Honour Bound

---

Corporal Honour Bound’s heart was racing. Days of training and preparation had all culminated in a live demonstration just five minutes long, if that. From what she could see in the faces of the crowd, the show seemed to have gone over well enough. But if so, that was only because the audience hadn't noticed the faults and errors which nearly derailed things.

Thank Celestia nopony had brought a telescope or binoculars -- or even a pair of opera glasses. Otherwise, they would certainly have spotted that moment at the end of the straightaway when the corporal almost toppled the cart over by trying to take the corner too fast. Even though she’d practiced it dozens of times before today, something about the added weight of the wooden armor and the extra stress from performing had caused her to slip up. The rebound from that mistake, when the vehicle lurched from one side to the other, was as terrifying as the initial skid, and Honour was still not sure just how she’d managed to keep the vehicle under control. Maybe it was the Royal Engineer's earlier training when they’d skidded on the gravel in front of the barracks circle; maybe the vehicle was more stable than she thought; maybe it was just a plain old Celestial miracle. Her Majesty was, after all, in attendance.

Whatever the cause of her salvation, Honour’s forehooves still felt a bit weak from gripping the tiller so tightly.

On top of her driving, there was also the moment on the far side of the track, when Sparkshower's lance dug in too deep on the wood, gashing the upper armor, sending splinters flying everywhere, and almost ripping the weapon right out of her hooves. Only the fact that Artemis had all four of them on the Bradamante Lance, instead of the usual two on any other kind of spear, allowed her to yank it back out with the force of her mighty wings. And only Glamerspear's quick duck-down for cover kept her head attached to her shoulders, too.

Their Majesties, thankfully, had not been served crumpets just to witness a decapitation.

And it was a good thing Princess Celestia didn't ask the nearly-headless unicorn to step down out of the car after their demonstration, instead of the earth pony, or else everypony would have noticed the trail of vomit running down the front of her neck. Before that morning, the Royal Engineer's carriage had provided a harsh, bouncy ride, just like any other cheap wagon on the rough roads of Baltimare or Manehattan. But now, the newly-armored carriage swayed and wobbled incessantly, turning every bump into a minute-long oscillation. No wonder Glamerspear had gotten sick; even Honour’s stomach still felt pretty heavy.

Honour glanced back at the vehicle, currently being inspected by General Foxhall and his entourage from the Royal Guard's General Staff. Their unicorn gunner had disappeared beneath her cupola, presumably to freshen things up. Provided Sergeant 'Blackspear' didn’t take too many questions, it should go all right. The corporal watched as one of the HQ officers asked the disguised batpony a question, for which Sparkshower appeared and spoke up first, with an 'I-can-answer-that-for-you-Sergeant'-look. 'Blackspear' nodded in acknowledgement, and after the pegasus provided an answer, the next question got directed straight at the subordinate.

‘Good; that's a load of worry off my back.’

Up top, Glamerspear's head reappeared at her cupola after having been gone for a worrisome minute or two. No doubt she'd used some unicorn magic to mop up her mess before one of the flying audience members -- or more enthusiastic climbers -- could pay her a visit.

As the corporal came up beside the Royal Engineer, she turned away from the vehicle and cleared her throat. She was a safe distance from the main crowd, while Their Highnesses were still quite a ways further away up the track, apparently engaged in some private conversation.

"Sir, I wanted to mention -- the Whirlwind's ride today is very-"

He nodded, cutting her off. "Bouncy. Yes, I know. I ordered the leaf springs after deciding to armor the vehicle, and they're designed to take that weight. Before today, the springs barely flexed at all, so the carriage may as well still have been bolted straight to the axles. But now that things are properly loaded, the setup needs shock absorbers to dampen the vibrations."

He sighed. "I have the parts on my workbench, back in my quarters. But I didn't have the time to assemble them, let alone fit them to the vehicle. That was something I might even have done today, if not for the sudden crunch." Shrugging, he continued on. "Maybe I was mistaken about the Princess' schedule. I hope Specialist Glamerspear will be alright."

Damn it, if he noticed that she threw up, all while giving his speech...

Then again, he probably knew what to look for -- and also at whom to look, since Glamerspear had gotten carriage-sick before.

