a lotta naps lately." Gilda groaned now that she was out of uniform. I know that brigandine is probably more comfortable than one would expect for armor, but it must have felt nice to get out of it after wearing a suit of that stuff all day. She then leaned on the table and asked, "What's been up with you lately? I've been seeing you all over after the sun goes down."

"Yeah, got a lot of friends that keep asking me for sleepovers. Novo, Ember, and now even Rain Shine likes me stopping by at night. And let me tell you, Rain knows how to stir up some amazing hot scented baths." I retorted while being mindful to not go into too much detail about the more intimate details of those three beautiful women. Not that much like that has happened between me and Rain Shine, but such a thing is not out of the question in the future.

Rainbow Dash laughed as she said, "She does, huh? Is it all natural? Like what you can get at the spa? Those kirin can get whatever good stuff they need when they can just grow and cultivate it on the spot, right? Man, I bet they never go hungry."

One by one, more of my friends arrived. Pinkie Pie brought Maud along. Twilight showed up while chatting with Trixie. Applejack followed soon afterward and I was even greeted by the sight of Rain Shine and Ember stepping under the mess hall's tent while engaged in conversation. The two appeared to be in the process of becoming close friends. And then I found myself cracking a big grin when I saw Sky Beak follow them before hurrying on over to the table. "There's my boy!"

"Hey there, papa bird. Just in time." I waved at our approaching companions and quickly found the kindly hippogriff stallion seated beside me. He put his wing around me for an embrace that I promptly leaned into while he even took a moment to preen my hair. I then asked, "How are things holding up in the back row?"

"We're stilling keeping our arrows ready and our eyes on the horizon. Admiral Seaspray is insuring we don't get rusty during the wait." He replied with a big smile on his beak. He was just happy to see me after a long day and I was too. I am sure he misses his family back on Capricorn Island, but he at least still had one son to keep him company on occasion.

Like many times before, the mess hall filled with the chaotic yet comforting clamor of too many conversations happening at once. Something I do not experience often enough since I tend to enjoy my meals within the command center. But being together with so many familiar friendly faces was good for morale. I really should eat with my friends more often. Just like old times.

I had little to say and chose to listen in on the conversations going on around me. Maud really did start chatting with Rain Shine about how her magical control over the world's flora ties into rocks. Rainbow Dash and Gilda focused on Applejack and Pinkie Pie with the topic veering towards how Applejack recently tried to see if Pinkie Pie could weaponize apples for her party cannon. Twilight and Trixie got into a chat with Rarity as a trio of magic wielders. And Ember...

When my eyes fell upon Ember across the table, I noticed she was not talking to anyone. She had her eyes on me. Jaw resting on the back of her hand. And when our eyes met, her calm smile turned into a sly smirk. Her eyes narrowed as she peered right into my soul. She knew what I was doing. I was merely listening to what was being said around me. As if to hammer the point home how she was very much aware of what I was doing, she proceeded to wiggle her eyebrows at me.

I cracked. Ember knew me too well by then and I burst into a snickering fit that went unnoticed by everyone else at the table. As did she. Ember grinned broadly while she too giggled with those polished white fangs on display. It was great to see her so happy among friends. Although I jumped a little when Sky Beak gave me a friendly nudge. I glanced up at him while he smirked knowingly at me before glancing over at Ember, who waved back with a big smile. He was clearly aware of just how much we adore each other.

I really wish I could say more. The entire meal in the mess hall was enjoyable, but not particularly noteworthy. It was just a good simple time among friends. And it was enjoyable to sample simpler fare that they do not serve in the command center. With our meal done for the day, it was time to settle in for the night. One by one, my friends said their goodbyes and began to make their way out. Although Sky Beak and Ember were the last to leave the table along with me.

As Sky Beak and I stepped out from behind the table, Ember approached us with an outstretched hand. "I don't think we've properly met yet. You a friend of James?"

"Now that you mention, I don't think we have, Miss Dragon Lord." Sky Beak replied before he took hold of her hand and gave it a shake. "The name's Sky Beak. And I see that you're good friends with my boy here."

Ember cast the fatherly stallion a cockeyed stare before she glanced back and forth between us. I rolled my eyes over his doting nature practically forcing him to refer to me in a fatherly fashion. Ember finally said, "Your...boy? You really...don't look related."

"We're not. At all. He's just become like a father to me since we first met. And he's a really good man." I replied while the hippogriff father beamed in delight. I patted my hand on the back of his neck as his feathers fluffed up more than they usually are.

"Really now?" Ember asked with an inquisitive smirk on her lips. She then replied, "In that case, your son is a wonderful man, Sky Beak. I'm glad to know him."

I think I might have been blushing around that point. I was hot and flattered. Almost like a high school student introducing his first girlfriend to his father. A situation I was never fortunate enough to experience in my teens. Sky Beak just laughed before wrapping his wing around me almost in the same manner a man would put his arm around one's shoulders. "Isn't he?! He's done nothing but make me happy I got to meet him. And I'm glad to see you two are such good friends."

"Mmhm..." Ember mumbled with her arms crossed. She then glanced at me and smirk as her eyes narrowed to display a most tender gaze that made me a little uncomfortable. Maybe more tender than she had intended. "Very good friends."

Sky Beak snickered as I fidgeted in his winged embrace. I think he noticed the inflection in Ember's voice. As a stallion who is very experienced in the art of romance, he must have noticed something most others would not. He then finally relented with his embrace as he spoke, "In any case, I'd best be reporting back before curfew begins. I'll be seeing you both tomorrow, all right?"

"Will do. You have a good one, papa bird." I said in farewell while Ember also waved goodbye. Now that we were alone with the mess hall not being quite as noisy as it had been, I turned to Ember while she glanced up at me. "He's a really great guy."

"I can tell. It's good to see you're on decent terms with your father. Or at least the guy who's the closest thing to one you have." Ember retorted with a genuinely pleased smile across her face. She surely knew the importance of having a father who is a reasonable person.

"Yeah, he's pretty much everything I could ever want in a father. I can't say the same for my actual father, but that's a story for another time." I added while not wanting to go into heavier topics at the time. I already said as much about my family life back home on Earth as I was willing to divulge. Now that the camp was winding down for the night, it was about time to head back. But as Ember and I stood there while not really sure of what to say, I had an idea. "Shall I walk you home?"

"I'd like that. Lead on." Ember replied with a calm smile on her lips. And so we set off. I was familiar with the layout of the camp by then and had no difficulty navigating the mazes of tents all around us.

Sure enough, the archery range eventually came into view with Ember's cottage at the far end. Her men were nowhere to be seen at the moment. A welcome moment of isolation for the two of us. I was not in the mood for that pack of brutes to be watching us and I am sure Ember felt the same. Once we stood before the door with the sun having disappeared over the far horizon, Ember looked up at e rather meekly. Almost as if she was at a loss for words. "I enjoyed myself today..."

"Me too... Have a good night, Ember. I'll see you in the morning." I replied mundanely as I found myself unable to put together a more profound response. Something about that blue face with those beautiful scarlet eyes gazing up at me derailed my thoughts. Ember almost reluctantly turned the knob for the door and stepped inside. She watched me through the crack in the door as it began to close. But just as I turned to start to walk away, I felt something grab me by the wrist before yanking me through the doorway. "Hey?! What's happening?!"

I staggered through the doorway to try and not fall before I heard the door slam shut and lock behind me. When I finally caught my footing and turned to look, I found Ember standing before the door as she smirked whimsically at me. "You're not going anywhere just yet. Stay a while. I've missed you."

"Wow... Aggressive tonight, huh?" I retorted in some mild unease and amusement. Ember was being very forceful with how she dragged me into her cottage. She once again took me by the wrist and guided me to the couch in the living room before pushing me down onto it. She then assumed one of her favorite positions. Resting atop me like a warm slab of stone for sunbathing, her finger dragging itself along my chest. And that face... That lovely serene smile upon her face. I had grown to adore that gaze. "Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't I be heading back now?"

"Would you really refuse a private audience with the Dragon Lord?" Ember spoke slyly before snickering and touching her finger to my nose. "I kid, really. I just want to spend a little more time with you. You don't mind, right?"

"Oh, I could never have a problem with that, Ember. You know I enjoy our time together." I replied with a chuckle with my hand caressing the underside of her long jaw. My fingers then slid up to the side of her head and dragged themselves down the length of her horn. I tried to not think too hard about the last time we spent a night together, but it was hard to not suspect that Ember's insistence on dragging me into her house for a little more company that evening was not influenced by the memories of that night. That was something that needed to stay buried for both of our sakes. Should I tell Fluttershy at the right time? It may be too soon to say...

"Good to hear." Ember said with barely more than a whisper as the beautiful creature relaxed atop me. My hand slid down her back and over the base of her tail, my touch prompting her to start to lift and slightly curl it like a stretching feline. I admit I did feel the temptation to slide my fingers under her tail and slide them along her ventral scales, but Ember suspected this as well. But instead of responding with irritation or disgust, her tone was noticeably flirtatious. "I hope you're not planning on exploring under there again. That was a one time thing, remember? You don't need to prove yourself to me anymore."

"Uh...yeah... Eheheh, I just felt tempted is all." I mumbled before resting my hand just above the base of her tail and upon the back of her hips. I then gazed into those beautiful eyes and said, "If you don't want me to do something, I won't."

"Thank you. You know I trust you." Ember stated matter-of-factly with a pleasant smile set upon her lips. And for a time, that was all we did. We held and caressed each other. Ember's favorite spots to let her fingers work were my chest and through my hair. It was just so.....wholesomely tender and I knew I should be grateful to be able to savor this in the middle of a war zone.

After some time of precious silence with only the gradually dimming natural sunlight illuminating the cottage, Ember then whispered to me with her finger drawing a circle over my beating heart. "I think you should know that Rain Shine and I have been doing some drills on the side outside the walls of the encampment. We're trying to figure out exactly how to best put our skills to use while staying in a tight formation with you. And we're pretty confident that we've figured something out."

"Really? How'd you manage that? Did you find volunteers?" I asked with this new revelation piquing my curiosity.

Ember rolled her eyes before she stated, "No, I doubt we'd be able to convince a bunch of random infantry to join us out there. But we still needed something mobile to simulate moving opponents. Rain Shine made that work by summoning...um... What did she call those things? Tumbleweeds?"

I threw my head back and laughed at the very thought of it. The two of them facing off against a pack of tumbleweeds? That must have been awkward, especially for Ember. "Are you serious? Rolling rows of dried spherical weeds? How did that go?"

"Hey, it was about as ridiculous as you can imagine!" Ember grumbled while also looking back on the experience with a face that conveyed even she was trying to not laugh at the memory. "But Rain Shine did make those things roll around like they were almost alive. Had me fooled for a while. Between her defenses and my flame breath, they couldn't get around us. I'm confident we'll make this work."

"Good to hear. I'm expecting great things from you two." I said with a smile. It was an amusing yet relieving thing to hear from her. But as the minutes ticked by, I took note of just how dark it was becoming in the room. We would need to turn a light source on if we were going to have much of a means to see each other in that inky darkness out in the middle of nowhere. And so I said, "I really should be going. It's getting late and we shouldn't stay up too late."

"And Smolder is expecting you." Ember added with a soft smile on her face. She tucked her hands under her jaw and gazed at me with her head resting upon my chest. "I know I shouldn't keep you away from her and Ocellus, but it gets terribly lonely here when you're not around. I don't get many visitors anyway. I wish you could stay..."

"Hey, it's fine. They're understanding about that. I'll stay overnight again soon, all right? I enjoy my times here." I replied with my fingers tracing over Ember's brow and even along the ridges of her eyes. I almost expected her to flinch with my fingers drawing so close to her eyes, but she genuinely enjoyed while only blinking a few times. She knew I would not poke her in the eyes. "I'll see you again in the morning. You'll be there for breakfast, right?"

"Always. I never miss out on trying new foods with you around." Ember replied with her smile looking hungrier than it was a moment ago. Although she soon looked over at the far end of the living room and the window set into the wall. With how dark it was becoming, we could not hope to see what was on the other side. But Ember's eyes narrowed in wariness. As if she was concerned someone might be on the other side looking in. They would most likely be able to see us despite the low lighting. Ember then glanced at me and smirked before spreading her left wing and reaching it forward to serve as a curtain. "Before you head out..."

Ember then tapped her finger on her lips while a big smile spread along her jaws. This was an invitation. And I all too happily accepted. With her wing hiding our faces, we brought our lips together for one little kiss to say goodbye. It was brief, but enjoyable. I then asked, "Not so scary now, is it?"

"Not when they all come from you." Ember retorted, a profound smirk on her face. She then caressed a finger along my jaw and said, "The more I think about it, the dumber it all looks in hindsight. Why should I be afraid of you?"

"Just chalk it up to old instincts. I don't blame you for being cautious." I said as I pushed myself up to a sitting position. That was a very brave thing she did that night and I was glad to see she had no regrets. I pulled Ember into my arms with it being time to say goodbye for the night. "Goodnight, Ember. See you in the morning."

She wrapped her arms and wings around me for a very thorough embrace. With her hands upon my back, Ember whispered to me in the dark. "Sweet dreams, my friend. We'll face the morning together."

I departed almost reluctantly. I did not want to leave Ember alone, but there was somewhere I needed to be. And I had my own place to relax in for the night. But upon stepping outside, I found that Ember's suspicions over someone watching us were unfounded. All of her subordinates were spread out in front of the cottage and were fast asleep with some snarling with some impressive snoring. I just rolled my eyes at the amusingly unsophisticated display of dragon barbarians before me and was soon on my way back to the command center.

Things were quiet in the common area of the command center once I stepped inside. Aside from the two guards positioned at the radar station in the corner, there was no one there to burn the midnight oil. I left the two stallions alone and headed upstairs. And upon entering my dormitory, I only saw Smolder there as she read one of the comic books I had on loan from Spike. The only source of light in the room was a lone candle near my bed. She looked my way as I entered quietly, holding a finger to her lips and pointing at the pillow fort set up beside my dresser. No doubt due to Ocellus sleeping in her own little pad for the night. The lovely little dragoness then smiled at me while I quietly locked the door behind me. "Hey there. Thanks for coming back. Feels like you haven't been up here that often."

"I made sure I'd be here. I know you and Ocellus need the company." I said softly with my feet carrying me over to the wise little lady. She stood up on the bed to be closer to my height and held me in a gentle embrace. "I get you two can't leave the command center unescorted for your own good. I bet it gets boring up here."

"Yeah, it does... But having you here makes everything better." Smolder said with a long sigh. But when we pulled away, she then winked at me with a big smile on her face. "You're the whole reason I'm out here anyway."

"Right, I almost forgot about that... I'll make an effort to not neglect you too many nights." I whispered to her upon remembering that fact. I then said, "Anyway, excuse me for a bit. Need to wash up before bed."

I was a little concerned that the sound of me bathing in the next room over would wake Ocellus, even with the door muffling the noise. But when I did step out of the bathroom in a towel and a clean pair of shorts, I was pleased to find that Ocellus had not left her pillow fort. I could even hear her quietly snoring within it. I found Smolder relaxing in bed and even took the time to pull the sheets down. "Coming to bed, mi amor?"

"You know it." I replied quietly while also casting a warm smile at her lovely form being illuminated by that one candle. And it felt so astoundingly relaxing to lie upon my bed. A long day of marching only makes the prospect of sleep even more fulfilling. I glanced over at Smolder and whispered, "Having you here at this hour makes it all worth it. Thank you for being here, Smolder."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be. I want to see you come home safe and sound. I'm just glad I'm not dead weight out here." She whispered back to me as we tried to keep our voices down so as to not wake the slumbering love bug nearby. Once she had draped her wing over me, I pulled the covers over us and shared one last kiss with Smolder. She cooed sweetly to me, "Sweet dreams, mi amor."

I responded in kind as I closed my eyes to let sleep take hold of me. "Sweetest dreams for you, mia poca draghessa."

I slept well and I dreamed well. And Ocellus was an embarrassed little wreck when she poked her head out of her pillow fort without a disguise and found that she had fallen asleep without me. I needed to hold and cuddle with her just to reassure her that she had not made a mistake. Silly and adorable little love bug, that one. I guess if there is one thing that placates Ocellus as much as me, it is pillows.

Morning went by without a hitch. Ember and Rain Shine stopped by for breakfast as usual and morale was generally high. But when we finally began to march, Ember insisted that I stay inside to rest. I did not mind. It gave me time to just think and rest.

Smolder and Ocellus stayed in the common area of the command center with me. I was suited p in my armor, but I left my shield and my helmet upon the table before me. One by one, pegasi and griffons stopped by to drop off the sensor crystals we had deployed as the militia marched along. The subtle rolling sensation of the command center traveling along the Empty Plains was genuinely relaxing and even helped to keep Smolder and Ocellus entertained whenever they looked out the few easily accessible windows in that room. Almost like being aboard a very slow train.

