Author's Note

We learn more about the past and Celestia part in it

History Lesson

Elsewhere Celestia walked in front of a repurposed lecture hall where the four unarmored Commando's of Delta squad sat front and center.

"Why do I feel like I'm back on Kameno in basic." Scorch joked leaning back Sev didn't miss a beat

"Maybe you'll actually pay attention this time." They both shared a laugh. When Celestia was ready, she addressed them all by name looking at each as she did to reaffirm she saw them as more than numbers. They sat up, and she had their full attention.

"It is my pleasure to meet each of you in person, and I must thank you for rescuing what Elements you could. My best scryers are locating Zero-Three, Rarity the Element of Generosity as we speak. In the meantime, I have gathered you here to fill some rather large holes in the intel you were provided."

"Hole?" Fixer asked.

Celestia nodded "Yes unfortunately only the base description of the ponies and what element they represented were given. A communication spell was interrupted just delivering little more than half the information. Information on what species to expect, Their Tactics, Ability and how best to deal with each. The only enemy not given a full detail was Sombra himself for we were unsure if he had indeed risen again. Now there is no doubt he has."

Fixer eyes widened "That kind of Intel would have made the mission a breeze."

Celestia nodded "Yes as I told your former Advisor." Each Delta leaned forward the air grew tense if Celestia noticed her acting was impeccable.

Celestia continued "Due to this lack of intel mistakes were made, Mistakes I take personal responsibility for. So to ensure similar errors are not repeated, I have taken over as Delta advisor." Scorch and Sev looked ready to leave their seats, but Boss put out a hand.

"What of 25?" Boss asked leary.

"He has been reassigned to head of Intel and communication to ensure future mistakes are not permitted and left unchecked." She put her unwavering gaze over each of them as if seeing who would speak out. But softened "I assure you I have done nothing but put Twenty-Five in a bad mood."

"With all due respect Ma'am-" Boss started, but Celestia stopped him.

"I'd pay attention Delta Lead their may or may not be a test." She turned to the board, and four data pads were floated to each of their desks in her golden magic. Boss closed his mouth and leaned forward knitting his hands together in front of his face. After a moment she stepped aside to reveal a simple drawing of a Minotaur.

"Tell me Deltas what have you learned fighting these creatures?"

"Heavily armored" Boss let out simply.

"Dense Alloy, Like to group up," Sev added.

"Surprisingly climbable." Scorch let out with a pointed finger, Fixer rolled his eyes.

"Seem to prefer bladed heavy weapons." Fixer finished. Celestia spoke up on this one.

"Particularly axes. This gives us an Idea of which clan of Minotaur and general location they hail from." Her magic drew out a symbol the Deltas recognized the style. "The weapon choice and high-plain design put these Minotaurs in the northern forest area of their kingdom. Their main craft being lumber but the Iron Shields bear the mark of their more Mid-Plain brothers who specialize in Ironwork."

A Freeze Image of the shields showing a bullhead snorting flames

Celestia continued "Clan relations are a constantly shifting battle, so it's tough to say if these shields were bought during a truce or the two clans have banded together."

"Which makes intel gathering a nightmare by the time you get something solid it may have already changed." Fixer studied the design.

"Precisely Fixer. But we can confirm most if not all the Timber Bulls have acted against us by where 40 and Applejack were taken if it was a planned jump and not just a random location. This Brings us to Tactics. Your Blasters are very adept tools, and I will not Insult you by explaining the takedown of armored targets." She cracked a smile. Scorch and Sev chuckled.

"Most Minotaurs have a subpar range of vision and tend to be nearsighted or more motion oriented. One of your flash grenades up close will prove effective. This would have stalled or even prevented the capture of Four-Oh and Oh-Four..." She stopped and turned to Fixer who was already groaning internally. "I must ask Fixer did you actually plan that?"

"Not exactly Ma'am" Fixer admitted, and Celestia nodded in understanding.

"Fair enough none the less I found it clever." She offered, and Sev looked up from his pad

"Any weak spots we should aim for?" Celestia thought for a moment.

"Same with most creatures the head. if you want to avoid a prolonged fistfight."

"And if we have to get into a prolonged fistfight?" Scorch asked with only a hint of humor.

"The obvious answer would be to lead it into an area where your squad has a clear shot but if one had to fight hand to hand. Find a way to it's back and put your blade into its spine. Most blades would only stun or paralyze, but your Vibroblades should have enough power to outright kill." She explained and Sev looked satisfied.

"Has Equestria had a conflict with the Mins before?" Boss asked, and the memories flowed into Celestia's mind.

"Mostly before Equestria was properly founded. The three tribes of ponies had run-ins on the border. It wasn't until Luna's banishment did I have my first combat with the clans." She tried to stop the rush of memories, but they came in a rush that made her wings rustle.

