It promised to be a grand and prosperous day as the white alicorn carried the sun over the horizon, shedding its warm and luminous rays across the lands of Equestria. However, despite the promising look of the day to come, Celestia found herself loathing it, for today it was her least favorite time of the month—tax day. On this day, not only were the authorities to collect the tax sum from their people, but they would also have to oversee all of it and the paperwork which it entailed. Few things could bring about a pony's disdain towards taxes, no matter how shortly said distaste may last. And Celestia was no exception to this rule.
Celestia raised a hoof to her face and gave herself a few pats to distract her from her sullen mood. Just like everything else, it had to be done, and be done so with her traditional gracious smile. Putting her hoof to her chest, she inhaled and exhaled in accordance to the royal sigh. After this was done, she plastered on a soft smile as she ventured into her throne room. The all too familiar room still carried a welcoming air and sense of grandeur, despite all the countless hours she had spent within these walls and stained glass windows. Her secretary was not far behind, and a colossal stack of papers held within her magical aura all had to be addressed, cleared, and/or denied. Not wasting any time, Celestia put her mind and pen to work as she filed through the seemingly endless mountain of paperwork.
The hours ticked by as the work ensued, and even after all this time, it was as if the mountain had barely even budged in its frustrating height. What's more was that she had only come to deal with a good share of ponies who requested the chance of lowered taxes, even if only temporarily. After much back and forth they would eventually be forced to relent, seeing that there was no way past the Princess's adamant will. It was then that there were heavy and rushed knocks upon her doors. Without even waiting for her response, the doors were thrown open as a royal guard came running in, "Urgent new from western Equestria, Your Highness! Top of the line from the Wonderbolts!"
Knowing very well what that meant, the princess waved a dismissing hoof to clear out the throne room. The secretary, as well as the mares and stallions who sought an audience with her, were escorted out of the room until there were only Celestia and her guards remaining. "Now that we are alone, you may proceed," she spoke in a gentle tone.
"Two days ago the Wonderbolts made contact with foreign sea vessels which made landfall on our western shores, not too far from Vanhoover. These ships were of colossal proportions and did not take long before the sailors began to set up camps. The reports state that they were familiar to equines, yet distinctly different, and as the Wonderbolts attempted to make contact with these foreigners, they were attacked."
An attack on her ponies could not be ignored, but she would not make any hasty decisions as of yet. There was still information to gather before she could make a decision. "Where are the assailed Bolts now?" she asked.
"One of them is being treated for her wounds, and the remaining two are still out scouting these foreigners for any further signs of aggression," spoke the guardpony, "According to the doctors, the wounds of the injured Wonderbolt were very unique as well as foreign to them. They said they had never seen an injury like this before."
New weapons? Or maybe magic at play? Celestia pondered. "I want a full medical report of the injuries once they are prepared to be shown. In the meantime, what else do we know of these intruders?"
"Not much, Your Highness. But if the reports and assumptions of the Wonderbolts are accurate, then the ships were designed to withstand long travels as well as carry loads of resources. We believe that they are probably an expedition envoy, and appear to have traveled from beyond the Western Seas."
Celestia's eyes flared up, and her heart began to race. The west was uncharted territory, but she knew far too well what dwelled beyond those "undiscovered" borders. The princess turned her attention to the throne guards, "Send for Princess Luna at once. This is a matter of great concern, and we must evaluate the best option for this situation.” Turning back to the other guard, she continued her thought, “Thank you for bringing this to me. If there is nothing else, you are permitted to leave." The guard bowed and made his way out of the throne room, together with the ones who guarded her throne. When she was at last alone, she picked up both pen and paper and began to write a letter to her student and colleague. Dear Princess Twilight, I am afraid that I am not a bearer of good news this day. You and your friends are required at Canterlot immediately. A new potential threat has arrived at Equestria's borders, and immediate action is required. If possible, I desire for a peaceful and political solution to this situation, and know no pony better than you to take on this task. Which is why I wish to send you, your friends, and an accompany of guards to assure Equestrian peace. Make haste Twilight. Yours truly, Princess Celestia.
Celestia read through the letter once, twice, and thrice, but not for the sake of correction—rather to have it sink in that it may indeed be what she dreaded. Sighing loudly she ignited the letter with magical fire, sending it to Spike and Twilight, hoping that they would respond to her summons as quickly as possible. Mere moments after the letter burned away from view, a bright flash of cyan light shone within the hall as Luna transported herself before Celestia. "Sister, is it true? Have they really arrived at our lands?" asked the princess of the night, her tone distraught and teeming with shaken nerves.
"I do not know, Sister. All we know of is that they are possibly from beyond the sea. And if they are...," Celestia trailed off as she collected her thoughts, distracted by images, sights, and sounds from ages past. A shiver ran down her spine as she offered the thought, "If it is them, I fear that we may stand before a disaster untold."