I looked over at the radar station. A single stallion was keeping watch over the crystal panels that displayed the increasingly restricted topographic information of the surrounding landscapes. Before long, every last one of those sensor crystals was piled in a box right in front of me. I idly tapped on one with a finger out of boredom and examination. "I wonder if Sunburst got around to turning these into cameras yet..."

Hours ticked by without incident. But eventually, I noticed a feeling through the floor. The command center had become still. Ocellus, shrouded in her unique dragon disguise, looked over at me from the window she had been peering out. "I think we've stopped. Everyone out there isn't walking anymore."

Smolder tried to get a better look at the sky from the window she had been using, assuming some strange postures to try and look straight up. "It's way too soon. Don't we usually stop when the sun's setting?"

I glanced over at the radar station. If there were enemy units out there, they had not drawn close enough to the command center to be detected. And as I pondered this, the door leading outside opened as Ember stuck her head in. "James. We need you out here."

"Right, on my way." I retorted before promptly reaching for my helmet. Once I was fully armed and armored, I looked over at Smolder and Ocellus. Smolder had a look of only mild concern in her eyes, but Ocellus had never seen me march off to battle before. She looked deeply worried and anxious as she clutched her hands together. I said gently get firmly, "Stay put, OK? I'll be back."

Smolder nodded and crossed her arms, her confident posture displaying her own confidence in me. But Ocellus did not share that faith. "Please be careful..."

I hurried out the door and found Ember waiting for me while still without her helmet. She quickly guided me through the air towards the frontlines of the militia. And standing there with the higher officers was Rain Shine clad in her eastern armor. Ember called out upon landing, "All right, he's here! What's happening?"

All three of the royal sisters were clad in their full suits of barding. The fact that we had stopped too soon meant we had not stopped due to a mild inconvenience. Nightmare Moon then glanced up as a number of pegasi hovered high in the sky. "Our scouts have detected enemy movement on the horizon. Perhaps twelve miles away to the east."

Due to the vast plains dotted with the occasional woods and gently rolling hills, I could not see any signs of that ominous purple. Only from a higher elevation could anyone hope to see that far. But even so, it was time. The next battle was imminent. "They're here, huh...? I guess it was only a matter of time."

Among them was Twilight Sparkle. Wrapped in her mage's cloak, she then stepped forward. "Your highness? If I may, this might be a prime opportunity to test out an upgrade my colleagues and I installed into our sensors. We just need to deploy one in the path of the enemy."

Celestia was quick to glance at her star student and even smiled at her. "Yes, we have heard about your recent findings. Very well, if what I've heard is true... Yes, let's put them to the test. Who shall volunteer?"

I was quick to provide a suggestion. "How about Gilda? She's quick enough to keep up with Rainbow Dash and she has the hands for the job."

"That she does. Allow me then..." Luna replied before lifting her horn high as her blue magic aura coated it. "Miss Gilda, report to your commanding officers immediately!"

Was that some sort of telepathy spell? A moment later, Gilda came swooping over to us as if she knew exactly where to go. She was suited up in her layer of camouflaged brigandine and looked ready to assist. "Right, whatcha need? We gonna bust some heads pretty soon?"

Luna then turned to the lone griffon hen. "We just need you to perform some reconnaissance. Fetch one of the sensor crystals from the command center. You should find them just past the door. Once you are perhaps a mile ahead of the enemy, drop the crystal from a great height with the spike facing downward. And be sure you stay high enough for their archers to not be able to reach you."

"Right, got it. They'll never see me coming." Gilda replied before swooping over to the command center. A moment later, she came flying back in our direction with something clutched between her hands. I watched as she ascended rapidly while soaring east. While Gilda was busy with that, Twilight pulled out another spherical crystal from under her cloak. It was identical in form to those that provide the radar station with topographical information, but this one was tinted purple. She held it aloft in her magical grasp while the rest of the militia began to take up their formations.

Rain Shine looked uncomfortable as her eyes faced east. She could most likely sense the approached of the likely thousands of Hollows treading upon the countless blades of grass upon the plains. She muttered uneasily, "Such a strange unnatural presence... I will not falter here..."

"You'll do fine, Rain. We... Huh?" I started to say before something happened to that crystal Twilight was focusing on. A beam of equally purple light shot up above her before expanding outward and displaying a dome of images above it. A 360 degree view of a place up ahead. The images were transparent, but not so much as to make it difficult to discern what was being displayed. I was thrilled. They succeeded in that experiment. "Hey, it works! Is that up ahead?"

"It should be! Looks like Gilda dropped it in a good spot. No obstructions anywhere around it." Twilight replied with a big smile on her face. Now we really could get the drop on the enemy by seeing exactly what kind of equipment they would be carrying. Anyone nearby were focused on the live feed we were getting from that lone camera crystal out there. Gilda soon came gliding down from overhead and returned to her comrades. Twilight then muttered, "Now then, they should be showing up soon..."

Gilda must have dropped that crystal quite a ways ahead of the approaching army since it took maybe twenty minutes for an approaching wall of purple to be seeing on the eastern side of that dome. And I flinched upon seeing what the vanguard was carrying. They were all clad in heavy armor, stained a dark purple with their contained within fully closed helms. And in their hands were a weapon that I dreaded seeing. A sturdy shaft taking up the rear half and a tapered spike with a wide square cross section serving as the front half. I inhaled through my teeth as I recognized that weapon type. "Ahlspiess..."

"Come again?" Nightmare Moon asked as she detected the dread in my voice."

"Awl pikes. Plate armor is useless against them. Those things will skewer our infantry like shrimps if they get by the pikemen." I spoke grimly as the thought of one of our armored infantry men being run entirely through on one of those crossed my mind. A gruesome image. I turned the three royal sisters and said, "We need to make the vanguard a priority. One good lunge is all it'll take to impale anyone on something like that."

"Will do. I will see to it the vanguard will be the first to fall to our mages once they draw near." Luna declared while Twilight Sparkle also nodded in confirmation. I knew that the ahlspiess is a very unbalanced type of polearm with most of its weight focused at the business end of the weapon in a manner that could be potentially exploited, but it was not an weapon to take lightly. The Hollows soon began to walk past the camera crystal, often stepping right on it, but were otherwise oblivious to its presence. And the perspective did allow us an effective view of those beyond the vanguard to plan accordingly.

As I watched that dome of images being displayed, I took note of Ember. She was especially taken with the illusion being displayed around us. But she then tilted her head back a little further as her eyes opened wide. I thought she was just that impressed. At least until she stepped out from under that dome with her eyes still focused on the horizon. I heard her mutter softly, "What...is that...?"

She was not the only one who was more focused on the eastern horizon. A number of the infantry around us had also caught sight of something. Something in the sky. And when I too gazed ahead with my eyes turned towards a fairly cloudy sky... What was I seeing? It looked so small from such a distance, but it... It appeared to be a sort of...meteor. A meteor or some other sort of falling astral body shrouded in a swirling aura of scarlet and silver. I reached under the dome of images to tap Celestia on the side of her helmet. "Celestia...? Does Equestria have access to some kind of orbital weapon you never told us about?"

"Orbital weapon? What gives you that kind of..." The Princess of the Dawn replied before she fell silent upon stepping out from under that dome of illusions to gaze at the eastern sky unobstructed. And her eyes opened wide in what seemed to be abject horror. "Oh no... Oh no, why here... Why now...?"

Luna and Nightmare Moon also noticed their sister having stepped away and also emerged from under that dome to confirm what she was seeing. And their eyes... That look of utter shock. Nightmare Moon then called out before I could even speak, "It's... They're actually... Fall back! Fall back at once!"

Retreat?! Was the meteor falling towards us?! No... No, it appeared to be falling almost directly down... Towards the approaching Hollows over the horizon we could not even see from such a distance? The infantrymen at the frontlines only just then notice the falling astral object in the distant sky as a clamor began to rise throughout the entire militia. I then asked, "Really?! That thing looks like it's falling towards the enemy and they're still miles away! We're not really in danger, are we?"

"We're not taking chances! Everyone, fall back! Quickly! The more distance we have, the better!" Luna called out as she threw herself into the air and began to bellow with the Royal Canterlot Voice, her words carrying far towards the many militiamen around us. "Fall back at once, all of you!"

We could not simply turn and run. Everyone began to briskly walk backwards as a nearly panicked tension began to fill the air. Twilight dispelled the dome of images being displayed for the moment while we all began to retreat as well. What even was that falling meteor? Was it even a meteor at all? Even from such a distance, it could not have been that large. Something was not right. And Ember was quick to mirror my thoughts as she spoke up from nearby. "Princess Celestia, what are we even running from?!"

The Princes of the Dawn's response was brief, yet foreboding as she only barely glanced at us. "They're here!"

"They?!" I all but yelled before looking back at the falling meteor. It...did not seem to be a falling object at all. That swirling aura of scarlet and silver surrounding it was clearly not the fiery trail caused by friction due to atmospheric entry. My eyes narrowed as the possibilities dawned on me? What was it? Or perhaps...who was it?

Luna continued to call out to her people as everyone tried to maintain a brisk pace, her wings carrying her along with their retreat. The other higher officers also tried to maintain order and instruct the confused infantrymen to stay in formation. I heard Seaspray call out as he too hovered overhead with his iridescent armor gleaming in what little sunlight was shining through the clouds above. "That's it, keep moving! Maintain order, maintain order, to safety at once!"

I kept glancing over my shoulder at every opportunity I could. The meteor fell further and further. Much too slow for any plummeting astral body that should have reached terminal velocity by then. This...was not what it appeared to be. And I had a strong suspicion that the royal sisters should not be ignored. They knew exactly what that was. Even if it was likely targeting the enemy, we were all in very real danger of becoming collateral damage. I then asked again, "Do we really need to retreat like this?! What's happening?!"

"It's going to be big! Like you cannot imagine!" Nightmare Moon called out as she too followed along at a brisk trot. The rumbling of countless hooves filled the air, but a sense of composure had settled over the area now that we had all found our footing. It was starting to feel like a fire evacuation drill. Tense, but orderly. After roughly five minutes, Nightmare Moon spoke up once more. "I do believe this will suffice, sister."

Celestia nodded as we began to slow to a stop. She looked up at Luna as the Princess of the Night hovered overhead just as she too looked back down at her sister. She then called out with her echoing voice reaching everyone around us, "Everyone down! Make yourselves as low as you can!"

We all turned to the east and sank to the ground. All fliers made themselves grounded. I dropped to my knees as that tension sank into all of us, my right hand ready to generate a barrier if necessary. But it was not empty for long. Another hand grasped mine. I looked to my right and found Ember holding my right hand in her left. Those beautiful scarlet eyes were filled with a nameless fear. She said nothing, but those eyes said all they needed to. I wrapped my armored fingers around hers, thanking my dear friend for her concern and presence. She would be there for me if I needed her.

As we watched and waited for the meteor to disappear over the hills ahead, the tension only became worse. Especially once the meteor finally fell entirely out of sight. No one said a word. The air was filled with a dreadful silence that was only broken by a gentle breeze. My grasp around Ember's hand tightened, as did hers. I was afraid to blink and constantly held my breath. Did we overreact? Had the falling astral body already made impact with the ground?

Just when I was wondering if it was nothing of importance after all, it happened. A distant blast. An expanding geyser of scarlet and silver light. And the tremor... My god, the blast of wind and quake through the ground we felt. My eyes went wide as I saw that explosion of magical power expanding outwards from miles away, a wall of dust or sand being carried our way by the sheer shockwave of that blast. Luna once again called out mere seconds before the approaching dust storm could overtake us, "Everyone down!"

Thinking fast, I focused my magic through my left gauntlet and projected a blue barrier around Ember and I. And I was nearly blown off my feet in spite of me assuming a sturdy low stance. The howl of that wall of wind and dust as it blew through the militia joined by shrieks and yells of terror. Ember and I glanced around as everyone around us remained anchored to the ground while keeping their eyes squinted shut. We then looked at each other, both too startled to even try to speak.

As the seconds ticked by, the wind became weaker. And the dust began to gradually settle. The terror of what just transpired had passed as a new tension began to fall over the militia. Ember was the first to speak the question we were all thinking at that moment. "What was that...?"

Now that the wind had died down, I felt it was safe to dispel my barrier. And the dust that lingered in the air definitely had a sandy desert scent to it. Scorched completely dry. Everyone began to rise to their feet, many coughing and swatting the dust away from their faces. The air was still as no one dared to speak. I could see Twilight Sparkle nearby as she began to pull out that crystal again to establish a connection. But no matter what she did to it, the crystal would not project anything. "I can't get a signal here... Was it destroyed?"

If that camera crystal could not survive that blast... I turned to Rain Shine. She could sense the approaching enemy through the countless blades of grass covering the Empty Plains. When our gazes met, she nodded and turned her eyes to the east. The three royal sisters too watched their friend with bated breath. She did not take long to provide a chilling response. "Gone... There is nothing out there... Not a single tremor from marching feet. So many blades of grass burned away to nothing... What manner of power is this?"

"You're kidding... That...thing...wiped out the entire enemy army? Just like that?!" Ember demanded as even I had a hard time comprehending how just like that, the next wave of the enemy was no more. And I could not help but suspect this was less like someone providing us some desperately needed assistance and more along the lines of sending a message.

A murmur filled the droves of armored ponies around us. The confusion and terror over that blast and the resulting dust storm followed by the disbelief of knowing that the next battle had been snatched away from us by...something. Some unknown outlier that had shown up out of nowhere. I turned to the royal sisters and asked, "What now then...?"

The Princesses of the Dawn, Night, and Dreams looked to each other with faces filled with unease and dread. Celestia then said softly, "We advance. They are...waiting for us."

I was tempted to inquire further, but knew it would soon not matter. If there was indeed someone out, we would soon be meeting them. And so we began to march once more to the east through the cloud of scorched dust that was taking its sweet time in settling to the ground.

Over the next hour, it was dreadfully quiet out there. Only the thunderous marching of thousands of hooves broken up the silence. The air gradually became clearer, but that massive cloud of dust on the horizon where that meteor had come down... It never truly went away. It continued to hang in the air like a mushroom cloud to signify an air of danger. I was not expecting us to find a happy face out there.

When we finally came near enough over the gentle hills, we all stopped. The oceans of grass before us had come to an end as a vast desert of scorched earth lay spread out before us. That massive lingering cloud of dust towered before us and would likely take hours to finally fully settle. There was no crater to be seen. The earth had not been smashed by a powerful impact. It had been razed by a flash of some incinerating magical force. Shining Armor drew near and muttered under his breath, "What sort of power could do this...?"

"The power of those who are eternally bound to the crown." Nightmare Moon spoke cryptically as she spread her wing to one side. Our pikemen proceeded to stand down and allowed the royal sisters to pass. They stood at the front of the militia while everyone came to a stop and waited. I followed out of curiosity along with Shining Armor and Ember but we did not step far past our vanguard. The three royal sisters stood there. Waiting. The Princess of Dreams then spoke with dread in her voice, "I cannot believe they would choose to show themselves now..."

I knew questions were meaningless. If someone was out there, they were most likely approaching. And in that veil of dust, I began to see something. Light sources? And a form... No, there were two. Roughly my height and most certainly not human. And their forms... Wings spread wide... I began to feel my skin crawl as I mumbled quietly, "This...can't be what I think it is..."

Even shrouded in the dust, my eyes could start to make out the details. Ponies. There was no denying it. Two ponies, a mare and a stallion, were walking through the cloud of dust they no doubt were responsible for. Their forms were tall and regal, invoking the familiar stature of Equestria's royal family while clearly being a pair of alicorns. And that was not the only attributes they shared. Their manes and tails too bore the supernatural and ethereal qualities as well. But not in a way I had ever seen before.

The mare on the right. Her tail and mane bore the appearance of constantly billowing scarlet flames while still generally maintaining the look of a proper hairstyle Her mane swept far down her back and stopped over her flanks. Her hooves were also wrapped in flickering magical flames of scarlet that blurred the line between shoes or her bare hooves. Her coat was a very warm shade of white while her eyes, a hot yellow, bore a glare of focused determination that I swear was being focused on me.

The stallion to the left. He too walked with regal poise, but his form was overall more inviting. His coat was a very dark cornflower blue to the point of appearing to be as black as the night sky. His impressive mane and tail wavered without the aid of wind while gravity caused them to hang only barely past his shoulders. They shimmered a glorious silver and blurred the line between an ethereal substance and countless strands of shining hair. Like the mare beside him, that same shimmering silver wrapped around his exposed hooves like a pair of shoes. Either that, or his hooves naturally glittered like that. His eyes, a cool shade of light blue, gazed ahead with more of a look of resignation. Not at all angry like the mare beside him, but still not happy about what they most likely had to say.

I noticed that there were two traits that these two alicorns shared. Their cutie marks... They were visibly identical in overall appearance, but not in color. How do I describe them... A round orb of light? Surrounded by a ring of light as it shines out? Except on the stallion, his mark consisted of silvery white hues. The outer ring of the mare's cutie mark seemed to depict a thin ring of prismatic colors like the result of light shining through a prism. But the shared trait that caught my eyes the most was there horns. Like the royal sisters beside me, they each had an exceptionally long horn on their brows. But surrounding those horns at the base were five more much smaller horns set out in a pentagon formation. Almost like...a crown. Crowns of horns...

