Author's Notes:

Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit

Sorry about taking so long to update this story... I have been very busy with a lot of things

Chapter Twelve: Letters and Reactions

I stood in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, looking out the stain glass window before sighing.

“Such is the life of an Empress, is it not?” I asked aloud, as per usual no one answered, my Solar Guards standing at the entrance to the throne room, and my Dawn Legion were out patrolling the borders, not just between the newly christened New Lunar Republic, but also between us and the Gryphon kingdom which had grown far more arrogant now that my sister and her followers had split off from what was United Equestria. They encroached on the Solar Empire’s lands while our forces were busy fighting each other…

“Empress, I have a message for you from the Consul of the New Lunar Republic” stated a royal messenger and I sat up straighter and waved for the messenger to continue, but instead of speaking he walked up and handed me a folded letter with my name neatly written on the back in my sister’s hoofwriting.

“Thank you, is there anything else?” I asked and the messenger shook his head before waiting for my dismissal which I gave after I realized that was what he had been waiting for…

I was sitting in Fluttershy’s cottage as Angel glared at me, apparently he still didn’t like me after my outburst when Ponyville left the United Equestria.

“I’m so sorry Twilight, if I knew you were coming over I would have made more food to eat” said Fluttershy at which I smiled lightly.

“Don’t worry about it Fluttershy, I did come over unannounced, I don’t expect you—” I started but Fluttershy shook her head.

“Oh no Twilight, after all we are seeing each other, I should be prepared for you to come over every now and again” said the shy pegasus and I smiled at her touched by her innocence, even if some of it was just a façade.

Dear sister,
It does seem strange to address you as a peer
rather than only my sister, but I send this in the hopes
that it finds you well, and that the next message I send
is one to inform you of my victory in the Senate.
I wish to inform you of a development in the search
for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. All the paths we
have uncovered all lead back to the Solar Empire and as
we have no jurisdiction within your borders I must ask
that you continue the search for our niece and Twilight’s
brother’s fiancé for us. I wish I could say that is the end
of the business for our letter, but I also have to request,
by order of the Senate, that Dawn Legion troops are
kept at a minimum along our borders. It seems that
although the war was ended in our favor—being
that we retained the freedom we claimed at the
beginning of the war—the Senate is nervous about
troops along our borders. I do hope that you do not
see this as an act of aggression and see it rather as
an act of a new player on the field trying to learn
how to play the game.
With love, your sister,
Luna

I sat in the empty throne room thinking about how to respond to my sister, I knew that either she was delayed with her second message, or something had happened that would prevent it from ever being sent. Next thing I knew there was a green flame and a poof of smoke as a new letter appeared in front of me…

Dear sister,
I write to tell you of good news! The Senate has passed the
motion to send aid to the Solar Empire, and with it, the opportunity
for our two forces to learn from each other. I will admit that
it was difficult for me to get the Senate to see things my way.
However, I am still certain that I wish for this form of government.
Now that I have dealt with the most pressing of the news,
I have added the loyal Rainbow Dash to the herd, and Moonlit
seems to enjoy her company as much as I enjoy theirs. Sister,
I worry that this may fall into another war, one that neither
of us alone will be able to survive. So please, do what you can
to keep your ponies supporting this joint effort. As you and I
both know, without the support of the populace, no ruler will
rule for long. Even one as experienced as you.
With love, your sister,
Luna

Upon reading that my worry grew, but it was manageable. My sister was rambling and not staying focused on any one topic. However I had to reply soon else my dear sister, Luna, would worry, and I did not wish that as she was right, if this search became a war, neither side was ready to fight again, regardless of the fronts we have put on for the world…

Dearest Sister,
I thank you for the update, and congratulations on your
addition to your small herd, and I think I will inform the
commanders of my military of what to expect, and if nothing
else, to be trading secrets with the former Lunar
Guard… Sister I know that you say you want a
Republic as your government base, but what can a room
full of ponies do that we can not?
With love,
Celestia[

I read the letter over and over, it seemed my sister didn’t have the same trust in our ponies that I did but at least she was not going to try to force me to change my government to a dictatorship. Something that, while I have the authority, and the forces, to do if necessary, I did not wish to do. turning around in my chair I noticed Moonlit sitting there on the bed a contemplative look on his face.

“A bit for your thoughts?” I asked him and he just gave me a weak smile.

“You do know that, if we go along with this, our forces are not likely to come home all that often, if at all if they are permanently stationed in the Solar Empire.” my young lover stated and I sighed…

Luna sighed and the look on my face grew sad. I know she had thought about it, but I needed to know about what I should tell my unicorns that were going to be going.

“I—” Luna started before shaking her head. “I know Moonlit, I know quite well. But in order for us to survive if the Gritu, and Sarti attack, we need the fighting skills of both forces…” she said and I swallowed before nodding.

“Understood, Luna” said Moonlit and I pulled him into a hug before moving to write my reply to my sister…

Dearest Sister,
I am ashamed of you, do you truly believe that
our ponies can not learn to govern themselves?
What, pray tell shall happen to your subjects
should the worst happen? I fear that they may
be lost without you to hold their hands, whereas the
ponies I have lead will be able to think for themselves.
However, I did not write you to berate your choice of
government anymore than you can of mine. I will be
sending a few of my best battlemages to meet your troops
in a fortnight, please have your ‘Dawn’s Legion’ ready to
meet them.
With love,
Luna

I sighed as I reread the letter before handing it to Moonlit to read over, his own ponies were going to be sent so it made sense for him to know what was going on.

“So I take it I am going to have to choose some ponies to send over then, am I correct Luna?” he asked me and I nodded.

“Yes, love, but we also have to make sure we don’t weaken ourselves while doing so, the Minotaurs have—”

“I know, I read the same reports you do”

“I know I read the same reports you do” I said as and rolled up the letter and sealed it with wax, Luna using her seal stamp on the wax while it was still hot to mark the letter as official. It was time we made some real progress with our mutual defensive pact...

Author's Note

Been a while since I last updated this story, hope you enjoyed the chapter