Maybe he also knew that Honour’s hooves had been shaking on the pedals and the tiller.

And, maybe, he had been just as nervous about the demonstration as she was.

The corporal had been rough on the vehicle; maneuvering it in a stressful situation was a lot tougher than just doing leisurely loops around the track. Even Ebonshield had blurted something out next to her, when she’d almost lost control; '¡Me-airda!' or something like that. Up until that point, she'd managed to keep her mouth shut except for Equestrian monosyllabic words.

Honour looked ahead towards the two rulers of Equestria, sitting in communion upon the open field that hosted the Royal Enclosure during the prestigious Gold Cup held on the summer solstice. Here, at the end of the track's main straightaway, Equestria's elite hobnobbed and luncheoned in sumptuous comfort during a day at the races. The Gold Cup wasn't as enormous an event as the Gala, but even so, gossip and photos about the attendees filled the news for days before and afterward. Minute details about who wore what hat and what outfit, and who was seen with whom, were covered as abundantly as the actual winners of the Cup itself.

Right now, this area after the final turn was just a grassy, flat field at the edge of the bleachers.

But who knows? Honour hadn’t been with the Royal Engineer for even a month, and he was already taking his quaternion to the Gala. If her rotation lasted another two months, maybe he'd bring her to the Gold Cup, too. And then she’d need to shop for a summer dress and hat -- the scandalously-brief and equally scandalously-transparent red cocktail dress Glamerspear had somehow finagled her into choosing was absolutely inappropriate for a day among the aristocracy at the Royal Eastern Cottage Racetrack.

Honour suppressed a small chuckle. Considering how much work it'd been just to pick out that one Gala outfit, she wasn't really looking forward to another shopping spree, but at least it would be less terrifying than what she and the quat' had just managed on the racetrack.

The thought of that was strangely calming.

Feeling relaxed at last, Honour took a deep breath. Suddenly, the prospect of facing the two rulers of Equestria in person didn’t seem so bad. With a smile creeping its way onto her face, she looked up confidently at her Very Important Pony who isn't actually a pony.

The half-hollow stare in his eyes immediately wiped away her cheer.

Anonymous hesitantly licked his lips, and she saw him swallow nervously. There was sweat gathering at his brow, and it was still cool enough that morning that it couldn’t be just from wearing a top hat.

The Royal Engineer's nervous expression raised the corporal’s hackles, and she furrowed her brow in confusion. He didn't seem at all afraid to face the whole crowd -- including Their Majesties -- during the demonstration, so what was this about, now? Having himself noticed the flaws in her driving, was he worried that one or both of the Princesses had also spotted their errors? And yet, of all the ponies present, surely Their Majesties understood that this was just a prototype, and a hastily organized first unveiling?

Would Their Majesties rein him in over a few problems in execution? From what Honour understood, they'd appointed Anonymous to his position on the basis of his theories alone; it didn't make sense to kick him down over an under-cooked demo. And didn't Their Majesties have bigger things to worry about -- the Gala, for example? Yet, they had found the time to attend this event, and on very short notice, too.

Honour found herself infected by her charge's nervousness.

Maybe it was just exhaustion. He worked hard all night long, and the day before had hardly involved a normal sleep schedule, either. But when Princess Luna had dropped in on short notice almost two weeks ago, her VIP had been nothing less than a perfectly cordial host, remaining calm and collected even while the corporal, and the rest of the quaternion, were overwhelmed by the Princess of the Moon's spellbinding presence. And that had been a meeting conducted with full pomp and circumstance, with a herald and a troop of Her Majesty's Life Guards; not just four ponies -- well, three ponies and a non-pony -- chatting in an open field.

There were some members of the Household Division's Life Guards here, but they were all back over by the stands or further away at the outer perimeter of the racetrack, acting like good servants: reassuringly visible, but unobtrusive. It made for a more intimate, almost casual, atmosphere. Almost like a picnic.

The only thing Honour imagined which could possibly make this encounter more stressful than his one-on-one with Luna, besides the topic of discussion, was the presence of the elder Royal Sister. He hadn't seemed nervous around Her Majesty when the corporal was first presented and assigned to him nearly three weeks ago, though.

