Good to be back.

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Today started off normal enough. A normal morning. A normal breakfast. Normal in all the ways I love and in ways I...may not get to experience again. For as pleasantly normal and grounded my day started, I could not have foreseen what upheaval was about to come our way.

A normal Wednesday, I departed into town after saying goodbye to my wife and newborn daughter along with my dearest Smolder. I knew they would be fine with our little dragon friend helping Fluttershy watch over the little filly while Scootaloo was in school. Now that things had normalized a bit, I was able to work my way back into my work routines. Mondays and Tuesdays are still free days for me all for the sake of me just trying to get used to being a proper dad to precious little Gladesong. Although all this extra time at home has made me appreciate the productiveness of having a fulfilling job.

"Morning, James! I got something new to show you!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed the moment I stepped through the back door to Sugarcube Corner. So lively and bubbly as always, I did not know how much I was going to be missing her in time.

"Something new? What, a new recipe?" I asked as my curiosity was piqued at the thought of trying a brand new recipe. Pinkie Pie and I often serve as guinea pigs for any new concoctions Mr. and Mrs. Cake whip up on the job. Although I know enough about my likes and dislikes to know what ingredients I never will enjoy. Pinkie Pie is not so picky when it comes to baking ingredients though.

"Here you go! One sandwich early for lunch." Pinkie replied as she pushed something across the counter towards me. At first, I thought it was a burger. It even had toasted sesame seeds sprinkled atop it. But I quickly dismissed that thought even though it was round. Burgers just have no place in a pony's diet.

"Um... It's a little early for lunch, but thanks." I retorted while taking the treat in hand and lifting it before me. But when I held it before me, I noticed something was off. "Wait a minute..."

I thought I saw the green and red of lettuce and tomato. And it was, but not at all what I expected. The red and green of the sandwich was just icing with a slight hint of chocolaty brown. As it turned out, the treat in my hand was a twist on the chocolate drops I had introduced to Pinkie Pie some time ago. The entire thing consisted of two chocolate drops pushed together with colorful icing between them to give the them the look of a sandwich. The clever ingenuity Pinkie Pie had displayed coaxed a chuckle out of me. "Heheh, I see what you did. Clever."

"Well, you gonna try it? You're the one who showed us how to make them, so you get to try the upgrade first!" Pinkie Pie replied while tapping her hooves in excitement. She really wanted to see what I had to say about it.

Not wanting to delay any further, I took a bite. I expected it to taste exceedingly sweet due to all that icing, but it was not as overwhelming as one might have anticipated. I liked it. And I enjoyed it even more after lightly dipping it into a glass of cold milk. With my approval confirmed, Pinkie Pie set a whole dozen of them on a tray and carried them out to the storefront where they could be put on display for purchase.

A couple of hours went by as my coworker and I set about with the orders of the day. The kind of mundane routine that so many take for granted. As what is all but inevitable in a world as idyllic as Equestria. I was focused on my work as usual, but found the time to chat it up with Pinkie Pie during the slower moments. She was eager to ask about Gladesong and Smolder and I provided her with all the information I could. She also threw in a few questions regarding my time on Capricorn Island a few weeks back. She loved the treats I brought back for her and went through them in just a couple of days, even though she confessed she tried to restrain herself to savor the exotic sweets.

Less than an hour before my lunch break, I thought I heard a voice out at the storefront from beyond the swinging doors leading out of the kitchen. I was a little busy at the time while scooping cupcake batter into tins, but I recognized the voice of Twilight Sparkle. While I did not pay much mind to whatever she was saying to Pinkie Pie out front at first, I soon heard the doors being pushed open before glancing over to see Pinkie Pie poking her head through them. "Hey, James! Twilight wants to talk to you. Can you come out for a minute?"

"Huh? Twilight? Yeah sure, I'll be right out. Can you finish these up for me?" I asked in return before stepping away from the tin. Pinkie Pie trotted over to cover for me while I stepped through the swinging door and found Twilight standing before the counter. "Morning, Twi. What's up?"

Even though I am sure she had something to say, she was distracted for the moment by the 'sandwiches' that were on display behind the counter's glass display panel. "Oh, I was just stopping by for a snack. Are these sandwiches chocolate drops with icing? I'll take two. Spike's gonna love one."

"Sure thing, Twi. That'll be six bits." I replied while placing two in a paper bag while making certain they were carefully balanced atop each other. But once Twilight used the levitation spell to pass me some bits while placing the bag in one of her own saddlebags, she gasped in realization before lifting the flap of her other saddlebag to lift a scroll out of it. "Huh? Is that for me?"

"Yeah, that's what Spike said after he coughed it up. He didn't say what was in it. I don't think there even is much to read in it. All he said is that it was meant for you." Twilight replied while I took the scroll in hand. "Anyway, I really wanna get home and try one of these. Have a good one, James!"

