[Approximately 1016 years ago]
The constant thudding and occasional metallic clinking of armoured hoofsteps filled the air as a contingent of soldiers marched towards the forest housing Hollow Shades.

At the forefront of the group stood Celestia, clad from horn to hoof in heavy steel armour. Though similar in appearance to the armour that those who followed her wore, Celestia's armour bore a distinct golden trim and was evidently custom made so as to account for her comparatively large frame. A sun motif that matched her cutie mark adorned both flanks of the armour, though both were scratched and heavily worn, as was the rest of her armour set. Although still in one piece and no doubt functional, the armour bore a great many dents and scratches, and the polish and shine that the plating had once gleamed with was now long gone, having faded over the course of countless skirmishes.

The sets of armour worn by the contingent of soldiers following her were in similar states, for the most part. Though there were a few exceptions, the majority of Celestia's elite had fought alongside her in numerous battles, following her from fight to fight without question despite possessing nowhere near the stamina or longevity that Celestia herself did. Given how often Celestia moved from one battlefield to another, little free time was wasted on luxuries such as polishing armour; repairing plating and sharpening blades was far more important. As was eating, and sleeping in short shifts, time permitting.

Celestia stopped, signalling for those following to do the same. Before her lay the entrance to the forest the group would have to pass through in order to reach Hollow Shades, some of which she could see over the tree line, owing to a few tall buildings towering over the canopy. She furrowed her brow at the sight, Reginald's recent actions still fresh in her mind as she attempted to collect her thoughts.

From behind her, an earth pony stepped forth and raised his visor, revealing an unkempt beard and a pair of steely eyes as he spoke, "Commander Celestia?"

Celestia grunted, shaking herself from her thoughts as she turned to face her troops, giving a nod to the one that had roused her from her musings, "Thank you, Tychus." He bowed his head slightly and silently stepped back into rank, lowering his visor as Celestia projected her voice to all assembled, "I know not whether King Reginald's temperament towards us has changed, but we cannot rely on being welcomed peacefully into his lands after his recent transgressions against our allies." She gestured towards the forest behind her, "Be on your guard as we approach, and remain so until I ascertain Reginald's intentions, provided we be allowed to enter without bloodshed. That said, do not instigate hostilities unless absolutely necessary. Hollow Shades is still presumably an ally of ours, at least until Reginald's motives for the attacks are established, understood?"

A singular chorus rose up in response, "AYE!"

At Celestia's behest, the congregation organised itself into a column formation before filing into the woods in rows of four. Though no longer at the forefront of her forces for fear of an ambush, she remained only a few rows behind the leaders of the procession, allowing her to issue orders effectively whilst somewhat reducing her vulnerability, should her forces come under attack.

The following thirty minutes consisted of a tense, eerie march through the seemingly deserted woodland. Though mostly untouched by the influence of Fate, the entire forest had played host to many battles over the past few weeks, and what little wildlife had thrived there had quickly fled at the start of the hostilities, leaving behind a deathly, haunting quiet, broken only by the sound of the soldiers' marching and the occasional relaying of orders through Celestia's ranks.

Celestia frowned as they continued along the worn dirt path to Hollow Shades, scanning intently for any signs of life or movement between the trees. Broken weapons and equipment littered the forest floor in some areas, the still functional items presumably claimed by Reginald, or whoever else happened across them. The occasional rotting corpse could be seen - and often, smelled - though these were far less common; the lack of any conspicuous graves or pyres did cause Celestia to question where the bodies were, if only for a moment.

A call sounded from the front, directing Celestia's attention to a large symbol scrawled upon one tree in what could only be blood. Her mouth turned down at the corners, "Necromancers..." Though the significant lack of animated corpses made it clear that the culprits were no longer in the vicinity, having likely pilfered the bodies to practice their craft elsewhere, Celestia still had warnings relayed throughout her unit. Any and all bodies that were stumbled across thereafter were promptly and systematically incinerated.

They pressed on, and for the third time since they embarked into the forest, the group marched past an empty guard post, seemingly abandoned by Reginald's forces with no indication of a struggle. With no sign of a single city guard, and with Hollow Shades only another fifteen minutes' march away, Celestia struggled to resist the temptation to quicken her pace, and may well have done if not for the very real possibility of Reginald's forces waiting in ambush.

The remainder of the march went without incident, save for one instance of an inanimate corpse falling from a tree branch, alarming all those in the vicinity before being unceremoniously set alight.

Before her, Celestia could see the entrance to the clearing that housed the city, and the towering walls that had been erected around it since her last visit. A small degree of relief washed over her as she spotted numerous groups of sentries atop the wall, at least evidencing that the city had not been abandoned. The sudden shouting of orders and subsequent rush of activity atop the ramparts indicated that they had spotted her, too.

Issuing the order for her troops to remain still, Celestia advanced alone into the clearing and towards the huge iron gates, stopping after only a few seconds as one of the guards above barked down to her, "Halt! Who dares to bring his soldiers into the lands of His Highness King Reginald!?"