Honour looked deep into the Royal Engineer's eyes. There was another mystery to solve here, as well. When Princess Luna visited, she'd wondered if Her Presence would affect him the same way it affected ponies. As she had revelled in the fantastic experience, the only spot of -- disappointment? -- had been when she noticed that Anonymous seemed to be unfazed by the display. It wasn’t clear if he’d even noticed. But now, Princess Celestia was here, and while it was said that She knew how to 'switch off' Her mystical aura, some ponies who had experienced both claimed that Hers was more intense.

Was that it? Honour had been nervous at the prospect of facing Luna's aura; was he just nervous about Celestia's?

Or, maybe he'd experienced it before?

Anonymous came to a stop, and the corporal had to suddenly check herself so that she wouldn't carelessly step out in front of him. Up ahead, the two sisters were still in communion with each other. He was staring forwards at them, and yet, almost past Them. Honour noticed him fidget with his hands: adjusting his gloves, squeezing his palms, and crossing his fingers.

‘He really is apprehensive.’

Having failed to deduce the cause of his tension on her own, should she speak up? It might be better for her to be in on the cause of his anxiety; maybe she could give him some reassurance. Not that he'd ever really seemed to need it before.

Honour swallowed, before clearing her throat. "Ahem. Is something wrong, sir?"

He squinted, then shook his head slightly. "No, no..." There was a weak attempt at a smile."I think everything's gone well, don't you?"

She nodded, slowly. "Yes, sir."

Anonymous straightened up again, dropping his hands to his sides. "Right. Good."

He put on a show of seeming relaxed, but it didn’t really work. Now he was just nervously standing still, instead of jittering.

Honour turned away from him to look towards her Sovereigns. He'd always been straightforward with her when it came to her duty; maybe a change of phrasing would get him to open up?

"Sir, before we meet with Their Majesties, is there something I should know?"

That elicited a twitch of his throat muscles. The Royal Engineer opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. After a long pause, he pulled his gaze away from the Rulers of Equestria to look down at the grass in front of him.

Her VIP sighed. "Yes, I suppose so."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Months ago, when I told Her Majesty that I wanted to build something after writing the book, she had a request. She made me promise something, and..."

Suddenly, his face darkened, "And despite our success today, I'm afraid I've broken that promise."

‘That does sound serious.’

Before he could reveal the details, Honour heard Princess Celestia calling over to them both.

"Anonymous and Corporal Bound, would you join us now, please?"

The Princess of the Sun's voice was nothing but pleasant and congenial, and when Honour looked over at Her, She was standing shoulder-to-somewhat-lower-shoulder with Her sister, a welcoming smile on Her face. The earth pony could understand being nervous about a broken promise, but given the circumstances, it was hard to imagine that the Princess was about to grill her VIP.

Anonymous walked up, and Honour followed alongside him until she was standing before the two rulers of Equestria. While the corporal sat down and puffed her chest out, raising a forehoof in a sharp salute, he removed his hat and bowed to each of Them in turn, starting with Princess Celestia.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Thank you for this opportunity. I hope Your Majesties both enjoyed the demonstration."

Standing beside Her sister, Luna stayed silent, Her blue mane and tail softly waving even in the calm air. The older, larger sister cut a more imposing figure, despite Her amiable look and spectacularly animated hair.

"Oh, yes. We found it very interesting. You seem to have thought of everything: interesting guests, trained performers, accompanying music -- even treats for the attendees. Very unlike your fall and winter lectures. It was much more exciting this way. I hope it's just the first of many."

The Royal Engineer shuffled his feet in the grassy turf, his hands idly gripping the brim of his hat. "Your Majesty is too kind. I certainly hope to arrange more performances of this type, now that I'm a little more comfortable in Equestria. As for the accompaniments, it's a different audience today. Convincing the wise with scientific arguments is one thing. 'Selling' a practical device is another."

She chuckled. "I suppose so, but what a marvellous device it is, and what a tremendous pace you set in building it."

He bowed again at the compliment. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Though I admit I could not yet call it fully complete."

It only took a gentle brush of Her eyelashes to acknowledge the Royal Engineer, before Princess Celestia turned Her attention to Honour. "And you, Corporal Bound? How do you feel about Our Royal Engineer's 'Whirlwind'?"