"Will do. Have a good one, Twi." I replied while placing the bits in the register and watching as Twilight trotted out the door. With no other customers approaching the counter for the moment, I took the opportunity to open the scroll and examine its contents. "OK, what do we have here..."

The contents of the scroll was not particularly elaborate. Almost worryingly so. The text that had been scrawled on the parchment was brief and to the point. "James, please come to Canterlot immediately. We need to speak to you. Urgently. Signed, Celestia."

I read the scroll a second time to make certain I had not overlooked anything. That was all it said. No indication as to why or what they needed to see me for. But the extreme brevity and lack of detail in the message gave me a strange sense of foreboding. This was not an invitation for a pleasant chat. This was serious. As I pondered the meaning of this message, Mr. Cake came walking my way after doing inventory in the storeroom at the far side of the storefront. "What's tat you got, James? Twilight drop off something for you?"

I turned the scroll around to show him the message that had been inscribed in the scroll. "Yeah, she did... I'm sorry, Mr. Cake, but it looks like Princess Celestia really wants a word with me in Canterlot, so I should be going. Will that be all right?"

He could tell this was not a joke. It was a direct request from Equestria's royal family. "Really...? Well, if they're personally sending for you, I better not try to stop you. We'll be fine while you're away for the day, James. You go ahead and do what you need to do. We'll see you again on Friday."

"Thanks, boss. Let Pinkie Pie know too. I'll see you later." I replied while quickly making my way out of Sugarcube Corner and towards the train station at the eastern edge of town. Whatever it was they were wanting me for, I strongly suspected I should not delay. I needed to catch the next train to Canterlot at the first opportunity.

I had to wait a little while once I reached the station since there was no sign of a northbound train at the time. Not even ten minutes later, a train came rolling in from the south with passengers disembarking while a handful of other ponies on the train platform boarded after them. I was lucky to find that the train was heading up to Canterlot and not further north. Although I still had to wait another half hour before the train rolled out of the station and began its climb up the mountain while I reclined at the very back of the last train car.

Alone with my thoughts, I observed the scenic view as the train wound its way up Canterlot's mountain. Maybe ten minutes after departing Ponyville, I only then realized that I still had the scroll I had been sent in my hand. I took another look at its contents to insure I had not overlooked anything. Nothing at all. Only the very brief and vague message was scrawled inside it. I could only imagine what it hinted at. What had transpired in Canterlot? And why would the royal sisters send for me and only me? If it was some sort of crisis like with Nightmare Moon's return or Discord's escape, surely the entire team of the Element of Harmony's bearers would be summoned. Maybe I was overthinking it. If it was just me they had called for, the situation could not possibly be so dire. I rolled up the scroll and got comfortable again and pushed any worries out of my mind. Everything was all right. It had to be.

Close to an hour later, the train pulled into Canterlot's station. The riders all shuffled out of the train cars while I looked around from the platform. Nothing was amiss. Canterlot looked and sounded the way it always does. No one was waiting at the station to escort me. I suppose they trusted that I would not dally and make my way directly to the palace. Which I did. I maintained a brisk walk as I navigated the streets of Canterlot to hurry along to my audience with the royal sisters.

The royal guards barely even batted me an eye as I arrived. They knew who I was and that I was free to come and go as I pleased. The palace was quiet, as it usually is unless a special event was underway. Before long, I stood before the greet doors to the throne room with a pair of unicorn guards bordering the doors. I displayed to them the scroll I had in hand as a precaution. "I understand that the royal sisters are expecting me."

The guards nodded after a quick glance at the text inscribed in the scroll and stepped further to the sides to allow entry. I pushed the door open and stepped into the grand throne room. And there they were. All three of the royal sister seated in a row upon their thrones... Wait... Thrones? There was more than one by then?

Before anyone could really say anything as the doors close behind me, it appeared that there had been some additions to the platform the throne rests upon. Instead of one, there were now three. Celestia's had a banner depicting a shining sun installed atop hers while two other thrones stood beside hers. Luna was seated to her right while Nightmare Moon was on her left. Luna's throne had a banner set above it depicting the glowing pale orb of a full moon. Nightmare Moon's throne had an identical banner, though hers was a deep black with only a thin pale ring encircling it. A new moon. "Hey, you added on a couple of thrones, huh?"

The royal sisters were momentarily distracted from the matter at hand by my observations while I drew near. Even the top of the platform itself had been widened to hold the extra seats. Luna was the first to respond. "Why, yes! It would not do if there was only a throne for Celestia, so a throne was installed for Nightmare Moon and myself. Fitting, no?"

"Well, I say it is about time someone got around to that. I'm pretty sure that one throne won't hold all of you." I replied while liking the contrast of the three thrones and how they represent their assigned owners. But it was only then that I remembered what was in my hand. I held out the scroll I had received. "Anyway... I got your message. You wanted to see me?"