Celestia moved to unclasp her helmet with a hoof, but the guard shouted down once again before she had finished doing so, "State your business, or you will all be assumed as hostile and killed where you stand!"

In one smooth motion, Celestia removed her helmet with her magic, her unmistakable - if somewhat matted - mane freed to flow in the air behind her, "You speak with Celestia, Commander of the Equestrian Coalition, here to speak immediately with King Reginald regarding the reported violation of the non-aggression pact by forces at his at his disposal!" Her voice projected to those above with ease, "Open your gates at once, lest the Kingdom of Hollow Shades be immediately considered in willing violation of the treaty!"

A response came almost immediately "Our apologies, Commander Celestia! We were told to expect you, but that you would come alone! We were not informed of any armed forces accompanying you. We respectfully request that you identify those you presently command, and their purpose within our borders!"

Celestia scanned the ramparts and surrounding area for any sign of an ambush before continuing, "Under my immediate command are eighty soldiers, selected by my own hoof from the Solar Cohort, here to ensure safe passage to and from your king's lands in light of ongoing enemy activity along the route here, and for fear of open hostilities from Hollow Shades, given the reports of recent events."

There was a brief lapse of quiet as a few figures atop the wall congregated to speak, a single pony disengaged promptly, darting along the wall and disappearing into a guard station a moment later.

Several seconds ticked by before the guard that had spoken before approached the wall's edge once again, "Our apologies, Commander Celestia! You are permitted entry, but we cannot allow other armed forces to enter the city without King Reginald's permission! We await his response as we speak!"

"Very well, though I would ask that you relay his decision quickly." Gaining no response, Celestia turned to her troops and lowered her voice to its normal level, allowing her orders to be relayed throughout the ranks without the risk of being overheard from above, "Remain on your guard and stay aware of your surroundings. This may well be an ambush."

A few tense minutes passed by before a pony appeared atop the wall once more. Again, a small group congregated above before the speaker from before approached the edge, "King Reginald wishes me to extend my apologies on his behalf for any misunderstandings thus far, Commander!"

Suspicious, Celestia lowered her head slightly, preparing to replace her helmet at a moment's notice.

"Our King also wishes that we extend a warm welcome to all Coalition forces in the future, and especially so towards you, Commander! You are to be allowed entry without question, though His Majesty asks that you and your soldiers sheath your weapons upon entry out of concern for the civilian populace!"

Celestia furrowed her brow, "We are to remain in possession of our weapons at all times, correct?"

"Of course, Commander, so long as they are not drawn with ill intent!"

A few moments of deliberation passed before Celestia came to her decision, turning once again to her forces, "Sheath your weapons. We will enter peacefully, but be prepared for anything. Defend yourselves if necessary." A chorus of clinking and sonorous rings filled the air as dozens of weapons were sheathed and otherwise stored. Celestia affixed her helmet to a small latch on the right side of her armour and ensured that the sword on her left was still fixed securely as she addressed those above once more, "Our weapons are lowered and in scabbards. Will you allow us entry?"

"Yes, Commander Celestia! His Majesty bids you welcome to Hollow Shades!"

A series of commands were momentarily barked from above before being drowned out by the clicking and clinking of gears and chains, followed by a thunderous, elongated metallic groan as the towering iron gates slowly forced their way outwards, dragging a small sheet of cumulative dirt beneath them as they went. It took nearly half a minute before the gates ceased moving with a final resounding clang, and the noisy mechanisms within abruptly gave way to silence.

For a moment, Celestia was slightly taken aback by what she could see from her position outside the gateway. Within the city stood a few familiar towering buildings that had somehow survived Hollow Shades' previous sieges, but they were surrounded by dozens of pristine new buildings, both commercial and residential, and all were seemingly unscathed. The cobble road leading into the city was evidently recently lain, and much of the central castle had clearly been reconstructed since her last visit. Hundreds of ponies could be seen milling around just inside the entrance alone, though a path had been cleared through the centre for Celestia and her forces. Life within appeared orderly, with no signs of abnormal weather or obscure magically animated objects in sight, and the towering walls and gates no doubt provided a sense of permanence and security to those that resided within.

At a glance it seemed that, somehow, Reginald had restored Hollow Shades to its former glory.

A glance was all she allowed herself. Forcing herself forward, Celestia motioned for her troops to follow her as they crossed the threshold into Hollow Shades, though from what she could gather from the faces of those not wearing helmets, their reactions seemingly mirrored her own.

Bewilderment, amazement, and wonderment.

A figure in the centre of the path before them drew her attention, and Celestia stopped.

"King Reginald."

The earth pony before her, clad in crown and cape, smiled as he always did, even as she narrowed her eyes at him. For a moment, his grey mane seemed to thrash in the wind before coming to rest flatly across his face, though he quickly brushed it aside and adjusted his crown correspondingly, smiling all the while, "Commander Celestia! So good to see you!" He took a few steps towards her before halting, a confused look on his face, "Is something the matter, Commander? You seem... upset? Angry?"

