The Strife of Survival and Honor

During their stay Tempest and Celaeno, along with her crew, explains to Sitka and Turok about Equus. Tempest told them that she was from a Kingdom named Equestria. It was founded during the winter when the three tribes, Pegasi, Unicorns and Earh Ponies, united themselves into what it is today. The holiday is called Hearth's Warming Eve, when Equestria was officially founded. After that the two royals were born and currently control the land for over 1000 years. Their names are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Lifers of the Sun and the Moon.

They then had a disastrous event when Discord the God of Chaos took over the land and caused mayhem throughout the land. The two princesses regain their control over the land, as well battling Lord Tirek and King Sombra. After that, the younger sister Princess Luna, turned evil for not being appreciated for her night sky and turned into Nightmare Moon. She was then banished to the moon by her older sister, Princess Celestia.

She later explains everything about a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, moved to a place called Ponyville. She and her friends became the new bearers of the elements of harmony and went through alot of adventures; purified Nightmare Moon from Luna, defeated and reformed Discord, destroyed King Sombra, gave up their elements to save Ponyville and restore the tree of harmony, Twilight Sparkle becoming the newly alicorn and princess, defeated Tirek which result with giving Princess Sparkle a new castle, and so on.

The next thing that Tempest and Celaeno tells the Brards is the recent event that happened in Equestria. The conquest of Equestria by the Storm King. Tempest Shadow was the commander of the Storm King's army and hunted down the princess of friendship to help the Storm King absorb the alicorn magics in return to restore her broken horn only for the Storm King to betray her, so Tempest joined Twilight Sparkle and defeated the Storm King. Captain Celaeno and her crew are pirates that was forced to serve the Storm King only to later rebel against him and help free Equestria.

Right now after a time of peace, the alicorn princesses sensed a magical disturbance and it was located where the Brard 'Ancestral Portal' was. Their jobb was to explore it and find out what that was and then they were ambushed by the very same slaver dogs that they eradicated.

Sitka noticed the guilt that Tempest is feeling and did his best to comfort her, which is actually working because Tempest feels like Sitka is a creature who knows sympathy. Captain Celaeno seems to take a liking to Chieftain Turok, ever since he saved her from rape she shows him great respect, her crew also respect to the Dread-Claw clan leader. Sometimes, Captain Celaeno would make some flirthy moves on Turok to get his attention. When Tempest was with Warchief Sitka she always was able to smile and talk honest to him.

Over the time both the Blue Storm clan and the Dread-Claw clan have builded their new settlement with ease thanks to their transmutation abilities. The road between them and the Brard peninsula has been connected and from there Sitka received reports from the other clans. The one on the land have builded at least a dozen settlements on the mountains and six others on the other side of the mountain chain. Most of them didn't ecounter anything excepts the wild beasts lurking in the mountains but the Brard warriors with their brute strength and their transmutation skills are superior to the fangs and claws of mighty predators. Only three of the Brard clans have made contact with the local natives and two out of three didn't went well. One of the clan came in contact with a minotaur village and they welcomed the Brards in open arms while the other two meet patrols of minotaur soldiers and they attacked the Brards in fear that they may be bandits but the Brards manage to eradicate them. As for the Brard sea explorers they encountered pirates and also some merchant ships on their way but they all have reported that they have a now cleared view of their geographical surroundings. They all now knows that they are in a peninsula that in theory belongs to a kingdom but since it was completely uninhabited no one would blame the Brards for not knowing it.

After two days of staying with the Brards commander Tempest and captain Celaeno must take their leave and report this to the alicorn princesses about their exploits. Sitka and Turok saids their goodbyes to them as they departs, right after that Sitka returned to the Peninsula where the Brard's 'capital city' is located to run the Horde again and reestablish the denfence of their borders.

*Meanwhile in the Capital of the Minos Kingdom*

In the heart land of the Minos Kingdom, in the capital city of Taurus, a huge city with large stone walls were the minotaur king lives. It is a city of colosseums and bazaars. Minotaurs pride themselves in combat skills and merchandising, this give the Minos Kingdom both economic and military progress to stay strong. When Equestria was conquered by the Storm King the Minos Kingdom was able to repel the Storm King's conquest until his death. While all lives in Tarus was normal it has been a huge debate in the royal palace where King Rock-Charge lived and rule his kingdom. The minotaur court was talking about politics about the remnants of the Storm King's empire in ruins and the several bandits and pirates plauging them.