The mood in the air darkened at those words. Any and all smiles on my three royal friends faded. They glanced at each other, muttering amongst themselves. The only one I did hear was Nightmare Moon as she asked, "Are you going to tell him, Celestia?"

"Has...something happened?" I asked while more confused than anything else. If some sort of danger was about to befall Equestria, surely all seven bearers of the Elements would have been summoned. Why just me? What was wrong?

Celestia let out a long sigh as she said, "No... Not yet. It's more like what is about to happen."

I stood there silently. There was a lot of weight to her words. As if sensing my thoughts, Nightmare Moon used the levitation spell to lift a scroll that was at her side and had it float over to me. "Perhaps this will shed some light on things..."

I dropped the scroll that was already in my hand and took the other scroll into my grasp. The parchment was...faded. Tattered. Ancient. And it had a distinctly musky scent to it. As if the parchment had been sitting in an old stone cellar or bunker for years on end. They did not use this scroll to write out a message for me. I turned my gaze up at them and asked, "Who sent this...?"

Luna closed her eyes as her head bowed. "An old friend... A friend whose name we have long since voluntarily forgotten."

With some hesitation, I unfurled the scroll in my hand while being as gentle as possible as I feared the parchment would collapse into dust if handled roughly. The handwriting did not match that of anyone I had ever seen. And the words were...bewitching. "It has been far too long, old friends. You likely have forgotten about me by now. I will not fault you if you have. It has been well over a millennium since we last laid eyes upon each other. Since the day you banished my people from this world."

That last line of text sent a chill through my heart. Was this all just a sick prank? Was this written by who I thought it was? "You may have banished my people, but I refused to let myself join them. Not when I still had a duty to fulfill to them as their emperor. A duty that is still mine to carry out. This is not a message from beyond the grave. I stand and breathe even now. And at long last, I am prepared to continue what I started and claim what rightfully belongs to my people. Yes, my people have long since ceased to exist in the world of Equestria, but I assure you that I am not without soldiers. Even now, my troops prepare to march. In due time, Equestria will once and for all belong to its rightful masters. When that day comes... When my troops once again arrive at your city gates, do not resist. Submit and know your place. Signed..."

There was no name. Perhaps the sender decided the use of a name was not necessary. The royal sisters clearly knew who sent it. And in my gut, I had my suspicions as well. This was not merely a message. This was a declaration of war. Inscribed by someone who should not still be around.

I lifted my gaze to look towards the three royal sisters as they gazed back at me upon their thrones. They appeared to be forlorn. Uncertain of what to say. But in the back of my mind, all the hints I had seen and heard. All of the conversations they had tried to dismiss or avoid. It was all coming together. "I... I'm guessing the reason you called me here is because you have some answers for me."

"It can't be avoided any longer, James. We would have preferred that this information remained buried, but this is one fragment of Equestria's past that has decided to not remain buried... Seeing as how you're destined to find out the truth regardless of what happens by this point, we've decided it we should be the ones to reveal it to you. It is best that we tell you now. Before the enemy arrives." Luna replied with a most dour tone to her voice. It oozed with despair and fear that she was only barely managing to hide.

My nerves began to become filled with a sense of dread. Just this morning, everything was as delightfully normal as I adore. And now, it felt as if an oncoming storm was about to turn the entirety of Equestria on its head. I looked down at the scroll in my hand, wondering if it had been written recently or eons ago. "Where did you even get this? If the guy who wrote this is still around, how did he deliver it to you?"

"A spectral falcon. Some sort of conjuration. It faded away to nothing once the scroll was in our hooves." Nightmare Moon explained as my eyes fell upon her. "If such an entity could be crafted from magic, then this talk of having soldiers despite no longer having a population to call his own likely is not a bluff."

"Then...why me? Why did you call me here and no one else?" I asked as I had to address the elephant in the room. And I felt I already knew the answer.

Celestia let out a faint sigh as she hesitated, her sisters turning their gazes towards her. The Princess of the Dawn then looked at me and said with a solemn gaze, "Because if the sender of that scroll is who we believe he is, then he is the last of your kind upon this world. The last emperor of Equestria's human population still lives."

I was not exactly surprised, and yet those words awakened a nameless fear in my heart. I had been told bits and pieces of humanity's history in Equestria on rare occasions, but never anything of significant substance. To know that that man still lives, as impossible as it sounds, disturbed me. I knew the human race of Equestria did...something to result in their supposed extinction in this world. Smolder provided some testimony and... Dear god, even Zecora was not kidding all that time ago. Knowing now was as good a time as ever, there was only one thing I could say to the three sovereigns before me. "Tell me... Tell me everything that happened. The emperor. The human race. Everything that happened to explain why they're not around anymore. And why he is your enemy."

