Golden Dawn: Dusk of an Empire

It was finally happening.

Rael'ia's proposal to her generals and strategists in the War Council had been met with severe opposition and outright rejection, as she had predicted. "How could you even consider such an impolitic, insipid, and frankly half-baked plan?" they asked. But with the inclusion of the Pony-kin into the alliance, they no longer had any choice but to accept. Failure to enact the plan now would result in diplomatic suicide, and seeing how Pony-kin magic was able to paralyze their enemies en masse without any known counterspells, an honest effort now had to be made to keep her side of the agreement. The danger of another betrayal was too great to ignore; the impossible would have to be done to prevent it from ever happening again. Though she received threats of mass protest and resignation alongside the official approval, Rael'ia had almost begun skipping when she finally heard the news. Sometimes, it was wonderful to be the Crown Princess.

The next month was a blur with preparation. With Twilight and the Pony-kin Ruling Triumvirate's help, Archmage Aternus designated a plaza a short distance away from the city center as the new interdimensional portal to Equestria. An empty, thin arch crafted from white marble, gilded mythril and studded with plenty of Magicite crystals stretched to create a doorway that would be thirty feet in length and twenty in height. On the day of its opening, he addressed the assembled crowds - mostly Pony-kin, but others from all Magikin races had come to spectate - and proclaimed that this was a day history and magical science would remember forever. He wrote down coordinates, descriptions and a decent drawing of his schematics and gave them to Spike, who consumed them with his flame. A few moments later the arch flickered and flashed to life, and an image of an empty, white plaza in the middle of a verdant field faded into view, with Canterlot and its mountain rising in the distance. Princess Celestia took it upon herself to test the portal's integrity, striding through gracefully and to the surprise and enchantment of all others present. She warmly greeted Twilight, Spike and the Triumvirate, introduced herself to the crowds and welcomed the Pony-kin refugees to her kingdom. She informed them of the generous accommodations she had prepared: food, many acres set aside for a town of their own, medical care, education, supplies, and most important of all - safety from Human persecution. When asked by other non-Pony-kin present if they were allowed to immigrate, however, Celestia simply answered that Elves, Fairies and the like were not native to Equestria and could cause multiple ecological problems, not to mention what lands were vacant and able to support so many more refugees. She quickly added that she would bring it up with the other kingdoms at their next summit, and that for now, use of the portal by other races for trading purposes was allowed. This answer seemed satisfactory; no arguments were made nor riots were had as the Pony-kin refugees began walking towards the portal and passing through. Celestia chatted casually with Twilight, Spike and Aternus as they watched the surprisingly calm exodus; as the last of the Pony-kin entered the portal, she bade them farewell and returned to her universe as well.

~

A short time later, Rael'ia and Master Gemcutter Ezri gathered Twilight and her friends into her own armory, and revealed to them their fully-finished, newly-improved sets of armor. Each had been repaired, polished and set with dozens of Magicite jewels. Some served to simply enhance their senses, instincts and latent abilities, while others were enchanted with counterspells against enemy attacks. Ezri insisted they each try them on so she could check a final time for defects, and so they did.

Twilight's armor now had a spine of Arcane-enchanted Magicite gems, where wisps of power radiated to her sides and gave her the appearance of having a second set of faint lavender wings. More gems outlined her eyes, encircled her head and lined the front of her horn's bayonet. They would serve to focus and enhance her own magical spells to levels she could only comprehend when she had once briefly contained the power of four Alicorns simultaneously. In addition, if she wished, one of the gems on her horn would allow her to remotely access the Interley in case she needed new information at the tips of her hooves.