King Rock-Charge is a prideful and dutiful king but he is often ignorant about a few situations. It didn't take long before the large doors ofthe royal palace opens and from the door came commander Rush Horn to the court where the nobles and King Rock-Charge are, once Rush Horn has came before the king he kneeled down.

"Commander Rush Horn, how goes the mission of disposing off bandits?" King Rock-Charge asked.

"We have successfully driven away them, sire. The Diamond Dog slavers will never plague our kingdom again." Rush Horn said earning an applause from the court.

"You have done well commander, I'll be sure to provide you and your warriors compensations for your efforts." King Rock-Charge said in pride.

"Actually sire, it is not me and my warriors who should be compensated with such honor." Rush Horn said, which surprised the court and the king.

"What do you mean with that?" He asked.

"For a few days ago me and my warriors had been ambushed by those slavers and we would not have survived if it were not for the help of a new race of mighty warriors." Rush Horn said and that cause the whole court to raise their voices, thinking that the commander might have a screw loose. But King Rock-Charge won't have any of that.

"SILENCE!!! Care to explain your story commander." King Rock-Charge requested. Rush Horn spended hours of explaining the captivity of his warriors under the iron boot of the dog slavers, he told them about them being rescued by a race of 9 foot tall bear creatures who proves to match even the strength of a veteran minotaur and has the magical ability to transmute. Rush Horn did as best as he could to explain the heroric deeds of the new race called 'Brard' and they leader, Warchief Sitka, he put alot of heroism in his story about him and his warriors fought beside them.

The whole court was shocked and surprised when Rush Horn tells them about their world and how they entered their world. The seriousness of the situation began when he explained where they are and that the once uninhabited peninsula has been colonized by the Brards and they used their transmutation powers to fertilize the land. More than half of the court called them tresspasers or invaders while others, including Rush Horn himself told them that it counts as minotaur land by theory on the map while in truth it would not belong to anyone. While the debate take place King Rock-Charge received a message from his borders about the new race. He raised his hand in the air until the court has been silenced.

"I have received reports about this bear race you were talking about, commander. The village close to the mountain welcomed them in open arms while captain Doombull and captain Steel Hand are saying that they attacked them and wiped their troops out in mere seconds." King Rock-Charge informed them all and that cause those who are against the Brard's existence to cry out for action.

"Sire, I swear they would never attack anyone without provokation! These patrols where assigned to hunt down bandits and slavers and they must have mistaken the Brards as such, they problebly attacked the Brards thinking that they are bandits and the Brards clearly defended themselves. It's was all a misunderstanding!" Rush Horn defended them, to the court's disapproval.

"Are you really defending them, commander?" King Rock-Charge asked him in a serious tone.

"I owe my life and the lives of my warriors to them, so with all I have seen and experienced I swear they are not a malice!" Rush Horn keep defending them.

"Since they helped you and your warriors to rid the slavers from our land and that the peninsula is put to good use, I admit that you knows them more than any of us and I will take your words for it. However, misunderstanding or not they killed soldiers on duty and nothing can justify that crime and must be punished! If you can prove that they are not a malice, I will offer their 'Warchief' the peninsula in exchange for their loyalty." King Rock-Charge said which cause the court to bring alot of shouting among them.

"As such I want you and your men to escort an emissary to talk to these creatures. And the emissary of our people shall be none other than my own son, Iron Breaker." King Rock-Charge said and that silenced the court and Rush Horn became filled with horror. Everyone knows who Iron Breaker is; King Rock-Charge's son, heir to the throne and known as a arrogant bastard who cannot understand diplomacy well and King Rock-Charge is too ignorant about it since he is his own son. Rush Horn knows that this will end very badly.

"With all doe respect sire, you mustn't-" Rush Horn tried to reason with the king only to be interrupted.

"Tomorrow, you and your warriors will escort him to the peninsula to meet with their leader and that is all." King Rock-Charge said as he left the court.

"Not good at aaaaalll." Rush Horn said to himself since he knows this could end up in a disaster.

*Canterlot Castle*

On top of a mountain was a beautiful castle and inside the throne room were the sun princess Celestia and the moon princess Luna along with the love princess Cadence and friendship princess Twilight Sparkle. They all discuss about the situation Equestria is on, ever since the Storm King conquered Equestria alot of structures has been destroyed and resources being depleted, now that the Storm King is dead and he had no heir to his empire. Warlords and commanders that served him has now gone rouge, looking after for themselves and after the throne of the Storm King. Equestria and other nations under the Storm King's occupation suffered both economic and social difficulties.