They did not respond at first. They knew why they had called me there, but I was entitled by now to know everything there was to know about those that came before. One by one, the three princesses rose from their thrones and walked towards me. Celestia led her sisters as she approached me. "And we shall. Come along."

They did not seem to have a destination in mind. I think they were only taking a stroll as a means to calm their nerves while we walked through the halls. Luna and Nightmare Moon remained silent while allowing their eldest sister to explain. "Humankind holds a long and storied history in Equestria. A history we have had to bury for the sake of our people. Even in the early days, before the establishment of Hearths Warming Eve, they served as defenders of our people's fledgling settlements."

"They were warriors, huh?" I asked while not at all surprised to know that humanity's defiant nature would give them the drive to serve as sentinels for their pony allies.

"More or less." Celestia retorted as she continued to explain. "They founded an empire to the east of here, where most of their kind settled. As with all leaders across the world, their emperor swore fealty to the Equestrian royal family. They were good friends to us ponies. All was well. At least...until Discord was consumed by despair and drowned the world in madness..."

Discord... I had not heard of him in some time. And I had a good hunch of where this was going. "Did he...do something while he was like that?"

Celestia sighed as she likely was not happy to remember the darkest days of her fallen friend. "You do know what became of him. During those dark days, he tried to sow temptation in the heart of the emperor to try and further the spread of chaos even as the emperor struggled to hold his empire together. And while all was well once Luna and I used the Elements of Harmony to put an end to the chaos... His words were not forgotten. Whether genuinely intentional or not, Discord had planted the seeds of betrayal in the heart of the emperor."

A disturbing thought... Discord trying to manipulate a man by appealing to the basest forms of human nature... Celestia continued to speak as I could only listen. "There were no signs of anything being amiss for a time. The Element of Humanity was forged, further leading us to believe that Equestria had recovered from Discord's rampant madness. But it was only a calm before the storm. I can only imagine what the emperor was instilling into his people without our knowledge... When it finally happened, we had no possible means of foreseeing it."

We had just stepped into the courtyard that held the royal gardens. The sun was bright with nary a cloud in the sky. A stark contrast to the dire situation at hand. Celestia paused in her words, allowing Luna to take the lead as we continued to walk along. "One by one, the settlements nearest the empire's borders began to fall silent. Communication with them ceased. And yet, nopony suspected that an act of treason was in order. We did not comprehend what was transpiring until Celestia and I were greeted by an approaching detachment of human warriors at our castle gates deep within the Everfree Forest."

"Did they...attack?" I asked as a chill settled into my heart. What in the world happened? No... They could not have...

Thankfully, Luna's response at least partially calmed my fears. "No. They immediately surrendered. Barely a hundred men strong, they were under orders to storm our castle and subdue us. But they did not. And it was because of her..."

"Her? You mean... The one leading the unit?" I asked while still completely in the dark over this dark time that had long since passed.

"Yes... Her. The emperor's daughter." Celestia finally spoke as she looked back at me. "Dear Megan... The human princess, clad in enchanted armor, led her people to us. But she could not bring herself to betray us. She surrendered, as did her men. We took them in cautiously and she explained...everything..."

"Go on..." I muttered as Celestia lost the drive to speak. Nightmare Moon began to step near as we wandered through the gardens.

"The emperor had been instilling a radical dogma into his people. No doubt as a result of being convinced that Discord's temptations held some degree of truth. Something about humans being the true masters of the world, with the potential to reign over all. Whether that was true or not, our former friends had begun invading nearby settlements and taking our people captive. And the emperor himself was en route to rendezvous with his daughter. Even while the rest of the empire stood poised to advance and make the entirety of Equestria theirs and theirs alone." Nightmare Moon explained while looking and sounded both disgusted and unsettled.

Luna took the opportunity to take the lead. "And yet... Starswirl. I will never know how, but he had the foresight to know that humanity had the capacity to be swayed from Equestria's way of life and succumb to the darker side of their nature. Even in the hopes of it never having to be used, he devised a spell that should only be used as a last resort in tandem with the Elements of Harmony. He was long gone by the time that rebellion occurred, but his fears became realized."

"I take it...that the spell did end up being used?" I asked, finding this tale to be both unsettling, yet compelling. All I could do was listen.

"Patience, friend." Luna retorted as she continued to explain. "Megan... She was the only one not to be swayed by her father's twisted philosophy. During the entire trek west to our castle, she spoke often with the soldiers under her command. She managed to convince them of the folly that was their quest to dominate. She convinced them to all stand down once they reached their destination. They were all...profusely apologetic over having been swayed by the temptations of dominance, even if just for a moment. But more than anything, Megan beseeched us to put an end to her father's machinations at any cost. Before Equestria could be consumed by the sins of humanity."

