With Motive and Magic: A Hybrids Legacy

“-Recent surveillance reports have indicated an increase in changeling infiltration attempts. Due to this unsealing matter, I recommend that we increase the number of funds being diverted to the Macintosh Mountains. If you could please take a look at this graph-“

The dismal words of the grey stallion brought weight to Sky-Blitz’s eyes. As the sleep-inducing pencil pusher pointed to endless numbers of charts and graphs the whole room took on a more depressing tone. Resting her head on her hoof, Sky stared at the statistical zealot with a glazed expression. She gave a long and heavy sigh.

“I’d give my left hoof to be back on the front lines right now” she thought

The small group of five was in a small meeting room of sorts. A highly polished wooden table was centered atop a lush red carpet. Paintings depicting heroic battles and courageous generals hung proudly along the walls of the room. A large stand containing the multitude of charts sat across the table from Sky. Her irritation with it grew greater by the minute. Shifted uncomfortably in her chair, Sky allowed her eyes to wander around the room. To her left sat the Colonel Good-Gale, head of the logistics corps, and next to him; General Blitz-Krieg. Both were clearly just as bored with the monotone voice of Major Coffers, the chief financial officer of the EUP Guard. Only his dull grey coat of fur matched the dullness of his persona.

“The GDP of the region will not suffer substantially from the diversion of supplies“ droned on the stallion

Sky let out another long sigh “Could he be any more uninspiring!” mused Sky, “ at least fifty shades of hay is kinky in places!”

To her right sat Princess Luna. Even she was beginning to wane into a drowsy like state. Over the course of the meeting Luna’ s once dignified pose had turned into a slight slouch as she waited for an end to the tedium.

“Therefore the excess funds available will allow for the reconstruction and supply of several disused outposts” went the stallion.

Rolling her eyes at the discussion she looked up at the grandfather clock behind the princess staring at it, bleakly. Barely a minute had passed since she last looked. The slow ticking taunted her; tortured her action-starved mind. The swinging pendulum; a hypnotic pull, dragging Sky’s focus away from the tedium of the meeting.  Her eyes glazed over. Her eyelids drooped. All sound faded away, leaving naught but the endless ticking of the clock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The rhythmic sound of the clock, echoing deep within her mind.

“Commander Blitz!”

“Mmm…what?” Murmured the commander as her mind snapped back into reality.

“Commander, what is your opinion of the Major’s proposition?” Said the General, his gruff voice snapping the council back to attention. All eyes in the room now turned towards Sky. She kept silent, starring vacantly at the mess of charts before her. It was some time before the strident voice of Major Coffers broke the uneasy silence.

“Well Commander?”

Straitening up, with a deadpan smile, Commander Blitz delivered her response. “the suggested use o f the available funds has its merits, however, a better use for the funds would be to import Arabian steel from Saddle-Arabia, Several tons of Appaloosan Apples”

The Major arched an eyebrow “…Steel and apples? …Go on?”

“What we need is Zeppelins!”

All members of the meeting went slaked-jawed at the comment. Even the Princess gave Sky a quizzical look.

“A small fleet of supply Zeppelins and, most importantly of all, a large cider brewery”

There was a long uneventful pause before Princess Luna resumed the discussion “The commander certainly makes an excellent point”

“Point? What point?” Scoffed the Major Coffers, his face taking on a sardonic expression.

“That we could all do with a break and perhaps some refreshments” Replied Luna “ we could all do with some time to collect our thoughts and reconvene later”

Good-Gale leaned towards General Krieg, muttering under his breath” Personally, I wouldn’t mind endorsing that plan.” The general let out a hearty laugh. Major Coffers stood there silent, staring ruefully at his commanding officers.

Then turning to face Sky he said, “Commander Blitz, I would prefer it if you would not-“

“PRINCESS!”

The doors to the meeting room had burst open. A unicorn, clad in the royal armour stood there, panting heavily. The Princess arose from her seat.

“What is the meaning of this intrusion?” she said sternly

“One of the guards…has been found…unconscious in the gardens, Corporal Hammer-Spark, and he-“

“We don’t have time to concern ourselves with drunken antics and disobedient guards”

“But your highness, the same pony was just seen by the captain and by several of the castle staff not t long ago. Also, he wasn’t wearing his armour”

“You mean to tell me that some pony has managed to assault a royal guard, steal their armour and infiltrate the palace!”

The poor guard gulped at the princess’s ire grew. “Um…yes” he said weakly.

Turning to another, more competent, guard; Luna said “Put the castle on alert, but keep things quiet we don’t need to disturb my Sister, or the whole of Canterlot for that matter”

“And you” she said pointing her royal hoof at the panting messenger “Take me to see the captain of the guard. Commander Blitz I would like you to accompany me, I feel that you are in need of some air. For now, Sir Stallions, we shall have to postpone this meeting to a later, more convenient, date”

Every pony gave a bow then quickly exited the room. Saved by the bell, thought Sky as she and Luna cantered through the grand halls of Canterlot Castle.