A pit opened in my stomach as the pieces came together in my head. This mare and stallion bearing traits shared only with the Equestrian royal family. Possessing power so great that they personally vaporized an entire army of Hollows in an instant. In the back of my mind, I knew who they were. I had heard of them before. And I was filled with a sense of awe and dread. But it was not my place to reveal who they were. Silent and keeping my shield arm ready, I watched and waited knowing that this arrival was not cause for celebration.

Everyone around me watched in stunned and confused silence. Not one of them had ever seen these two alicorns before. Celestia was the first to step forward and came to a stop at the front of the pack to meet these newcomers. The situation carried with it a grim atmosphere I had yet to feel before since leaving home to fight this war. No doubt a result of the blighted desert wasteland we now found ourselves standing in while a heavy haze of dust continued to linger in the sky that dimmed the rays of the sun. The stallion and mare came to a stop not far from us. The silence was heavy as all three of the royal sisters beheld them with gazes of unease. All except for Nightmare Moon. The look in her eyes... Utter dread. Easily the most unnerved I had ever seen her appear and I could not have guessed at the time as of why.

As we stared down the two newcomers, the mare finally spoke to Celestia. Her voice was bold and powerful, as if demanding our attention. "I suppose you are aware as of just why we stand before you now, child."

Child? What entity could be so ancient as to refer to Celestia herself as a mere filly? But I knew why. These three had a history with each other. Celestia, her voice grim and lined with dread, responded in kind. "There can only be one reason... Is the situation truly so dire?"

"That is the nature of our intervention, as it always has been." The mare replied without the slightest hint of levity in her voice. Her tone was exceptionally grim. Any and all high hopes I had for the upcoming clashes in the war had been dashed just by what I had seen and heard. I was convinced that what we were about to hear was going to turn this entire conflict on its head. But just for a moment, the mare's eyes softened as she let out a sigh. "I only wish we did not have to consistently meet during such trying times. It has been much too long, child."

It was then that Celestia dropped the truth before us all that I was both anticipating and dreading. "It truly has... Mother. Father."

A loud murmur rose through the front of the militia that began to spread far to the back as Celestia's revelation quickly spread via word of mouth. Shining Armor then stepped forward while he spoke out, "Did I just hear... What was that?! Your highness! You mean to tell us that...they are...?!"

The Princess of the Dawn replied promptly without even turning to face her people. The mare and stallion before us gazed upon us all as their daughter spoke to us. "Yes. King Orbash. Queen Sunflare."

"Then...you both are..." Shining Armor stuttered as gasps of disbelief filled the air around me. I too was left shaken as the captain of the guard promptly bowed to the true sovereigns of the vast world of Equestria. "Your majesties!"

Like a falling wave, everyone behind me bowed at once. But I did not. I was simply too stunned to see these two living legends standing before me in the flesh. Largely unrecorded by the annals of history, known only to their daughters. Their crowns forever bound to their brows as an eternal testament to their royal status. They truly exuded a powerful presence well beyond anything I had ever felt from any of their daughters. Something unflinching and primordial. The scorched earth of the wasteland around us served as a reminder of their magical might. I felt as if I was standing among gods. The king and queen had revealed themselves to their subjects at long last.

Orbash. Sunflare. Names I had heard only a few times in my life from the royal sisters themselves. I knew of them, but simply accepted them as legends that would never get involved with mortal affairs so long as their daughters continued to guide Equestria responsibly. My eyes fell upon Orbash, having heard nothing but the nicest things about him from Nightmare Moon herself. But Equestria's true king remained deathly silent. Not a word was spoken. I suspected that he and Sunflare came to an agreement before our arrival that she would handle the talking. And her commanding voice made her a very effective speaker. Luna finally stepped forward while Nightmare Moon stood her ground. The Princess of Dreams still maintained an anxious stare in her unnatural yet beautiful eyes. Were her fears my own? Or did it go deeper. Luna then finally asked, "Tell us... What has transpired? What have you uncovered? Are our efforts inadequate? Does the emperor possess a means to repel us we have not seen yet?"

"You have all responded admirably to the threat of this invasion. Mobilized, strategized, and armed yourselves in spite of war not being in our nature. You stay true to yourselves and to Equestria's way of life even while having to face the enemy on the battlefield. Your response to this ancient threat has been most commendable. Had this been a simple war of swords and shields, we would have deemed our intervention unnecessary." Sunflare explained firmly yet calmly, her praise of our efforts doing little to soothe that awful gut feeling in my stomach. She then continued with her eyes glancing at me for just an instant. "But answer me this. Why do you suppose the last emperor of humanity still lives? And that he has remained silent until now?"

The militia behind us rose to their feet and waited as the queen of Equestria spoke to her children and to us. Not everyone would be able to hear her, but anything important would surely spread throughout mass of people behind me like the latest juicy subject being discussed by a bunch of gossiping magpies. Celestia's tone remained focused, but I could sense the hint of alarm on her voice. "Tell us. Tell us everything."

"I shall." Sunflare replied, her fiery scarlet mane flickering and wavering in the gentlest breeze blowing across the wasteland. "Your father and I have been investigating. Scouring the Empty Plains as we tried to retrace the emperor's steps. And what we have found...was that he never truly left this world at all. Even as his people were banished to worlds beyond the stars, he remained. Anchored here. But even he could not resist the march of time. And yet, he did not allow death to take him. If what we found is of any indication, he most likely co-opted a spell devised by that witch Somnambula and modified it to defy the flow of time. Remaining in a state of limbo once his body failed him. Neither truly dead, nor alive. And with it, a trap was set. One that would only be sprung once humanity returned."

When humanity...returned... Humanity. I flinched and brought my right hand to the Element of Humanity that rested upon my helmet's brow. The name of Somnambula meant nothing to me. Not one I had ever heard before. Probably the name of some forgotten heretic who met a dark end long ago. But Sunflare merely shook her head and spoke to me directly, "No. The Element of Humanity is not the source of his return to the mortal coil. It is not sustaining him. Not even the Elements of Harmony are capable of sustaining the lives of others through such a manner."

"Then tell us! Whatever do you mean the return of humanity in Equestria has brought about the resurrection of the last emperor?!" Luna demanded with a panicked tone. Even if the Element of Humanity was not at fault... Had my arrival in Equestria been a mistake? Had their noble goal of reintroducing the human race to Equestria backfired in ways they could not have foreseen? I said nothing. I could only listen and wait as my voice refused to speak out of sheer dread.

Sunflare continued to speak with her voice still exuding her powerful presence. "You must know that Orbash and I would have slain the emperor ourselves upon discovering that he now lives again. But as you have no doubt encountered, he has devised a spell that repels any and all magical influence. Our only means of attack, now rendered useless. But there is still one way to put an end to him once and for all. Just one..."

Celestia then asked with her voice starting to ooze with fear, "And what... What does that have to do with what you have found? What is sustaining the emperor as we speak?"

"A most fiendish spell indeed. One that has rendered the emperor into a sort of parasite. Every heart beats different. Every life does not exude the same presence. And when the faintest trace of human life entered Equestria for the first time in eons, the trap was sprung." Sunflare declared as her voice became lower and grimmer. Almost as if...anticipating a direct confrontation. And my mind began to swim with possible answers to those implications. None of them good. "And for a full year, it leeched away at that source of precious life force. Only after a full year of uninterrupted siphoning did the emperor finally rise to his feet as a barely sustained husk of a man. And now..."

Sunflare turned her head to the side as she lowered her horn. And with the slightest magical output, everyone around me jumped with gasps and murmurs of horror. A thin wire, no wider than a spider's thread, shimmered with mystical light. It reached as far as the horizon to the east and appeared to have no mass to be cut. And the other end...connected to my chest. My beating heart. Luna spoke with a hushed plea, "No... Please tell me I am not seeing this..."

Sunflare spoke coldly with the grim reality of this situation beginning to set in. "It is exactly what it appears, child. Your champion's life is now the emperor's own. So long as the bearer of humanity continues to draw breath, death will never come for our enemy. His hoards will continue to spread out from the Heaven's Pillar. His armies will be endless. And as he continues to adapt and strengthen his puppets, it will only be a matter of time before sheer numbers alone will overwhelm Equestria in a war of attrition. We know not what his end goal is, but his methods remain the same. To establish dominion over Equestria with our people pinned firmly under the heel of humanity."

I weakly swatted at the thin wire that was surely connecting my heart to that of the emperor somewhere far to the east. I could not even touch it. I could not even grab it to try and tear it free. Its gleam soon faded with our eyes no longer able to see it. That thread was still there. The emperor...was sustaining himself through me. This war...was happening because of me. Because I was there...

Just when I thought the situation could not become more anxiety-inducing, Sunflare then turned her piercing gaze towards me. A fiery yet cold glare followed by words that filled my soul with mortal dread. "And with there being no means for us to slay the emperor directly...you know what must be done."

My eyes opened wide. I took a step back while readying my shield arm. And the three royal sisters suddenly glanced at each other before focusing their gazes upon their mother with Celestia being the first to speak with utter desperation in her voice. "Mother, no...!"

Sunflare began to take slow strides towards me as I and everyone else around me backed away. My comrades spread out into a large circle as the queen of Equestria set her sights on me. Luna then pleaded, "Mother, I beg of you! There must be another way! Please, you must not...!"

"Enough!" Sunflare called with her powerful voice silencing her children. She glanced back at them while Nightmare Moon could not even try to join in her sisters' pleas. The queen then declared, "You understand the weight of the crown. You knew this when you claimed the throne eons ago. You must be prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of this world in times of crisis. You know this, do you not?"

They said nothing. But their gazes still pleaded with their mother as I knew what was coming. If a direct assault against the emperor would not destroy him, there was only one other way to end his life and the threat he poses to Equestria. A method that was about to cost me dearly. Sunflare then turned her gaze to me, her tone firm as she spoke to me. "I will not deny your purpose in this world has been a noble one. I hold no ill will towards you, child. Not yet, at least. But your presence in the world of Equestria has irrevocably made you an enemy to my people. Therefore..."

Her horns... The five tiny horns set upon her brow became coated in a fiery scarlet aura that soon reached up and coated her long central horn. They were not simply there to serve as a natural royal crown and symbol of her highborn status. I knew at that instant those five extra horns carried a deadly purpose. They were amplifying Sunflare's magic well beyond anything I had seen thus far. Her eyes opened wide as a brightly glowing orb of white solar magic formed at the tip of her horn, her intentions made clear as she shouted for us all to here. "As queen of Equestria, I decree that you must perish!"

With the sudden lowering of her horn, Sunflare unleashed that orb of fiery doom at me. I instinctively threw up my left arm to ready the Lunar Shield, bracing my feet against the ground for the blast. No larger than a baseball, the orb of potent magic exploded violently against my shield and pushed me back as everyone around us retreated even further away. I slid along the ground without falling with the blast of incinerating celestial fire directing the force of the explosion upward into the sky. Fear filling my heart, I saw Celestia step forward as she screamed out to the queen. "MOTHER, NO!!!"

Sunflare was not having any of it. She spread her great wings and lifted her head high as walls of searing solar magic suddenly shot up from the ground around us to trap the two of us in a circular battlefield, those walls of white flames reaching high above us. I looked around in horror, having never seen even Celestia wield or summon solar magic so easily and readily. Sunflare was casting it as freely as I or Celestia would be able to cast fire magic. Terror began to sink into my heart as I beheld the mare who wanted nothing more than to see me die. This was no princess. This was a queen!

The wall of white flames hot enough to evaporate my armor in seconds set behind her already bright body, Sunflare slowly lowered her head with her eyes closed. And when those eyes gazed ahead at me, I saw a glare in them I could only recall having seen from Nightmare Moon. Her eyes were engulfed with a hot white glow, shining out in a manner that masked her glare. A gaze that conveyed utter rage as this inferno queen stood ready to destroy me. "Speak your last words to me now so that I may relay them to those who stand beyond these walls of flame."

Beyond those surging hissing walls of white fire, roars and shrieks of panic filled the air. There was nothing anyone could do to pass them and I could swear I heard more than one familiar voice among them calling out, pleading for the queen to show me mercy. But even if those dear to me could pass the flames, what could they do? The queen of Equestria herself had just placed a death sentence upon me! How could we possibly defy her?

I stared down this horrifying mare of magical power beyond all others. This paragon of magical might. Mother of the Princesses of the Dawn and Night, crafter of the sun itself. And now she had volunteered to become my executioner. I was about to die. I just knew it. There in this arena of her own making, I knew in my gut that even my armor's magical output paled in comparison to hers. She was capable of everything Celestia is and much more. And yet, I could not speak. I was too afraid. Too overwhelmed by all that I had heard. In a single conversation, the entire context of the war had changed and I had become a genuine threat to this world and everyone in it. What could I say?

"No words? So be it. I shall make this quick, child!" Sunflare declared boldly as her scarlet magic aura surged around her horns. Another orb of solar magic was thrown my way that would surely blast me right into the wall of fire behind me if I did not ready myself. I should have let it take me there, but I found the will to shove the Lunar Shield into it and throw my left arm to the side to redirect the resulting blast of destructive celestial fire high and into the wall around us. Something was keeping me going in spite of all I had heard. Perhaps something as base as sheer survival instinct. And my desperate defiance did not go unnoticed by the most powerful mare in the history of Equestria. "Do not resist! Do not struggle! Fall to dust before me!"

She could have destroyed me at any time. Rain a solar flare down onto me. Summon a sea of white fire directly around my feet. Perhaps even force the walls of the arena to close on us until I was engulfed by them. Sunflare absolutely could have destroyed me with little effort if she was truly that sincere about ending my life and the emperor's with it. But she chose to not resort to any underhanded or overwhelming tactics. As if she was honor bound to at least give me some semblance of a fighting chance. She launched burst after burst of solar magic at me, small and lacking the same level of explosive power as the first. My impervious shield held well enough, but I had to be mindful of the walls around us. I had already learned just how easily they would burn through my armor. I would not last five seconds in that inferno.

Sunflare began to slowly strafe around me, her stride without fear or unease while those eyes shrouded in purest white light never looked away from me. My right hand began to reach for the hilt of the Celestia Sword tucked into its scabbard on the back of my shield, but I proceeded to hesitate. All I would need is one good stroke and Sunflare would fall. But this was the queen of Equestria herself! The mother of my beloved Celestia! Even if it was in my own defense, would my royal friends ever forgive me for taking the life of their mother? I was left with an impossible choice. Draw my sword and fight, or stay my hand and surely perish in the coming moments. If I were to flee the arena via teleportation, she would only pursue me.

In that moment of hesitation as the queen stared me down, I found myself facing a more pressing threat. The air was hot... And only growing hotter. The walls of solar fire around us were not merely a lethal barrier to keep me trapped in this arena with my executioner. It was heating the air around us. My armor kept me cool within its enchanted confines, but the air itself..... I began to gasp for breath, coughing as I brought the Lunar Shield closer to my face to try and trap some cooler air under it. Sunflare could see my growing discomfort and called out to me. "You will drown in the heat of the sun itself if you persist for much longer! Give yourself up and fall before your lungs are scorched to the point of never being able to draw breath again!"

So powerful... If the queen herself would not kill me, then time itself would. I generated ice magic from my left hand behind my shield to produce some cooling frigid mist before my lips. This helped as I inhaled sharply to breathe deep of that cool winter air. But with my hand held so close to my face, I could not brace my arm for impact from the next spell. When Sunflare launched another blast of solar magic at me, I panicked and flung myself to the side with a flap of my wings. But something felt off. And I suddenly realized I was on the verge of falling backwards into the wall of flames before me!

I shrieked and shouted as I desperately tried to bring myself forward and only narrowly regained my footing. But that subtle psychological connection to my wings had changed. I glanced over my shoulder and was left horrified of what had become of my armor's wings. Burned away to just below the highest joint, the enchanted metal had lost its soft feathery guise and now truly looked like scorched molten metal. What was left of my wings was now utterly useless.

I gasped for breath as Sunflare summoned snaking waves of white solar magic to curve into me like serpents trying to snap at me with passing strikes. My shield warded them off, but it was becoming so hard to think... The walls of wavering hot white becoming increasingly hard on my eyes. Barely able to see, breathe, or even think, I was beginning to succumb to the inferno around me. I finally found the will to speak in sheer desperation as I fell to my knees and pleaded, "Your majesty... Please..."

"Enough. Sleep forever, bearer of Humanity." Sunflare spoke firmly as she summoned one large orb of solar magic above her head. But just as I was becoming resigned to my fate, that wall of white suddenly parted off to the side for just a few seconds. And through that gap someone charged before a swing of a blade struck Sunflare's horn. She yelped in shock as her focus was interrupted with that orb of fiery death dissipating. The queen quickly regained her footing as I felt something starting to crawl up my armored body before wrapping around my face. Shrouding the lower half of my exposed face like a mask were fresh green leaves. The air cooled just enough as they produced fresh oxygen for my lungs. Fresh plants... It was...?! "You... You dare raise your blade to me, kirin queen?!"