Celestia focused on him intently, doing her utmost to read his reactions as she spoke, "We have much to discuss, King Reginald."

His face quickly fell, his expression switching to one of sadness before looking sorrowfully back up at her, "This is about Impetua's fall, is it not?"

Celestia's tone remained level, and her expression betrayed no emotion as she continued to scrutinise him, "Yes."

Reginald closed his eyes and sighed, "In my heart I knew that Messenger Argus must have died before he reached you. Not once has he returned late from a mission, until now..."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, "A messenger?"

Reginald looked back at Celestia and shook his head solemnly, "Walk with me, if you will, Celestia. We do indeed have much to discuss, and I feel this would be a matter best discussed in private." He gestured to a place by his side, but she remained still, gauging him.

A few quiet moments of such caused a small smile to creep across his saddened features, and he eventually began chuckling to himself slightly, "You have nothing to fear from me, Commander, I assure you; despite your concerns to the contrary." He waved a hoof in the direction of Celestia's soldiers, then down across himself, "I might have a fearsome reputation, but I doubt I could stand against the likes of you, even if I wanted to. Besides..." He held out a hoof towards her, "We are friends, are we not?"

Celestia remained still for a moment longer before finally moving, taking the previously offered place beside him but declining his hoof, "Perhaps, but my trust is not easily earned, nor kept. You have much explaining to do, King Reginald."

"Indeed." Reginald nodded, lowering his hoof and turning so as to face towards his castle in the centre of the city, "Let us go, I am sure you have many questions in mind."

With Reginald's guards leading the way, and Celestia's troops trailing behind, the procession began to make their way through the streets of Hollow Shades, their path clear of obstructions but lined on either side with hundreds if not thousands of earth ponies and unicorns.

Though Celestia remained silent and alert, her gaze still shifted curiously around the city that had, for all intents and purposes, risen from its own ashes.

"You are wondering how all of this is possible, are you not?" Reginald asked, a knowing look in his eye.

Celestia contemplated denying the remark, but it was indeed the question on her mind. Her curiosity quickly won out over her stoic façade, "Yes. Forgive me, but upon my previous visit Hollow Shades was barely standing, let alone thriving. How did you accomplish... this?" She waved a forehoof, stopping at the nearby Smiths' District, from which a cacophony of hammering could still be heard even over the raised voices of the assembled crowd.

Reginald hummed to himself, seemingly in amusement, before responding, "Purpose, Celestia. We found our purpose. On the day we were attacked, we decided that we would not simply roll over and die, as was our fate, and that of so many others. We decided to forge our own destiny through our blood, sweat, and resolve." He met her eye with a smile, but something in his proud gaze unnerved her as he continued and steadily raised his voice, "It was our purpose to live. No, not just to live, to prosper! To live free of the terrors that plague this world!" Momentarily, Reginald stood upon his hind legs. Now addressing the crowds on either side of him, he cried out, "To a glorious free Kingdom!"

A roaring cry rose up all around him in response, "TO HOLLOW SHADES!"

The sounds of cheering and chanting filled the air around them as Reginald returned to his original posture and spoke to Celestia once more, albeit with his voice raised somewhat so as to be heard, "My subjects need not live in fear, Celestia, for they know what freedom is, and at what cost it is attained. Each understands that there can be no freedom without sacrifice, and with their new found purpose they strive ever harder each day to ensure that we remain safe. Tirelessly, we built walls, and houses, and infrastructure." His features darkened momentarily, "We took in the refugees from villages forsaken by the pegasi who had sworn to protect them, and many others besides." He shook his head, "We drove the bandits and rogues and necromancers from our Kingdom, one rat at a time."

He caught her wary expression and laughed heartily, "Forgive me, Commander Celestia, I may be a little... over-enthusiastic, but with good cause, I am sure you will agree."

Celestia examined the crowds of cheering ponies, nodding in agreement, "This... is what I hope can be achieved for all of Equestria, one day."

Reginald said nothing, instead opting to smile to himself as Celestia continued to examine the crowds, "Perhaps I should warn you that there were signs of recent necromancer activity within the forest, King Reginald."

Reginald sighed, "Yes. They keep returning to pillage the bodies of the dead from the forest. Skirmishes happen often outside, even now. I have withdrawn patrols from outside of the walls until we are ready to face the undead as well as the living, though such does make the journey more dangerous for any refugees that may seek us out, unfortunately."

Celestia hummed to herself, mulling over what she had seen on her journey through the forest, at least until something caught her eye. Behind the cheering crowds, a few ponies could be seen darting around at speed, though she couldn't see why. She looked elsewhere, only to see more figures quickly darting behind the crowds.

Scanning around, she could see them. Small pockets of ponies moving swiftly past the congregation of spectators, all heading in the direction from which she had came; the city's entrance.

Or perhaps, more worryingly, the city's only exit.

