Exiled soldiers

Celestia, as was the norm, sat on her throne, her sun high in the sky. Though a few things were indeed different, most brought on by the near take over of Equestria by the Caribou. One, and the most known, was that Cadence and Shining Armor had been imprisoned for treason against Equestria. How Shining treated the female guards definitely helped prove that. The second was a result of the male members of the guard being easily turned to the Caribou thinking, and now the Warden's Soldiers and Knights acted as guards, as magic was unable to effect their minds.

As for the Caribou, few had been spared by the Warden's forces, and those that were had been imprisoned, or hunted down and killed. Though Celestia believed in redemption, not even she was vain enough to try it with them.

"Hello, my love," the solar alicorn heard from beside her throne. She turned her head, and saw Nightmare, wearing a purple gown with her armor over it, leaning next to her to whisper in her lover's ear. "Are you well?"

Celestia smiled a little. "Indeed I am, Nighty," she said. "And what about you? I'm sure that you've been busy."

"Yes, I am," Nightmare said. "It is either mares having nightmares of the Caribou raping them, if not their friends and lovers, or ponies in general fearing Warden and his forces."

"Well, we know that whatever happens, Warden will choose what he knows is right," Celestia said. "Which reminds me that I invited the Elements here, as I am quite sure they are curious as to how the three of us know each other."

"And perhaps you can finally convince Lady Rarity to accept a stipend from you so she does not have to continue being, as most would say, a lady of the night." Nightmare sighed. "To think, a title saved for my best assassins is now a term for mares who willingly give themselves."

"Well, didn't most start that way?" Celestia asked with a slight smirk.

"Only a few," Nightmare said before a similar smirk appeared on her face. "Most actually came from your guard, dear sister, and the rest were homeless that needed refuge, and had skills I needed."

"I'll keep that in mind if word reaches me of you rebuilding that network, then," Celestia said in a joking tone before the doors opened, and one of Warden's Soldiers, of the Captain variety, Celestia noted, walk in from the hall. "Princess, the Element bearers have arrived and are waiting in the main hall."

"Bring them here," Celestia said. "And where is Warden? He's needed."

"Unknown," the Soldier said.

"Well, he will appear if he can," Nightmare said. "After all, between him fighting those humans, whatever they are, and ensuring that Sali 'Nyon stays in line, he must be busy." Ah, yes, Sali 'Nyon. He and his Remnant faction had arrived two days prior, and the Warden, along with a contingent of pony and Solider guard had gone to greet them, along with emissaries for both alicorns and the current leader of the Crystal Empire, a member of the guard who had been there when the Caribou took it but remained loyal to Equestria. From what Celestia and Nightmare heard, it went good, but the Warden had decided for one of his bodies to remain to ensure they behaved.

Just as she said that, a dark blue circle appeared on the right side, to one in Celestia's position within the room, of the room, and the Warden stepped through. "My apologies," he said. "This body was the closest one that wasn't busy, and slip space between planets can take time."

"No apologies needed," Celestia said. "The Element bearers are here. Are you prepared to meet them?"

"Indeed I am," the Warden said.

"Good," Celestia said with a small smile. "Though I must warn you, one is. . . easily excited by meeting someone new."

"And don't forget Rainbow Dash," Nightmare remarked to Celestia. "She takes a sort of joy in challenging ponies who, whether intentional or not, say one of her feats is not as impressive as she says."

"That is all?" the Warden asked. "With what I have handled in the past, that will be quite easy."

"Don't say we didn't warn you," Nightmare muttered just as the doors opened, and six mares walked in.

Five out of the six were dressed as one would expect. Sunset with the same clothes she wore in the human world, minus the leather jacket for obvious reasons, Applejack wore her usual farming clothes, Fluttershy had shorts with a white shirt, Rainbow a T-shirt with workout shorts, Pinkie had on blue shorts and a polka dot shirt. Really, Rarity was the only one not dressed as one would expect. Instead of something formal, given how she always acted in the presence of royalty, had on a black mini-skirt that barely covered her back side a simple, black bra that, whether intentional or not, barely contained her, ahem, ample chest, and a simple, red jacket. Though Celestia was glad Rarity was less formal around them, she did consider herself friends with each of the Element bearers, she was still surprised at how little was covered.

"Hello, everypony," Celestia said. "I thank you all for coming today."

"It wasn't a problem, princess," Sunset said.

"Still, thank you," Celestia said. "I magine you al are curious as to why I asked you here?"

"Does it have something to do with him?" Applejack asked, hooking a thumb towards Warden.

"Indeed it does," Nightmare said. "We knew you six would be curious as to his past, and we thought it best you should know. And no, Pinkie Pie, he does not eat cupcakes, nor can he."

"Awww," the pink pony said.

"Well, can you tell us how you know him?" Rainbow asked, brash as always.

"that is what we were planning," Celestia said. "You see, Warden wasn't always what you see. One hundred thousand years ago, yes, ponies existed back then, but Nightmare and I were much, much different back then, as alicorns go through something akin to a phoenix as we grow old."

Indeed," the Warden said, causing heads to turn towards him. "Back then, I was still organic, and was a guard in Celestia's forces, though she was known as Solaria back then."

"Wait a minute," Sunset said. "What do you mean? How could you have been a living thing then, but be a machine now?"

"An object called The Composer," Warden said. "Put simply, it turns one into a. . how to put it to you all? A magical construct of one's mind, but with all the mental facilities they had as an organic being. Some were stored for their knowledge, others, like me, were put into a mechanical body and enlisted in combat against a parasite known as 'The Flood'. I, however, was placed in charge of guarding all knowledge of those that turned me into what I am."

