Author's Note

SUPRISE BONUS CHAPTER.

Chapter 6: Canterlot

Thirty Minutes before Battle of North Hoofton..

Canterlot...

In the Capital of Equestria, Canterlot, stands the famous and beautiful new Solar Castle, nearly finished in construction after the destruction of the the castle of the two sisters by nightmare moon not five years before. Now the home of the one of two sisters, Celestia, Princess of all of equestria. Who looks over her city from the tower constructed for her bedroom. In full view of the city from a balcony, she watches as her little ponies walk about their day. Many trains of wagons still flowing in and out of the city, bringing the last stone and wood needed to finish off the last portions of the castle. A symbol of a new better equestria. With hundreds of new buildings popping up in the new capital, the city is booming in population with hundreds of ponies moving in, closer to the beacon of hope and prosperity for the future that is the castle and celestias sun over it.

Yet that symbolism is lost on Celestia, For which the castle is a constant reminder of her sister, whom she has failed. Sighing she turns and walks back inside her lavishly furnished room. Wishing she didn't bring so many things from the old castle, As they just remind her of Luna. Wishing she could have done something else to save her sister from the lies those humans told her which caused her to turn into her evil persona, Nightmare Moon. The treachery of the humans to trick her sister into going against her, to cloud her judgment into nearly destroying all they had accomplished in uniting the ponies for the last few centuries. Celestia looks at the broken painting hung up on her wall, a split between luna and herself has nearly ripped the painting in half. Caused when a human spear was slashed against it during the battle of the old castle. "What did they tell you to convince you luna.. Why did you do it?"

Celestia puts down a book on the elements of harmony, a book she has read a million times over by now. Reading through it to maybe find some secret message that will tell her how to reverse the powerful spell which sent Luna to the moon. Yet to no avail. She looks around the room, half of her tables are cluttered with magical books from all over. She lowers her head and magically grabs her crown and jewelry. Setting them up on herself and looking into a nearby mirror as she puts on her signature motherly smile. A smile her ponies take comfort in and that soothes all when she gives a speech or shows up to a celebration. A smile she has had to put on for the past five years to not show her precious ponies the regretful mare beneath the mask.

"Another day another meeting at the House of nobles." Celestia walks to her balcony and spreads her wings, closing the balcony door behind her and taking off into the sky. The air rushing past her flowing mane gives Celestia some comfort. Wishing she could simply fly away from it all.

Banishing those thoughts from her mind, Her ponies need her, Her sister needs her whether she will accept her help or not. She carefully lands in the courtyard of the extension to her new castle. The house of nobles, A large building with one main circular room. A Semi circle of theater like seats facing a podium at the front. Where nobles walk up to propose new laws or debate subjects. The room currently mostly filled with representatives of every noble house in Equestria, From the noble blue-blood house to the house of sparkle to a dozen other small noble families. With the largest and powerful Houses closer to her throne and radiating outwards.

Celestia Walks inside and takes her ceremonial throne in the center of the seats. Her presence is not needed here. The nobles convinced her that she was too lenient on subjects such as the humans who dispute their generosity on protecting them and accepting them into equestria, betrayed them. Her solution was to divide equestria into different lands and have the noble families control their own portion, so that she can focus on equestria at large while they take care of local disputes. The house of nobles is to deal with internal affairs, with only advising her on subjects she brings up that deal with all of equestria. Yet ever since She banished her sister she slowly loaded more responsibility onto the Nobles, So that she could find a way to bring her sister back from the moon.

Wishing this meeting could be over so she can continue her quest to re-unite with her sister, Celestia makes herself comfortable as the final representatives arrive and take their seats. The chairpony of the House of nobles takes a stand at the podium.

"Thank you all for attending today. And we must thank The princess for attending as well your highness. As you all know i am Pumpkin Pen, Chairpony of the house, And i call this meeting to begin." Pumpkin lifts a gabble and knocks it on the podium three times.