While they were discussing how to deal with these things, the double door of their room opens. The royal gards came in as they escort the two persons they wanted to meet. It was Tempest Shadow (Fizzlepop Berrytwist) and Celaeno.

"Tempest, Celaeno! Are you two alright?" Princess Twilight Sparkle said in a happy tone.

"We're fine, we have discovered the cause of the event." Tempest said in a nervous tone.

"Have you, that's great. What is it?" Princess Celestia asked as the other alicorns wonder that too.

"A new race has emerged!" Captain Celaeno said out loud with entusiasm. Causing shock among the princesses.

"Excuse me?/Beg your pardon?/Huh?/What?" All four alicorn princesses asked in union.

It took a whole hour for Tempest and Celaeno to explain the whole story. How they have been captured by Diamond Dog slavers and that they have been rescued by a race of giant bear warriors and they also told them about their magic in transmutations. They explains that they are located in a once uninhabited peninsula west of the Minos Kingdom.

The Princesses are completely surprised at this news about a new race on Equus, while Twilight Sparkle smiled widely with sparks on her eyes because she has a opportunity to learn new things.

"THAT IS SO AMAZING! A whole new race and you two came in contact with them, I MUST meet them and learn all about their culture and history!" Twilight starts babbling with alot of entusiasm.

"How comes that we never heard of them before!?" Was the first thing Twilight asked them before any other princesses was able to talk.

"According to their leader, Warchief Sitka, they came to our world through a dimensional portal from their world into ours." Tempest explained.

"Which could be the only explenation about your magical disturbance." Captain Celaeno brought the logic to it.

"This is so EXCITED! Ooohh I can't wait t-" Twilight Sparkle was interrupted when she turned around and saw the look on the other princesses faces. Twilight, Tempest and Celaeno notice that Luna and Cadence had the look of fear in their faces, but Celestia's was far worst, she had the look of horror the moment she heard the word dimensional portal.

"OOhhh Nooooo!!" Princess Celestia said in horror before she quick as the naked eye rushed away to a direction.

"SISTER!! No, wait!!" Princess Luna yelled out before chasing after her sister, leaving the confused Twilight, Tempest and Celaeno behind.

"Y-you said they came from a dimensional portal?" Cadence asked.

"Yes, what's wrong with that?" Captain Celaeno asked with a shrug like it's not important.

"Why was Princess Celestia terrified by it?" Tempest shared Celaeno's confusion.

"You all don't know about it?" Cadence asked them and they all shook their heads.

"'sighed' Two hundred years before the era of Discord, there was a villain who tried to take over the world through necromancy. The worst enemy that my aunts has ever fought. His name was Grogar, he also was not of our world and came to us through a dimensional portal. He and his army of undead has killed millions of lives and he resurrected them into his slaves. It took very long for Celestia and Luna to defeat him and banish him to tartarus. But before his banishment, his last word was 'When the next dimensional portal opens, this world will be mine'. If what you say about them is true then..." Before Cadence manage to finish her line, she stopped for she saw the look of their faces. Twilight face was in complete shock while Tempest and Celaeno was in total fear.

"Y-you believe the- n-new creatures w-woul-" Twilight was about to say but was interrupted by the pirate captain.

"NO! The Brards are different, they are nothing like this Grogar figure! You muyst stop your aunts from whatever she's gonna do." Captain Celaeno said in panic.

"She's right, if she attacks them it would mean war and Equestria has enough of destruction already." Tempest agreed with Celaeno.

"Cadence, you and I must talk some sense to them before they attack a innocent race!" Twilight Sparkle pleaded her.

"You don't know if they are good or evil. For all we know they are cunning enough to make you all think they are good but that Grogar taught them deception." Princess Cadence tried to reason.

"They don't even know anything about Equestria's history, nor have them heard about Grogar! Just because it happens once dosen't mean it will happen again." Tempest agrued back.

"Yeah, this Grogar just said that to scare the princesses. It dosen't have to be true." Captain Celaeno said in desperation.

"But what if it is.... What if they do serve Grogar... w-we." Princess Cadence could not find anyway to reason with them since she could see the certainty in their faces.

"Cadence. We can't jump into conclusions. It's the worst thing Equestria can do. We must reason with Celestia and Luna. Please help us." Twilight said in a pleading tone.

Princess Cadence was in a complete dilemma. She want to believe what they say about these 'Brards' and have peace in Equestria. But how would she convince her aunts.