Author's Note

Sorry it took me so long to start back up. Thanks for hanging on and I hope you continue to enjoy it. Please, Like, Comment, Share. But definitely Comment, no negotiations. Comments are required. 😜

Chapter 13

Royal's head rocks back with the blow and a yelp yips from her throat.

She glares a Rarity and the Unicorn smiles sheepishly. "Sorry darling, thought you were Pinky. She was just behind me, but you know her and how she just poofs."

Royal bows her head to the Element of Generosity and steps aside to allow Twilight and the others in.

Suddenly a hot pink flash of metal shows from the ceiling and paint balls spray from down upon Rarity and the others.

A barrage of shots make their way to Twilight. "Flash," Royal orders.

Flash wraps his wings around Twilight, covering her from the fire. "Is this normal, My Lady," Flash asks, chuckling.

"Sadly yes," Twilight mutters, pushing his wings away after they stop shuddering with shots.

Foalan blocks Rarity, his armor colored bright pink and baby blue while Autumn Breeze has a sheild around herself, Apple Jack, and Fluttershy. Royal stomps over to the wall and kicks it. It shakes and knocks Pinky from the rafters. She catches the mare and sets her on the floor, frowning deeply.

"Why the frowny face Fluffy?!" Pinky asks happily, tilting her head.

Royal just squints at her before returning to her post at Twilights side. "Forward march!"

Pinky skips up astride Royal and looks up at her as they make their way to the throne room, head tilted curiously. "Come on Roy, I'll clean up. I'm sorry Rarity pelted you in the head because of me." Pinks twirls to bounce along in front of her, pouting up at her. "You going to ignore me the whole way? Pleeeaase, Fluffy. Fluuuufffyyyyyy!" Pinks reaches up and grab Royal's face to stop her, causing the other guards to freeze in shock.

Does this mare want to die?!

"Look at me, Fluffy," Pinky orders briskly. When Royal finally looks down at her blankly she whines petulantly, "Loook at meee. I'm going to die if you don't give me a hug!"

Royal rolls her eyes with a quirk of her lips and looks to Twilight. At a nod she turns to Pinky with an exaggerated sigh, "Looks like I've been ordered to give you a hug." She teleports her armor off, exposing her soft fluffy chest fur she had been pet named after.

Pinky squeals in delight and plunges her face into the fluff, nuzzling deeply.

Royal hugs her back and then pulls away. "You can have more hugs later if you go get Rainbow Dash and bring her to the throne room. We have much to discuss."

Pinky nods and takes off down another corridor as Royal replaces her armor. "Shall we continue Scholar?"

Twilight smiles at the mare's poorly hidden beam. A Pinky hug always washes away her stress and, though well hidden, nervousness.

"You do know you are doing an excellent job. Right?" Twilight asks as they continue on down the corridor. "There is no reason to be nervous."

"There is every reason to be nervous. My Kingdoms security rests upon this mission. If I fail to foster goodwill with your People and the other People of Equus. It could mean that the hunts will start again. Then I will be forced to kill those who poach from the land, as is the law. War will fall and it will be my fault."

Twilight frowns, "But you-"

"There are no buts, Honored Scholar. If this doesn't work and war falls upon my people, it will crush me. Crush me to know that every death of a loved one, every death of every creature, the decimation of our forests and homes, will be my fault." Royal whispers quietly so the others don't hear, her fists clenching at her sides. "All the pain, suffering, and loss of everyone involved will be upon my head, because I failed to foster peace, because my negotiations went wrong, because I was too weak to protect them. It will all be on my head, and I will pay for it with it." A tear rolls from her eye and disappears into the darkness of her helmet.

"What do you mean because you were too weak to protect them. I've seen your magic and your skill with multiple swords. You trained with the best of the best Equestria has to offer and came out on top. You have shown goodwill to the Princesses and their people and have had it shown to you in kind." Twilight places a comforting hand on Royal's shoulder and smiles. "You have done nothing but succeed."

"But I haven't! I am still failing!" Royal shouts, her breath quickening as the tears start to fall more freely. She turns from them all, her back ridged.

"Wait here guys, we'll be back in a sec," Twilight grabs the Mixed Breed's arm and drags her away behind a pillar before turning to face her. She removes the grieving mare's helmet and speaks soothingly to her, "It's okay dear one. Your fine. Come here." She pulls the taller mare down to cradle her in her bosom, stroking her mane softly. "Now tell me what's wrong."

Royal drops to her knees and hugs the bookworms midsection closer. "I've failed them, all of them."