"Our first issue to be brought up is to be brought up by myself." The crowd begins whispering to each other as she brings up a scroll. "Ahem. Not an hour has passed since my youngest sister, Black ink, Has sent me a message with some concerning news." Opening the scroll she looks over the audience before continuing. "A Band of Armed human rebels have been spotted north of Hoofton, near the griffin border. From what my sister has written they appear to be armed and armored, By who she does not know. Details about them shows she encountered a group of about five hundred riding large ponies-"

"Ponies! Those filthy humans have captured and are riding us?!"

"Impossible They are too weak to have captured some ponies!"

"This cannot be true! Your sister must have made a mistake!"

Pumpkin Slams the gabble down onto the podium. "Order in the house!" Soon the nobles cease yelling. "Now if you would let me finish before you work yourselves up. My sister points out that she has captured one of the humans and its large pony during a small skirmish. The pony seems to have no intelligence, being sliced in the flank by a sword as they were escaping the pony flailed and yelled, even when ponies came to it for medical aid it simply flailed about, Hurting a few ponies. The pony and human were taken to Hoofton to be interrogated." Pumpkin pauses to take a drink of water before continuing. "Now in her second letter she sent right before i stepped up to the podium, sent by artificial dragon fire of course, She states there was an entire army of humans right behind the scouts. She claimed it was six thousand strong, and all marching in unison and in formations. Armored with large shields and helmets. All of which seem custom made for humans and not scavenged." She stops to watch the reactions of the Nobles.

"Somepony must be supplying them! They cannot possibly make armor on their own!"

"Marching in unison! Impossible! Humans are too simple minded for that!"

"There have not been any recent reports of escaped humans! Much less to this scale! They must be a remnant of nightmare moons human forces! Hiding until now!" Various nobles nod in agreement at the statement.

"Perhaps." Pumpkin Pen states. "But my sister has currently engaged with the human forces with the militia of Hoofton, over seven thousand strong. A thousand more than the humans which will surely crush this army soo-" She is cut off as another scroll appears in dragon-fire in front of her. Catching it in magic she breaks the wax seal and reads it. "Oh dear.."

"What is it? Is it from your sister?" Celestia asks, fully invested now in this human army debacle.

"Unfortunately yes.. It Umm.. It appears she has suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the humans." She barely finishes the sentence before the house erupts into chaos. The entire room shocked at the mention that the Hoofton militia were defeated. Celestia herself freezes in place as she fears for the safety of Hoofton and equestria as a whole.

"SILENCE!" Celestia yells, using her royal Canterlot voice. "Pumpkin, Please continue.." Celestia says, emotionless, startling some of those nearby who remembers her dislike of humans since the nightmare moon rebellion.

"Y-Yes Princess. Well um From what she has hastily written her plan was foiled by over eager peasants charging before they were given the order to. And she has estimated over two thousand losses more or less. But she cannot say the same for the humans. Since she saw whenever one was injured they side stepped and were replaced by the human behind them. Estimated their losses extremely low compared to hers..." She nervously drinks some water as the stunned audience remains silent.

"This is a very serious matter, that cannot be ignored." Celestia stands, her face showing determination. "I Will lead the royal guard myself to defeat this menace before they can endanger equestria." Celestia watches as the nobles around her erupt into shouts of concern for her and claims that the guard will leave Canterlot defenseless. Which in reality, they simply wanted her to let them take care of everything.

"Princess! You cant! The royal guard are to be used in case Canterlot is in danger! This is just some run down town We can simply organize the lords of the surrounding area to mobilize and use numbers against them. Surely they cannot stand against an army thrice their size!" A Member of the house of blue blood says calmly.

"Hmm you may be right. I am simply letting my emotions get the better of me." Celestia sighs and sits back down. "Tell the lords and ladies of the fiefs surrounding the Hoofton fief to mobilize their militias and guards and cut off the head of this menace before it can spread. News most likely will filter to the countryside by merchants and peasants. We must act quickly to repel these rumors with a victory." The house agrees and messages are sent to the lords and ladies of the three fiefs surrounding area. Telling them to gather their troops and crush this uprising...