Rebellion

       Celestia awoke as saw the bright purple ceiling above her. Thin, intricate printings creating flowers swirled around on the ceiling. She sighed as she sat up. Her gold linen blanket was wrinkled and folded and laid long her spread legs. She eased herself toward the side of her bed and planted her hooves onto the ground, the drawstrings of her bathrobe dangling onto the red rug. She stretched and yawned, twisted her back and listened to her spine pop. She smacked her mouth trying to remove the morning taste from her gums. The Princess dragged herself across the room to the bathroom. The rug rubbed against her hooves as she entered the bathroom. Her hoofsteps turned from soft drags to firm, loud trots, clicking and clacking. She stopped in front of the wide mirror; she saw her reflection, sharp as she saw herself. Celestia reached for the faucet and turned on the water. She dipped her hoof into the newly formed pool at the bottom of the sink and scooped up some water. She splashed it onto her face and let out gasp. The water was cold. Just what she needed. She removed her bathrobe and turned on her shower. The water hit the floor with soft taps.

    "Your highness?" Celestia yelped and rushed into the shower, the water still being cold, she pulled the curtains to cover her.

    "Night Thunder!" She scolded, "I'm taking a shower!" She heard a chuckle.

   "Your highness, since when did ponies wear clothes?" Celestia felt the cold water dampen her flowing mane.

She let out a breath, "what is it you want, Commander?" She heard Night Thunder clear his throat.

"General Havive of the United Guard is here to speak to you."

   "When does he want to see me?"

   "Now, your highness." The water warmed up and Celestia felt blood rush back through her body.

    "Give me a few minutes."

"Princess, he never comes to Canterlot unless it's urgent." Night Thunder's booming voice informed.

    "Well, so is conditioning this hair, Commander." Night Thunder chuckled and exited Celestia's bathroom. Celestia let the warm water continue down her long legs. She levitated the bottle of shampoo next to her and began to clean her mane.

                                                                                               ***

     "She said she'll be right down, Gentlecolts." Night Thunder informed. He trotted down the stairs into the foyer of the castle. A glamorous chandelier with reflecting crystals shined down and made basic light shapes shine down on the floor. The United Guard General and his three men wore a traditional UG uniform; a blue bulletproof vest, and a matching military beret. The UG looked at the commander of the Elite Guard, jet black hair and mane, gray eyes with gelled hair to tip at the end and protrude past his face, his upper body was built, and one of his wings were robotic since it was torn off in a fight. The Elite Guard was a branch of military founded by one of Celestia's high ranking admirals. All who are accepted into the branch are 'the best of the best'. Night Thunder was wearing an Elite Guard uniform; basically similar to a Royal Guard's uniform only it had a small, red crest and instead of gold, major portions were silver instead.

"Very well, Commander, did you inform her it was urgent?" Night Thunder smiled.

    "Yes, she heard me." The UG looked at Night Thunder, "what is the news?" The general looked at his two soldiers his sides. His bright green eyes caught a glare from the chandelier and made it glow brighter.

  "Since you are the highest ranking officer present, I suppose I can inform you of the predicament."

  "I suppose." The General nodded and one of his troops standing next to him handed him a manila folder. He opened it to reveal a thin pile of papers and photos attached. Night Thunder leaned in and the General flipped the file around and hoofed it to the commander. Night Thunder flipped through the photos displaying ruins of destroyed buildings. Concrete and debris were scattered along the ground. He flipped to the next photo which was a convoy of horse carts carrying ponies armed with firearms, dust trailing the. “Where were these photos taken, General?”

   “Saddle Arabia.” Night Thunder was shocked at the next photo; A United Guard Embassy with smoke rising from one side.

   “This building,” Night Thunder lifted the picture up to the General, “is supposed to have the tightest security in all of Equestria.”