Rarity's armor was bedazzled with numerous stones of purest white Magicite. Pear-shaped gems on her shoulders exuded ghostly light that resembled wings as large as herself, with even more, smaller gems levitating and glimmering within the light. The light from gems placed around her forehead like a tiara swirled around her horn and ears, making them appear three times the length they normally were, with more of the smaller gems caught within the light as well. These small gems, along with her own satchel of diamonds from Equestria, would be used for attacks and defense. Every single one had been cut to form impossibly sharp points, with slightly serrated sides that allowed them to lock together more sturdily than before. Some of her suit's gems were enchanted to enhance her own gem-finding spell, allowing her to find Magicite deposits below the earth and uproot them with magic. If and when some were inevitably destroyed in battle, her smaller gems would then pierce and slash the found Magicite into more shards to replenish her supply.

Rainbow Dash's armor glowed a faint yellow from the Lightning-enchanted Magicite dotting it in its entirety, occasionally letting loose a small arc of thin blue electricity. She found herself to have even greater muscle control than ever before, able to move her limbs and body so fast Twilight swore she could teleport. Harpy wingblades had been added to her wing armor, gleaming with yellow-blue radiance and sharpened to the point she could slice a feather in midair with a simple movement. Magicite gems studded her neck like a collar, emitting magic along her nervous system that would allow her to endure far higher gravitational forces than she could before, granting her the ability to fly ever faster. Gems around her hooves and forelimbs were enchanted with magic that would allow her to come to a full stop on the ground without incident, as well.

Fluttershy's armor shimmered in the light like the sun over an ocean. Upon donning it, her entire body appeared to melt and simmer like a mirage, indicating that the Chameleon gems Ezri had spent hours cutting herself were working perfectly. These rare and difficult-to-cut stones, only able to be crafted from the highest grade Magicite, allowed Fluttershy to disappear completely from the view of anyone she wanted. Visual, infrared, sound waves, telepathy - all means of sensing her were rendered useless. Despite her aversion to fighting, she was also given a means of defense: Nature-enchanted gems lining her forehead enhanced her ability to communicate with animals, while gems along her wings granted her the ability to fly just as well as Rainbow Dash (after flapping her wings once to test this, Fluttershy was sent screaming into the sky, both figuratively and literally. Rainbow had to catch and restrain her to calm her back down and get her to land).

Pinkie Pie's armor had polka dots of Magicite added to it, mostly to enhance her natural abilities and to provide counterspell effects. Even Aternus and Ezri hadn't been able to agree on what specific special magics the pink pony had access to, as sometimes it seemed like she wasn't even bound by the same laws of magic and physics as everyone else. However, one night the Void-Master had paid them a visit, presenting them with a small gem filled with the incomprehensible blackness of the Void itself. It had bubbled to the surface of the pool in the Temple of the Void that day; upon touching it, he felt that it was only right that Pinkie should have it, yet even he was unsure of what it could do. Nevertheless, it was set into the forehead of her helmet, a stark contrast to the rest of her armor.

Applejack's armor had Nature-enchanted Magicite gems lining the backsides of each of her legs and surrounding her hooves. She stomped the ground lightly with one hoof to test it, triggering a brief earthquake of low intensity in the surrounding area. After picking up what had fallen to the floor in the room, Ezri explained that the gems now allowed Applejack even greater Earth Pony mastery of the earth. She would be able to run fast enough that she could easily keep up with Rainbow Dash above, and her kicks were capable of even shattering small mountains, let alone whatever shields and armaments she might come across. She could plow fields and dig long tunnels in mere seconds, and plants would grow to monstrous sizes at her touch if she so wished. Applejack could only remark that her suit of armor would be extremely helpful for farm work back home, to Rarity and Ezri's annoyance.

Spike's armor, last of all, had Fire-enchanted Magicite lining his throat and belly, giving him the ability to breathe fire just as well as any larger, older dragon. More cut stones along his arms and legs granted him enhanced strength and a very unique method of flight; as he had not yet grown old enough to develop wings, the gems, when activated, cloaked his body in flames, quickly accelerated his momentum and hurled him like a meteor through the air until crashing down in a shower of embers wherever he wished to land. All he had to do was leap in a direction, and the gems would do the rest. Hardened mythril claw tips on his gauntlets and boots had also been added, glowing reddish-orange with fiery energy.