"A young and brash Mid-Plainer had gathered a siege force and tried to take my kingdom from me."

"Did you use your impeccable diplomatic charm?" Scorch asked

With a smile clearly expecting such simple answers. Celestia fell into a simple mask of a smile one used for diplomats. One that felt cold to the clones. She remembered at the time she had been anything but calm and collected. The memory of the young would-be conquerer laid before at her hooves Her blade in its neck as the rest burned before her. The smell of burning fur and meat brushed her nose as ash rained throughout the courtyard in her memory. Then she remembered when the element of kindness ripped it'self from her for her actions. Like her soul had been torn asunder. She sighed, and the screen in her mind faded, and the classroom returned to her.

"No, But I sent what remained back to their clan." She lamented, and Scorch's eyebrows went raised and Sev let out an impressed whistle.

"So the royal guard took care of several Minotaurs?" Fixer asked equally impressed. Celestia considered letting them believe that. But it had been hundreds of years since that day no living pony remembered it. The Deltas were highly efficient killers, and for the moment they were her killers.

"No they had threatened my rule, and my ponies directly I faced them equally so. I was still a young and not the most emotionally stable after Luna's banishment." All the Delta's perked up as they began to understand what she meant.

"So by yourself, you took on a band of Minotaurs?" Boss asked setting the field in his mind.

"I had meant to show Mercy. They were bullies nothing more thinking because they were big they had power over the small."

"What happened?" Scorch asked trying to fit this into the image he had of the Pony Princess.

"They were children. Relatively young as I was I had still spent nearly a Thousand years honing my skill with a blade. But in my rush to be done with them I made a mistake. As you may guess Minotaurs are incredibly prideful. Once I shattered the leader's weapon. In hopes to demoralize them but in fact I had merely made it personal. So he made a personal attack in kind..." Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head some of her composure was lost. "They should have been words, Harmless insults thrown by a weak enemy with nothing left. He told me I had not simply banished my sister but killed her to keep the limelight on myself. My sister was a cord I held close to my heart. One that had slowly unraveled. His comment had broken that cord, and I snapped." Celestia's face grew stone cold, and the classroom felt colder. Each commando felt it.

"After I ran my blade through their leader. The rest lost the will to fight. They begged, and they pleaded, it would haunt my dreams for some time, but their cries died with them that day." Celestia's cold emotionless mask gave the story a grim air.

"Must have been a hell of a sight, Ma'am," Boss commented, and Celestia flinched.

"Maybe 38 but at the moment I was cruel and bloodthirsty and the opposite of everything up till that moment I stood for. It cost me so much more than my morals that day." She turned her back to the Deltas and went back to the board erasing the drawing of the Minotaur before continuing.

"Now Griffons this would not be the first time we have had conflict. Some escalating to near wars. But those were much stabler times and yes this time it was my impeccable diplomatic charm that saved us Six-Two." She cast a smile over her shoulder at the clone.

"Wonder how our war would have gone if you had been chancellor." Sev let out, and Celestia paused.

"From the little, I know about your war from the prosecutor's records, You all might not be here." She let out bluntly "But different worlds and different politics to say thing would have gone differently is grossly egotistical." Celestia spoke sternly.

Sev merely raised an eyebrow. "Unless you secretly an evil space wizard who set the whole war up to benefit yourself..." Sev stared Celestia dead in the eyes. She met those cold eyes unwavering, and he smiled. "Then I can safely say things would have gone drastically different."

Celestia looked down considering his words and nodded her head in agreement "That is a fair point, Like the Minotaurs, I want to believe only a small portion of the griffon kingdom is taking part of this conflict but the prisoner you brought does little to quell those fears. I recognize him as one of the kings royal guard."

"I'm assuming you want more intel before sending us in to deal with this. Or did this become a mission briefing Ma'am?" Boss Leaned forward-looking intrigued. Celestia merely cast him an amused look.

"I appriecate the ethuzasim but political assassaination has no place in Equestrian politics Delta."

"Aww just when things were looking interesting." Sev let out dryly folding his arms.

That's when a guard opened the door and approached Celestia with a bow.

"yes, Captain?" She regarded him kindly.

"The griffon is awake, and his wounds have been tended." He reported curtly, and a smile spread across Celestia's face. She put down the chalk and turned back to the Deltas.

"My apologize gentlemen, but I must cut this lesson short. Study the datapads the rest of the information is there Dismissed." She then followed the guard out.

Scorch let out a "Huh I wonder what pony interrogation looks like."

"Probably cute the info right out of em." Sev chuckled Boss was leaned forward on his elbows.

"Deltas I think everything the Princess has revealed to us, And what we've encountered with the Elements of Harmony so far should show us the Princess is not to be underestimated." The rest of Delta nodded as the carefully constructed image of the kind Princess was shifted ever so slightly.