Celestia found the will to speak again during a brief pause in her sister's words. "Mother and Father were soon on the scene as well. They had witnessed the bedlam and were prepared to provide us with aid should the need arise. We waited... And sure enough, with thousands of men at his command, the emperor arrived. Even as Luna and I stood ready with the Elements of Harmony ready to purge our world of this imbalance."

After a long sigh, Celestia continued. "The emperor... He was surprised to see that we had not been attacked and stood by our few remaining human friends as Megan stood at the vanguard, making one last attempt to bring her father to his senses. Trying to remind him of the prosperity and camaraderie that our close ties have always brought each other. But he in turn tried to tempt her with what could be. That they could be so much more if they would only reach out and take all that was there to claim as theirs."

The four of us stopped. This tale was almost at an end. All three of the royal sisters stood with heads bowed, not at all pleased with the memory that was being dug up after what had likely been years since it was last recalled. "Megan...raised her hand. Her father would not be turned away from the path to ruin he had set out upon with all of his people following his decree. The Elements of Harmony activated. Mother and Father cast Starswirl's final gift just as the emperor ordered his men to charge. And with that... The Elements of Harmony cast their purifying force across the world. When the light faded... The emperor was gone. As was his men. Megan and her unit still stood before us, but the rest of mankind... The plains went empty."

"The Empty Plains..." I muttered as those words resonated with me. That vast open wilderness to the east I had seen on the globe... The empty remnants of a once thriving empire wiped clean from the face of the planet. Almost as if the entirety of Equestria was desperately trying to forget about what had once been there.

Even though I had not once mentioned that place to them, the three sisters around me showed no sign of surprise. Nightmare Moon spoke next as she said, "Yes... That is what they came to be called. With the aid of Starswirl's spell, the Elements of Harmony purged our world of human sin, banishing them to distant worlds that could sustain them and leaving them unable to harm anyone. Megan turned to us with a heavy heart, apologizing tearfully for being unable to stop her people from being unable to resist the vices within their hearts. But we were quick to comfort her and her men. They resisted that call. And it was all we could ask of them. The Elements had judged them. And they had been spared."

"But what followed next shed light on what the emperor's true intentions for the people of Equestria were." Luna spoke as she looked increasingly uncomfortable with what was likely going through her mind. "We immediately set out to regain contact with the settlements that had gone silent in the prior weeks. Upon arrival with the first, we found the citizens had not been harmed. Although... The conditions we found them in..."

"They were...enslaved...?" I asked as I felt a hole open in my gut.

"Slaves are at least provided with housing, James." She replied as I suddenly had an idea of where this was going. "They were shackled and bound to outdoor pens and stables... Not as slaves. More like.....livestock. Their captors had spoken of 'domestication' at times..."

The very concept of my own kind doing such a thing to the people of Equestria... Viewing them as lesser beings to be subjugated in such a manner... I felt inherently ashamed for being even remotely associated to my forbearers. With no words to say, I could only let Nightmare Moon begin to speak. "Megan and her remaining people assisted us in freeing them, but they were deeply afraid of and distrustful towards their former human allies. Word spread quickly around the world of humanity's betrayal and subsequent exodus from this world. Our people's faith in humanity had been forever sullied. The few remaining humans became pariahs. We had no choice. One by one, every last one of them was relocated to towns and settlements across the world with the strict order that they be treated respectfully by all for the rest of their days. I am led to believe our people granted them at least that much, but..."

Luna spoke solemnly as even Nightmare Moon could not find the will to continue. "We... We had to allow humanity to die out. As the decades went by, the few remaining humans in our world faded away. Megan was the last... She remained with us for the rest of her days. And with her demise... The Element of Humanity itself faded from this world with her."

I turned my gaze to the ground. All that time ago... That law. The one that drove me to hide in the Everfree Forest that one time. I did not even have to ask why it had ever been passed. Its entire existence was for the sake of pacifying the fears of the people by forbidding interbreeding with humans. And now... Everything else about its source was being laid out before me. "I see... And yet...the emperor still lives? Wasn't he banished with the rest of them?"

The three princesses before me seemed unsure of how to respond to that at first. They too looked baffled. Humans have very finite lifespans. And I doubt there is a simple immortality spell that he could have cast upon himself. Eve if he did cheat the Elements of Harmony somehow, he could not possibly still be alive today. Luna was the first to speak. "That is certainly a riddle for the ages... However... He was easily the most accomplished human mage in Equestria's long history. Undoubtedly a match for Starswirl the Bearded himself. If Starswirl could develop a spell that could banish every human in the world who had succumbed to their base desires for dominance, the emperor could have likely forged a counter to it. Perhaps he did escape the Elements... As for how he still draws breath... I cannot say. But he still lives. That scroll in your hand and the methods that were used to deliver it to us is proof enough."