Each set had a gem set within their helmets so that it made physical contact with the space between and slightly above their eyes, as well as one that touched the base of their skulls on the backs of their heads. The first, when touched, caused a transparent heads-up display created from Arcane magic to appear before their eyes. They could see arrows pointing to their friends' locations, and a heart for each with their heart rates within them to the right of their vision. Ezri instructed that thinking of engaging the enemy caused the hearts to fade into the background, and red arrows and warnings would appear to denote enemy forces and attacks. The gem at the base of their skulls was specially cut to emit a neuroarcanic enchantment that essentially read their brainwaves and would then prevent the worst of the psychological effects of battle - it would dampen rage, panic and fear, heighten resolve and tolerance for pain and gore, and sights and sounds that could trigger PTSD or other mental disorders were blocked by an amnestic pulse. The brain would simply not remember it happening. Both helmet gems were standard issue for any soldier in her military, but she had elected to use the finest Magicite for theirs for maximum efficiency. Rael'ia had given Celestia her word that she would do all in her power to keep her ponies unharmed, after all.

Rarity then asked what had become of the suit of armor she had crafted for the princess - then Alicorn - while in Equestria. Rael'ia was all too pleased to tear off a crisp, white sheet covering a mannequin, revealing her own modified armor. As dragon scales were a rare material in Fae, it was determined that Rarity's armor was of much higher quality than her own original set, so she had the Magicite gems from the old armor resocketed into the new. Lightweight, breathable, thin yet durable, it fit her slender form perfectly and completely, not an inch of flesh was left uncovered. The cuirass was decorated with Magicite gems lining her sternum and the lowest three pairs of ribs, glowing like stars against the golden gradient of the lacquered scales. More lined the sides of her greaves, the tops of her more thickly-armored gauntlets and boots, and the edges of her wing-shaped pauldrons she had commissioned to match. A wide belt covered with scales sealed the gap between torso and waist, with added armor, gems and padding draping down to her hips. Her helmet covered the top half of her head, a transparent shield spell covering the holes for the eyes and the rest of her face. The space for her ears were crafted into large, detailed wings that looked like they could come to life and flap at any second. All of it was gilded with many shades of gold like the rays of the sun, shifting and shimmering and scintillating on its own. Rael'ia fancied herself the true embodiment of a golden sunrise when she had tried it on, christening it with her own House name. She was almost too eager to test it once more in battle.

~

Finally, after all of her preparation, all of her planning, the night before the fated siege had arrived. The day had been spent making final arrangements: teleporting the last of the rationed supplies to the camps where the forces of four nations lay in wait, and Twilight double, triple, quadruple-checking and beyond that she would be able to summon the Sapling of Harmony to her side. Then, when all that could be done was finished, Rael'ia gathered Twilight and her friends within her armory, donned their armor and teleported away in a flash of sparkles.

"Now you'll see what kinds of magic my people are truly capable of," the Elven Princess spoke as the white light of teleportation faded from Twilight's eyes. At first glance she found themselves at the edge of a dense, hilly forest bordering an empty valley. Looking above for the setting sun, she saw her namesake sky thick and distorted with Arcane magic, as if they were encased within a massive purple-tinged snowglobe. Tendrils of magic dangled from some parts of the bubble, tethered to Magicite crystals stuck to poles in the ground. Some Elves were just finishing driving the last of the poles into the ground; they were dressed in gleaming, mirrored silver armor over thick leather padding. The cuirass and greaves were crafted from impossibly tiny rings interlocked into the most perfect representation of chain mail Twilight had ever seen, lacquered with rich colors in places to form various family crests. The pauldrons were simple, oblong, bowl-shaped pieces of silver metal lined with more leather padding and trimmed with shaped wood. The unmistakable white light of Magicite shone from underneath, cluing her in as to where their various enchantments were hidden. The gauntlets and boots were thickly plated, with short, curved blades along the backs of the forearms for catching blades and small spikes on the soles for traction. Further up the arms the plating wasn't quite as thick, but still seemed to boast great strength and impermeability. A simple leather belt held a pouch or two on their hips, along with sheaths for swords or other holsters for various other weaponry. The helmets, finally, sat atop a hood of chain mail. The eyes, nose and mouth were covered by a perfectly transparent shield spell, only made apparent when a stray fly happened to bounce off and produce a small ripple of Arcane energy. The back of the helmet draped down and flared out slightly over the upper back to prohibit attacks on the neck from behind, and the ears were shaped into great bird's wings.