Her reply was calm and confident. "It's an excellent vehicle, Your Majesty. I'm sure the General Staff will appreciate its usefulness, given recent events over the past few years."

This was an important moment; she decided to kick in a little extra. "And it's been a privilege to participate in the development so far."

Celestia's Royal eyelashes fluttered once more, and She almost imperceptibly tilted Her head down towards the corporal. But it was Princess Luna who spoke up first.

"Do the other members of thy quaternion feel the same way, Corporal?"

She turned to face the Princess of the Moon. "Yes, Your Majesty, I would say so."

Anonymous followed up, speaking humbly. "All of my guards have been of great help in preparing the Whirlwind. Even the name itself was suggested by Specialist Sparkshower."

Celestia tilted Her head back slightly, and Honour noticed something else for the first time. Her VIP, whose head stood just taller than Sparkshower's when she was balancing on her hind hooves, had to look up to stare into the eyes of Equestria's solar potentate. The only other creature he'd had to do that with, so far, had been the minotaur blacksmith couple, the Bronzehorns. For someone she'd come to admire, it did seem to diminish him a bit.

Then again, how could he compare to the Princess of the Sun?

---

Suggested background music: Hans Zimmer - 'Dreaming of the Crash', from 'Interstellar' [2014]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwkLZg6WDek

---

Both Princess nodded, and there was a moment of silence where her VIP -- an appointed member of the Blue Chamber, the highest council of the land, and somepony who by definition must be in the highest trust of Equestria'a sovereigns -- struggled to meekly meet Princess Celestia's gaze.

As Honour stood there before Her, side-by-side with her VIP, a gust of wind blew up, pushing away the veil of clouds which had been hanging overhead all morning. The flat, grey sky thus revealed quickly broke up and faded into a brilliant blue, while underneath and all around her, the dew-laden grass shimmered and glistened in the light, as the spring breeze gently rustled through the blades. Bathed in the rays of Her celestial companion, the radiant Solar Princess of Equestria seemed to grow in eminence and glory.

Then She opened Her mouth, speaking simply and plainly, in nothing less than a pleasant tone.

"You have built a weapon of war, Anonymous."

It was just an observation; a statement of fact.

It was a dagger in his chest.

Honour could almost see the air in his lungs disappear when he tried to answer.

"I..."

His shoulders hunched over and his head drooped. "I have. I'm sorry."

Slowly, he lifted his hands up, as if groping for the blade embedded in his sternum. "I forgot my promise to you; only now did I remember it. I have no excuse, I simply..."

Unable to find the words to dress the wound, his arms limply fell to his sides, defeated and useless. "I just got caught up in everything."

Honour was speechless.

She looked to her Sovereigns.

Luna's mane glittered like the clear evening sky. It was as beautiful now as it was the first time the earth pony went away from the city's smothering lights and looked up to see the night's natural beauty. She felt aware of something, deep inside of her, just as she did when Luna visited her VIP in his chambers. Something pure and potent; an inner glow. Yet, as wondrous as Her magical hair was, it seemed but a pale reflection of the pastel brilliance shining beside it. A multicoloured bloom seemed to envelop Celestia, with tiny spots that flashed brightly and then winked out of sight, like shooting stars flying straight at her. For a few moments, Honour was utterly spellbound, watching and waiting for the next glorious burst.

‘There!’

Another sparkling display.

It was as gorgeous as the rest.

Then the background of Her mane and its weaving waves of pink, blue, and green caught her attention, their soft undulations drawing her back to the here and now.

Honour blinked, and glanced around. It wasn’t just the grass and the sky that glowed; even the white-painted wooden fence and bleachers of the Royal Eastern Cottage Racetrack seemed to bask in the sun, radiating light and warmth. Something tugged at the back of her mind, and almost out of instinct she tried to turn to look behind her, but that was an incomparably slow process. The visitor stands seemed to go on forever, stretching miles and miles away, requiring her to turn her neck further and further, until it seemed that she must have twisted it around completely backwards.