Passing through a long sweeping corridor with a number of large windows, Luna and Sky, looked out onto the grounds of the castle. Many of the once grand structures, which stood elegantly above the city, were now broken and desolate.

As the pair cantered by, Sky stared at some of the buildings, scowling at the damage wrought by the changeling invasion. Luna saw Sky’s angered but sullen expression.

“It’s been over two months and the castle is still in a state of disrepair. It will take some time before everything returns to normal”

Sky pulled herself away from the window and gave huff.

“Nothin will return to normal whilst Equestrians are in constant fear of those vermin. They must breed like rats to have a force as large as the one that invaded Canterlot. I’m only sorry that I wasn’t here to bash in a few of their skulls”

Luna gave Sky a stony glare

“Be careful that you don’t let your contempt for these creatures blind you. You of all people should know what the sightedness does to the E.U.P Guard. Or has your scar failed to remind you this?”

Sky turned away from Luna, feeling the scar over her left eye.

“No princess, I haven’t forgotten”

She scowled as painful and bloody memories were brought forth.

“Well Commander, now that you are of sound mind again, tell me of your real opinion regarding the current state of the E.U.P guard, and please no more talk of Cider brewing”

Sky gave a long sigh, tinged with a slight smirk.

“Honestly? We’re completely over stretched. Before those lings showed up, the E.U.P Guard already had enough problems. We just haven’t got the resources to cover every patch of potential conflict. And no one seems to have any sense on what to do, least of all that sniveling bastard Coffers”

“The redundancy of a military in peacetime I’m afraid” Replied Luna

The two ponies and their escort continued their canter through the palace, passing through elaborate hallways and a multitude of rooms before they came out onto the main courtyard.

“Princess, I know I don’t have the authority, but if you could-“

“No, I will not have Major Coffers be reassigned to some far flung destination where he will most likely cause issues”

“But Princess” Sky said mischievously “some time in the field would do the Major some good. How about…Trottingham, a nice peaceful posting-“

“And” Luna interjected “Far away from us”

The two ponies gave each other jovial looks as they found some humor in light of the break in.

The ponies had passed through the courtyard and were now insight of the barracks behind the maze of other structures that dotted the castle.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, how’s the situation with Gryphon Stone in the east? Last I heard things were heating up about Gryphons settling in Equestria ”

“Well” Luna began with a huff “ The problem stems from the new radical political movement. They claim that we are offering sanctuary to political exiles and enemies of the Gryphon Kingdom. And all of this trouble is largely due to the ravings of the movement leader, Glaucus.”  “Honestly” Luna sighed  “Gryphon’s haven’t given me this large of a headache since my Thestral Guards challenged the visiting Gryphon Royal guards to a cider drinking contest”

The two ponies found themselves in front of the door of the castle barracks. They briefly stopped to catch their breath. Sky gave the lunar diarch a quizzical look, as something dawned on her.

“Princess, how are Thestrals created exactly?”

The princess took on a sullen expression and avoided the gaze of the commander.  She quietly sighed whilst recovering her regal posture.

“Now that we are here, we must maintain our focus on the castles intruder”

The Lunar diarch entered the barracks, leaving Sky outside. She gave a snort at her question being ignored and opened her mouth to respond, but through better of it and instead followed the princess inside.

The interior was comprised of mainly worn grey stone and large beams of dark wood that ran across the ceiling. A large hearth fed dim light into the room from its dark corner and there was a musty smell that filled the air. As the princes entered the room, she was immediately faced with two stallions. They knelt before their ruler, her dark figure partially hidden in shadow.

“Your Highness” said one of the guards “How may we be of service to you”

“Thank you guards colt” replied Luna, in her regal tone “ I would like to speak with the captain of the guard, and I shall require all information on the current break in”

“Of course your Highness, but I’m afraid that the Captain has just left with a reserve detachment of guards. She had received word that the intruder was

near the Royal Library

“How away far is the library from here?” interjected Sky, who seemed eager for some action.

“Not far, roughly a minutes gallop” Replied Luna. She pointed a hoof at the two guards before her “you two will remain here and keep watch. Hopefully we’re not too late”

Sky and Luna galloped out of the barracks. Passing through the twists and turns of the castle interior they finally found themselves within sight of the Royal Library. But, something was wrong. They heard the clattering of armor, grunts and groans, and the most furious of screams from the Captain of the guard.

The Princess and Commander Sky rushed to the doorway to the library. In the centre stood a lone pony, tall and defiant. The intruder brought her gaze to bear upon Sky, and they locked eyes intently studying each other. Sky could see that the intruder had coat of brown fur with a mane to match.

Only a moment had passed before the intruder bolted towards the ceiling and crashed through a glass panel. The intruder was gone and had left the bewildered guards in a torrent of raining glass.

A cry of rage range out over the sound of shattering glass

“After Her! After Her! I want her HEAD!”