All around them were various tents and huts crafted from thick cloth or leather, the inner and outer poles of which were dotted with small Magicite gems to provide power, light, heat and other basic creature comforts. Slightly more permanent structures made of wood, stone and metal sat interspersed, where supplies and more important things like medic stations and communications rooms were located. Twilight turned her head just in time to watch as some Battlemages brought together the last few wooden walls of a large, rectangular building with their magic. Their armor, similar to the rest of the Elven forces, had much more Magicite socketed into their pauldrons, helmets and gauntlets to enhance their own abilities. Once the building had been enchanted together, long benches and tables blinked into existence from within, with one such bench and table appearing on a platform overlooking the rest. Metal sconces soon followed from nothingness, big ones at the head and foot of each table and in front of the platform, and small ones placed evenly atop the tables. Next appeared numerous dining sets - plates, bowls, forks, knives, cups all blinking into place with meticulous precision - all made of ordinary grey plastic, to Twilight's surprise. Finally, chunks of Magicite appeared within the sconces, roaring to life with cozy flames tinged a light purple.

Her friends all around her breathed in awe. "Very interesting," Twilight mused.

"Quaint, yet refined," Rarity added.

"No matter how advanced magic and technology might become, there are some things that just don't need much improvement," Rael'ia nodded. "Magic really takes care of a lot, you know?"

"Where are we?" Fluttershy asked nervously, trying her best to step out of the way of the many soldiers rushing past them.

"This is Pilgrim's Valley, at the base of the Viridian Mountain Range," Rael'ia pointed her hand towards the calm fields, tall grasses billowing like waves in the wind. Far into the distance, some creatures resembling antelope could be seen grazing beneath a lonely tree. A wide but empty dirt road snaked lazily through the valley, accompanied by the dried husk of a stream running parallel to it. "About twenty miles into the forest and up the foothills, the Crystal Mountain stands before an artificial clearing." She now pointed towards the mountains, green and lush with ancient growth, faintly illuminated by wispy, ethereal swarms of yellow fireflies. Most of the heights were dwarfed by a single pinnacle in the center of the range, its natural light grey color glowing fiercely with the colors of dusk in the fading light. Its peak was capped with snow, reflecting light like a volcano mid-eruption. Marring the otherwise pristine beauty of the Crystal Mountain were lines and rectangles of muddy green: Nullium-fortified buildings where the Humans had taken residence.

"Is... is the entire mountain made of crystal?" Spike asked, drooling a little.

"Indeed it is. It's not called the Crystal Mountain for nothing, of course." Archmage Aternus had approached unnoticed as Twilight and her friends took in the sights around them. He stood beside Rael'ia, hands stuffed inside his robe's sleeves for warmth. Over his robes sat a chestplate and pauldrons much like the other infantry, but enameled with his House's sigil and encrusted with Magicite gems in every conceivable space the metal allowed. "A most befitting resting place for the Elements of Harmony."

"Is everything ready, Archmage?" Rael'ia asked.

"The others have made their camps and are prepared to move at dawn," he nodded. "Just in time for the Officer's Banquet, too, it will be starting soon."