Rain Shine. She stood between us, glaive raised and ready to strike. That strike to Sunflare's horn did not even leave a chip in it. But how did she even get beyond the walls of celestial flame? The kirin chieftain spoke firmly with her body placed squarely between us, her long equine form turned mostly sideways to make it nearly impossible for any spell to get to me. "You will not harm him while I still breathe."

Sunflare's cool composure began to unravel as one of her own subordinate's defied her decree. To defy the queen of Equestria herself... How brave. Or foolish. Did she even know what she was getting herself into? Sunflare then roared, "You sycophants of mankind! That man will be the end of us all! Stand aside and kneel to your queen!"

The words of the queen did not faze my friend. She readied her blade, Rain Shine's voice filled with grim defiance. Her mane and anything else on her body that matched that glorious emerald green began to waver as it began to blur the line between hair and fire. She spoke freely, the hot air around us failing to scorch her lungs. "I bow to no queen who would seek to harm this man. He is mine to protect."

"The you will perish together!" Sunflare declared as she lowered her horn and unleashed a torrent of solar magic right at us. I thought that was the end of us both. But instead, that wave of white fire split right down the middle and passed us without harm. Sunflare's head jerked up as she stared aghast as her mightiest weapon completely missed us entirely. She then lowered her head again shouted as another stream of celestial fire was launched at us. "Fall! I demand that you fall!"

"I will not." Rain Shine calmly yet coldly declared as she began to approach the queen with that wave of solar magic swirling around her instead of into her. Was she...manipulating the fire itself? "Your flames may be that of the sun, but they are flames all the same. And to we kirin, all flames bow to us!"

Sunflare was forced to cease her attack and erect a magic barrier at the last second as Rain Shine swung the blade of the Viper Fang at her head. The queen began to go on the defensive as my friend swung and twirled her glaive at her. I was left awestruck as I gazed out from behind my mask of nourishing leaves. She was vastly outclassed in sheer power, but Rain Shine was still forcing Sunflare back by exploiting her innate ability to manipulate fire. Even solar magic was fire to some degree.

The strange sound of a steel blade striking a magic barrier filled the air among the surging hiss of the walls of fire around us. And every swing of that lethal glaive was not simply a means to ward Sunflare off. I was filled with fright as I was certain Rain Shine would kill her at the first opportunity. Sunflare soon flung herself as far back as she could before hurling a cluster of solar magic spheres towards Rain Shine. They all exploded fiercely with every blast being directed upwards in the forms of pillars instead of outwards. But Rain Shine merely willed the resulting pillars of white flames around the Viper Fang itself. The long and straight form of the glaive began to bend, once more taking on the silhouette of a fanged serpent composed entirely of the flames surrounding it.

That fiery serpent shot forward with jaws opened wide and chomped hard into the barrier Sunflare erected around herself. It weaved around her, diving and snapping at the queen. When this failed, Rain Shine surprised us yet again. At the first opportunity, thick and powerful roots burst from the ground and entwined themselves around Sunflare as she yelped in shock. She pulled and tugged, but the roots would not budge once they became still. Sunflare's head remained fully exposed as she glared up at the fiery white serpent that was about to lunge.

When the animated Viper Fang shot forth to try and end this duel. But we were quickly reminded of just how powerful the queen of Equestria is. With a snarl, she projected a sphere of raw solar magic around herself. The roots that bound Sunflare were reduced to dust as the Viper Fang was pushed back. The queen focused her glowing glare upon the fiery serpent as forcefully ripped the aura of white flames from it. The glaive, now straight and parted from its fiery aura, fell to the dry dusty ground. Rain Shine was quick to summon it back to her side with levitation magic before she rushed forward for a direct assault. Horn held high, Sunflare called out to the kirin chieftain. "Begone at once, infidel!"

I watched in horror as an explosive flash of raw magical power was flung directly into the ground before Rain Shine. My friend's charge was instantly halted and I could only watched as she shrieked like I had never heard before, her body being completely thrown from the fiery arena and through the walls of flames by the shockwave. It was not a display of more solar magic. It was nothing more than raw magical might. She was just too strong... Much too powerful. There was not a mage alive who could rival Queen Sunflare.

Now alone with her once more, I readied the Lunar Shield as I faced the impossible. If even Rain Shine could not oppose Sunflare, what chance did I have? I did not have much time to contemplate this as Sunflare turned to me and readied an exceptionally large orb of solar magic above her head. Rain Shine's intervention was not without effect. The queen had become frustrated and now sought to end this clash with one last spell. She roared at me in wrath, "Begone from my world, icon of humanity's folly!"

I readied myself and assumed the most stalwart stance I could with shield raised. The blast that resulted from that orb of celestial fire exploding right in the middle of that fiery arena was far more than I could handle. I yelled in fright as I was thrown through the air and ejected from the arena at breakneck speed. I passed through the wall of solar fire so quickly that it barely even had time to singe my armor. But the impact with the ground was far from ideal. I clanked and clattered as I was tossed along the dusty ground from the sheer momentum I had built it. If I was not in mortal peril, it might have almost been fun since I was genuinely dizzy and dazed when I came to a stop with my face down in the dirt and the mask of leaves having been torn from my face. "I just...can't catch a break today..."

Suddenly remembering what was happening, I lifted my head enough to find myself at the far end of a long clearing in the militia around me Everyone must have gone running out of the way as I came tumbling through the air. The walls of white fire finally faded away, but I could still see Sunflare glaring me down from even that far away. And she wasted no time in trying to eliminate from there. Horn raised high, she summoned another orb of solar magic that was maybe half my size before she launched it right at me like a meteor tearing through the world's sky.

Sprawled on the ground, I could not hope to get my shield up to protect myself. Roars of shouts and scream filled the air all around me. Was this it? Was this how it would end?

A flash of magic light appeared before me barely a second before the incoming fiery meteor could reach me. And just when I thought it was all over, I heard that fiery orb clash against a yellow magic barrier. Celestia stood before me, struggling to hold back her mother's overwhelming assault. After several seconds of trying to repel the meteor, she threw her head up and redirected it right into the sky. Several seconds later, a colossal blast ripped through the sky above as the solar magic exploded outward without restriction. The dust cloud lingering over us was blown away as the clouded sky hung overhead. I turned my gaze up at the armored form of the Princess of the Dawn as she called out to the sun queen. "Mother, enough! There has to be another way! I refuse to believe this is the only acceptable solution!"

The clamor in the air finally died down now that Celestia had managed to exert some manner of control over the situation. But her mother remained steadfast, her eyes still filled with that frightful white glow. "Did you not hear everything I explained, Celestia?! Time is not on our side and assailing the emperor with our mightiest means of attack has been nullified! That man will be the end of us all in due time if we do not end this now! Stand aside!"

"I won't! I refuse!" Celestia shouted in the face of her own mother. A mare who could surely crush us bother if she so desired.

Sunflare was not moved. She snarled as her tone became lower and much more menacing than it already was. "You will stand aside, my child. I will not say it again."

I was helpless in the face of this overwhelming force and placed my fate in Celestia's hooves. Fearful of what was about to happen, I gazed up at Celestia in dread as she finally began to move. Stepping backwards and over me. But just when I thought she was merely stepping behind me, she lowered herself to my back and draped her wings over me like a mother swan shielding her cygnets. She then spoke with equal unflinching boldness. "I will not say this again. I'm not moving, mother."

I could not stay silent. She was endangering herself by protecting me. I glanced up at the Princess of the Dawn and whispered, "Celestia... You shouldn't... If what she said is true, then I..."

"Not another word, my love. I won't let you go. Not like this." She whispered back to me with her eyes never once looking away from the one mare who was inarguably more powerful than her. She then spoke out, "If you wish to end this man's life, you must go through me."

For just a moment, Sunflare said nothing. But the white glow filling her eyes never faded and continued to only instill fear in us all. Her scarlet magic aura began to flare up around her six horns once more as she called out, "Celestia... Do not force me to do something I will regret! Stand aside at ack?!"

It was sudden and swift, but I barely noticed a flash of movement through the air. Something clipped Sunflare's long horn to disrupt her. A arrow? Upon seeing that, I heard the flapping of many great wings as a familiar voice pleaded in frightened desperation. "Please, no more! No more! Please stand down, your majesty!"

Sky Beak... My father. He had just risked everything to land a disrupting shot upon the queen herself. I glanced back the best I could to see every last one of our peerless hippogriff archers taking their places in a row behind me. I saw Sky Beak among them, his eyes filled with terror with his hand shakily holding an arrow in his bow's string. I could not see him, but I heard Seaspray call out from behind me. "I concur, your majesty! I insist that you stand down at once! My men and I have been tasked with seeing that this man survive this war and it is an order we will not defy! Relent in your assault at once or we will fire and I promise you we will not miss!"

I could barely believe what I was hearing... The finest archers in the world had come to my defense, bowstrings drawn and ready to plunge a hail of arrows right between Sunflare's eyes. She may surpass Novo in authority, but Novo was the only queen they bowed to then. I felt as if I was truly being protected by my own people in a beautiful show of solidarity. Sunflare even took a step back to see our archers defy her show brazenly with no show of fear. Even the glow that filled her eyes faded.

And that was not the end. One by one, more familiar faces began to step forward. Weapons drawn, so many familiar faces placed themselves between me and the queen that wanted my head on a pike. I was at a loss for words. Even after all they heard... What was said that I knew then was the truth... They still stood ready to defend me. At that rate, it almost felt like the entire militia was ready to come down upon Sunflare at any time. A tear trickled down my face as I was filled with a maelstrom of emotions. They were making a mistake. They should not be trying to save me. And yet, I... What I was feeling towards all these wonderful people could not be summed up as mere gratitude.

A tense moment of near silence fell over the battlefield as the queen of Equestria was no doubt contemplating what she must do to get to me if so many of her own people would not let her. She snorted loudly as those fiery yellow eyes were once again clouded by a magical white glow. Her horns coated in a billowing scarlet aura, she roared at us. "If this is what you all have chosen... If this is the fate you have decided for yourselves... So be it! If this is what must be done so that Equestria must persevere...!"

I watched with there being just enough of a gap through the wall of ponies before me for me to clearly see Sunflare. Was she really going to destroy us all? But then... Swooping over to her... The king? Orbash?

A pit opened in my gut as I was certain the king was going to join in the assault. Both of them combined... The power that annihilated the army we were supposed to face. We were all as good as dead if he assisted his wife. But much to my shock, he landed beside her and then spoke up with a raised voice. "That's quite enough, Sunflare!"

"Not now, Orbash! Hesitation will cost us dearly if we do not..." Sunflare retorted only for her to suddenly be interrupted when Orbash very abruptly threw up his wing like an upheld hand demanding that she just stop talking. And it worked. She immediately leaned to one side to get away from that wing being up in her face.

What exactly was the king doing? And how did he get someone as powerful and frightening as Sunflare to yield to his words alone? Orbash then stepped forward and called out to us with a genuinely kindly voice. Not at all as imposing as Sunflare's. And what he said...came entirely out of left field. "I truly must apologize for my wife's behavior today! I'm afraid she's always been prone to experiencing...hot flashes."

Just like that... The entire tone of the situation was turned completely around. The tension was replaced by confusion as we all just...stared. Hot flashes... Was that...a joke? Was the king seriously trying to perform standup comedy to diffuse the situation? Sunflare, the glow in her eyes fading, turned to her husband as she looked and sounded quite flustered. "Orbash, this is not the time for your antics! You know as well as I do that we must..."

Oh dear, I could see that smirk on his face as he eyed the most powerful mare in the world with such cheeky smugness in his eyes. He then called out to us while utterly ignoring his wife's words. "Oh yes, you should have seen her just this morning! The entire glade was in danger of going up in flames. Such a twitchy temper too, I swear she is not normally this volatile! But you know what they say about older mares..."

"Confound you, Orbash! I will destroy you if you dare even insinuate about that again! Especially before our subjects!" Sunflare suddenly roared as she glared her husband down from mere inches away. She had completely forgotten about the crisis at hand and was now focusing all of her fury towards her king. Even her wavering scarlet mane and tail looked like they were on the verge of outright igniting. And yet, Orbash remained completely fearless in the face of his wife's wrath. Was he just as powerful as her and could repel anything she threw at him? Regardless of the danger, some of my comrades were starting to snicker and chuckle among us. I heard Celestia mutter to herself above me, no doubt being all too familiar with her father's dynamics with her mother.

Even when he by all rights should have relented, Orbash continued to twist the knife further as he smirked almost lustfully at his wife. "Destroy me you shall, I'm sure. I have not forgotten how you all but ruined me a few nights ago, my love..."

Sunflare suddenly threw her head back and roared at the sky as her mane and tail finally ignited in a brilliant display of furious magic fire. And the militia around me howled in laughter. Myself included as I pounded my right hand into the dirt. "What the actual hahahahahaha!!!"

Her rage peaking even while she somehow managed to resist the urge to attack her one equal, Sunflare then shouted at her husband. "Enough! Enough of your jests! If you will not assist me here, then you can just...!"

"And what would you have me do, my love? Slaughter dozens if not hundreds of our people to destroy a dear friend of theirs?" Orbash declared calmly before he turned his gaze towards all of us. With those words, Sunflare's frustration began to fade as her burning mane and tail began to regain their wavering scarlet form. The king of Equestria then continued, "See how readily they come to his aid? How even our daughters place themselves between us? How some of them even directly lash out at you with blades and arrows? Surely the correct course of action would not provoke such defiance from those we are trying to protect, yes?"

For once, Sunflare could not muster a response to those words. The more I observed them, the more I saw that the king and queen of Equestria could not be more unlike each other. Sunflare was fierce and bold, but Orbash was jovial and kind. Complete opposites, yet completely in harmony together. As if they needed each other. His point made, Orbash then spoke once more. "I want to believe that their defiance should not be disregarded. This are dark times, but surely the cruelest course of action is not the best. Let us save any drastic measures for the event that all other options have truly been exhausted. Can I ask that of you, my dear?"

Sunflare glanced our way as the comedic tone in the air finally faded. A faint tension filled my heart, but only for a moment. Sunflare let out an exassperated sigh and hung her head. "Ugh... You and your bleeding heart... Very well, my love. I will stay my hoof unless there is no other option."

"Thank you, Sunflare. Now then..." Orbash replied before he finally began to approach the lot of us with such a regal stride. Sunflare was a frightening mare to behold, but Orbash... He oozed with an air of kindness and nobility. He stood tall with his mane of shimmering silver wavering gloriously in the air beside him. He was so endearing to behold.....and unbelievably handsome as well. I could see some of the mares around us standing utterly awestruck at the beautiful stallion walking past them. I saw the archers behind us lowering their bows now that the danger had past. Thank goodness. The last thing I ever thought I would have to fear is the parents of the royal family themselves.

Orbash stood before us all and bowed his head in greeting. That kind and friendly voice called out to all us. "I do wish we could have all met under very different circumstances! But for what it is worth, it is good to see you all. I am Orbash and this is my wife, Sunflare! You stand before the king and queen of Equestria! It delights me to see that our wonderful daughters have guided you all so well and for so long! It is a pleasure to meet you all!"

The sound that followed was felt by my ears and even through my entire armored body. The rumbling of equine applause. Thousands of hooves stomping the ground to greet the true king of Equestria. Everyone before me bowed to their king before they began to step aside as he approached them. Celestia rose to her feet as she felt it was no longer necessary to protect me. I remained upon the dusty ground, eyes turned up as Orbash stood before me. He gazed down at me with those wonderful blue eyes before he reached out with his shimmering silver hoof. "James of Ponyville. It is an honor."

Even after all that had been said and revealed, there was not even the slightest shred of wariness or animosity in that voice or those eyes. I had met many stallions by then, but none so unconditionally warm and welcoming. That dark almost black form was soothing to behold in contrast to Sunflare's much brighter and harsher body. It dawned on me that the only reason I was safe was because of this wonderful kind king reeling in his queen's fiery resolve. I took hold of his hoof with one hand to steady myself and rose to my feet before shakily reaching out and grabbing that kindly stallion in an armored embrace with my right arm. I knew I owed him my life. "Thank you, your majesty..."

A murmur rolled through the many people around me. It must have been surreal that the first thing I did was embrace their king. But Orbash took it all in stride. He draped his right wing over me and spoke softly to me. "I pray you can forgive my wife in due time. Trust me when I say she holds no ill will towards you. It is not you she resents."

I soon realized that my armor was caked in patches of dry scorched earth from being down on the ground for a while. And I quickly found that it had rubbed off onto Orbash's gorgeous black coat. But he did not mind at all and simply brushed his wing over himself to sweep the patch of dust off. Seeing that tender smile, I found the will to speak. "You're everything I had hoped you would be, your majesty..."