As she traced the movements of one mare carrying a foal, a figure stepped into her line of sight. Though she could not make out any defining features, owing to the long mane obstructing her face, she definitely got the impression that the stranger knew something she did not. Celestia's sense of unease only grew as the mare began to smile at her, her mouth widening to its absolute limit whilst the rest of her face remained hidden, almost giving the impression that her grin was floating alone amongst the crowd.

Or perhaps not alone. One by one, Celestia began noticing them, ponies with the same expression, some of whom she swore had seemed normal enough only moments ago. She promptly but subtly checked herself for any outside magics, but found evidence of none. The strange phenomenon was no illusion, yet seemed to be spreading through the crowd. As she scanned across the city's inhabitants once more, Celestia found herself only more puzzled. The menacing grins were gone, the ponies that had borne them now smiling normally and cheering as if nothing had happened, their faces in full view.

Before she could enquire into the issue, however, she was snapped from her thoughts by the unmistakable sound of the city gates grinding shut behind them, "The gates are closing?"

Reginald waved a hoof dismissively, "Nothing to worry about, Commander, I am sure your troops are all safely within our walls."

Celestia regarded him seriously, her sense of unease slowly beginning to eat at her, "Is it truly wise to shut the gates when my troops are both unsure of your allegiances and armed? The last thing either of us want is another incident."

Reginald shot back a cold stare through his mane, which briefly dropped across his face until he swept it back, "I assume your forces are trained well enough to show... discretion, Celestia. An incident is indeed the last thing I wish to occur in the middle of my streets."

Celestia's expression and tone returned to neutral, "I did not mean to imply any threat, King Reginald, only concern."

Reginald sighed exasperatedly, "I know. The gates are closed to maintain security, nothing more. Some trust, if not between leaders, then between friends, would not go amiss, Celestia."

Celestia stopped, and did not speak until Reginald had done the same, "Regardless of what we are, or were, our duties to our followers come first, King Reginald. Trusting without reasonable grounds to do so has had me betrayed too many times, and cost too many lives for me to do so again."

Reginald bowed his head for a moment before glaring at her from the corner of his eye, "How the Wars have changed you, Celestia."

"How they have changed us both, Reginald."

He huffed to himself and turned around, trotting towards the castle once more.

After a heartbeat, she followed, her expression blank as she caught up and examined him.

Though she could not hear such over the clamouring of the crowds, Celestia was sure that Reginald was grinding his teeth.

She said nothing more as they continued on their journey towards the castle. Although she kept a keen eye out for the emergence of any other strange figures, no more seemed to appear.

She couldn't decide whether such was actually good news.

Upon arrival at the foot of the castle Reginald addressed Celestia, giving her giving her an almost disappointed look, "You may bring a few of your soldiers for protection, if you so desire, though I would ask that the rest remain outside."

Celestia nodded and turned to her troops, picking out two unicorns in particular from near the front, "Gravus, Liandra, come with me."

Both stepped forward from the ranks and spoke in unison, "Yes, Commander."

"Until my return, Tychus will assume the position of Commander."

All assembled troops saluted in response, and Celestia approached the pony in question, leaning down somewhat so as to whisper into his ear, "I have seen... suspicious behaviour from some of the inhabitants. Ensure that our forces remain focused and alert, and be ready to fight at a moment's notice."

Tychus nodded, adjusting his helmet around his beard, "Of course, Commander. I will relocate our forces to a more defensible location nearby. We will await your return." He saluted once more before facing the ranks and ordering them to file out of the courtyard.

Reginald nodded as Celestia turned back to him, "Excellent. Let us go." He gestured for her to follow as he led the way through the castle's foyer and up the central staircase. From thereon they wound their way through a few smaller corridors and up a multitude of spiralling staircases until they had reached their destination. Reginald's guards took their position by one side of the large gilded door, and the King indicated that Celestia's should do the same, though they only moved at a confirmatory nod from her.

With little ceremony, Reginald shoved open the door with a hoof, though he stayed to hold the door for Celestia as she entered herself. Once she had, he pushed it shut and made his way over to one of the lavish chairs set at a large round table, offering the one opposite himself to Celestia.

Celestia took it immediately, wasting no time skirting the issue, "Impetua lies in ruins, reportedly at the hoof of your forces."

Reginald said nothing for a moment, electing to raise both forehooves to cover the lower half of his face and leaning forwards onto the table so as to look Celestia dead in the eye. When he did speak, he did so coldly, "That is correct."

Celestia gradually rested her forehooves atop the table, meeting his gaze calmly, "In clear violation of the non-aggression treaty, you ordered your forces to attack your neighbour?"

"There was no messenger, Celestia."

A moment of silence ticked by as Celestia furrowed her brow in bewilderment, "Pardon?"

Reginald shook his head, "I did not dispatch any messengers to inform the Coalition of our motives. Such was a lie." He gauged Celestia's reaction, and continued when she proceeded to stare expectantly at him, "I wished to speak with you on this most... delicate issue, without causing a scene in view of my subjects. What I am to tell you could not be discussed outside of these walls." He briefly gestured to the room around them.

