Twilight stared at the map, her cutiemark pulsating on her hip, the image of it hovering, alone, over Hollow Shades. Around the table were her friends. None of them had been called by the map. “Hollow Shades.” Rainbow said and Twilight nodded. “Alone.” Another nod. “So... is it safe now? I mean, I know we got rid of the Pony of Shadows, but... the place was a ruin.”
“I know Rainbow, but you know what we all agreed on. If the map calls us, we go. So... I’m on my own I guess.” Twilight said and Rainbow groaned.
“I don’t like it Twilight.” Rainbow said and Twilight nodded again.
“I don’t really have a choice. I’ll be back soon.”
Two hours later found Twilight stepping off of the train, staring up at a tower. It wasn’t a ruin, like the Map showed. It was an actual tower. Around the tower was a massive wall with a gigantic gate. “What in Equestria is this...?” She asked herself as she approached the gate. Knocking on the massive wooden structure, she jumped as she heard a click and it slid open. Standing on the other side of it were wolves. Not Timber Wolves, like the Everfree Forest. Wolves. With fur. “What...?”
“Welcome, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Please, come in.” The wolf on the right said, her voice smooth and silky. Twilight followed her through the door and paused. Hollow Shades had been rebuilt. A tower rose in the center of the area. Around it lay a small town, reminiscent of Ponyville, will citizens milling about in the shopping areas, walking with their families, and generally appearing to be a typical town.
“You were... expecting me?”
“Yes. We’ve heard of your exploits with your friends, including your most recent... excursion. Here, at our humble home of Hollow Shades. Our Prince wishes to speak with you. I assure you, it is not merely because of his wish to meet you that you have been called. His father is... having a disagreement with the King of our sister clan.” She said and Twilight nodded and followed her. As they walked, she couldn’t help but admire the graceful power in the wolf’s body. Every muscle perfectly honed to maximize movement. Every twitch of her ears scanning the area around them. Even her nose was constantly taking in the scents around her.
Twilight didn’t even realize they had reached the tower until she nearly walked face first into the wolf’s rump. The wolf merely smiled and pushed the door open. “Enter and go up the stairs. The Throne Room is on the top floor. Just keep going up.” She said and Twilight nodded and walked into the tower towards the stairs. The door closed behind her, but the windows were wide and high enough that it looked as though the sun itself were inside the tower. Every floor had a different “feel” to it.
The first floor had been typical. A stone structure with statues and flags lining the walls. The second floor had been slightly darker stone, similar adornments lining its walls, though the statues were fiercer than the ones on the first. As she reached the third floor, she paused at the steps and ducked down.
“I know they’re right, but can they seriously believe a pony can solve our problems? They aren’t friendship related, they’re... political.” The greenish furred wolf said and his blue furred friend nodded.
“I don’t think a pony has the knowledge to solve our problem. Even their Princess Celestia wouldn’t have the smarts to figure this out.” The blue one said and Twilight was about to interrupt them when a third wolf stepped away from the wall and into her peripheral vision. She jumped, realizing he probably knew she was there, and watched as he walked over to them. Jet black fur covered his entire body, save for his right foreleg. Solid gold from shoulder to paw.
“You really think a pony can’t solve our problem? The same creatures that not only defeated Tirek and saved the entire world, but restored our home to us by purifying the Pony of Shadows, giving our home a chance to recover from the darkness that had been infecting it.” He said and the green wolf shot him a glare.
“Oh, like the Prince of Shadows would know anything about darkness infecting anything. Oh wait, he would.” The green one snapped and Twilight stepped into the room and walked towards the stares. “Wait a minute, what’s a Pony doing here?” She heard him ask and she paused and glanced over. The two of them looked furious that she was there, but the black wolf just shrugged.
“Likely she’s here to meet with my father. You know, our King?” He said as he walked over to her. “I’ll escort you up, Princess.” He said and she nodded, too stunned to say anything as he fell into step beside her, walking up the stairs. That didn’t stop her from catching the remark fired their way.
“Of course he’ll escort her... he wants this merger to work so the Fire Clan’s king can’t start the war that will get us more land.” He said, Twilight’s ear twitching as they disappeared onto the next floor.
“What does he mean... a war?” Twilight asked and the Prince sighed.
“The king of the Fire Clan wants to start a war with Equestria in order to get more land. To expand the borders of our kingdom. We have the Tower, but there’s only so much space here, and with the annual breeding festival...”
“B...breeding... festival...?” Twilight asked, her face flaming as she blushed. He just smirked.
“Yes, Princess. A Breeding Festival. Every year, eligible males and females gather in the square for a Kingdom wide orgy. The young ones are kept at home with their mothers, the warriors get first run, and then the adolescents get to have their first time.” He said and she blushed again. “Needless to say, with so many pregnancies around the same time, the clans increase rather quickly, and it’s getting cramped here in the tower.”
“So... the other kings wish to expand into Equestria...?”
“Sort of. The Fire Clan and Earth Clans are all for expanding into Equestria, peacefully or not. The Water Clan couldn’t care less, they’ll just ‘go with the flow’. Their usual thing. The Air Clan doesn’t give a flying fuck, obviously. Why should they when all of them can fly? And the Shadow Clan... well, we’re just waiting to see what the other four clans decide.”
“And you...?”