"Oh, yes!" she clapped her hands together excitedly. "It has been a while since I've had Hunter's Stew."

~

Within a few minutes the higher-ups of the four armies began to arrive at the recently-erected banquet hall, blinking in through teleportation or appearing from stone fists that rose and sank beneath the ground without leaving a trace of movement behind.

Skymaster Skrye was among the first to arrive, her blue plumage now covered in her finest armor. Over garments of pale blue silk she wore plate armor made from thinly-hammered silver metal strapped tightly to her body. Her mohawk of head feathers stuck out from a silver helmet shaped and streamlined like the head of an eagle with Magicite gems for eyes, leaving her nose and mouth visible. Elaborate wingblades sparking with lightning sat delicately on the edges of her arms, the blades covered with leather straps to prevent accidental maiming. The most heavily armored part of her were her talons, covered in metal plates and the tips sharpened into deadly points. She carried her halberd on her back, but now also had a small silver buckler shield slung over her left hip, decorated with a sigil of a bird's talon as it swooped down on its prey.

Warmaster Dovah arrived next, atop his now armored moose Breyva despite traveling via stone fist below ground. He seemed even more gigantic and imposing than before, which seemed impossible in the past. He was still his usual heavily armored self, covered in a mass of thick, red-lacquered metal plates, copiously decorated with Nature-enchanted Magicite, spikes, tusks, claws and horns. All of this lay on top of undergarments of thick leather and fur; Twilight wondered to herself how he wasn't sweating from his own body heat underneath all that bulk. She also wondered how Breyva could manage to carry him with the added weight of her own armor: thick and red-lacquered to match, with specially-crafted spiked hoofplates attached to her limbs and hammered plates of gilded metal with serrated edges set atop her antlers. He dismounted, causing the earth to shake under his weight a little as he walked inside.

Just before Rael'ia and Aternus headed in to sit down, Ocean Mistress Morganna arrived, fashionably late. The Siren was clad in armor that seemed to have been forged from numerous, colossal-sized freeform pearls, held together with white leather cords and set with Water-enchanted Magicite that glittered like the ocean in moonlight. The pearls that made up the cuirass joined together in irregular formations, covering her chest and left shoulder. More freeform pearls curved inwards like boats closed like clamshells around her arms and legs, allowing her gauzy fins to move unrestricted. The gloves and boots were made from white leather embroidered with more smaller pearls and Magicite, and the pauldrons were crafted from the two halves of a giant white scallop shell, Magicite set into the empty shells where barnacles once made their homes. Two more similar shells covered the sides of her hips atop her greaves, with an asymmetrical skirt of thin, white silk extruding from beneath. Her helmet was crafted from a single round pearl the size of a watermelon, elaborately carved with foreign runes and set with gems, with white silk hanging down and caressing the back of her neck. The scarlet jewel at the base of her throat glowed like an ember in the light, intense and harsh compared to the rest of her adornment. Besides the trident on her back, on her right hip she wore what appeared to be a sword with a blade as long and thin as a ribbon, coiled into loops and tied tight and secure.

As each arrived, their subordinates arrived as well, the lowest sitting at the foot of their respective tables and the second-in-command sitting at the head. Rael'ia took her seat in the middle of the table facing the other officers, with Aternus and Dovah at her right and Skrye and Morganna at her left. Twilight, Spike, Rarity and Pinkie Pie elected to sit at the rightmost end of the table, while Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack sat at the left. Finally, everyone was present and seated. A bell materialized above Rael'ia's head and shook, filling the air with an unmistakable, graceful chime.

"Thank you all for coming," the Elven Princess began, the bell disappearing back to wherever it came. "Let it be known that I am truly grateful for your assistance in the coming days. The siege and seizure of the Crystal Mountain from the Humans will not come easily, I am aware. But seeing your faces this night, the faces of the champions of our great nations, fills me with hope and determination. The Humans will yield the sacred peak to us, or we will take it from them by force!"