Celestia leaned an inch towards him, "Explain. Immediately." If not for his hooves obscuring his expression, Celestia would have sworn he was smirking at her.

Reginald cleared his throat, "As you know, since we reclaimed the surrounding territories thousands of refugees have thrown themselves upon my doorstep. Trying to distribute these refugees around to neighbouring lands has been met with almost universal resistance." He chuckled humourlessly to himself, "'Hollow Shades is the safest city in the world for the earthbound', they say, and they come in droves." He lowered his hooves, revealing a grim, hateful expression that caught Celestia somewhat by surprise, "I cannot turn them away. To do so is to doom them. Where else will they go? While the pegasi hide safely in their flying fortress cities, these ponies throw themselves at my mercy, knowing that I am the only chance they have!"

Celestia said nothing as Reginald's head slowly sank. He stared at the table, breathing noticeably more heavily than before as strands of his mane gradually began to fall across his face, "Impetua had refused to take refugees, but had been sending some supplies to help us cope. Though we had an abundance of nothing, we were able to feed, clothe, and provide enough shelter to accommodate them, with Impetua's and our other neighbours' support."

He snapped his head back up, staring into Celestia's eyes with the same baleful expression as before, and noticeably grasping at the edge of the table for a moment before relaxing his hooves, "Five days ago, Impetua withdrew the entirety of their support, stating that any further aid would have to be purchased in order to help fund the fortification of their capital." He spat the word with a look of disgust on his face.

Celestia's eyes widened just a fraction as she considered the implications of his words, "Reginald... Surely you did not-"

"My subjects would have starved within weeks, Celestia! Perhaps not even that! Exposure would have claimed those unclothed and without shelter! How long until the next blizzard, Celestia!? Without water, how many days would they last if another fortnight's drought set in!?" His nostrils flared slightly as he huffed loudly, allowing himself a moment to cool off before reclining into his seat a little, "I was not going to stand by and watch my ponies die. Would you?"

Celestia fought the urge to avert her eyes away from the piercing stare he had fixed her with through the strands of his grey mane, "What did you do, Reginald?"

To her horror, Reginald grinned at her, though his expression still betrayed nigh pathological anger, "What was necessary. I had not long to decide. I gave the order that night." Celestia hung her head as he continued, "Our forces were deployed in the dead of night. I was told that the Impetuans were caught by surprise; the gate facing Hollow Shades was the least defended. By morning, few defenders remained, and months, if not years worth of supplies were already being transported here."

Celestia said nothing, seemingly contemplating what he had told her. Reginald's tone switched to a more comforting one as he continued, "We spared who we could, Celestia. The civilians fled, and many of their troops routed in the final hour. With the supplies we recovered, we will be able to-"

"The treaty is broken." Celestia raised her head, anger in her eyes as she fixed Reginald with a furious stare, "To think you of all ponies would stab your closest ally in the back!"

Reginald slammed a hoof atop the table, "We were the ones who were betrayed, Celestia! And for what? Profit! Impetua's leaders would have forsaken the lives of thousands for the sake of expansion!"

"And you killed thousands to do the same." Celestia seemed almost distraught, tears seemingly welling up in her eyes as she continued, "Your allies. Your friends who had helped you so many times when no one else would! I thought you better than this, Reginald..." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath, momentarily closing her eyes before fixing them back on him, "You have breached the terms of the treaty, Reginald. Hollow Shades is hereby removed from the Coalition, and we may be forced to consider Hollow Shades an en-"

"They were not our allies Celestia! Do you not understand!?" Reginald stood now, leaning over the table towards her, "And that treaty was always ultimately worthless! Where were Impetua when we were surrounded by legions of mercenaries and bandits!? Where were they in our hour of need!? Nowhere!"

A second of silence passed. Reginald's mane positively cascaded down his face, forcing him to sweep it aside with a hoof as he scowled at Celestia from behind it. Now, he rose up to full height, his forehooves planted on the table before him for stability as he glowered down at the alicorn seated across from him, "For that matter, Celestia, where were you?"

Celestia frowned, "We were cut off! My forces and I fought relentlessly to reach you, and we suffered many losses trying to carve a path to this city!" A haunted look mingled with the anger in Celestia's eyes as she recalled the gruelling days of fighting against the seemingly unending tide of soldiers surrounding Hollow Shades, several months ago.

"Strange. My own subjects, many of them untrained militia, were able to completely annihilate all attackers with barely any losses on our part whatsoever." He raised an eyebrow at her, adjusting his crown as if he were already bored of her upcoming reply, "Perhaps your soldiers are not all they are said to be, Celestia."

Celestia rose, slamming her forehoof into the table before her, leaving a very distinct dent in the solid woodwork, "How dare you!? We were outnumbered, fatigued, hungry and thirsty, fighting in the same sweltering armour that we had marched in for so long simply to reach you! We risked and lost many lives, determined not to simply leave you to your fate, and you have the impudence to insult me!? To insult the memory of those who were butchered in order to save your subjects!?"