"So y'all knew each other?" Applejack asked.

"He was the captain of my guard before he became what he is now," Celestia said. "And perhaps one of my greatest friends."

"You exaggerate, princess," Warden said. "If I was, I would not have chosen another species over my own kind."

"You did so to help protect us, did you not?" Nightmare asked, eyebrow raised.

"I suppose so," Warden said.

"Still, eighteen days ago when he and his forces helped us is the first we have seen him since he left," Celestia said. "I was a little surprised to see him, but grateful for his intervention, especially since he arrived just before I lost my horn."

"What exactly happened, anyway, princess?" Rarity asked. "I wasn't there, and I haven't had a chance to ask the others yet."

"Those animals called Caribou," Warden said, "were using the artifact from the frozen north to corrupt the minds of the stallions. Through the use of magic stolen from the being of chaos, their king was able to defeat Celestia, and was near able to de-horn her. My forces arrived before then, and Nightmare, who was weary due to dreams she had seen in the past nights, was awake and, though she did not know we were coming, was able to hold off the guards of hers that were turned long enough, while I and a small contingent of my forces rescued Celestia, which is when I killed that fool of a king, and destroyed the artifact, which happened just after I learned it had been changed into a phallus to, as the few Caribou prisoners my forces have would put, show 'male superiority'."

"Sounds like you could have made a fortune, Rares," Rainbow said to the white unicorn, albeit in a friendly and joking manner, one picked up by said unicorn.

"And perhaps they could have tamed your ego, Rainbow Dash."

"How are you two able to joke about something that has traumatized others?" Nightmare asked.

"For Rainbow, that's just her," Sunset said. "For Rarity? Yeah, since she started her side career, parts she kept hidden, no innuendo intended, have come out."

"And besides, Nighty," Celestia said. "A little good natured humor is helpful, or have you forgotten that?"

"That, I do not doubt," Nightmare said. "It's the subject they are joking of that irks me."

"Nothing says you have to stay."

"And not be next to my love?" Nightmare asked with a sultry undertone. "What makes you think that?"

"Simply a suggestion," Celestia said. She then addressed the six Element bearers. "Do you six have any other questions?"

"Yo, right here," Rainbow said. "Is there anyway I can enlist in the Warden's forces?" This got eyebrows raised by all the ponies, and would have if the Warden had any, as Celestia and Luna had told him of the mare's wish to join the elite flight group of Equestria.

"Why?" Nightmare asked. "We thought you wished to be a Wonderbolt."

"Yeah, but they can't really do much in terms of combat," Rainbow said. "They did get knocked out by Rarity, after all. And besides, I know that they're paramilitary, yes, I know big words, but still, I'm the Element of Loyalty and can pull off a Sonic Rainboom, as well as saved their captain and second in command. They haven't even shown any bit of gratitude towards it. Besides, much as I'd like being a part of them for being with the greatest fliers, I want to protect Equestria more."

". . .I suppose that is a good answer," Nightmare said. "Well, Warden, is there?"

"There is one," Warden said, "but I warn you, it is painful, I speak from experience, and there is no turning back, as well as the fact you will no longer be organic. Are you certain now?"

"Yep," Rainbow said, confident smile on her lips.

"Then I will see what can be done," Warden said.

"Are those all the questions you can think of?" Celestia asked. When none replied, she said, "Then you may return to Ponyville. But Rarity, I would like to speak to you first."

"Of course, princess," Rarity said. With that, the six left the room, followed by Celestia.

"Is there anything else you need?" Warden asked Nightmare.

"Not currently," Nightmare replied.

"Then I wish you a good day," Warden said before a slipspace portal appeared behind him, and the body hovered back through it, letting the portal close behind it.

That night

For Celestia, sleep almost always meant a reprieve from the world, and let her enjoy what she did without having to fear anything bad happen.

Almost.

Tonight was one of the few nights when the world had something else in mind. In this case, it was fleeting glimpses at what Celestia assumed was the future.

The first was almost always the least clear. In it, Celestia saw the blurred image of a blue mare dressed in various shades of blue clothing in a black space. All Celestia was able to make out other than color was that the mare seemed to be the same size as an average earth pony mare, and it seemed as if the view was from below, as if the viewer had been defeated and was now looking up at their conqueror.

The second image was more a moving picture with sound, the sound being that of screams and thunderclaps echoing after each other, as well as the sounds of the weapons of the Warden's forces firing. On the ground, there were bodies of ponies, each with either burns or holes on their body, a site that would have made Celestia vomit, had the next one not come so quickly.

The third was like the second, but instead was in space, with a large, steel colored, cylindrical object, with white lettering that could not easily be read on the side, fighting against what Celestia recognized to be a Forerunner Dreadnought, with a disassembled Dreadnought on the first ship.

It was the last, usually the clearest one, that left Celestia the most confused, though. What she was was six armored beings, each as tall as Cadence, wearing differently styled but similarly colored armors, with Warden beside them, but, where his orange would be, there was nothing, and he looked like an empty shell, all seven with what Celestia assumed were weapons, as Warden had his blade out, what they were facing unseen to the solar alicorn. With this, a voice was heard.

"To think, Warden, I trusted you, even after Genesis," the voice, one of a mare, said. "No matter, though. Once I remove the last vestige of you from the Domain, I'll be able to secure what you and your pathetic princesses are hiding from me."