"Have my daughters been saying things behind me back? I jest, I jest. I do hope we will be growing much more acquainted before long." Orbash retorted before letting out a chuckle. Gloriously handsome and immediately likeable. Easily the finest stallion I had ever met. It was no wonder anyone who had ever known him thought so highly of him. And it was easy to forget he was just as powerful as Sunflare. He then turned to face his children. Celestia was joined by Luna and Nightmare Moon. He spoke with barely more than a whisper, his eyes narrowing as if fighting the urge to shed a few tears. "Every bit as radiant as when I last saw you... And it's so good to finally see you home, my little Luna."

"So good...to see you at last, Father...!" Luna cracked under her helmet and stepped forward with her father draping his head over the diminutive Princess of the Night. She wept, but only with tears of joy. I remembered what Nightmare Moon had said to me weeks ago. Every full moon during the thousand years she had been sealed within the moon. A lullaby and nothing but kind words and well wishes to her. There was such a...powerful poignancy to see Luna finally seeing her father again after more a millennium of slumber. His littlest girl had come home.

It was beautiful to see, really. The royal family of Equestria was finally able to show that they are indeed a family how that the true king and queen had returned. And a very good family. Celestia and Luna whispered such kind words even as Orbash placed a kiss on each side of his daughters' armored faces. Nightmare Moon waited patiently as I saw a smile of longing spreading across her lips. But then came Sunflare as she stepped forward. Her daughters did not receive her as warmly. Not that I could blame her. She greeted us all by trying to kill me. Even I was hesitant to go anywhere near her.

The queen gazed at her two daughters while they gazed back with cool glares. No words were spoken at first while everyone watched in tense silence. But finally, Sunflare smiled mournfully at her children. "Forgive me for my rashness... This is not how I wanted us to meet again for the first time in so long."

Celestia and Luna too smiled, if only a little. They closed their eyes and bowed to their mother while she bowed in turn. The queen crossed her horn with Celestia's and then Luna's. There was some friction at the moment, but I doubted it would last. But when Nightmare Moon stepped forward... Sunflare immediately turned her gaze to the black sheep of the family. And the Princess of Dreams froze in place. The queen of Equestria spoke coldly, "Nightmare Moon, I presume."

All eyes fell upon this fateful meeting while Orbash remained silent to not interfere. This was the first time the queen and the dreaded Mare in the Moon met in the flesh. But her eyes... Nightmare Moon was shockingly silent. And those eyes were filled with fear. It was very unlike her. She had always been so bold. So brave and unflinching in the face of adversity. But in the presence of her mother, she was constantly cowering. With great difficulty, she did finally speak. "Mother... I am..."

Sunflare was quick to interrupt Nightmare Moon's words with a response that oozed a chilling venom. "I beg your pardon, but I do not recall ever giving birth to a third filly. I am certain I would remember such an experience."

This was jarring to hear. I knew then that Sunflare was a very fierce and stubborn mare, but to hear her dismissing someone who was essentially her own daughter... That stun. And I was very tempted to speak out. Nightmare Moon's eyes opened wide with a look of pain as she stammered, "But I... I... I know my birth was not natural... But I am still... Mother, I am still your..."

"You will not address me with that term." Sunflare spoke with a firm and frightening low growl as her eyes narrowed. Nightmare Moon instantly fell silent as she gazed at her sisters' mother in fear. The queen then spoke with a slightly softer tone, "I will acknowledge that you have served Equestria well since you joined my daughters upon the throne. You have defied all expectations and have become a capable and competent leader alongside them. The people love you. And I will respect your role as the Princess of Dreams. But know this, Nightmare Moon. You are no child of mine."

Such brutality through the use of words alone. Nightmare Moon barely even responded. She did not even blink, but I could see that those words cut deep. Everyone was left speechless in stunned silence as Sunflare strode past the black sheep of the royal family. Nightmare Moon turned to face the mother that should have been hers, but could say nothing. And I saw them. Big wet tears flowing down her face. And her sisters could do nothing but watch.

Having stayed silent during that exchange, Orbash stepped forward and stood beside Nightmare Moon. She did not even notice his presence. At least until he draped his wing over her. She visibly jumped before turning her tearful face to gaze upon the king beside her. He then spoke softly to the Princess of Dreams, "Give your mother some time. You know how she is."

"Father..." She whispered tearfully before weeping quietly against him. I found myself adoring Equestria's king all the more. Even if Nightmare Moon's mother had rejected her for now, her father had accepted her with open wings. And as she sobbed and whimpered under his jaw, I heard him softly mutter to her. Was that...a lullaby? One of the many lullaby's he sang to Luna every full moon for so long?

Orbash was not the only father there comforting his child. Before I even noticed him approaching, Sky Beak rushed over to me and wrapped me in his wing. "James, you all right there?! She didn't... I mean the queen didn't...?"

"A little toasty, but otherwise OK. And I think my armor can be repaired easily." I replied as I was still reeling from that close brush with death. Even if the situation had gained some levity, I had just stared death in the face. My nerves were still sensitive as I felt a certain fatigue fill me. I turned my gaze to look at the stallion who had been the first to come to my defense with his comrades. "Thank you..."

Sky Beak nuzzled my dusty face for a few seconds as he exclaimed, "Anytime, my boy. I still can't believe our queen... The actual queen of Equestria... What was she thinking, trying to kill you?! What will Queen Novo think?"

It was as if he was oblivious to a very important fact. And now that he had mentioned it, I too was reminded of Sunflare's motive. And any levity in my heart over that scare having passed was replaced with a maelstrom of new emotions that made me question everything I knew about my place in Equestria. And so I asked, "Were you not listening the first time? How my presence is what revived the emperor? That this war...is functionally my fault?"

"Yes, we heard. And it means little to us." Another voice spoke as the two of us found Seaspray drawing near with his entire cadre of hippogriff archers at his back. The admiral of Capricorn Island declared with that characteristic flair in his voice, "I am not so convinced the blame should fall to you, my liege. Even with our queen's directives aside, I trust you are not our enemy. As comrades and friends, we will still watch over you from afar as if nothing happened."

I was at a loss for words as I beheld the gloriously armored admiral before me, his armor still shimmering in an iridescent manner in the sunlight. Unable to resist, I reached out and took him into my arm for an embrace. "You're a good man and a good friend, Seaspray. Thank you..."

"Anytime, my liege. You are a friend to Capricorn Island and we will continue to honor that even out here miles from the shoreline." He replied jovially with his hand tapping upon the back of my cuirass. Once that embrace ended, Seaspray turned to Sky Beak and beamed joyously at his comrade. "Sky Beak! You have taken a fine young man under your wing. You should be proud."

"Oh, that I am, admiral. And thank you." My avian father retorted as they both nodded to each other. It was only then that the hippogriff archers of our militia began to disperse. But Sky Beak remained by my side. I suspected some of my closer friends nearby were hesitant to approach due to the familial implications between us and wanted to give the two of us space. That, or they were having seconds thoughts about everything they knew of me. He turned to me, his kind orange eyes complimenting the smile upon his beak. "No matter what happens out here or what we learn, you're still my boy. Please believe me, James. I refuse to believe you could ever become our enemy."

As much as it shames me to admit, his devotion did little to soothe the doubts in my own heart. I knew I only had Equestria's best interests at heart, but the knowledge of knowing I was the source of the emperor's return and the armies he was sending our way. I could only nod as my voice failed me. But Sky Beak then suddenly looked away and flinched in shock. His great wing spread to shield me as Sunflare began to approach us. He spoke hesitantly, "Your...majesty..."

My thoughts were interrupted as a mild anxiety filled my heart. It was impossible for me to not feel at least some fear towards the queen after only barely managing to avoid significant injury from being trapped in an inferno with her. She then spoke boldly, "You may stand down, archer. I only wish..."

Sunflare suddenly pulled her head back as her words were interrupted. A long steel blade shot up in front of her face as I heard the thumping of hooves in the dust around us. Rain Shine suddenly stepped between us, armor covered in patches of dirt. Such a fierce glare in those vibrant red eyes. I was glad to see that she was more or less just fine after getting catapulted from that fiery arena, but there was a genuine animosity in that gaze as she became a barrier between the queen and I. She then spoke with a slight growl in her voice. "Away."

Even with Rain Shine being armed and armored, Sunflare still attempted to step forward. "Kirin queen, I mean no harm. I only wish to..."

"Away. Now." Rain Shine demanded with her blade angling further towards the queen's face. At this point, Sunflare did relent. She coolly turned away and stepped past us. Only then did Rain Shine allow herself to relax. She then turned to Sky Beak and I with her glaive's blade lowered. "Are you well? I feared the worst once I was thrown from the battlefield..."

"I'm fine... Really. And thanks for being there for me. I thought I was a goner." I replied sincerely while so very glad to see I knew I had an unflinching ally in the form of the one kirin among us. I wanted to reach out to embrace her, but my nerves interfered. Such a complex mix of gratitude and guilt.

"You are...conflicted... Such a miasma of chaos in your heart." Rain Shine muttered as her gaze became more concerned. She could feel what a mess my thoughts and feelings were becoming. Just the previous day, all was well and I had high hopes for the future of the war effort. And now I had no idea what to believe anymore. My friend then turned her gaze to the fatherly hippogriff beside me and asked, "You too raised your weapon in defense of this man. Well done."

"I couldn't just stand there and let my boy die like that. Not over something like this. I had to...do something." Sky Beak retorted as he folded his wing. There was no need to defend me from Rain Shine. Not when she was able to put up a far fiercer defense.

Rain Shine tilted her head to one side as she absorbed those words. While she and Sky Beak have crossed paths before I doubt they had really gotten to know each other. And so I said, "Sky Beak is... Well... He's my papa bird."

"Your father, in a sense?" Rain Shine asked while Sky Beak just smiled proudly. And I merely nodded. The beautiful kirin then smiled genuinely at him and said, "If that is so, your son is a fine young man. My people adore him."

"Do they now?! In that case, I must come by and share stories with them." Sky Beak retorted with a laugh while I somehow found myself cringing at the thought. Not sure why. Maybe out of sheer humbleness in the face of a very doting father singing my praises. However, he then glanced around as the entire militia was walking past us. "Huh? Oh, is it that time already? Guess we better let them set up camp."

That was exactly what was happening. Now that the enemy army had already been vanquished, it was customary for us to set up camp and evaluate the situation. Even if we did not have to raise a finger to do it this time. Once the camp's layout emerged from its portable confines, we all began to enter through the east gate. Except I truly hated what the camp had been set out upon. Instead of the soft fresh grass of the Empty Plains, only the scorched earth of the battlefield was beneath our feet now. A fine dust filled the air with so many treading along it. This dry dead earth... It carried with it a certain bleakness that felt oddly fitting for the situation.

I was one of the last to enter the camp through its east gate. But Rain Shine lingered behind. I saw her looking out east again at the scorched fields around us. She spoke out, "It will take years for this area to be covered in grass again... And if it rains, we will be bogged down in the mud..."

She was right. While it was difficult to say at the time if we would be getting any rain out there, we would be stuck in one place if the bare ground became wet. It would be difficult to march and anything that is moved on wheels would be sabotaged. Rain Shine then turned to me and said, "I have some things to do. Go ahead without me. But do be careful until I return."

"Will do. Take care of yourself." I said in farewell as the kirin chieftain trotted off into the wasteland. Knowing her ability to summon flora at will, she was surely going to create a path for us out of that new desert by replanting the grass that had been incinerated. Now alone, I made my way back to the command center. I had a lot on my mind and needed time to rest.

It was not at all pleasant trekking through that dusty terrain. I have been to Appleloosa once before and I hated it there solely because of how hot and dusty the place is. At least this desert was nowhere near as hot and dry, but the terrain was still unpleasant to deal with. I am sure Rarity was loathing this turn of events as much as myself. And as I walked along... I could swear that some of the militiamen around me were keeping their distance. Eyeing me and muttering amongst themselves...

In much the same way the nature of my presence in Equestria had changed, so too had my standing among my allies. Sunflare's revelation to us had surely spread rapidly among the militia via word of mouth. And only a handful of people among them knew me personally. Everyone else simply knew I was the only human in the militia. And the only other human aside from the emperor in Equestria's entirety. And now they knew I was the source of his life and his armies. I felt...a strange sense of being ostracized. And for the first time since the day I first set foot in Ponyville, I felt genuinely alone. Even if just for a short while.

It was during this moment of supposed isolation that I realized someone had essentially disappeared on me in all the chaos that happened after the arrival of the king and queen. Where was she? Where was Ember? Rain Shine was quick to come to my defense, but my other shield-sister was nowhere to be seen. Why...? What drove her to vanish like that? I knew she was nearby somewhere, but why was she not quick to come to my side when I needed her most?

The command center eventually rose up beside me once I reached the middle of the camp. And upon stepping inside, I was met with a renewed sense of safety. Out in that artificial desert, the familiar accommodations of modern interior design made the command center feel like a safe haven in hostile territory. And I immediately took a seat at the main table in the common area. Just slumping into it. In just one afternoon, everything changed and I was struggling to wrap my head around it.

My gaze wandered before falling upon the door to the war room nearby. None of the personnel stationed in the command center seemed to be aware that anything was amiss. I doubted that they had been told anything yet. But not much longer passed before I noticed Shining Armor peek around the door. He then motioned for me to approach him. "Oh, there you are. James, we need you in here."

"Huh? Oops, didn't occur to me you were having a meeting. I'll be right there." I replied before quickly pushing myself up to a standing position. And once I stood beyond the door, I found pretty much exactly what I was expecting. The royal family along with their top officers in the militia. Seaspray and Spitfire were among them along with Estoc. I flinched when I saw Sunflare seated on one side of the table with Orbash seated across from her. And at the far end of the table was Ember still clad in her gilded armor minus her helmet. But she looked...troubled. As if she was trying to keep her distance. Her hands were clasped with her jaw resting atop them. She cast her gaze at me for just a second before turning her eyes elsewhere. This was not like her, but I decided to not pry and allowed her to keep her distance.

Tea and scones were being passed around to help set the mood. And Orbash was quick to signal me to approach him with a wave of his wing. He had saved me a seat next to him, the first seat before the door. "Right here, my good man."

"Many thanks, your majesty." I retorted before taking him up on his offer. He was putting some real effort in trying to make me feel at ease after everything that had transpired over just the past hour alone. My armor, wings still having half of their length melted and burned off me, felt conversely easier to move around with while indoors. I was certain that melting it off me would regenerate any lost mass for the next time I wore it. I then leaned on the table with one arm before taking a freshly filled cup into my fingers. "Anyway...what's new?"

Seaspray was the first to speak having placing his shimmering helmet upon the table. "I do believe we should first discuss the nature of your arrival, your majesties. For as long as I have served under Queen Novo, your names have never once reached my ears. How many even know you exist?"

"It is unsurprising that you never knew of our presence in Equestria. Even the most obscure annals of history scarcely mention us." Sunflare replied while levitating a cup of sweet herbal tea to her lips. She then explained, "My husband and I have merely observed our world from afar and have only involved ourselves during exceptionally dire crises. And I am certain you saw why. The power we possess must not be overly relied on. Do not expect us to face the enemy again like you saw today."

Spitfire was quick to question that logic. And even I was left wondering why they would refuse to destroy any future enemy armies the emperor would send our way. "Why not? You wiped the floor with them in one swoop! What was it even for if you won't pave the way for us?"

Orbash then spoke with the most serious tone I had heard from him so far. "That was simply our way of informing the emperor that we will be standing at the sidelines no longer. He knows we are here now. And that is cause for concern on his end."

Estoc was the next to speak while we all listened in. The three royal sisters waited patiently to allow their subjects to speak first. "Hang on... What you said after you first showed up. Something about not being able to attack the emperor directly?"

"Think, Estoc. Surely you recall the prior battle. When the general was shrouded in a veil that negated even the mightiest forms of magic?" Nightmare Moon then spoke, having directly clashed with that sole surviving Hollow. "If the emperor could empower one of his puppets with that, surely he can do the same to himself."

"And if he finds a way to spread that enchantment to his entire armies..." Shining Armor then added before he fell silent in thought. That silence did not last long. "If that happens, we will lose a significant advantage over our enemy. Our mages will be rendered useless."

"Granted, I am certain any defense that renders even solar magic useless would require an extreme amount of focus. It sounds impossible to spread such an enchantment to dozens or even hundreds of troops. Time may be on our side here. Assuming we can end this war before the emperor devises a means to do such a thing." Luna then spoke while sounding more confident about this issue than the rest of us. With her being in charge of directing our mages in battle, she was definitely more magically inclined than the rest of us.

Sunflare spoke again, this time with a noticeably reprimanding tone. "But so long as the emperor is sustained by a lively and healthy young man's life force, he essentially has all the time in the world to find a way to improve upon what he has."

"Mother, please... We know. There is no need to remind us." Celestia said with her and I sharing an uneasy gaze for a second. She then continued and spoke, "We understand that time is not on our side. But if our advancement remains steady, we will surely get this over with before it can reach that point."