  “They got in, what’s more to it, commander?” Night Thunder cussed under his breath, “The conflict between two rising factions in Saddle Arabia; Gaya and Hevera, is growing to a more dangerous level, possibly genocidal, commander.” Night Thunder looked through the files reporting the damage and deaths.

   “What’s the conflict between the two factions?”

    “Gaya had conducted genocide against the Heveras almost 50 years ago when Saddle Arabia was created. Since then the Gaya had stopped the massacre, but now the Heveras are looking for revenge in a sense.”

   "So the Gaya aren’t clean either…”

   “Yes.”

   “What happened to the embassy?” The UG shuffled in their spots until the general spoke up.

   “The occupants within the embassy were kidnapped and were hung in public by the streetlights in front of the embassy.” Night Thunder shook his head.

“This is madness.”

    “They’re demanding that all United Guard withdraw from the land." Night Thunder looked up.

    "You don't plan on it, do you?"

    "That's what I came here to discuss with the Princess." Night Thunder closed the file.

    "I say we discuss this in the dining hall, Gentlecolts, you must be hungry after the trip here." He hoofed the file back to the general, "tell them I sent you." The General nodded and trotted off with his two soldiers. The Elite commander climbed back up the stairs and trotted down the red carpet hall. The Princess turned the corner into the hallway where the commander was.

    "Ah, there you are." Celestia smiled, her mane flowing in its original wavy state. She had put on her necklace, along her crown.

    "Your highness." Night Thunder bowed.

     "Next time, knock, Commander." She said smirking as she brushed past him. He stood back up and caught up to Celestia.

    "From what I heard from the general, its best you hear what is strolling in Saddle Arabia."

    "Oh?"

    "Yes, it's already caused the execution of United Guard Embassy employees to be executed." Celestia stopped in her tracks, Night Thunder stopping with her.

    "Bring me to them." Night Thunder nodded and led them down the stairs. Night Thunder reached the bottom and found himself in the foyer yet again. He made a right. Gold armor was posed to create ponies guarding the sides of the walls. The Commander lead Celestia to the dining hall which had a wood oak double door as its entrance.

    "They're in there."

    "Thank you." She opened the door using her magic and Night Thunder tried to sneak a peek until the doors shut in front of him. Night Thunder shrugged it off and trotted away. He turned the corner and bumped into two guards.

     "Ah, the Princess." Night Thunder informed them as he got up, he stretched out his hoof, "she's in the dining hall." The two guards grabbed the one hoof and Night Thunder pulled them up. The two guards nodded and they trotted away. The Commander continued his way to his office. He passed a large room, rounded at the top and made of plastered bronze walls. Night Thunder reached into his belt and grabbed the walkie talkie clipped onto it.

     "Tundra!" Night Thunder said into the talkie. No answer. He repeated himself.

     "I'm here. I'm here, sir." The walkie talkie croaked with a smooth, sweet voice. Tundra was Night Thunder's assistant. She was recruited into his team only six months ago, and according to Night Thunder, she's done extraordinary at her job.

"A little late on the reply." Night Thunder chuckled.

     "Apologies, sir." The Commander exited the large room and into a hall. He stopped midway down the hall. He turned to face it and placed his hoof on it. Two green lines beamed on the wall. The one above his hoof went down and scanned his hoof. The one to the right scanned to the left. As soon as the two beams were finished with their individual scans, they simultaneously scanned the hoof once more at the same time. The beams flashed and the wall split in front of Night Thunder.

     "I need you to print out a file on recent reports on Saddle Arabia." He said as the sides spread revealing a dark opening.

      "I'll try and find something." Thunder clipped the walkie talkie back onto his belt. He trotted through the newly made opening. Once he

was a few feet in, the light narrowed behind him. He found himself in complete darkness.

     "Name?" A robotic female voice asked.

     "Night Thunder." He answered.

     "Confirming voice pattern." Silence, and then, "confirmed." Light sprung out in front of the commander. He squinted as his eyes adjusted, "Welcome to the Elite Guard HQ, Commander."