I went silent. My eyes fell upon the tattered scroll in my grasp. I may not have seen the entity that delivered it, but they did. I then turned my gaze to them once more. "Then...I guess that brings us to why I'm here. And I mean why you brought me to this world. Please... Tell me what I'm even doing here."

Nightmare Moon and Luna both turned their gazes towards Celestia. It was she who began this endeavor in the first place. With a sigh, Celestia began to speak. "Even though our human allies betrayed us, it always felt like something was missing afterward. Equestria desperately sought to forget this most disturbing betrayal and they ultimately succeeded. Any memories of humankind faded from the masses and those that did not became myth. And that was the opportunity I sought to bring our old friends back into the fold and start over. Equestria was not meant to be without men. Your kind were once very respected and dear friends of Equestria's people and I know such a thing can become real once more. Although...I never could have foreseen his survival."

I felt I had learned all I needed to know by then. What a tragic and sordid history humankind had in Equestria. But now there was only one left. Even if his people had long since ceased to be, this...forgotten emperor still seemed hellbent on fulfilling the mission he had set out to accomplish eons ago. A declaration of war had been made. He was coming. And so I had to ask. "Well then... What now? If he's gathered his men and is launching an invasion from The Empty Plains, you know what's coming. What's next? Rally the guard? Call out for volunteers? Ready a defense?"

They did not immediately respond. They looked...torn. Their gazes wandering. Nightmare Moon in particular appeared frustrated as well. Finally, Luna provided an answer. "We...don't know."

I was at a loss for words for a moment. They...did not have a means to face this threat? "But... But... The enemy is coming. An army...is coming, right? Then..."

"You must understand, James." Celestia said with such a forlorn gaze in her eyes. They all looked so...powerless in the face of this threat. "War is not in our nature. It never has been and never will be. What is approaching us... It is war. And I dread the thought of enlisting our people to take up arms and serve in something that is not for them. Make no mistake, we must tend to this impending threat, but... We just do not know at this time of how to do so."

I bowed my head. There was truth to her words. War... It feels like such an alien concept after spending this much time in Equestria. The royal guard is one thing, but they are guardians. Not warriors. I just cannot...imagine the ponies or any other race of Equestria waging war on a battlefield. They do not belong there. And I would never want to see them there. "I... I see... Is that all then...?"

After maybe a good ten seconds of silence as we all shared a solemn gaze, Nightmare Moon spoke to me. "Yes... You are dismissed."

I turned and walked away. Just wandering through the garden and back into the palace. Going up and down stairs as I wandered in the halls with no one approaching me, just trying to make sense of all I had been told. War was coming. The enemy were approaching from the east. How many days did we have left before they reached their first target? Days? Weeks? Would they take their enemies alive? Would they be put to the sword? What could we do?

I eventually came to a balcony that overlooked the west. And beyond it in the distance was Ponyville. My home. Where many of my friends were going about their daily routines. Completely oblivious to the peril that was surely approaching even then. A peril they likely could not comprehend. I did not think less of them for not having a warrior's spirit. War...does not belong in Equestria.

My eyes studied the distant layout of the town I had become so familiar with. The one place in Equestria I would rather be than anywhere else. What was I supposed to do with the knowledge that had only just then been bestowed upon me? Simply return home and go about my business in the town I adore until an invading army marches into town and does...lord knows what to us all? Could even I bring myself to go home at this rate while knowing that our days of idyllic peace were numbered?

My thoughts went out to those who were closest to me. Fluttershy. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle. Applejack. And even beyond them... Scootaloo. Smolder. Gladesong. And so many others... What would become of them once the enemy marched into town? And every other town and city beyond that?

A hand rose to my face as I let out a sigh. I felt so helpless. I have never been a warrior. The threats I had faced thus far, even with my enchanted armor, felt like nothing compared to what I would likely face on a battlefield. And yet... As I pulled my hand away and gazed upon it...

My armor... My weapons. Enchanted plate armor. With gauntlets that contained the magical energies of the most powerful mares in the world. A shield impervious to all harm. A sword that had yet to meet its match. I had the means to fight. I had the means to make a difference. I had the power. But did I have the will to use it?

I gazed out at the horizon. And at the humble town down in the valley. I love this world. I love Equestria. I love its people. I love everything that it stands for. And I do not want to see it fall and cease to be. I had the power. The power to do...something. Anything. Steeling my nerves and psyching myself up, I turned and marched through the door behind me and back into the palace. Before my resolve could have the opportunity to waver. I had too much to lose now. I could not just stand by and watch. I had to do something!

I soon entered the throne room once more. Celestia was upon her throne, but it seemed that Luna and Nightmare Moon had business elsewhere as their thrones stood empty. As I approached her, Celestia took note of my presence. "James? Is there...something I can do for you?"