My eyes fell upon Ember once again. She had been silent throughout the entire time. She did not eat or drink, but I knew she was listening. I was not the only one who noticed her lack of involvement in this discussion. Orbash turned to her and asked, "Is there anything you would like to add, Dragon Lord?"

She said nothing. Ember did look towards the king, but then shook her head. It was for the best we did not pry and left her alone. It was then that I decided to speak. "Before we forget... What can you tell us about the emperor? What is he after? You knew him long ago, right?"

"We know what you likely know. He was tempted by the Spirit of Chaos during his reign of bedlam and succumbed to the temptation of human sin. He sought to establish humanity as the dominant force in this world." Sunflare explained while I already knew that much. Although she then said, "As for now... It is difficult to say what he is after. His empire is dust. His people are gone. He has nothing to give Equestria to. And I cannot imagine him wanting to conquer Equestria just for himself. That is not like him. He always put his people before himself. Ideally, at least..."

"Sounds like the enemy is a real enigma..." Spitfire muttered with her hooves touching together in a very contemplative manner. She then glanced over at Orbash and asked, "Have you two actually seen him since he showed up recently?"

Orbash shook his head. "No. An assault upon the Heaven's Pillar would have been futile. We have not directly laid eyes upon the emperor since that fateful day long ago. When we believed he had been banished from this world. As for how he remained here, the answer eludes us."

Seaspray then noticed some of his comrade's eyes looking at me. I did not happen to notice myself until I saw him glance about a few times. He then pleaded, "I do not believe I should have to say this, but... I must insist. Please refrain from any sort of ultimatum for our Sir James unless the situation for our world has reached the point of do or die."

All eyes fell upon me. Everyone in that room knew the truth by then. And I had no reason to doubt what I had heard and seen. There was a connection between me and our enemy. A connection I literally saw with my own eyes. If my life were to end, the emperor would die with me. And contemplating that made me nearly sick. I did not come this far just to have to resign myself to death. And there was still so much we did not know yet. "I'd...appreciate it if we don't do anything rash... I don't know if I'm capable of giving myself up like that."

"It is not normal to be comfortable with accepting death so readily. Rest your heart. We will not even consider such a course unless all other options have been exhausted. And we have many options to choose from, I'm sure." Orbash retorted with his sable wing patting me on the back. Such a good man. I see why he wanted me to be seated by him.

"Thank you, your majesty." I muttered while casting him a weak smile. As the minutes went by, the topics discussed became less focused on the emperor and more on wartime topics. Just to bring the king and queen up to speed. And Ember never once said a word.

At long last, the meeting was dismissed. And I just wanted to get up into my dorm and remove my armor. But as soon as I marched up the stairs and opened the door, I had completely forgotten who was waiting for me on the other side.

"You're ba... What happened to you?!" I heard a familiar voice suddenly gasp before I found Ocellus hurrying over to me with her body still wearing her favorite dragon disguise. Smolder peeked around the corner of the wall that concealed my bed from that direction with her eyes opening wide at the sight of my ravaged armor. Ocellus reached up to the melted remaining halves of my armor's wings. "Your wings! Your beautiful wings, what happened out there?! Was it that bad?!"

In all that occurred after leaving the command center to face the enemy, the presence of these two little ladies had completely slipped my mind. Smolder then hopped off the bed and approached me with a gaze of deep concern in her eyes. "Did something crazy happen? We felt the whole place shake and the windows got blasted with dust. It was kinda hard to see out there for a while. Is everyone all right?"

"Yeah, everything's good. We...um...got some very unexpected reinforcements. Don't worry about the enemy. They took care of them." I replied while glad to finally get my helmet off and the Lunar Shield off my arm. I stepped into the tub next to my typewriter and successfully melted my armor back down into a puddle of liquid metal. I could not help letting out a sigh once I was finally able to just relax. "That's better..."

Smolder looked satisfied to see that I was perfectly fine under my armor, but Ocellus... The disguised Changeling looked up at me with eyes that told me she knew something was not right. And I tried to avoid telling her anything. While I am sure they wanted to just let me relax after what they were sure was a grueling battle, Smolder knew she and Ocellus had some duties to perform. "Oh, wait! Since we've stopped, that means we've gotta go drop off all those crystals again! We'll be right back, all right?"

"Yeah, sure. You girls take care out there. And don't mind the mess. It's a little...dusty out there right now." I said with Smolder grabbing me for a brief hug. But while she stepped out past the door, Ocellus remained a little longer. She started to step around me, but continued to look at me. I finally asked, "Yes...?"

"Are you...all right?" She asked softly in a manner that had me suspect she did not want Smolder to hear. Ocellus could sense something was wrong with my heart. And I could not bring myself to tell her. I looked away and sighed. She understood and left the room. But once the door closed behind her, I heard Ocellus speak to Smolder with her words being serenaded by the tapping of their feet down the stairs. "I really don't think he's OK..."

She was right. I was not OK at all. I fell upon my bed and just watched the ceiling. Trying to process everything I had heard. Everything I had learned. About both the emperor and myself. "This really is my fault..."

I tried to tell myself that this war was not my doing. That we were all unfortunate victims of the ancient ambitions of an old fool who no longer had a place in this world. But my heart said otherwise. My presence in Equestria had very suddenly endangered it. I could not deny that.

Not even ten minutes later, I heard my dorm's door open. And I was really not in the mood for guests. I grumbled and forced myself to sit up on the edge of my bed. But my heart fluttered just slightly when I saw who was entering. Ember stepped beyond the door and closed it behind her. And she locked it. Still clad in armor, I suspected she never even left the command center after the meeting. But her face was still as stone. She never blinked once. And she... She kept her right hand constantly concealed behind her. I finally asked, "Ember...?"

She looked my way without a word. And a few seconds later, she revealed her right hand. Clutched tightly in its grasp was a dagger. I raised an eyebrow in puzzlement over why she would have her sidearm in hand. "What's with the dagger?"

Ever so slowly, she raised it with the weapon held close to her chest and the blade pointing forward. As if ready to lash out with a quick stab. And then...step by step...she began to approach. Her eyes, still and filled with a look of desperate focus, never blinked as she drew closer. She... She was really...

"Ember... What're you doing... Put that away." I said carefully as I rose to my feet. She did not respond. And I found myself being pushed further and further back until I found myself with the wall to my back. I could not reach my armor or my weapons and I feared trying to make a move for the window beside my bed would provoke her. I could not believe what I was seeing. After all we had been through... All we had said to each other... All we had entrusted with each other... Ember was about to plunge that dagger into me.

I felt a sting in my heart. But I understood the motive. Ember was not at all happy with what she was doing, but I understood why. My death would end the war. The emperor would die with me. And Equestria would be saved. But...she said to betray a dragon is one of the worst things someone could do to them. What about when a dragon betrays someone else? Fear filled my heart as I resisted the urge to call for help. Anything to avoid provoking her. "Ember, please... You don't have to do this... There has to be..."

She was within range. Never blinking once and never saying a word, Ember came within reach. If I tried to wrestle her to the ground, she would overpower me. Her movements were rigid and slow and now she stood motionless. With one sudden jerk of her left hand, she grabbed my right by the wrist. My nerves were set alight now that I was in her clutches. I tried to resist and pull away, fearing imminent pain. But Ember's strength was greater than mine. It was like resisting a machine. It simply was not going to happen as she pulled my hand lower. I all but panicked. I whimpered in fright, silently pleading that my friend spare me. And her right hand began to move towards mine. She was going to slit my wrist and let me bleed out slowly. Or so I assumed.

I was about to die at the hands of the Dragon Lord with no one around to save me. I gazed into her unflinching eyes, wondering why it had come to this. I trusted her. I always had nothing but faith in her. And now this? But as cold sweat coated my body, something unexpected began to happen. Ember did not bring the blade of her dagger to my hand. She instead turned it away. And I was left bewildered as she placed the hilt into my open palm and pinned it there under hers. Her gaze slowly turned down. And then I saw them. Fresh tears flowing down her long muzzle. "What is wrong with me..."

"Ember...?" I muttered cautiously as I wondered if the danger had passed. The dagger was still in her grasp. She could easily change her mind and gut me. But she did not even as her voice began to break and quiver.

"I can end it right now... I can stop this war... But..." She muttered before slumping to her knees. Her grasp on me did not relent. Her dagger remained in my palm as she clasped it between her hands. "I can't... Not to you... They'll never understand... They won't know what I had to throw away..."

She could not. She could have ended my life and the war with me if she wanted to. But she could not. And I felt so dearly touched yet conflicted over this. Ember suddenly sobbed as she bowed her head further, her hands holding onto mine. "Forgive me...! Forgive me, please...! I can't do it! Not to you! Not to the only one who listens...!"

I had heard enough. I too sank to my knees and held her against me. Ember howled in shame with no one able to come running to investigate. Heaven forbid that Smolder and Ocellus witness what just occurred. It was no small wonder Ember waited for them to tend to their duties before she made her move. And she was taking this all so hard... For a dragon to betray someone dear to them... It was the ultimate sin in her eyes, I am sure. And she continued to wail into my embrace. "Those idiots... They won't understand... They'll just see it as what need to be done... They'll never understand what I had to throw away...just for the war to end...!"

"You didn't take the easy way out..." I said at the first opportunity. And my words were heard. I gazed ahead at nothing, my breaths deep and focused as now I had to contend with the realization on top of everything that had been revealed to me today that Ember had sincerely contemplated murdering me for the sake of ending the war immediately. It would be within a dragon's nature to take the most pragmatic choice possible. But not her. Not Ember. She resisted that primal urge. "You showed integrity... That is...very commendable for a leader."

Ember slowly gathered herself before me. She soon turned her gaze up at me from mere inches away, her smooth scales stained with fresh tears. Those scarlet eyes did not blink as she asked, "You...think so...?"

"I know so. Yeah... From a pragmatic standpoint, you would've been in the right to do that. But...it would've been too easy. It wouldn't be without consequence... End the source of the war now, or endure and wait to see if a more ideal solution reveals itself..." I muttered before I finally turned my eyes to gaze down upon her. Those beautiful scarlet discs set into those orbs of white. And surrounded by such a lovely hue of blue. Inspiration struck as I had a wonderful realization about my friend. "You truly are a blue rose. A rare treasure among your kind. And I'm honored to have been the one to...be the first to hold you without having to fear your thorns."

"You and your artistic tongue... I don't deserve that praise... Not after that..." Ember then pulled away. I did not restrain her. She then rose to her feet and turned away, taking a few steps forward before stopping. She just...stood there. Back turned to me as if awaiting something.

I pondered this for a moment. Was she going to say something? Or was I supposed to speak instead? My right hand rose to gently scratch at my chin and only then was I reminded of what was being clutched in my fingers. Ember's dagger remained in my grasp. And she knew it. A jarring thought entered my mind. She had her back turned to me. Entirely unmoving as she stood there before me. And she had given me a weapon. Was she...giving me the opportunity to kill her?

My eyes opened wide in horror as I glanced at her and then back at the blade in my hand. She had spoken heavily to me of how dragons loathe those who betray those who trust them. And the Dragon Lord herself had nearly slain.....the who she trusted most. I remembered. Just a few nights ago. That enchanting evening we shared. She said it herself. There is not a man alive she trusts more than me. And she came a hair's breadth from slitting my wrist in an attempt to end this war immediately. Would her people have cheered her as a stalwart hero with the drive to make even the most difficult decisions readily in times of crisis? Or would they have turned on her as a traitor who murdered the one she trusted most?

For just an instant, the fantasy did pass through my thoughts. Where I could have plunged that blade into her throat. The thought disgusted me. Ember was too dear to me now for me to even entertain the notion of harming her. I rose to my feet and stepped forward. She sensed my approach. I saw Ember's hands clench into fists as she likely anticipated the sting of a blade piercing her scales. I kneeled behind her, my posture being mindful of her tail and the spiked attachments coating the tip. My arm reached around her and gently held the dagger flatly against her breastplate. I whispered with my lips just behind her horn, "Put it away, please..."

Ember bowed her head. She could not turn her head to look at me without her horn getting in the way. She instead placed her hand over mine and asked, "You forgive me...?"

I could not bring myself to speak. That frightful memory and stinging realization was still fresh in my memory. I did not openly show it, but I was mildly upset over the notion that Ember had come that close to inflicting dire injury upon me of her own volition. But I did speak through actions. I could not tell her that I was unsettled by her behavior. She would surely be very hard on herself if I did reveal that to her. Instead, I brought both hands to her breastplate and held the dagger there in an embrace. I would not let go until she took it from my grasp.

And she did. With a harsh sigh of relief and frayed emotions, Ember brought her hand to mine and removed the dagger from my grasp. I watched as she brought it low and slid it into a holster concealed under the armored plate on her right thigh. She then whispered, "Please don't tell anyone about this... It won't go over well for morale..."

"Yeah, it won't... Let's just forget about this, all right?" I muttered as I tightened my embrace around the armored dragon warrior. So powerful. So lethal. And so fragile. At that moment, she was just a woman who had experienced a lapse in judgement. She nodded at my words. And my hand rose to her slender jaw.

"I'll never raise a blade to you again..." She muttered with her hand resting over mine once again. "It would've been too easy... Almost feels like someone tried to manipulate me into doing that..."

"And I'm proud of you for not succumbing to temptation." I whispered to her. Only then did Ember turn to me. Her beautiful face and those sorrowful eyes betraying the visage of an experienced and capable warrior with her armor's plating bearing a number of scratches and dents. "You really are the best your land has to offer... I'm sure your father would be proud of you."

Ember's eyes narrowed, but not in disdain or sorrow. And her hand rose to my cheek, cupping my face ever so tenderly with hands that have killed. Hands that could crush me if she chose to do so. And she whispered to me, "You and that beautiful tongue of yours... Well then... If you don't mind me trying to sound profound for a second..."

Her hand slid to the back of my head and pulled me closer. And I knew what was coming. I did not resist. Eyes closing, our lips joined. We needed this. Our arms coiled around each other as we desperately clung to one another. That kiss became less tender and much more...intimate as the seconds ticked by. I felt so safe in that powerful embrace. As long as I had her, I knew I was in good hands. And when that kiss finally ended as she gasped for breath, Ember gazed meaningfully into my eyes. "With this kiss, you are mine to protect. I'll be with you always. And I will kill any and all who try to take your life. I promise."

"That's...a very powerful statement, Ember. But you don't really need to kill any..." I started to say before Ember silenced me with a more intense stare. Even as her hand continued to caress my jaw and cheek.

"No. I mean every word I say. If anyone tries to do to you what I just did, I'll make sure it's the last thing they ever do." Ember declared sternly and coldly. Such unflinching conviction in those scarlet eyes. She then brought her eyes closer to mine by tilting her long jaws downward and added, "And when we finally reach the emperor, I'll kill him myself with my bare hands. To make him pay for having the gall to use you like this."

Every word she spoke oozed with icy sincerity. Ember was not exaggerating at all. She was prepared to kill for my sake. This both impressed and disturbed me. I then asked the only thing I could think of. "Why...?"

"Because I..." She began to say before that unflinching gaze began to falter. Ember then closed her eyes, unable to look at me. "I...don't know...what I would do if...I lost you now... I thought I was ready to lose you just a few minutes ago... Thought I could live with letting you go if it meant this war would end... That it was for the best. But I couldn't... When I needed to let go, my grasp only tightened... That voice in the back of my mind demanded that I let go...but the rest of me refused... I can't let go. Not of you. Not now..."

Ember's eyes suddenly opened as her hand firmly grasped at the side of my face. Cradling, yet also clinging. And her voice turned into a powerful whisper, eyes locked with mine. "And not ever."

"Forever, Ember?" I asked with those words piercing my heart. I adored her. She has become a wonderful friend. One of unfailing conviction and devotion. We may have met in wartime, but the friendship that has bloomed is a truly wonderful thing. The Dragon Lord herself. Feared by many, but such a delightful woman under that armor. And I was honored to be her friend.

Or at least...that is the lie I have been telling myself. A lie I have even conveyed through my own writings. So that the lie may remain the truth for now. For her sake and for mine. Even if I...faltered in hiding it just for this moment in writing.

"Forever...does not feel like so long to a dragon's heart, my friend." Ember replied as that lovely smile finally returned to her lips. The tension had passed now that a familiar levity filled the air. She dragged a single finger along my jaw as a more...whimsical tone filled her voice. A tone I had grown to love from her whenever Ember had the opportunity to drop the entire warlord facade and be herself. "Tell me. How does it feel knowing this dragon will always have your back?"

I cracked a smirk and let out a snicker. Sincere, yet facetious all at once. I rolled my eyes, not looking right at her for a few seconds. "If pressed, it makes me feel like I can take on the world."

"Then we will make the world kneel to us, you and I. We'll be unstoppable." Ember spoke with a smirk on her lips. And we had a good chuckle at that. Finally free of that dreadful tension, Ember lowered her gaze for a moment. "I'm really sorry for giving you such a scare... Just...a moment of weakness. Never again. I swear."