The banquet hall burst with humble cheers and applause from the Harpy and Orc tables, drowning out the more muted grumbles and half-hearted hurrahs from the Elven and Siren tables.

"I hear your complaints and concerns," Skrye raised her glass. "A great omen blesses our battle, for just a few days ago, a male was born unto the Harpy-kin within Autumn Thicket. The gods have spoken: we shall be victorious!" Morganna rolled her eyes in derision, but remained silent. The tables cheered again, with more joining in this time.

"The Humans will rue the day they stole away such sacred ground," Dovah shouted, rattling everyone's dishes and cutlery with force of voice alone. "We will tear down their ugly walls and buildings and decorate ours with the heads of those who would support such an immoral cause!" The Orcs, Harpies and Sirens cheered louder than ever, even the Elves were cheering raucously. The military leaders then looked to Morganna for her part of her speech. A glimmer of pure and utter malice flashed in her eyes.

"We will crush the milk-skinned landwalkers and send them to the depths of the rivers and the lakes. The blight upon this land will be culled to the last. The waters will run red with their blood and we shall bathe in it!" The Sirens' table thundered with applause, while the others clapped with a hint of uncomfortable hesitation and apprehension. Nobody had taken such an eager stance on Human annihilation like the Sirens had.

"But enough of that," Aternus chuckled nervously, waving his hand in dismissal. "Let the Officer's Banquet begin!"

As soon as he spoke, platters, pitchers and pots of food and drink appeared on all of the tables, covering them almost to the point of overflowing. On each table appeared an entire roasted deer garnished with sweet and earthy root vegetables and mint sauce; a large suckling pig surrounded by aromatic, wine-braised fruit; five large game birds, roasted and smoked and stuffed with fat-soaked bread, onions, garlic and mushrooms; four platters of seared fish, skin perfectly salted and crispy and the fins fried into crackers; four huge bowls of lightly dressed salad greens and sweet, flavorful herbs topped with nuts and dried berries; four deep tureens filled with a thick, steaming, golden broth laden with chunks of meat (the cut up and seasoned hearts of the served animals, as Twilight recognized when she took a peek inside) and vegetables; multiple bowls of bread rolls and boiled or mashed grains; and clear pitchers filled with water or different beers, ciders and mulled wines. All of the dishes began to slowly float in midair, lazily drifting up and down the table and avoiding collisions with other plates and pitchers by floating slightly higher or lower. Enchanted utensils scooped and ladled and poured and sliced and served portions to every member at the table; nobody ever had to get up to serve themselves, and they were sent away with a mere wave of the hand if a serving was not wanted. Twilight watched in amazement, almost forgetting to send away the plates trying to serve her cooked meat before they finished slicing. She and the other ponies elected mostly for vegetarian foods, although a few of them did make it a point to at least try a bite of one of the various meats available. Spike, in contrast, took a serving of every kind of meat and let the other foods drift onwards, pulling out a secret shaker of powdered ruby to further season his meal. The military leaders accepted portions of everything, Rael'ia materializing herself a bigger bowl for the stew. As everyone began eating, a group of four Siren Warsingers entered through a door to the right, clothed in dark blue silks appropriate for a formal ball. They began to hum a calm and tranquil tune, the gems on their throats glowing softly. Thoughts of the coming battle were quickly dissipated, and the conversations turned pleasant and cheerful.

"Ah, thank you for taking care of the entertainment this time, Ocean Mistress," Aternus smiled.

"But of course," said Morganna, haughtily sipping from her cup of mulled wine. "Our song-magic is unrivaled in its elegance and sophistication."

"Bah... it's all wrong for the occasion," Dovah grumbled after politely stifling a burp. "We need war songs! A specialty of Orc-kin song-magic!"

"Oh gods, no," Skrye cringed. "I left the last Officer's Banquet with a headache I couldn't get rid of for a week."