Then she had to squint, staring down the strip of brown earth at tiny specks on the horizon. In her mind, she knew that the carriage, and the crowd, and Sparkshower, Glamerspear, and Ebonshield, weren’t even half a kilometer away. But they were all so tiny, and the ground seemed to stretch on for so far, that Honour’s eyes told her they may as well be on the other side of the world. All she could really make out was the grey spot of the carriage, with tiny specks of color around on and top of it.

Once again, the here and the now beckoned, and the corporal had to slowly turn her neck again in another gruelling exercise, until she was at last facing forwards, beholding the radiant Princesses once more. Before them, her VIP had shrunk before the two beacons, standing small and alone in a prisoner's box made of light.

‘This is awful.’

‘He's done such wonderful things for Equestria!’

‘Even if he has broken a promise to Her Majesty.’

‘Won't he say anything in his own defense?’

It didn’t look like he would.

‘Well, should he really have to defend himself, anyways? That's what he has bodyguards for!’

"Your Majesties!"

Honour blurted out the interjection almost without thinking, and there was a sudden, heavy feeling in her gut, accompanied by a deep shudder, as the Princesses turned their attention to her. A wave of something passed over her, and while the nervous feeling didn’t go away, she found herself compelled to complete her statement.

"The Royal Engineer is telling the truth. He didn't set out to build a weapon of war."

For some reason it was a little hard to breathe; all of the air she inhaled came rushing back out as speech.

"He had a pas-de-sabots thrust upon him, and it was my decision that we stand and fight. He's only reacted to what he saw happen in the duel between Specialist Glamerspear and Lieutenant Kilfeather."

With her chest emptied, Honour almost choked for lack of breath, sputtering out more words.

"The Whirlwind was only a self-propelled carriage at first; the changes were made to benefit the Royal Guard..."

Something pushed her further, beyond the basic facts -- and despite the growing fire in her lungs. "And he just wanted to impress, so that Your Majesty would approve his proposals for greater works."

Uttering the last word unshackled the bonds on her throat, and she gasped, finally able to draw in her fill.

Princess Celestia, beautiful and terrible as the dawn, towered over her as the Sun over the Earth.

"I see..."

She smiled, and it was a warm smile, a tender smile. A mother’s smile; a smile to move one to tears.

"...Well, my little pony, I am impressed. But I'm also concerned, and with good reason."

Her Majesty's gaze passed back to the Royal Engineer. "And I understand you commissioned arms and have been training in personal combat?"

The question was for him, but Honour still felt the call to answer Her. Except, mercifully, this time it came with no shortness of breath.

"Your Majesty, it was Sergeant Ebonshield who advised him to receive combat training, after the pas-de-sabots incident where the Royal Engineer was treated as somepony who ought to be able to defend his honor. She also pushed him to purchase arms, but all of his quaternion have been willing and eager participants in this endeavor."

Princess Celestia's purple eyes passed over her, dragging a heavy pressure wave with them. But then they continued on, and She turned to regard Luna. The Princess of the Moon didn’t appear affected by the gaze, nor embarrassed to receive it, though there was a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

"We did ask him for help in dealing with the Children. He has exceeded Our expectations in this task. And we understand it has not been without its own dangers."

This time, the corporal acted before the tremendous power could grip her again. "In our ventures into the Rookery, the Royal Engineer has stayed out of fights where possible and even successfully de-escalated what might have been a bloodbath. I've never known him to provoke violence. And Sergeant Ebonshield can tell you he's made a great rapport with some of the civilians down there. He wants to use their knowledge to help Equestria."

The glittering Moon looked expectantly up at the noble Sun. "Sister, this may be the opportunity We have sought: a means to finally change from the status quo ante bellum."

Unlike Honour or the Royal Engineer, Her movements were brisk and unhindered, though Her flowing mane seemed once again to hang in place, unhindered by wind or gravity.

Celestia's attitude softened, and Honour felt herself able to move a little more freely once more.

"Things are as they are for a good reason..."

She nodded and raised a golden-shod forehoof to point at something behind the corporal, and Honour turned around. As if pulled by a marionette's string, even her VIP managed to follow Her hoof as well. It was still a slow, laborious process, but at least the object of her attention no longer seemed to be far over the horizon.

As instructed, Major General Hoofstrong was waiting some distance away, accompanied by Major Growler. Purse Strings, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and another member of the Blue Council, stood nearby as well.