"It's cool, Ember... Really." I brought my hand to the spines on her head and lightly pressed down on them with every stroke of my hand. The closest thing I would ever have to running my fingers through her hair as those spines bent downwards with enough pressure. I then asked, "Will you be here for dinner tonight?"

"Always. You know I never miss the opportunity to try new foods here." She said before she began to back away towards the door. She tweaked the handle, having forgotten she had locked it for a second. But once it was ready to open, she looked back over at me. As if hesitant to leave my side.

I knew what she wanted to ask. And so I saved her the trouble. "Shall I bunk with you tonight at your place."

"No... Not tonight. Not after that. Stay here where you'll be safest. Just for tonight, don't show your face at my door. That...is my punishment." Ember declared solemnly in a show of self-imposed penance. I was about to try to comfort her and insist that I was willing to put that behind me, but she held a hand up to silence me. "I know you probably don't hold that against me now, but it's different for me. I nearly betrayed you. My people...would hate me if they found out about this. I need a night to myself. To think about my actions and be reminded of...what it is like when you're not there."

It was like the horror of betrayal was infused into her very genes. Just the notion of considering it... And even coming close to carrying the act out... Ember was shaken. And while I did not understand even the most commendable of dragon customs, I was not going to question her. I only nodded and waved in farewell. "All right... I won't stop you."

"Thanks for being understanding... See you at dinner then." Ember finally said in parting. I listened closely as she walked down the stairs after closing the door behind her. No signs of anything off. And after a moment of sitting down to type on my typewriter, I found I could not remain focused enough to find a good groove. I was too emotionally jarred by all that had happened. I needed to get up and take a walk. Or just talk to someone. Focusing on Ember had proven to be an effective distraction, but being left alone with my thoughts for too long was painful.

The command center was fairly quiet as I descended the stairs. But I was greeted by an unexpected sight once the front door came within view. I barely caught sight of Twilight Sparkle trotting out the door. She did not see me, but she no doubt wanted to meet her mentor's mother in person now that the mayhem of their initial arrival had passed. And speaking of Celestia...

When I rounded the corner, I noticed the war room's door was ajar and no one seemed to be inside aside from Celestia and Sunflare. No one else was within earshot, but I felt compelled to listen in. Were they discussing me again? It did sound like Sunflare wanted a word with her daughter if what Celestia said was of any indication. "Is this about James again, Mother?"

"No, this does not concern the bearing of Humanity, child." I heard Sunflare respond fro outside my field of vision. I was watching from as far as I could while seated at the table in the common area, Celestia being the only one I could see beyond that crack. Her eyes failed to detect me through that narrow vertical gap. It was then that Sunflare spoke, "This is about your student. Your...protégé."

The look of horror in Celestia's eyes. I knew exactly where this conversation was going and listened most intently. I had already confronted her over her intentions for Twilight Sparkle, but hearing these words from her own mother, someone who had carried the crown for far longer, surely carried a far harder bite. Sunflare then declared, "We have been observing closely at times, Celestia. We know. And we know why. Your father may have faith that you will make the right decision when the time comes, but I am not so certain."

Celestia did not even try to rebut those words. And while that tone alarmed me just as much after having been assaulted by the queen herself, her words carried with it a powerful and weathered wisdom even Celestia had not yet come to possess. "What I am about to say, I will only say once. I will not interfere with your ambitions. But I say this as your mother and as queen of Equestria."

The Princess of the Dawn began to pull her head back. And I saw them. Sunflare's lips came into view as she spoke directly to her daughter's face. "I implore you... Please reconsider what you are doing in regards to what you are guiding that oblivious child towards. She will not say no. She reveres you too highly to even consider refusing your will. And you know this. You know this and yet you still press on. You say you are guiding her. Aiding her. But all I see is one exploiting the adoration of another in a manner not so different from a puppet master dangling their thrall by strings."

Harsh as those words were, that was definitely something Celestia needed to hear. And in spite of my own wariness towards her, I found myself developing a growing sense of respect towards Sunflare. Rash she may be at times, but she had nothing but Equestria's best interests at heart. Orbash may be the heart, but she is the will. The drive to see things done that need to be done. And despite my fears, I had to applaud her for this. Celestia, her head bowing without a word, remained silent as her mother spoke once more to her. "Think long and hard about what it is you truly seek from this path, my child. Lest you make a decision you will never be able to come back from that will bring only remorse to all who are involved. I will leave it at that."

Celestia nodded in silence. I leaned back as I heard the steps of Sunflare's hooves. The door soon fully opened and the glorious yet menacing sun queen walked past me while barely batting an eye at me. I forced myself to speak, muttering with barely more than a whisper Celestia would not hear from that distance. "Your majesty."

She stopped. Sunflare then turned her head just enough to look down at me while I remained seated before her. I glanced over at the war room to convey that I had indeed heard what was said. I then turned my gaze up at her and maintained a steely composed monotone out of caution. "Thank you. She needed to hear that."

There was no way of knowing how the queen herself would respond to knowing someone had eavesdropped on her very private conversation with her own daughter. Even if the door being left ajar hinted they were not terribly concerned with secrecy at the time. At least when it came to their own guards and their protocol likely binding them to secrecy. But Sunflare merely nodded with a protracted blink of her eyes before heading out the door. Orbash was nowhere to be seen and she was probably off in search for him.

Celestia eventually left the war room and headed down the hall to her private chambers. And I was debating heading out myself to clear my head even if I really was not interested in walking through that dry dusty terrain we were now stuck in. Before I could consider it, someone entered my field of vision. Nightmare Moon walked down the hall with her suit of barding missing aside from her armored greaves. It was rare to see her sleek beautiful body so bare, but I doubt her usual regalia would serve much of a purpose out in the field. She took a seat near me and let out a long sigh. I suspected she had been hiding from Sunflare to some degree. A feeling I was familiar with. I then asked, "You all right?"

"I suppose I am still processing this turn of events... I feared Mother and Father would get themselves involved at some point, but not like this... Not while bearing such horrid news." The Princess of Dreams spoke with an exasperated groan. Her gaze rose to stare at the ceiling for a moment. An act I mirrored out of exhaustion. She soon looked at me with those exotic yet beautiful eyes and declared, "Let it be said here. Whatever was revealed to us today changes nothing. I will still march beside you, my friend. As promised."

"Thank you... I'd expect no less from you, really." I replied while finding a smile creeping across my lips. Nightmare Moon is the last person I would expect to ever consider throwing me to the wolves for the sake of a quick victory in this war. She was the first to follow me into the Empty Plains and she would be the last to abandon me. Although I then felt the need to ask. "But...what about your mother? You OK there?"

Her mood dropped hard. It was difficult to see Nightmare Moon so vulnerable over the topic of her own mother. And shocking to see someone so powerful and bold cower in the face of the sun queen herself. If even Nightmare Moon feared Sunflare... "I know my existence is not natural... But she is still my mother. I know this...yet she despises me..."

"At least Orbash understands." I retorted to try and turn attention towards her wonderful father. This did succeed in bringing a wistful smile to her face, as if she was reminded that there is a calm in that storm somewhere. I then said with genuine adoration in my voice, "He's everything I expected and more. Kind, friendly, and extremely handsome. He's an ideal king. Your father is a very good man. I see why you've always had the nicest things to say about him."

"Yes, he always was the more approachable of the two." Nightmare Moon retorted while also letting out a chuckle. She then added, "It's quite the paradox between those two. Equal in terms of power, yet entirely unlike each other. Mother is frightful and so bright that she appears dangerous to even get near. Father is calm and soothing and looks like someone who would embrace you in a veil of peaceful shadows. If Mother is the harsh rays of the sun, then Father is everything people love about the night. It makes the conflicts regarding myself and Luna towards Celestia in the past...rather contradictory the more I think about it."

"That...is a very strange thing to bring up. If your people supposedly didn't appreciate the night while Luna was in charge, what's with the previous herald of the dawn being so terrifying and the master of the night being so endearing?" I asked in sheer confusion. Did something happen long ago that resulted in the reputations earned by the king and queen to be swapped somehow in regards to the celestial bodies they personally created? Or is there something more to it?

"A riddle for the ages, I am sure..." Nightmare Moon muttered contemplatively with her eyes narrowing in perplexed thought. She then let out a snort of dismissal. Probably best to not think about that too hard. "Regards, I noticed my father has taken a shine to you during that meeting. I long feared how he would respond to your presence if we ever crossed paths, but I see my fears were groundless."

"I was getting that feeling too... He saved me a seat at the meeting. Really tried to be a good host. Even though we're supposed to be the host to him and Sunflare." I retorted while my eyes glanced over at the war room. "He's a great judge of character... I think everyone's going to like him. I know I sure do."

Before much longer, the door opened to the outside. Smolder and Ocellus stepped inside with their satchels empty. They then turned to Nightmare Moon with Smolder displaying a clumsy salute. "All sensors are in place, your highness!"

Sure enough, the radar station nearby had all of its crystal display panels covered in topographical information. And not a single purple blip to be seen. Orbash and Sunflare really did wipe them all out... Nightmare Moon then glanced at the dragon and disguised Changeling with a smile upon her lips. "Well done, children. Take an evening to yourselves. Dinner will begin being prepared shortly."

"Yeah, about that..." Smolder replied while she and Ocellus set their satchels down in the corner. They then looked my way. "The girls said they wanted to see you at dinner. Ready to head out?"

"To be fair, I could really use some company..." I muttered before rising to my feet. My emotionally state was still sensitive and I knew the presence of people, especially friendly faces, would be good for my soul. I had my shoes on by then, so I was ready for a walk. I then looked at Nightmare Moon and said, "You don't mind if I mingle with the commoners tonight, right?"

"Not at all, my friend. Eat, drink, and be merry. Go and be with your friends. Who can say how many times we'll be able to enjoy this peacetime." The Princess of Dreams replied before she rose from her seat as well. She rested her head on my shoulder and whispered, "Be safe out there."

"I will. Thank you." I whispered in kind. I then followed Smolder and Ocellus out the door and began to follow them. And I immediately hated the atmosphere being out in the middle of a dry and dusty desert instilled on my surroundings. It was a jarring shift in tone after always setting up camp on the soft fresh grass of the Empty Plains. "OK, lead on. I'm right behind you girls."

"Yeah, they wanted us to meet up at the northern mess hall." Smolder said with our feet carrying us along. Although I really did not have much to say. The change in our surroundings reflected my mood nicely. In just one afternoon, everything I knew about this war had changed and I was left questioning myself over what I was doing there. The only reason the emperor had cheated death to rise again was because I am now here in Equestria. Was this all a mistake?

Ocellus gently gripped my hand as we followed Smolder. She knew something was wrong. And Smolder must have known too. They would have tried talking to me by now. I glanced down at the lovely little false dragoness while she looked up at me with fearful eyes. She was not afraid of anyone who was around us. She was afraid for me. I felt I should say something and whispered down to her, "I'm...not all right..."

"Did something happen...? Out there?" Ocellus asked softly with her grip tightening around my hand. There was no hiding anything from her if she could read my heart like an open book. "Did someone hurt you? Did someone say something to you?"

I absolutely could not tell her or Smolder about Sunflare's attempt on my life. I did not want them to distrust the queen. It appeared that they had not even seen Orbash or Sunflare yet. But I could only shake my head to show I was not in the mood to discuss what had occurred and had been revealed to us all. I was not the most ideal person to explain the situation anyway. Ocellus understood and turned her gaze ahead while we walked along.

There was one thing I noticed along the way that did amuse me. The mares in the militia. We would often pass by small clusters of them locked in discussion. And they were always talking about the moon king. Unsurprisingly, Orbash seemed to have become very popular among the ladies in the camp. They were practically swooning over him with what I heard, even if Smolder and Ocellus had no idea what they were talking about and just ignored them. I cracked am amused smirk as I heard these lovestruck mares talking about the king they never knew they had. And it was hardly surprising. With his utterly gorgeous dark body, that wavering mane and tail of shimmering silver, and that utterly endearing personality of his, it was no wonder someone as ridiculously gorgeous as Orbash would be so popular among his peers. Especially the single ladies. I wonder if he ever had to fend off unwanted suitors when he was still a single stallion...

In time, we did come to the mess hall Smolder had been guiding me to. But while she and Ocellus headed over to the longest cluster of tables they could find, I found myself just gazing out at the mess hall with its modest amount of patrons going about their business to secure an evening meal. A carpet of soft soothing grass had always lined the floor of the mess halls until that day. Now only a layer of scorched earth remained that kicked up thin clouds of dust with everything step. The inexplicable air of a hostile environment filled the air. As if this was a makeshift oasis in enemy territory. I found myself muttering quietly, "Is this what it's like for peace keepers in the Middle East? It sucks..."

There was such an air of discomfort around me. And I quickly noticed why. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw them. Anyone who was in the mess hall, whether they were seated at tables or standing in line at the food stalls, they were all looking at me. Some were muttering amongst themselves, discussing something quietly. They knew. And there was only one person there I could ask for a clear answer.

I took a seat beside Ocellus with Smolder on my right. Neither said anything, but they both placed a hand over each of mine. I then glanced at Ocellus and asked quietly, "Ocellus. What do you feel in the air right now? Everyone's looking at me..."

"Huh? Hey, I kinda think they are... What's up with that? You wearing an ugly short today?" Smolder replied softly with her eyes glancing about. Far from the truth. I was only wearing one of my preferred polo shirts.

Ocellus was cautious. We were surrounded by those that would gang up on her if they found out what she is. But even without shedding her disguise, she told me what I needed to know. "They... They're wary of something... But it's...not being directed at me? Why? It's the kind of feeling I got from everyone back at the main place for a while, but they don't know... Who are they wary of?"

I said nothing. It was what I feared. I crossed my arms on the table and rested my chin upon them. "Thanks, love bug. I just needed to know."

The disguised Changeling rested her hand on my shoulder, her words still soft and fearful. "What's wrong? You... Did something happen? Why are you...so upset?"

"We found something out today... And I can't tell you. Not here." I retorted quietly. Smolder tightened her grip around my hand. She said nothing, but her intentions were clear. I was grateful they were there. Being alone at the time was dangerous. I needed companionship. And I was about to get more.

I saw them beyond the mess hall's borders. Familiar friendly faces entirely out of uniform. They could see me, but they did not enter. My five closest friends from Ponyville stood outside the mess hall. Maud Pie was standing near Pinkie Pie, but she had swapped out her stone armor for her favorite frock. And then came Gilda swooping in for a landing. And then Trixie without her hat. Finally, Shining Armor himself showed up in his suit of armor. I almost thought they were preparing an attack until I noticed none of them were armed. Smolder then spoke up while giving me a nudge. "Whoa. Guess we've got a party today."

The cluster of familiar faces then entered the mess hall and headed right for our table. But they did not immediately take their seats around us. I eventually found the will to look at them while Smolder and Ocellus remained respectfully silent next to me. None of them were smiling. But they were not upset or angry. They all displayed a uniformed expression on their faces. Including Maud Pie. A shared gaze of concern. I finally broke the silence and asked, "I take it you heard..."

"Yeah. We did. And we don't care." Rainbow Dash declared as she displayed a defiant smile. "Who cares if the emperor's still ticking because you're here? He's just using you, right?"

Gilda and Rainbow Dash glanced at each other with determined smiles before bumping their fist and hoof together. They definitely discussed this revelation together before they headed on over for dinner. Curiously, I noticed that despite being out of her suit of brigandine, Gilda still had her tiny crossbow bound to her left wrist. She then glanced at me and said, "We still got your back. Don't go thinking we're gonna throw you under the wagon just because of this. All we gotta do is crush the enemy like always, right?"

"I can't say I don't appreciate the sentiment, but..." I started to say as I lost my train of thought. But before I could even continue, Smolder suddenly slammed her hands on the table for leverage and stood up from her seat.

The little dragoness looked unsettled and almost angry as everyone took a step back. And it suddenly clicked for me. She did not know. Smolder and even Ocellus had no knowledge of what was discussed out there when the king and queen arrived. "Hang on, what's that about?! Whaddya mean the emperor's still around because of James?! James has nothing to do with that guy... Right?"

I felt Ocellus close her hand around mine. And when our eyes met, I saw her gazing at me with such fear. Not for herself or our friends, but for me. She knew then why she detected that I was 'not OK', And I could only nod to confirm what they heard was true. And our friends had no idea how to explain to them what was happening.

Thankfully, someone stepped forward to dissuade Smolder's concern. Rarity reached out and placed her hoof on the table. After shaking some of the dust from the ground off, of course. "Smolder, darling... James is... Is... Actually, it does not matter. What was discovered today, it does not matter. We have learned things, but that has not changed things. This fine gentleman here is still our knight in shining armor and always will be. And that is all you need to know."

"If you say so..." Smolder retorted with a more relieved tone. But she then asked while returning to her seat, "But can you at least bring me up to speed? Just so we're all on the same page?"