"Indeed," Aternus nodded. "I myself had horrible tinnitus that only went away with a potion containing enough Swallow's Ear fungus to knock out Breyva herself!"

"No offense, Warmaster," Rael'ia added after setting down her half-finished bowl of stew. "I think I felt my own heartbeat stop a couple times during the loudest parts... not metaphorically, either, but literally."

"Well... true, it wasn't meant for enclosed spaces," the Orc conceded. "But it will deafen the ears of our enemies tomorrow!"

"Just don't drown out my Warsingers with your discordant noise," Morganna hissed before returning to her meal. Twilight heard movement behind her seat and glanced back, seeing an Elf wrapped in a camouflaged, hooded cloak briskly walking past. He took off his hood as he leaned over beside Rael'ia's and Aternus's ears, revealing long azure hair tied back and periwinkle eyes much like the Spymaster's. A few words were whispered, Rael'ia blinking and pursing her lips together, Aternus remaining stoic. After a moment of thought she nodded and whispered a few words of her own to the Elf, who nodded in return before making his way back to the door from which he came.

"What was that about?" Skrye asked as her sharp eyes tracked the Elf until he disappeared from sight.

"Sentinel Indico has just informed us that the Prince has been spotted within the Human stronghold," Rael'ia gazed into the distance in thought, her fingers interlaced and touching her upper lip.

"Ah, good!" Dovah slammed his cup of beer on the table. "We won't have to wait for their declaration of surrender for very long!" The other leaders laughed and bantered at the news, while Rael'ia quietly asked Aternus whether that meant there would be more Human troops to fight through or less. A chill traveled through Twilight's spine as she listened in, though she quickly took a drink of cider to send it away. With all these different races combined and fighting together, all the magic available to them, and with the help of her dearest friends, surely there was nothing to worry about.

The banquet continued into the night. After an hour of feasting, a hot, bitter herbal tea was served as an apéritif. Twilight thought back to the night she had first introduced Rael'ia to coffee and smiled as she sipped the drink; the two tasted almost exactly the same, with a few more earthy notes in the light green liquid. Shortly afterwards, a dessert course materialized on the tables, with fresh plates, cups and utensils provided. There were small chocolate and vanilla cakes with silky frostings; fresh fruit tarts and pies; and trays of fruit preserves alongside more fresh fruit, cheeses and nuts. The pitchers now contained either water or milk, both cold and hot alongside bags of tea or cocoa, and at least a dozen bottles of different fortified wines, liquors and other digestifs lazily floated overhead. Twilight watched her friends with quiet amusement as they ate and drank: Pinkie Pie had grabbed no less than three of each kind of dessert option for herself and was nearly swallowing them whole while Dovah watched slack-jawed and incredulous. Rainbow Dash was trying her hardest to chug a port wine, nearly making herself sick while Applejack chastised her and Skrye cackled with laughter. Rarity and Fluttershy both daintily sipped at their drinks, having more and more poured for themselves and taking larger and longer sips until both's cheeks were flushed and they were swooning dramatically to the melody of the Warsingers. Spike reached for a bottle to sample whatever liquor was inside; Twilight slapped his claws away with her hoof like a mother swatting her child's hand away from her wine glass. Rael'ia and Aternus conversed amongst themselves, their speech becoming less formal and more questionable and grammatically incorrect as the night progressed. Morganna sighed and willed a small vial of antacid potion into existence, downing it in one gulp.

The moon was high when the festivities finally ended, rippling like a reflection in water on the shield spells above. Stumbling a little, Rael'ia led the Twilight and her friends to their tent. It was spacious and roomy, dimly lit and cozily warm from the gems embedded in the poles. Sleeping bags atop inflatable cushions were their final stop for the night. Despite the terrible inevitability of tomorrow, sleep came easily to the little ponies. The banquet had helped them forget.