Luna was struck by a sullen expression as she looked towards her sister and fellow princess, "I know. I was there when it happened. However, if they could be put to purpose, if a covenant could be shaped, then maybe-"
"You believe that they could be of service to our society?" Celestia interrupted, her words serving more to finish Luna's sentence rather than to actually pose a question. "I have given it the same consideration. But then I ask myself, would the benefits outweigh the risks?"
...
Twilight, her friends, and the accompaniment of guards assigned to her by the Princesses stood upon a hill in the far distance, the guards peering through their binoculars over the treetops on the encampment of the encroachers. For the moment the camp only consisted of a hundred or so tents of various sizes, with barricades set up around the edge of the camp and a sizable pile of lumber at the outskirts, hacked down from the nearby forest.
A guard slowly rose from his position. "Maintain focus," He spoke to his fellow guards in a voice which sounded as if he had been gurgling gravel his whole life. He walked back towards Twilight and her friends, saluting them only to be waved a dismissive hoof from Twilight, gesturing to keep his courtesies to a minimum. "Our position appears to be undiscovered as of yet,” the stallion explained, “The camp is of considerable size, and is growing greater as time goes on."
"Were you able to figure out who it was that put up this outpost?" Twilight asked in turn, a surprising calm permeating her voice despite the predicament they stood before.
"Negative, your Grace. They are too far away to discern any notable features."
"Alright, you are free to return to your task. My friends and I will discuss our next course of action. Approach me immediately if there is any change," Twilight replied, turning towards her friends. The guard nodded and returned to his position as Twilight and her friends took a step away from the rest of the guards, finding a small meadow.
"I'm surprised you were able to keep that up, Twi. I was starting to think that you would crack up at any moment," Applejack spoke as she approached Twilight, wrapping a hoof around her neck.
"You're not the only one," Twilight answered with a short chuckle, breathing out a sigh of relief, "I’m still not used to these types of duties as Princess, and I am so nervous."
"Well, I think you are doing a marvelous job so far, Twilight. Keeping it at a safe distance and scoping out potential threats seems like the right call," said Rarity.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who seemingly had nothing to add, kept it simple with nods of agreement, one far more enthusiastic than the other. Meanwhile, in the corner of the group sat an aggravated pegasus, bordering somewhere in between frustration and outright fuming with rage, "Rainbow Dash? Do you have anything you want to say?" Twilight asked hesitantly, not wanting to see her friend blow her top.
"Not really."
"Come on Dash, it's clear as day that you are bothered. You can talk to us."
In a frustrated sigh, Rainbow Dash turned around to face them, "I get that your plan is a good one, probably the best one, but they still hurt a Wonderbolt!. I just don’t understand!! I guess I’m just a bit angry that we can't just go down there and tell them to shove off."
"I understand how you feel Rainbow, but-"
"No need to lecture me, Twilight. I just care about the Wonderbolts a lot, and it seems a bit too personal to me.. I know we can’t confront them yet. So where do we go from here?"
Everypony's attention shifted back to Twilight, and she immediately felt the pressure from her position again, "I think that we should send a small envoy to request communication with whoever leads them."
Twilight’s friends’ eyes grew to the size of dining plates. "Why would we do that? They’d just attack us again!" Applejack exclaimed.
"That is a risk I’m aware of," Twilight answered. "When I send the guards to speak with them, it is a very likely chance that they are being sent into great danger. But we are first and foremost here for peaceful purposes. If there is a way to solve this with as few of casualties as possible, if even any, then we must do it. Besides, if we just wanted to expel them, we wouldn't even have the numbers for it." Twilight looked back at her friends, her eyes glistening with uncertainty, "So, what do you girls think? Any objections?"
The five friends looked around at each other, not speaking a word before reaching a unanimous decision. Stepping forward, Rarity spoke for the group, "We trust you, Twilight. If you say that this is the way, then it is the way."
I just hope that I can live up to that faith. Twilight thought to herself.
The friends moved back up the hill, the guards saluting Twilight as they returned. "Commander?" Twilight spoke, the leader of the collection of guards stepping forward to answer her summons, "We have decided to send a small envoy to greet our new neighbors. No weapons, only our banners and a flag of peace."
"With all due respect Your Highness, if we go in unarmed we will be utterly vulnerable if they attack. We’d be completely unable to put up a defense," the commander warned.
"Something tells me that if they desired to be hostile, your weapons wouldn't do you any good against their numbers. We need to handle this gently, to learn what purpose they are here for."
The hesitation and worry were clear in the commander's eyes, but with a salute, he went back to his stallions and arranged the envoy. Four of them would make the journey to the encampment. All they could do now was wait and hope for best.
...
A little more than an hour later, Twilight began to grow weary of the events which may had transpired. Every passing moment, the anxiety within Twilight grew greater. This anxiety proved to not only be restricted to herself, however. As a guard, it was their duty to instill a sense of security and safety with their princess, but Twilight could tell that the guards who accompanied her too were growing worried for their fellow comrades.