I inhaled sharply as I gazed up at her with my nerves set alight. I had to stay on course. If I yielded now... "Open the vault. Please."

"Why would..." Celestia asked before she suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened with horror as she took little time to understand what I was demanding of her. "You... No... You're not truly considering..."

"Please..." I said again, trying to keep my will strong. "Open the vault."

Without a word, Celestia hesitantly rose from her throne and stepped down from the platform it rested upon. She had no right to deny me what belongs exclusively to me. She stood at my side as her horn was coated by her billowing golden aura. Slowly, the throne's foundation rose up on the hidden pillars installed below it as the darkened spiraling stairwell was revealed. Celestia did not follow me as I made my way down.

The hidden hall was dimly lit by perpetually flickering torches affixed to the walls. And at the end of the hall, I found what I was seeking. The Lunar Shield set upon the wall with the Celestial Sword resting in its scabbard on the backside. A basin filled with a swirling metal liquid of whites and blues stood before me. And just behind it sat my helmet. The Element of Humanity's polished white form serving as the last remaining remnant of a time of Equestria's past that was beginning to unearth itself.

I removed my shoes with only a moment's hesitation and plunged my hand into the swirling liquid. Recognizing its master, the liquid metal crawled up my arm and spreading itself over my body until a familiar suit of winged plate armor coated my body. I reached out and placed the helmet upon my head as its intangible helmet plume spread from the backside. Lastly, I removed the Lunar Shield from the wall and closed the gilded clasps onto my left arm to secure it. I was ready. It was time to go.

Moments later, I stood before Celestia in the throne room as the vault was sealed behind me. She gazed at me with a look of deep concern as she asked, "I don't suppose there is anything I can do to change your mind?"

"That's the point, Celestia." I replied while desperately trying to hold fast to my courage. "I need to get out of here before I can change my mind. I love this world... And I know I have the power to do something about this. I don't know exactly what I can do, but... I'll find out when I get there."

"You don't even have a plan... But you're going anyway..." Celestia muttered as she looked so tempted to go with me. But I knew she had to stay. In case I could not stop them. If the enemy reached Canterlot, it would fall to her and her sisters to repel them. She then asked, "What about them? Back home?"

"If I tell them... They'll try to stop me. I know they will. And...I won't be able to deny them." I said quietly, knowing I did not have time to even say goodbye. If I tried to, my friends and family would surely plead with me, begging me to not go. And...they would succeed. I know they would. "Please... Don't tell them."

"Very well..." Celestia muttered as she stood aside. As I marched past her, she whispered to me. "Best of luck... My sunshine..."

I hesitated for an instant upon hearing those words. I did not want to leave. But I had to. I had to do something. I then stepped out of the throne room and stepped past the guards as they remained at their posts. But barely twenty paces later, I heard a voice behind me. "James! Wait."

Celestia. I turned to look at her, wondering what she wanted. With such a conflicted gaze set into her face, she spoke to me. "Forgive me... I can't let you go. Not like this."

I raised an eyebrow at those words. What did she mean by that? Celestia then turned to the two guards that stood at the sides of the throne room's doors. "Guards. Seize him. He is to be placed under house arrest."

My eyes went wide as I suddenly realized why she was doing this. Unexpected, yet unsurprising. The guards also looked bewildered as to why they had been commanded to arrest me, but they soon stood at my sides. They lightly tilted their spears towards me in a confused manner as one said, "You... Uh... You heard her, sir. This way."

I could not... If I let myself be dissuaded now...

With a long sigh, I focused the magical energies in each gauntlet as they and the two guards beside me were coated in matching auras before suddenly being pushed away and up against the corridor's walls. The guards yelped as they were pinned with their spears falling to the floor. I cast my gaze towards Celestia as she too looked back at me. She loved me too much... Enough to try to stop me from marching off to face a threat I may not come back from. Without a word, I turned and ran down the hall. Seconds later, an alarm began to ring throughout the palace. I was not getting out of the castle that easily.

A swathe of guardsmen gathered at the end of the next hall, spears ready to try and subdue me. They likely had no idea what the context of the situation was. All they likely knew was that they had to contain me. Never before have I ever had to face off against ponies like this. Not when I was about to set out to face something that was anything if not equine.

I was not about to do harm to the royal guard. With a flap of my armor's great wings, I launched myself through the air with a long leap to completely clear the unit of armored stallions. But just behind them was another group guarding a door. Trying to think quickly, I made a detour down the hall on my left. All I had to do was find a way outside and I could be on my way.

I soon found my way into the grand hall on the ground floor, dozens of royal guardsmen flooding in with spears ready. Some stood upon the floor. Others hovered in the air. I had nothing to say to them. All that I could do was try and find a way out. How was I going to get past them?