Princess Celestia's voice carried a weary pain. "...It's been only two years, Luna. There are still grieving families and grudge-bearing survivors among the Royal Guard. Those among our little ponies who fought each other on that terrible night need time to accept the peace. They may not be ready for any more changes, not yet."

With a sudden snap, Honour found herself facing the shining rulers of Equestria once more.

Celestia sighed.

Somehow, the Princess seemed to diminish, and with Her, all the extraordinary brilliance of the world. Honour was back in simple, ordinary Equestria, sitting on the grass of the Royal Eastern Cottage Racetrack, on a warm morning in late spring. She was in the presence of the two Sovereigns of the realm, but Her Majesty's peaceful smile was simple and unassuming once more, no longer hitched to an overpowering Presence.

She turned to the Royal Engineer, who'd been transfixed this entire time. "Corporal Bound has made a stirring defense on your behalf, Anonymous. Would you have put it any differently?"

Some color crept back into his cheeks, and he straightened himself. "I don't think so, Your Majesty..." With palpable relief, he looked down admiringly at Honour. "... And I'm thankful for her coming to my aid."

The corporal was still a bit too overwhelmed by the recent experience to be gratified by the compliment. And a crucial unanswered question from before still burned in her mind, even as Princess Celestia continued.

"So be it. You may have broken the word of your promise, yet it seems you didn't violate its spirit. But as for your request..." She shook her head. "...Even though the Children guard the palace after dusk, we've kept them strictly separated from any who faced them on that Nightmare Night, for the sake of preventing any more bloodshed. Now you want to bring more of them to the surface?"

Anonymous raised his hands in supplication. "These are civilians, Your Majesty, not warriors. They're tradesponies -- smelters and blacksmiths."

Clasping them together, he lowered his arms. "Sergeant Ebonshield has accompanied me to Canterlot City several times. Ordinary Equestrian ponies don't seem to pay her any more mind than they do me. I can't imagine they will mind seeing a few extra souls walking about among them. And I've had similar experiences amongst the non-military ponies in the Rookery."

Celestia nodded. "Perhaps." Then She tilted Her head and looked down at Her sister. "But, Luna, would you allow even tradesponies up from the Rookery without guards? How much do you trust the Children?"

That pointed question made Princes Luna's eyes flare open. Then, She glanced down and sighed glumly, pawing at the ground with a forehoof. "Given the current situation... We suppose not. There is still much work to do; they still need supervision."

Princess Celestia nodded knowingly. "Yes, I think so too, and the R.U.C. is overtaxed already." Then a thin, sly smile broke out across Her face. "Perhaps there's an alternative. I have an idea we can discuss afterwards, just the two of us."

Suddenly raising Her voice, She beckoned out to the group of waiting ponies. "Chancellor Strings, would you join us for a moment, please?"

In a few moments, Honour was joined by the bespectacled chief of Equestria's finances.

"Your Majesties."

Celestia appeared magnanimous. "Chancellor, have you finished your calculations for the Royal Engineer's most recent proposal?"

The elder unicorn raised an eyebrow, then telekinetically opened a flap on his saddle bag and began to extract a heavy book. "The foundry, Your Majesty? Yes, I have the numbers right here, if you'll permit me a moment--"

But the elegant white alicorn just shook Her head. "Thank you, Chancellor, but I don't need the details right now. I just want to hear your evaluation. Do you think it's reasonable?"

Clearing his throat, he lowered the book back down and shut the flap. "Reasonable, Your Majesty? That's a very subjective term. The project is quite costly, though I have some proposals for savings. Reusing an existing building instead of constructing a new one, for example -- there's a number of empty edifices in the lower tiers of the city which might serve. But there are still considerable expenses, both mundane and magical, as well as an indeterminate timeline before results can be achieved."

Honour’s VIP interjected. "I am confident that with the help of those certain individuals we have just discussed, the timeline can be considerably shortened. I've held extensive discussions with them, and I believe that they are very, very close to what I seek."

She really should have paid more attention down in the Rookery when he met with the batpony metallurgists. Maybe then she'd be able to confirm his enthusiasm about this.