Twilight ascended the hill to look out over the forest and catch a faint glimpse of the camp in the distance. It was then when Twilight spotted a figure exiting the forest, galloping at high speeds towards their position. Immediately seeing that it was one of their guards, the others took a defensive stance in case they were being pursued. The charcoal-colored Unicorn came up the hill, his breath lost to him, wheezing and panting with every attempt to breathe and speak to them.
Taking a step forward, Twilight attempted to ease him with the offer of water. "Take it easy, you may rest now," the commander responded with a quick flash of a smile.
After a few moments of relaxing, the stallion came back to a reasonable breathing pattern, and Twilight cut to the chase, "What happened back there? What did they do or say?"
"They...they were not of the friendliest disposition,” the troubled guard spoke, “The moment we arrived they pulled out odd spear-like weapons and forced us down on our knees in search of weapons. However, they do speak our language, so once they began to listen we explained our purpose, and after some short 'discussions', we were allowed to send one of us back to fetch the rest of you. Their leader is willing to make conversation with you, Princess."
Before Twilight could respond, the commander of the guards stood forward, "Your Highness, I fear that this could prove to be a trap of some sort. I advise that we remove ourselves from here and return with a larger force, one which we can oppose and contest them with if things gets ugly."
Twilight, not knowing what to do at the moment, decided to press on for more information. "Who are they? And did they say why they came here?" she asked the dark-furred guard.
"I didn't learn what they referred to themselves as, but they were similar in appearance to the Griffons. The only difference was that rather than being part Eagle and Lion, they were part Eagle and Pony. What's more is that they didn't seem too keen on conversation currently. Oh, and as you can see, they are also keeping our comrades stationed there until I return," The guard answered.
The stallion's words sent Twilight's inner-self into an excited frenzy. A new species, and first contact? This news was rousing for her indeed, however the mare restrained herself from having an outburst around the many ponies awaiting her next order. Not that she needed to focus too intently on that, for worry gripped her at the mention of the other guards being kept there, likely against their will. "That leaves no question for debate then. We will return to the encampment and meet with them," Twilight spoke. The commander was ready to protest, but with the rising of Twilight’s hoof, he was silenced before he even had the chance to open his muzzle.
Twilight, the guard’s commander, and a new envoy of guards made their way towards the encampment, the returning guard leading the way. As they got closer, yet still out of view, Twilight commanded the guards to leave everything except their armor behind. At this distance, if the situation went to worse they could retreat and swiftly grab their equipment. After this was done, they stepped into the clearing towards the settlement. Now getting a better view of the foreigner’s camp, they saw spiked barricades surrounding the camp, and leaning over them were Eagle-like creatures with strange spear-like weapons in their claws. Looking closer at the weapons the guard had mentioned earlier, Twilight saw that they were hollowed out in the center, with a small spike of metal at their tips, seemingly too small and weak to be able to deal the same kind of damage the typical spear could do.
Once they were halfway through the clearing, they were signaled to halt. This gave Twilight the chance to further inspect the opposition. Atop the barricades stood about fifty of these griffon-like creatures, all aiming their odd spears at them. Twilight felt relief mixed with dread, but was glad that she didn't decide upon anything drastic, such as trying to expel them. She was right that with only twenty guards, things would not have ended well for them had they attacked. After a few moments of waiting, the ponies saw from the midst of the camp the three remaining guards being escorted towards them. The guards were shoved back into Twilight’s group, although now an additional twelve of the foreigners stood before them. One of them wore a tailored officer's vest adorned with several medals, and stood at the front of the pack, his feathers pitch black and fur light gray.
The creatures were slightly higher in stature than the ponies, giving off a sense of intimidation. The foremost of the griffon-like animals stepped forward, a nasty glare in his blue eyes. "Where is the Princess?" he spoke.
Twilight stood forward, trying her best to put on a friendly appearance for them, "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. I speak for the Equestrian regime and-"
"I care little for your name or who you speak for,” the rancorous creature interrupted, “What matters is why you have come to intrude on our land."
Twilight grew visibly annoyed, "I fear that you are mistaken. You and your people have intruded on Equestrian soil, making encampments without the permission to do so."
"The Hippogryphs care little for your permittance or liking. This land is now ours, and we will continue the construction of our settlement until its completion."
Hippogryphs? Good to have a name for them I guess. Twilight thought. She was about to speak once more when another voice cut in, "You are wasting your time trying to earn his understanding, your Grace." The voice sounded considerably younger, but still carried a sense of authority.
From the midst of the Hippogryphs stepped forth another one, who was taller than the rest, clad in an officer's vest of blue and green, and had snow-white feathers, black fur, and golden eyes. "I am Prince Fleetquil, and I am the only one you should be concerned with."
Author's Note
This is the first story I've written for My Little Pony in ages now and I hope that at least someone enjoyed what I've written so far.
This chapter has been edited by the wonderful NightDrawn. Give him a look if you will.