Reginald made as if to speak, but Celestia cut him off, "Pay heed, Reginald. Your kingdom is no longer a member of this coalition. My coalition. Continue to disregard the sacrifices we have made for you in such a fashion and the ramifications will be severe."

Reginald tilted his head slightly so as to see past his mane, "Indeed?" He removed his crown, spinning it around his free hoof for a moment before replacing it atop his head, "A pity, I suppose. You would side with strangers and savages before old friends?" He asked the question half-heartedly, a look of apparent amusement on his face.

Celestia stared him down from across the table, "No friend of mine would do what you have done."

Reginald cocked an eyebrow, "Yes, then?" He began to chuckle to himself, leaning onto the table as his laughter progressively intensified. When he had finished, he snapped his head upwards, a manic look in his eye, "Not to worry! The tides of fate have been turning in my favour for quite some time! We have contingency plans in place for such an eventuality, regardless!" He threw his head back, tossing his mane from his face whilst laughing to himself once more.

Throughout his laughing fit, Celestia examined him carefully, his rapid and erratic changes in mood and mannerisms quickly beginning to unnerve her as she began to draw one stark conclusion within her mind. "Reginald!"

Once again, he whipped his head upwards to face her, and Celestia took note of his twitching upper lip as he spoke, "Yes, Commander Celestia?" He chuckled to himself again, but began wheezing somewhat as he quickly found himself out of breath from his repeated guffawing.

Celestia narrowed her eyes, scrutinising him carefully and frowning to herself slightly at the evidence before her, 'Has... Has he gone mad?'

Abruptly, his laughter ceased, and for a moment he fixed her with a terrified look, opening his mouth as if to shout something before snapping it shut quickly, giving sound to the collision of teeth. He cleared his throat and backed a step away from the table, wiping the tears that had accumulated from his eyes with a foreleg, "Do forgive me, Commander, it has been difficult to find a good source of humour over recent days. I truly have not felt much like myself as of late."

He began to walk from the table towards the doors to the balcony, but stopped in transit as Celestia called after him.

"Reginald?"

Her voice was quiet now, carrying tones of affection and concern, but wavering ever so slightly from the small measure of fear that had seeped into it on his behalf.

He stood still, his back to her.

Quickly and quietly, she raised a forehoof, ready to draw her sword from her side at a moment's notice,"Reginald... Look at me."

A moment passed, then the King began trotting towards the balcony doors once again.

Celestia lowered her hoof, stepping around the table so as to be directly behind him and calling after him in the same tone as before, "Reginald, please..."

He kept moving.

"King Reginald?"

Again, he ignored her, throwing open the balcony doors and stepping outside without a word.

Celestia's eyes widened as he approached the railings, and she dashed to the balcony doors immediately. Despite her concerns, however, Reginald simply leaned against the railing, staring out across the city with his back still turned to her.

Sparks of anger flared within her as he once again failed to respond, "King Reginald." Her tone made it clear that she was losing her patience.

From across the city, the sound of the gargantuan gate mechanism in operation could be heard, but Celestia paid it little heed, focusing on Reginald, a scowl painted across her features.

Reginald jerked his head to the left somewhat, and Celestia promptly followed his gaze to the city wall. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw a flash of magic denoting teleportation, but could see no signs of the caster. Her gaze snapped back to Reginald once again as he shook his head and chuckled to himself simultaneously, "Nor ever shall there be..."

A few more seconds passed, the sounds of the gates being opened and the voices of the masses below the castle filling the air. Celestia broke the relative silence between them by stamping a hoof, cracking the floor beneath her hooves, "Reginald!"

Reginald whirled around, roaring at the top of his voice as his mane cascaded across his features, "THAT IS NOT MY NAME!"

Startled at the sheer volume of the response, Celestia took a quick step back into the room, her posture defensive and her hoof reflexively hovering over the hilt of her sword.

Reginald smirked and turned halfway away from her, fixing her with a sideways glare, "My name... is Rex."

Celestia's eyes widened as his expression changed, becoming altogether more threatening; sinister, despite the fact he was smiling at her.

"I am the only one capable of leading Hollow Shades into an unending age of prosperity! I command the most fearsome forces in Equestria, if not the world, and I alone have the leadership and the judgement required to ensure that my subjects survive the hell that is this unending state of war!" Despite the bitterness and ferocity behind his speech, he never stopped grinning at her.

Celestia steadied her breathing as her worst fears were realised, "You have lost your mind, Reginald..."

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? In this hopeless world of loss and death, I have built a utopia for those shackled to the earth! We cannot simply fly from our problems and hope to hide away from them as the cowards do! To survive here below, we must take what we need, by force if necessary! Despite your power, you, Commander, preach union, and collectively your Coalition starves in squalor whilst my subjects prosper! Is it I that has lost my mind, Celestia, or that I am the only one who is truly sane!?"