Purse Strings adjusted his glasses. "Hrm, yes, well. It does seem as though the operational costs should not be too excessive; it is the initial outlay which is most worrisome. But as for 'reasonable,' Your Majesty..." He nodded his head, lifting his lower lip. "...This demonstration today has reinforced my confidence in Your Majesties' Royal Engineer. I should like to be able to approve this endeavor."

At that, Princess Celestia turned to Princess Luna, and they exchanged nods. "Very well, Chancellor Strings. Please make the necessary arrangements, and thank you for sparing the time to come out this morning."

He bowed and retired, while the Princess continued on to address the Royal Engineer. "You'll need an assistant to get things running, I think. There's more than just science and engineering involved in what you propose. I happen to have somepony in mind already, and I'll send them to you shortly. But I'm not finished with your 'Iomaghaoth' quite yet."

She grinned, chuckling lightly at the mythological reference of the 'Whirlwind.' "I may not quite approve of you having crafted a tool for warfare, or of taking up arms yourself, but since you have, I expect you to finish what you've started."

Then She called out to the second group of waiting ponies. "General Hoofstrong, thank you for waiting; will you come over with your entourage now?"

The clattering of armor signaled the arrival of not just the bronze-plated Major Growler, commander of the Valkyries, but also her immediate superior, the commander of the First 'Canterlot' Air Division.

Honour wondered what the general thought of the exercise; she was the one who enabled it to happen this quickly, after all.

It seemed Princess Celestia had the same idea.

"Well, General, what did you think of this morning's demonstration?"

While the Valkyrie commandant was in full regalia, with only her muzzle and tail visible beneath a panoply of pressed linen and polished bronze, the pegasus General wore her ordinary blue service uniform.

"I found it very interesting, Your Majesty. I believe I understand the possibilities which the Royal Engineer proposes for it, but I'm not really in any position to attest to their plausibility."

Strangely, she seemed a bit reticent to give her opinion. This wasn’t the same Hoofstrong Honour met two days ago; the same one who authorized Lieutenant Kilfeather's pas-de-sabots.

She shook her head slightly, narrowing her eyes. "But surely Your Majesty is expecting a more comprehensive report from General Foxhall and his staff?"

‘Ah, so that's it.’ Though apparently happy to ruffle the feathers of the nobility in the name of upsetting the old order, the good Major General still respected the military chain of command.

Princess Celestia lifted an eyebrow. "Yes, and I don't doubt that document will be thorough and insightful. But I recall inviting General Foxhall and all of his headquarters staff to this event." Smirking, She looked over at the Royal Engineer. "And you aren't among them, General. Which means that you must be here at the request of my serene Blue Chamber advisor, instead. I wonder if you had a hoof in the creation of this 'Self-Propelled Air Defense' system?"

Even Luna raised an eyebrow at that interesting accusation.

But the General wasn’t flustered.

"Your Majesty, as your faithful commander of the defense of this city's airspace, I had to approve the live-fire training exercises that Your Royal Engineer and his quaternion needed to conduct, prior to this demonstration. I asked to be here."

Celestia tilted Her head back. "Ah. So you are merely an 'interested pony,' then? What would it take to convince you of the merits of this Whirlwind?"

The General furrowed her brow, but before she could say anything, Major Growler bellowed out, waving a forehoof dismissively. "I know what it would take to convince me, Your Majesty! A true trial by combat, not some choreographed ballet!"

The Major then turned and nodded briefly towards her superior officer. "Apologies, General."

Hoofstrong's curt acknowledgement indicated this was hardly the first time she’d been preempted by her subordinate. "Of course, Growler."

She took a step towards the Princesses as if to cement her position of leadership. "Your Majesty, I share the Major's opinion. A real field test is in order."

The Valkyrie Commander still couldn’t resist piping up. "Pity it's too late to enter them in the Grand Tournament, what with the group qualifiers already underway. The Whirlwind in the Grand Mêlée against my Valkyries -- Well, I dare say it wouldn't be much of a fight, but we would certainly put on a good show for Your Majesties as we tore the thing to pieces!"

Naturally, a traditionalist like Major Growler used the old name for the MXP Games.

This time it was Princess Celestia who interjected. "General, isn't there always a guaranteed spot in this year's games for the previous year's champions?"