Everyone started to take their seats while Twilight reluctantly complied with that request. "We learned that...the emperor placed some sort of failsafe in place eons ago that would only activate when another human entered the world of Equestria. He never really died. Just...fell asleep in a way. And when James appeared here, that failsafe was activated and...connected them. The emperor is leeching off of James' own life energy to sustain himself. And unless something happens to James, I don't think he will die on his own. This war will continue until we finally reach the emperor and end this, or until...someone or something..."

When Twilight's gaze turned to me, Smolder reflexively and viciously reached out and grabbed me in an embrace while also wrapping her wings around me. Her eyes... For just a moment, they looked more like the eyes of a snake ready to strike. She spoke with even more of a growl than usual, "I really hope you girls aren't seriously considering going there..."

"What?! No no no no no no, no way!" Pinkie Pie shrieked as she frantically waved her hooves at the little dragoness. Everyone glanced over at the cheeriest mare at the table with Smolder's gaze even softening a little. "You think we'd really do that?! No way! We're not ever gonna make James kick the bucket! He's our friend! Always has been! And friends...never take the easy way out together."

Applejack was then quick to speak up as she leaned over the table. "Ain't that the truth. James... Pardner, we know ya got a lot on yer mind after everythin' that happened today, but don't go blamin' yerself. This don't change nothin' between us."

Of all people to speak next, it was Maud. She placed her hoof on the table and showed me a genuine smile as everyone looked on. "We'll be your rock in the storm if you need us."

"Agreed. I won't stand for my men entertaining thoughts of getting rid of you for a quick victory." Shining Armor declared while he and his sister shared a smile of agreement. He then looked at me and added, "If any of my men give you trouble, report to me immediately. Got it? I didn't mobilize my men just so we could lose you... Not like this."

At last, Trixie spoke up. And she smiled right at me. "How many of us are richer for having known you? I don't even want to know where I'd be now if you didn't come knocking on my door that day. We won't be giving you up without a fight, my friend."

A welcome sense of levity was filling the air as I found dear friends of mine all around me. And their insistence of carrying on like nothing had ever happened... If anything, their solidarity over the situation had only grown more stalwart. Instead of becoming wary of me, they were only becoming more protective of me. And I had no words to say to that, even as Smolder released me from her protective embrace.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Room for more here?" A familiar voice spoke up. And when we all looked to the table's far end, we found Seaspray standing before us with his entire cadre of hippogriff archers with him. Before any of us could even inquire over what they were doing there, Seaspray was quick to provide an explanation in his usual jovial yet proud tone. "Such a wild turn of events this day has brought! Mind if we all join you in solidarity? Trying times demand camaraderie among compatriots!"

"Good to have you here, admiral. Please, take a seat." Shining Armor said to his comrade as they all started lining up at the stable. Sky Beak sat himself down just beyond Smolder while Gilda was seated near me just past Ocellus. Although that was not the last large party joining us. A cluster of pegasi came over. And I recognized every single one of them. "Spitfire, you're joining too?!"

"Of course we are! The Wonderbolts always look out for their wingmen!" Spitfire replied as she and every last one of her Wonderbolts squad members started taking up space at whatever empty seating they could find. This long set of tables aligned with each other had turned into quite the party. And Rainbow Dash was especially thrilled to have her heroes dining with us as she and Spitfire shared a quick hoof bump.

"James, you holding up all right?! We're with you, champ!" Soarin called out to me from next to his captain as the familiar clamor of a busy mess hall started to fill the air. Sounded like dinner time. And the rest of the Wonderbolts called out with words of kindness and support.

This...got to me in a really good way. I had to take a moment to wipe a few tears from my eyes. After all I learned that day, I had no idea how much I needed all this support until I finally had it. I was grateful for not just my closest circle of friends out there, but everyone else who was going out of their way to offer a supporting hand or hoof. And Gilda was quick to reach out past Ocellus with her wing to pat me on the back. And once she and I shared a smile, I flagged down one of the servers who were going about taking orders for anyone who had taken a seat for a hot meal away from their tents. "Hey. Hey! Yeah, you! Get this man a beer! No, three beers! He's had a long day! I don't care about the daily limit! Don't make me come over there and do it myself!"

Gilda was definitely persuasive enough to get her point across. I was even a little weirded out with how forceful she was being just to get me a drink. Barely a minute later, that same serer came trotting our way and dropped off four bottles of icy cold beer. The fourth was likely just to appease Gilda in case she changed her mind to demand for more by the time he got back. That extra beer went to her as we both popped the caps off and clinked our bottles together. "Cheers, big guy. Let's get through this together."

"Don't know what I'd do without you girls... Thanks for being here for me. Really, you've made my night." I replied before she and I took one big swig together. That crisp fizzy brew with the faintest bite of alcohol was unbelievably delicious after such a hard day. I did not stop there and chugged the rest of that bottle in seconds. "Oh man, I needed that!"

The griffon hen across from me got a good laugh out of my enjoyment of that one bottle of beer. And I still had two left. Although I soon noticed Ocellus just silently looking up at me while no one noticed. When I looked down at her, she displayed the slightest smile. "You're happier now."

"Yeah... I guess I am. Thanks to being in good company." I replied before she and I held hands for a moment. Dinner went by without a hitch. And it was a wonderful time too. But perhaps halfway through our meal, I tensed up as I saw who was now approaching us. "Uh oh..."

"Huh? What's wro... Whoa..." Smolder started to say before she suddenly saw who was standing before us. The entire mess hall became silent as all eyes turned to our guests. Everyone on the other side of the table looked back to see none other than the king and queen of Equestria standing before us. Orbash was displaying a warm smile while his wife was showing the exact opposite emotional spectrum with a stern gaze of composed neutrality. Ocellus and Smolder, seeing the two regal alicorns for the first time, just stared with jaws dropped open.

Orbash glanced around before calling out to his subjects. "Don't mind us! Don't let us interrupt your moment of respite! Carry on! My wife and I are simply making the rounds! Eat, drink, and be merry!"

And they did. Just about everyone in the mess hall went right back to dining and talking with only my dining partners remaining quiet. And when I glanced at Ocellus, I happened to notice Gilda beyond her. And how the crossbow on her wrist was armed with a sharpened bolt locked in place. I did all I could to not show much of a reaction to what she was hiding under the table, but I was fearful of what would happen if Sunflare were to display any hostility towards me. Thankfully, Orbash was the first to approach. "Everyone in high spirits this evening? How are all of you tonight? And...ah! I do not believe we have met, young ones. I am Orbash and this is my wife Sunflare. King and queen of Equestria. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"No way... You're... You guys are the king and queen?! The mom and dad of Celestia and Luna and...and... Oh my gosh, this is crazy! Totally crazy!" Smolder shrieked in utter disbelief while I found myself almost getting a chuckle out of her reaction. There was no way she had ever heard of them before, but she was sharp enough to connect the dots together. "Was that you who made that big blast earlier today?! Did you...I dunno...wipe out the enemy just like that?! I saw the desert! There's no way that was there this morning!"

Orbash was thoroughly amused by Smolder's excitement, but it was surprisingly Sunflare who let out a laugh. "Yes, that was us! We have deemed the situation requires our assistance, and so here we stand. We will be with you for the remainder of the war and do what we must to assist you all."

"Oh my... The king and queen... I've only heard bits and pieces about you... You both look powerful... Really powerful..." Ocellus muttered in awe while everyone else was cautiously silent. The disguised Changeling was wise to not mention where she might have heard of them from. If the Changeling queen is as ancient as I suspect she is, then she would likely have firsthand knowledge of Orbash and Sunflare's existence.

Having nearly been killed by the power just the queen alone possesses, I leaned towards Ocellus and said, "They are. They really are. You don't mess with these two if you know what's good for you."

"Ha! Wise words! But do not fear us. It is a pleasure to finally meet you all. Now, we should not keep you from your meals for the evening. I trust we will be seeing each other much more often before long." Orbash said in parting as he and Sunflare began to make their way around the mess hall to mingle with the commoners. Sunflare barely even batted me an eye as she walked away.

"Wow, the king and queen sure are sociable! I bet they're great at parties. Maybe we should consider a welcome back party for them once the war's over! Who even knows the last time anypony even saw them?" Pinkie Pie spoke up while everyone around us started to resume dining. But I could not relax yet. Not while Gilda still had an armed crossbow under the table.

Once it looked like no one was listening, I leaned over Ocellus and whispered to Gilda. "Were you really... With that..."

Gilda glanced down at her own arm before she proceeded to disarm her crossbow. She looked at me with a narrow gaze and said quietly, "Only if she made a move on you. I hated that there was nothing I could do last time. When those walls of white fire shot up around you, I seriously thought you were a goner."

She really had written me off for dead the instant she lost sight of me and Sunflare during that first encounter. Gilda's gaze softened as she allowed herself to relax and she looked genuinely distraught over the memory. I hesitantly and cautiously reached out with my left hand behind Ocellus while the false dragoness enjoyed some roasted corn on a cob only for Gilda to grasp mine in hers. I then whispered, "Thanks for looking out for me, Gilda."

"Hey, you know I've got your back. Birds of prey are also birds of a feather. I look out for my flock. Got it?" She retorted with a more sincere smile on her beak. I felt safe around her. That lioness ferocity in her was a source of fear and admiration. There was little to fear with her around.

After a very satisfying meal and very good company, we all reluctantly said our goodbyes before heading on our way. It was finally getting dark out with the sun having disappeared over the horizon. Even the desolate feeling of the dusty scorched earth under our feet did not feel quite as oppressive now that the chill of night was starting to creep in. And those three beers did manage to soothe my nerves after such a good time. Once we were heading down the paths, Smolder spoke up from my right. "Wow, the king and queen of Equestria are here now, right? I didn't even know Equestria had a king and queen! But I guess the princesses had to come from somewhere, huh?"

Ocellus giggled at the memory while Smolder and I looked her way. "And the king... Wow, King Orbash is just such the nicest guy... Soooo handsome too. Almost like I wouldn't need to hide around him."

Smolder was more enthusiastic about the other side of the spectrum as she gestured grandly beside us now that she was starting to actually act her age for once. "Yeah, he was one handsome stallion. But did you check out the queen?! Her mane almost looks like its made outta fire! I bet she's a lot more dangerous than the king."

She had no idea how right she was. Although I was very careful to not mention what happened out there when she and I first crossed paths. I then added, "Yeah, she's pretty scary when she has to be. I guess it's true what they say with the females being more dangerous with the males."

The two little ladies continued to converse about the two newest arrivals in the militia until we eventually arrived at the command center. But we were also greeted by an unexpected sight. Rain Shine was standing before the gap next to the command center opposite of where her own hut was located. And she was conjuring up more thick roots to forge another hut. Smolder and Ocellus gawked at the sight for a moment before heading back indoors while being certain to dust their feet off at the front door. I approached the kirin chieftain and asked, "What's up? Why the extra hut?"

"The king and queen require their own chambers to rest in and the princesses did not anticipate their arrival. There are no spare guest rooms within their headquarters, so I have taken it upon myself to provide them with some housing." Rain Shine explained very directly while maintaining a tone of focus. Although she then glanced at me and spoke with a hint of bitter venom in her voice. "And it will keep the queen away from you during the night."

She was still upset over that... Not that I could fault her. I sighed wistfully before I said, "Thank you for being there when you were... I don't think I would've survived if you didn't intervene."

Her gaze softened and we brought our brows together for a gentle touch. Rain Shine then whispered to me, "So help me, if she ever raises her horn to you again... But enough talk. I know this day has been taxing for you. Head on in and rest. I do believe the little ladies you bunk with will keep your spirits high tonight."

"I shall... Before I go though, how did things go outside the walls? Any luck there?" I asked upon realizing that she probably only just got back after trying to restore the wasteland beyond the walls to the east.

She nodded, but only lightly. "I had some success. I have paved the wasteland with a carpet of fresh green for us to tread upon when we finally depart. Though I must rest before I can consider restoring the fields of green to the space inside these walls. Now then, I must return to my work. The sooner this dwelling is complete, the better."

"All right then. See you in the morning, Rain." I said back to her before she touched her muzzle to my cheek. A kiss, but in a more primal manner than usual. I did then head indoors, exhausted in more ways than one. The buffet had been put away, but dessert was left behind for me and anyone else who had not been present for dinner. Fruit parfaits. Ocellus and Smolder were already helping themselves to some.

For a change of pace, the two little ladies went into the war room to have more space to roam around in. It was around then that Celestia approached me in the common area while she and I enjoyed a parfait to each of us. She did not speak at first, as if allowing me to begin the conversation. And so I said, "I don't think so much has happened in one day out here before... What a game changer..."

"I suppose it was only a matter of time before they got involved... Mother and Father were present when word of our human friends' betrayal reached us. And it was the last time they intervened in a crisis until today... This does not bode well." Celestia explained while still finding the will to enjoy her dessert. Even if not with as much enthusiasm as she normally exudes when dining on sweets.

I paused in my eating before I asked a difficult question. "Celestia... Does your mother hate me?"

"That is a very strong word, my sunshine..." The Princess of the Dawn retorted before she shook her head. "No, I would not say that. She hardly knows you. I am sure you have seen that she not easily swayed by sentimentality, but give her time and she will show you the kindness in her heart. But she is also not one to forget a grudge easily. None were more disgusted with that act of treason so long ago than she. You may be human, but you are not bound to the twisted ideology that the emperor embraced. She knows you are not our enemy and I doubt she will ever advocate for your death if it can be avoided."

These words did soothe my heart, but not by much. Sunflare left a dreadful first impression on me, even if I did understand her motivations. "I certainly hope so... Your mother is terrifying."

"I do not fault you for fearing her. My mother has...long held a reputation of being an imposing figure. My father was the first to approach her without fear. And...well, you can see that they still remained together to this day." Celestia spoke with a smile starting to form on her face.

That too got me to crack a smirk. Especially as I recalled the very first things Orbash said that day. "Yeah, I can see that... They really do bounce off of and compliment each other... I see why they're still a couple after all this time."

We conversed a little longer before Celestia finished her dessert and brought a scroll and ink quill over to her with the use of levitation magic. I watched as she jotted something down on it, though she said nothing about it. I then asked, "Whatcha got there?"

I was not expecting what Celestia was about to say. "I'm just going to send a message back to Cadence. Now that my mother and father are on the scene, I strongly suspect that it would be best to close any further registration into the militia at once. Our numbers recently surpassed five thousand and any new fresh recruits would struggle to get caught up with their peers on the battlefield. Mother and Father's presence... I feel like we're starting to approach our destination, if that makes any sense. Only those who have received training by this point have any business being on the battlefield by now. We can't afford any liabilities now that the enemy's resistance will surely start to intensify."

That made a lot of sense. And I was not going to object it. With a flash of magic fire, Celestia rolled up the scroll and sent it on its way in a plume of enchanted smoke that snaked its way out of the newest open window. And with the day on its way out, I went upstairs and sat myself down at my typewriter to document this day.

For as jarring and exhausting the events of today have been... Now that I take the time to think about things objectively, I find that not much has changed. So what if the emperor is sustaining himself through me? It is not like that makes him any less vulnerable to a sword through the gullet. The goal remains the same. Reach the Heaven's Pillar and put an end to the emperor.

Although today has answered a few questions about some things. Now I see why the Hollows have never tried to attack me directly. The emperor needs me alive. Although that does make it much easier for me to thin out their numbers. Although at the same time... There are still questions we do not have answers for. I know what the emperor wanted to achieve so long ago. But now...? What could he possibly be fighting for? He wants to conquer Equestria like he intended before, that much we know. But...for what? To rule alone and subjugate every nonhuman specie to bolster his own ego? That does not sound like him... Not from what I heard. He put his people first, for good or ill. But his people are gone. His empire is only a memory now. So if he still wishes to conquer Equestria for humanity to reign over... Then who does he wish to inherit this world?

I cannot stop wracking my brain over this question. I ponder and ponder this question in my head and I cannot come to a conclusion. This Forgotten Emperor is truly an enigma. We know what he wants to do. We just do not know why. His desires remain the same, but the goal is...what exactly? He is a relic of a bygone era who no longer has a place in Equestria.

And then there is the king and queen of Equestria themselves. I never dreamed I would meet Orbash and Sunflare in the flesh. Not like this. And they are very colorful and unique people who I would be remiss to ever forget about. Their power is unlike anything I have ever seen. Even the power my own armor bestows upon me cannot compare. And yet... Why is it that even with me knowing that their power has been added to our resources... Why do I suspect that this is only the beginning of a domino effect that is about to turn this war on its head even further? Perhaps Celestia is right. Maybe this is the beginning of the end...

It is getting very late now. And as I finish up this last page of this entry, I am starting to feel the ramifications of everything that has happened today. I desperately need a hot shower and a long night's sleep. And my two roommates were considerate enough to stay downstairs to allow me to type in peace. Once they hear the shower running, they will likely come on up to get ready for bed. And I need to keep this journal tucked away somewhere safe for now. No telling how they would react to knowing that one of our newest and most powerful allies tried to destroy me...

That will do for tonight. Time to wash up and let my fatigued mind and body get some dearly needed rest.