Celestia shook her head, scowling at him all the while, "If force and power were the key to securing a sustainable, peaceful future, my sister and I would already rule with an iron hoof, you fool! We must lean on one other, not be at each other's throats like the bandits that lurk beyond your walls!"

Reginald sighed, still smirking, and turned away from her so as to face out across his city once again, "You are the fool, Celestia..." He straightened out his posture and cleared his throat, unclasping his cape and allowing the wind to sweep it away over the balcony's edge. Celestia realised he was about to address those below, "Loyal subjects! Let us show our traitorous guests the hospitality that they so thoroughly deserve!"

A deafening cheer arose from below, and Celestia's jaw dropped at the implications of his speech.

She stood motionless for a second as Reginald turned to face her with madness in his eyes, but the sound of a loud scuffle in the hall through which she had entered the room drew her attention, as did a familiar masculine voice, "Comm-ARGH!"

The sound of interlocking blades and a shriek of agony echoed through the halls of the castle.

"Gravus! Liandra!" Before she had finished speaking, Celestia had donned her helmet, drawn her sword with her magic, and dashed halfway across the room towards the doorway her soldiers had been guarding.

She barely had time to respond when several slats opened in the walls, followed immediately by the sound of rapid clicking.

Celestia ducked and shielded herself just as dozens of crossbow bolts shot across the room, many ricocheting or breaking against her protective spell.

Reaching out with her magic, Celestia caught several in mid-air and launched them back through the small gaps in quick succession. Wounded cries, gurgling, and the sound of ponies collapsing escaped the walls as Celestia stood back up, turning towards the door once more.

It burst open, and several of Reginald's elite guards, clad head to hoof in heavy, blood spattered armour, rushed in, surrounding her. Fresh blood dripped from a few of their drawn weapons, and a thick pool of it trickled in through the doorway.

From outside the castle, terrified screams, cries of pain, roars of anger, and the sound of steel upon steel could be heard, sounding almost distant to Celestia as she prepared herself.

She caught sight of Reginald trotting into the room from the balcony, and fixed him with a frightening stare through the visor of her helmet, "You bastard..."

The guards encircling her levelled their weapons at her, though they seemingly waited for Reginald's word as they stood ready to attack. Celestia scanned around her quickly, noting the weapons and their relative positions. Despite being more concerned by the weapons, she could not help but take due notice of her would-be killers themselves. Whilst some did not smile as Reginald did, all bore the same sinister expression and drooping mane as the king.

'Not simply madness, then...'

Two guards before her parted from the ring, allowing Celestia to see Reginald clearly. One guard passed the King a sceptre of sorts, silver in colour and relatively plain, save for a blue gem inlaid near the top, where Reginald grasped it, "My apologies, Celestia."

Celestia glanced around at the guards once more, "All of them... What have you done, Reginald!?"

Reginald's seemingly perpetual smirk vanished, "Rex." He scowled at her, "I did what was necessary for the salvation of my subjects. I enlisted the aid of Fate itself, and we emerged victorious."

A moment of relative quiet passed before Celestia solemnly murmured to herself, "Of course..." She span her blade within her magic so as to level it at him, "Yet he has warped their minds into insanity. You have played into his hands, Rex. Little can be done now..."

Rex shrugged, "Little could be done regardless. You are a fool for trying to defy Fate, Celestia, all for your selfish interests."

Celestia said nothing, remaining painfully aware of the weapons poised to strike around her, and the continuous sounds of combat from outside. Unbeknownst to those around her, she began preparing her magic.

Rex squinted at her, "Do not assume I have not seen it, Celestia, that ambition in your eyes. You seek what every other warlord across the nation does; dominion over Equestria."

Celestia shook her head, "No."

Rex smirked, "No? You have gathered supporters far and wide. Your enemies have converted to your cause or been exterminated by your own hoof, and those who will not join you are promptly snuffed out."

Again, Celestia shook her head, "No. Only those who would stand against us in our efforts to restore peace."

Rex laughed loudly, "Decided at your discretion, Celestia!" He wiped a tear from his eye, "You would destroy all who would oppose you and see yourself Queen of Equestria, would you not, Celestia?."

Celestia remained silent, but shook her head just enough for him to see.

This time, Rex chuckled darkly, fixing her once again with his sick, confident smile, "I promise you this, Celestia. The day that you become queen will be the day Equestria falls into total, irreparable ruin. Believe me."

Despite her situation, Celestia looked into his eyes and, on some strange level, couldn't muster an adequate denial. Something about his expression, about that smug little smirk, suggested a knowing of future events far beyond what he should have possessed. She briefly wondered if Fate had imparted such insight to him during their dark dealings, and the thought that his prophecy may indeed be the truth unsettled her deeply.

"Or at least, it would have been." Rex adjusted the crown atop his head and took a couple of steps back from the group.

Celestia lowered her head a few degrees in preparation, "This is your last chance, Rex. Call off your attack or your city will burn." Her voice reverberated through the entire castle for several seconds.