Hoofstrong nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty, though that team is unfortunately indisposed."

'Indisposed' was putting it mildly. The First Air Wing's commander and executive officer were both completely denuded of feathers, one by Glamerspear's overkill, manaburn-inducing volley, the other by Sparkshower's tactical lightning strike. Growler had chuckled at the thought of not having to face Kilfeather and his squadron this time around, no doubt already picturing her family's noble crest on the victory banners atop the Champions' Hall.

‘Wait a minute--’

Before she could carry the thought, Celestia continued. "Perhaps a substitution is in order, General? A substitution by, say, the group which beat those champions?"

Major Growler's muzzle audibly slapped into her chin-guard as her mouth dropped open, speechless. Even the General emitted a semi-defeated chortle, now that she saw where this was going.

"Certainly, Your Majesty. I think that would be most appropriate. I will make the arrangements."

The Princess of the Sun appeared pleased at the successful achievement of what was undoubtedly a foregone conclusion. "Excellent. Thank you, General."

Hoofstrong bowed and turned to go, while Major Growler hung around, maw still hanging agape. It took a moment for her to collect herself, and she barely managed to guffaw out a pair of 'Your Majesty' curtsies before retiring.

Honour couldn’t help but shake her head.

‘Princess Celestia planned this all along, didn't She?’

‘She was going to say 'yes' to the plan all along.’

‘And She wanted the Whirlwind in the Games.’

‘Did She know as well that I would leap to my VIP's defense?’

Even if the full speech had been almost squeezed out of her, and even if she felt compelled to answer the later questions, the decision to speak up in the first place had been entirely her own; she was certain of it. As Honour looked up and beheld the Sovereign of the Sun's pleasant yet supremely confident smile, there could be no doubt. The sly sideways glance She was receiving from Her sister all but confirmed it.

With palpable relief, the Royal Engineer exhaled. "Your Majesty has set before me a pair of ambitious tasks. I shall endeavor not to disappoint you a second time."

He bowed deeply, and the corporal followed his lead. "I can only thank Your Majesties for this opportunity, and for the loan of your precious time, particularly in this very busy week."

The Sun Princess laughed in response. "Hah! Busy week?! Who said anything about being busy this week?"

Luna nickered with amusement. "Busy, indeed! We should thank thee instead for relieving Us of boredom."

Honour exchanged confused glances with her VIP, and he furrowed his brow, while the corporal asked the question on their minds. "Aren't Your Majesties occupied with preparations for the Grand Galloping Gala this weekend?"

The two Princesses exchange exasperated glances.

"Oh, that!"

While Luna sighed, Celestia leaned her neck forward and lowered her voice. "I'll let you both in on a little secret. Canterlot's noble unicorns run the Gala -- it's their party, for the founding of this city, and it always has been. And each year, they've got every little detail already worked out: they just need one, or preferably both of us to sit there and nod approvingly as they laboriously show off each tiny thing they've got planned: the music, the invitee list, the decor, the performances, the food..."

Luna groaned. "Do not remind Us, sister! Our belly still aches from last year's 'preview tastings.' How many different cupcakes can one party need, and why is it so important that We taste-test each and every one?!"

Smiling, Celestia sat normally again. "This year I've found somepony to sit in our place. Somepony who can give the court nobles all the attention to detail that they crave. She helped out last year, as well. For the second time since it began, I'm actually looking forward to the Gala."

At this, Luna smiled as well. "As are We! It is so much easier to enjoy the event when one has not been forced to become bored of it in advance."

Celestia playfully wriggled her shoulders, pawed the ground with her forehooves, and lightly flapped her wings. "Now, shall we return to everypony else? I'd like to take a close look at the 'Whirlwind'. And I think I still spy a few treats left on the buffet table; it would be a terrible shame if they were to be cleared and go to waste."

Bowing, Honour allowed the two Sovereigns of Equestria to pass by and lead the way back.

She couldn't put into words how she felt right now. But if Honour was confused, one glance up at her VIP told her he was more than flabbergasted by what had just happened.

‘Well, welcome to Equestria, Anonymous! Sometimes it can be quite a ride.’

Next Chapter: Chapter 119 Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 15 Minutes