“Me? Well, I don’t really care, but I think we need to leave Equestria alone. I look at it this way... you are ruled by four Alicorns. Veritable Goddesses. Your head Princess, Celestia? She rules the bleeding Sun. If she decided to, she could drop that celestial orb on our heads and wipe us off the face of Equestria. Princess Luna, the Dream Walker? Do you know what happens to someone if they die in a dream? Princess Cadance rules over love, which is a small step away from saying she has command over our freakin’ hearts. And then there’s you. Princess Twilight, the Princess of Magic. We’ve got magic of our own, yeah, but how stupid would we have to be to take on even one of you?” He said and Twilight blinked.
“So... you’re afraid of us?”
“I wouldn’t say afraid, really. I respect the power held by the four Princesses. The Shadow Clan has the magic to bring statues and other things to life, as if they’d lived for centuries and we brought them back from extinction. My father alone could bring back an army of predatory creatures and set them on Equestria, but how long would they last when Celestia decided to stop holding back?” He asked and Twilight blinked again. “Then there’s Luna. Dreams are our doors to escape reality. If we went to war against Equestria, how often do you think any of our warriors would actually get to leave the battlefield?
“And Cadance? If we turned on Equestria, our ‘love’ of everything could easily be sucked away from us. Our love for our families, for our friends, for ourselves. We wouldn’t care enough to fight back.”
“But... that still leaves me...”
“The Element of Magic... the Princess of Friendship... I really don’t think a war against Equestria would go well for us.” He said as he stopped at a massive door. Touching the door, Twilight watched as etchings lit along the surface of it before the door itself seemed to melt away. As soon as it was open, she was assaulted with shouts, growls, and strange words from another language, clearly angry. As soon as the prince walked into the room though, the larger black wolf smiled then stomped his paw on the floor, the sound echoing through the chamber.
“All of you be silent. My son returns with guest.” He said and the prince walked forward, Twilight right behind him. “My boy, what news do you bring us?”
“The Princess of Friendship has come to assist us with our... problem.” He said and the King smiled.
“A hearty welcome to you, Princess. I would offer you food or drink, but we do not eat the same as your kind, and I am not sure our drink would satisfy.” The King said and Twilight smiled.
“I would welcome a drink, your majesty.” She said and the King smiled and clapped his paws together. Within moments, two more wolves, the same shade of black as the king and prince, entered the room. One wolf had a tray with seven goblets on it, the other with a bottle clenched in his jaws.
“Please, my children, pour us all a drink. To commemorate a visit from the Princess of Friendship.” He said and the slighter larger of the two wolves filled the goblets, which were then passed around to the other wolves in the room, and Twilight, via a magic almost as black as the King’s fur. Twilight blinked as her own magic took her goblet, the black magic seeming to wrap around hers and flow like water. Twilight smiled as they all raised their glasses, the king and his people drinking theirs down quickly while Twilight sipped at hers.
“Thank you, your majesty. So... about my mission...?”
“Ah yes. You were sent here on a mission. Of course. I apologize Princess. I cannot think of where a problem may be.” The king said and Twilight couldn’t help but notice the scoff from the brown wolf with green markings on his face.
“If I may be so bold... perhaps your friend has an idea...?” She suggested, gesturing at the Earth Clan King with her horn. The Shadow King followed her gesture and sighed.
“I do indeed, Princess. As you can see, the King has no bitch at his side.” He said and Twilight’s ear twitched. “Ah, I apologize. A female. To many wolves, our queens, mates and partners are known as bitches. It is not an insult, it is... simple fact.” He said and Twilight nodded slowly. “In the Earth Clan, we...”
“Always have a King and a Queen. Two rulers to rule over the second largest clan in the Wolf Kingdoms.” The prince interrupted from Twilight’s side and the Earth King looked over at him and nodded. “However, you have yet to marry either. Your mother is still reigning Queen, or am I mistaken?”
“You are not, my prince, however...”
“My father is fresh from my mother’s funeral. And here you stand, demanding he replace her so soon after the fact.” The Earth King had the decency to look ashamed. “I understand why you ask this. The Clans must be ruled by a King and Queen. A balance of power must be met. However, this soon after my own mother’s funeral is far too soon, your majesty.”
“I apologize, Prince Knight... as well as to you, King Umbra.”
“However... my father also knows the necessity to have a Queen. Which is the second reason for our meeting here.” The prince said and the Kings all looked at him. “Tomorrow, we will hold an event. It has no name, but during the event, any unattached females of the Clan may be with the King for the night. From any Clan.”
“So... why call the Princess of Friendship here?”
“I wish to sign a treaty with Equestria. We have been hidden for long enough. It is time we revealed ourselves to our equine neighbors.” He said and his father smiled.
“And what would this treaty entail?”
“Well, trade rights for one. They have gems, which we need for adornments on our royal garb, as well as the armor of our guards, to set them apart from the other soldiers. We have silks and precious metals they can utilize in crafting their clothing and money.”
“Are you sure this is not just a way to get closer to one princess in particular?” His father asked, the other kings chuckling.
“Father, be serious.” Knight said and his father waved the other kings to silence. “Another thing this treaty would ensure is our allegiance with Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rule the sun and moon respectively, Princess Cadance holds dominion over love and the Frozen North, and Princess Twilight holds dominion over Friendship and the vast expanse of Equestria between Canterlot and the Frozen North, as well as to the southern border, before the Badlands. The largest Kingdom on the planet. It would behoove us to ally with them, rather than invade.”
“A sound reason, my son. Very well. We will discuss this at length. Would you please show the Princess to her rooms?” Knight nodded and walked to the door, Twilight bowing to the kings and following him. “I hope you know what you’re doing my boy...”
Author's Note
Hmmm... I don't really know. Let me know what ya'll think. I'll attempt to keep this one up.