The most obvious exits were heavily guarded by larger concentrations of guardsmen. They would be difficult to bypass. But as I looked around while considering my options, I saw one guard who stood out from the rest as he stood before the grand staircase leading up into the higher sections of the palace. "James... I don't really get what's going on, but please... Stand down and come with us."

Shining Armor. The captain himself was standing before me with spear ready while looking so very conflicted over his orders. He could not have known what was about to happen. And seeing him warmed my heart just a moment as my resolve began to waver. "I... I'm glad I could see you one last time, Armor."

"One last... James... Wha...?" Shining Armor muttered as he left himself open. Something about what I said bothered him. Even though he lowered his guard, the men around him would easily cover for him if I were to try anything. "Don't say that. We're not going to hurt you. Just... Come with us."

"War is coming, captain." I tried to explain in as subtle a manner as I could while preparing a spell with the use of my left gauntlet, its blue magic aura hidden behind the Lunar Shield. I steeled my resolve, trying to keep my drive alive. "And I'm not going to let it reach you."

In a flash of light, I was suddenly at the top of the stairs and behind the wall of armored pegasi who had been blocking my path. I looked back down at them all as they took a moment to pinpoint my new location. Shining Armor... The look on his face. I think he knew at that point that there was no stopping me by then. I turned and ran up the stairs to my left, knowing that I could make my escape through a balcony.

I could hear the clamoring of armored hooves in the distance behind me. How many were there? Regardless, I found what I was looking for. I barged through the door and rushed through Celestia's own private chambers before pushing the glass doors ahead of me aside and stepping out onto the balcony. The sky was blue with barely a cloud to be seen. As if the world itself was oblivious to the encroaching danger approaching from the east. But just as I was about to spread my wings and take flight, a shout reached my ears. "FREEZE!!!"

There was something not right about the sounds that joined that command. When I turned to face the doors leading back inside, I was greeted with five unicorn stallions glaring me down with weapons raised. Not spears, but crossbows. The bolts were primed and ready to be launched right at my face. I felt uneasy, even in my shield could easily protect me. But before the situation could escalate further, a voice came from behind them. "Stand down, gentlemen."

We all looked beyond the doors in surprise. Celestia stepped out onto the balcony with a most forlorn gaze set into her eyes. She shared a gaze with me before looking at her guards. "You can't stop him now. Even if you tried. Return to your positions."

More confused than anything else, the five guardsmen left the two of us alone as the palace fell quiet as if nothing had happened. Celestia and I shared a long silent gaze as I waited for her to speak. She soon quietly asked, "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"No... I don't want to do this..." I muttered while not looking forward to whatever I may find over the horizon. "But if I don't... What then? I love this world and everything it stands for. I don't want to watch Equestria...die."

She closed her eyes, as trying to find something to say. With no words coming from Celestia, I continued to speak. "Besides... You gave me this power. And it feels like... The more I think about it, the more it feels like...this is what this equipment was created for. Like everything thus far was the prelude to...whatever is about to happen."

"Even if it is..." Celestia muttered while looking like she was desperately trying to hold back tears. She inhaled sharply to steel her nerves as she stepped closer to me. "I can't stop you... I won't. I just... I love you... You know that..."

"And I love you." I whispered as I took a step towards the beautiful Princess of the Dawn. As we gazed into each other's eyes, a powerful longing filled my heart. My right hand tenderly cupped her face as I asked, "One...last time?"

Celestia gasped in a haggard breath as her tears very suddenly flowed freely down her face. Her right wing reached out and draped itself over me to pull me close. "Don't say last...!"

She brought her lips to mine as a few tears managed to squeeze themselves free from my eyes. I held her in my arm as our kiss deepened, our tongues dancing as we tasted each other one last time. I love her... My queen. Even if no one else could be allowed to know, I love that wonderful creature...

Tears still streamed down her face as Celestia pulled her head back, my own breathing erratic and uneasy as I tried desperately to maintain my resolve. Her wing on me slowly and reluctantly released me from its grasp. At last, she whispered to me. "Go with grace, my love... My king..."

Her words pierced my heart. She did not want to see me go. And I did not want to leave. But for the sake of Equestria, I had to. With great hesitation, I spread my armor's great wings and took to the sky as I began to soar east. But as I did, I soon turned around and drifted backwards to turn my gaze back towards the west. I could still see Ponyville. The town I have called home since my arrival in this wonderful world. I felt myself chocking up again. Would I ever see it again?

All I can do is just head east. I barely have any idea of what I am doing or what I might find out there. But I cannot go back. Not until this is over. Whatever that forgotten emperor intends to unleash upon Equestria, I... I have to at least do something to counter it. I know I have great power at my disposal. I can only pray it will be enough.

I just need to stay determined. I have a task to fulfill. The Empty Plains await.