"How?"

"The spell I cast to protect my people is weakening, it's degrading and I can't stop it. Because I too am weak to control it. Not without the original Seven. Six of them are already bones in the sacred roots of Sohuki." Royal confess, her shoulders shaking with sorrow and regret. "I don't think this will work. Maybe with the Ponies it will. But there are dozens of others out there, a whole world that I cannot protect them against."

Twilight snorts as she runs her fingers calmingly through Royal's mane. "You thought you would be able to hold the spell forever. Even casting it was incredible, but keeping it maintained this long is fanominal. I don't even think I could do it. Even if you could continue it, like you said, there is a whole world out there. A world filled to the brim with powerful Sorcerers, fiendish Villians, and even well meaning over curious Scholars, like me." Twilight snorts again. "And you thought you could keep it Secret forever!"

"Your supposed to be comforting me, not laughing at my shortcomings."

"No, I supposed to be kicking you in the face with common sense and crushing you with the brutal reality of things. Pulling your big head out of your tiny pot of self deprivation and pitifully over estimated confidence." Twilight snorts yet again, going so far as to pull Royal's head back to laugh in her face. "You actually thought you could cloak an entire nation forever!?!" She throws her head back and chuckles deeply. She suddenly stops and smacks Royal upside the head. "Now get up, smell the Reality scented roses and help us come up with a plan to show the world what an amazing place your Empire is."

Royal clutches the side of her head and stands, nodding. "Y-Yeah. Thanks for smacking some sense into me Twi." She rubs her bruised head, "Literally. Do you really think we can make peace with all of Equs."

"Uh, no! There are always going to be those that seek power, and wealth, and more land. But we can make strong ties with those willing to open their eyes to new things. We can find Allies, people that, if the time ever comes, will fight by your side. You've already got the Equestrian capital, the Princess, and the whole army on your side." Twilight flips her hair, "As well as me and the other Elements. I mean, really."

Royal smiles, "You've been spending to much time with Rarity."

"I spend as much time as I can with her," Twilight smiles dreamily. "Now let's go make a battle strategy. We've got a Kingdom to dazzle." Twilight wipes Royal's cheeks and pushes her back out to the others, who look a little too innocent.

"Really guys?! Does no one believe in privacy?!" Royal scowls, pulling her Helmet back on.

"I didn't eavesdrop Captain, it was just Foalan, Rarity, and Flash," Autumn Breeze quickly throws the three under the chariot.

"Speak of this and suffer brutal retribution. Onward, to the throne room."

"Oh?" Rarity challenges. "And what accounts for retribution? Tickle torture?" She sasses.

"Ooooh!" The other guards coo teasingly.

Royal blushes and sputters, "B-Bruttal Tickle Torture! I could really torture you!"

"Yeah right, Roy. The day you torture Somepony is the day I spit on my hat. Now git on! Pinky is probably waitin' on us. An' knowin' Dash, they won't be waitin' long." Apple Jack shoos them along, getting the precession started again.

Royal sulks the whole way to the Throne Room, refusing to talk to anyone.

Foalan and Royal open the doors while Flash and Autumn Breeze go in first to check the perimeter. "Clear!"

"Fluffyyyyy!" Pinky launches herself at Royal, barely giving the Mixed Breed enough time to do away with her breast plates.

"Oof! Thank you for getting Rainbow Dash, Pinks." Royal wheezes as she waddles along with the Earth Pony attached to her chest. Royal pries Pinky from her chest and sets her in her throne before going to the fire place in the crescent of the thrones. She lays a hand on the stones and sets her magic through it. The fire goes out and into the ground, allowing Royal to set up a huge mana screen.

"Okay, so I've already conversed with the Seven and we've decided that the first Kingdom to be revealed will be the Tundra Kingdom. It has many fun things to do and the cold will discourage most from straying to far from the area that will be enchanted with warmth." She manipulates the image into a huge ice crystal arc, with two huge ice sculptures standing beside it. "This is the gate, and the Ice Ents that guard it. Tulaloki and Anraq will scan everycreature for weapons and dangerous magical items before they are allowed to enter." She spreads the image out to show more land and uses a finger to line out an area in a different color. "This is the area in which the festival will be held."

As Royal begins to explain the security measures, entertainment, and activities, she doesn't notice the looks of shock on the other faces as a giant saber toothed leopard Catian woman, materializes from a glowing blue gate between the Princesses thrones.

The creature leaps and Autumn Breeze calls out too late.