Rex closed his eyes, and time seemed to slow to a halt as he came to his decision.

"Kill her."

Everything exploded into action all at once.

Several weapons sailed towards Celestia at speed, but a strong pulse of magic from her horn knocked back her assailants before their weapons could connect, sending many sprawling over furniture or into the walls.

Wasting no time, Celestia growled and attempted to dispatch those closest to her before they could regain their footing, forcing her sword through the neck of one guard and eliciting a weak yelp as she withdrew it.

She attempted to do so again as another guard regained her footing, but the glow of a unicorn's magic quickly manifested around her own neck, followed by two other hues of magical energy.

Together, three unicorn guards suspended her in the air, her gorget groaning under the pressure as it was forced gradually tighter around her windpipe.

The rest of the guards scrambled to their hooves, grasping their weapons and preparing to run Celestia through.

Celestia simply grimaced and held her breath as her horn shone brightly.

There was a blinding flash.

Flames wreathed everything in Celestia's immediate vicinity as she was unceremoniously dropped to her hooves, coughing as she attempted to refill her lungs with air.

Though four or five of the guards seemed to have shielded themselves from the worst of the back draught she had created, the rest were not so lucky. They screamed, writhing around on the floor as they were cooked within their armour.

The castle rumbled beneath them as the wave of flames made its way through the corridors and halls, consuming any oxygen the rooms had to offer and substituting it for choking, black smoke.

One guard removed his helmet from his head, revealing his badly burned face as he roared, charging her with his sword held high.

Celestia swung her sword about, parrying the blow. She raised a forehoof, attempting to slam it against his exposed head, only to have it grasped firmly by the guard before it could connect.

They struggled for a moment, but she slowly forced his hooves back.

With a loud grunt, Celestia shifted her weight onto the smaller pony, slamming him to the ground and pinning him there by her hoof. He cried out as her sheer weight strained his ribs to breaking point and forced the air from his lungs.

Her sword fell like a guillotine, nearly decapitating him fully in a single swing. Blood sprayed from the wound.

Another guard charged Celestia from behind, this one still fully armoured. Feigning his first blow, Celestia attempted to parry his attack too early, only for the direction of the swing to be changed at the last moment. It ricocheted off the armour covering her left foreleg, leaving a deep dent.

Celestia cried out, recoiling back in pain and blasting the pony at point-blank with a burst of magic before he could swing again.

He sailed through the air, armour glowing red hot at the point of impact, and crumpled against the wall head first, accompanied by a horrendous crunching sound.

Celestia scanned around. The screaming of the burning guards had stopped. Dead.

One of the three that had not perished was still struggling to her hooves, whilst the other two were curled up in pain, nursing terrible burns and whimpering in agony. Rex was nowhere to be seen.

Quickly, Celestia made her way over to the guard that attempted to stand. The mare made a desperate grab for her weapon as she rose, but a flash of Celestia's magic sent it spinning through the air.

Fixing Celestia with a fearful yet furious expression through her singed mane, the mare lunged herself forwards, attempting to swipe at Celestia's helmet with her bare hooves.

Celestia ducked her head to the side, allowing the mare's hoof to connect with the solid steel of her shoulder pad before whirling around and delivering a crushing blow to the side of the guard's head. She hit the floor, and her head split open with nary a whimper from the mare.

The final two guards remained stationary on the floor. One looked up at her, fury evident behind the pain in his eyes, but he did not move, his injuries preventing him from doing so.

Celestia stopped beside him for a moment, and he went still, glaring at her as he awaited death.

A second passed, and a flash of pity crossed her face beneath her helmet before she moved on, leaving the guard to nurture his wounds.

The smoke began to obscure her vision. Blinking it from her eyes as best she could, Celestia quickly made her way to the balcony, towards the sounds of combat still raging from outside.

She took a step back in surprise as Rex stepped into her path from the balcony, but quickly set herself in a defensive stance, "Coward. You would hide from me whilst your guards fight your battles?"

He flashed her a grin through his ashen mane, "More from the flames than you. I would not want to tarnish my good looks." His smile promptly vanished, replaced by something of a snarl as he raised his sceptre, "But let us waste words no longer, Queen Celestia."

Celestia stared him down, adjusting her magical grip on her sword, preparing to strike him down, "I am sorry, Reginald."

Without warning, the king charged, "Reginald is GONE!"

Celestia's eyes widened as the sceptre appeared to warp in his hooves, forming into a sword-like blade as he swung it.

Assisted by her wings, she leapt back into the room, barely dodging the unexpected strike, but Rex carried his momentum through, chasing her into the sweltering, smoke filled hell within.

Author's Notes:

Not exactly my best attempt at meeting a deadline, I think you'd agree. [tardy.jpg]

Nevertheless, it's here, and there's another chapter coming tomorrow since I feel that if I left a cliffhanger here I'd probably get the internet equivalent of a lynching. (Please spare me).

Enjoy (or not, your call).

- Mike