Caballeron's Prize

"Aim higher! He's a taller opponent than you, and keep your distance closed!" The clanking of metal and the sparks of combat reverberated within the royal icebreaker ship of the Winking Dawn. A ship originally meant as a glorified vacation yacht for Celestia and Luna's retirement now harboring a lithe, albiet healthier Rainbow Dash and her friends watching as the rainbowmaned pegasus danced upon the deck against Princess Luna who was sparring with her.

The princesses had left the morning after when recieving news of Rainbow's recovery and learning the plan put in place to save Scootaloo. Though it took convincing that Rainbow should be the challenger, she was insistent that even at half strength of her prime, she could take down the old stallion.

"You're winded after only a few parries, breathe! Keep your hooves planted!" The Azure princess barked, continuing to press her strikes close to Rainbow's chest. The mare skillfully managing to redirect with the staff of her blunt practice spear.

Twilight, Rarity and Applejack watched on nervously as Pinkie and Fluttershy were below decks in the kitchen cooking for the crew. Pinkie for fun and Fluttershy to avoid watching violence. Even pretend.

"Cough! Cough! Wheeeeze! Cough!"

"Alright. Cease. Catch your breath." Luna tsked. Rainbow planted her four hooves back down and leaned on her spear wheezing. Dry coughs escaping as the dry grains of Somnambula's sand filled her mouth.

Twilight shuddered and approached with a meloncholy sigh. She floated over a contraption with a mask and tank of humid air she placed over her friends muzzle.

"We should've done the surgery..."

The pegasus didn't process her words for a moment as she took a greedy gulp of air, feeling the humidity attach to the leftover sand in her lungs before removing the mask to lift a cloth, coughing violently into it with a gut wrenching spatter of mucus and sand that her body was naturally expelling, albiet bloodily.

"Wheeze Not wheeze if it means missing the wedding." She wiped her mouth of blood before spitting, getting an ear twitch from the nearby deckhoof who'd have to mop it up later. "My parents didn't want to make the decision for me while I was out. I'll manage." She huffed, catching her breath.

Celestia glided down from the upper deck as it was revealed there were four warships behind the vessel. Insurance to what could come should Rainbow fail her mission.

"It's rather storybook, isn't it Twilight? The mad king taking a princess and her brightly colored knight returning to save her, thought dead?" The princess gave an amused giggle to the annoyance of her student.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? Surely we could simply tell the people on that island what he's doing?" The smaller alicorn looked around, getting a shrug from her friends on the sidelines while the other three frowned.

"Perhaps you could, but not in time to stop the wedding. The Snowrock Isles is a nation older and more violent than Equestria. They're set in archaic traditions and often married younger nobles to gain status." Twilight felt a chill at how nostalgic Celestia sounded when describing it. "They're set in their ways and won't easily change without the defeat of Caballeron. and they hold very deep grudges, which the count is an expert on utilizing. It'll take time with you ingratiating yourself as the new princess ambassador." The bright alicorn explained.

"And warships will help that?" Applejack chimed in, casually leaning back over the railing to look at the sizable forces in tow.

"They'll be offshore during the event in case the unexpected happens. Windgate is not as helpless against even our alicorn magic as one might think." Luna stepped forward, dispelling her practice spear while observing Rainbow's breathing, resting a hoof on her back. "We've seen enchanted slaves which may be a problem if Caballeron has any grand plans, not to mention the griffon population has a deep zealotry against us."

"That's awfu- wait, what caused that?" Twilight asked, wondering what they could've done to make them appear as villians to the people living there.

"We banned the trade of those twisted gems outside of their island, which even the protectorate agreed to since we threatened to not export to other nations. The griffons held the monopoly since they could reach the mountain peaks to mine the special gems. It turned them from indusrial giants of slave labor into petty warlords. They used the last of their funds to bribe the protectorate into remaining nuetral and villianizing us through propaganda with the whole island. We were forced to leave to avoid war."

Twilight hadn't read much on Windgate, but found it a fascinating and tragic history.

"Of course tyranny is a revolving door. The island became a breeding ground of greed and revolutions with the commonfolk trapped in the middle. The poor souls likely welcoming Caballeron as a savior with his stolen riches and promises of a new lush empire." Luna stepped in. "We sympathize with your mission for Scootaloo, but our objective is making a show of Caballeron and that Equestria has a better way of how to rule."

Rarity tilted her head, curious on the last statement. "You say that as if you're not exactly invested in the rescue of Scootaloo, Princess Luna."

"In some ways she's not the same filly from back then. She gathered a taste for responsability comparable to even Twilight now, and considers the people of Snowrock her own." The azure princess hinted, getting a somber look from Twilight and her friends.

"Screw that." Rainbow was already leaving below deck in a mutter, tossing her practice spear and covering her softer coughs with a wing as she went down to fuel up from whatever Pinkie and Fluttershy was cooking.

Celestia gave her own sullen gaze in a knowing away as she watched on. "Keep a close eye on her Twilight. I've lived long enough to see patterns in life. I fear in one wrong step she may become the very villian she's facing." The tallest turned to explain further. "Time went on for everyone else but to her, that fateful day was merely a moment ago. The fury is still fresh."

"I suppose..." Twilight felt a nagging feeling within her that coincided with Celestia's warning. With so much time passed and this darker path Rainbow was headed down, it became clear that though she was still Rainbow's friend, a disconnect had been created. "Do you think the elements would work still, even after this?"

"I wouldn't worry too much. If anything we may be witnessing the truest extent of loyalty. That little mare is willing to die to free Scootaloo if it comes down to it." Luna gave a half smile. "Perhaps this is the beginning of anew chapter where all of your elements will be tested. Through great strife comes the blooming of ones purest will."

"Ever the romantical, Sister. I worry that it will be twisted against her in some way. Windgate has no shortage of trickery Caballeron will have access too."

"Worried you'll have to send Rainbow Dash to the moon next?"

"Oh hush."

"Ah think Rainbow had the right idea going below. I get enough sisterly pokin' at home." Applejack tsked, followed by Rarity with a posh nod as they went to join the others below deck.

Twilight gave a small giggle as she joined the two sisters near the railing, still thoughtfully pondering the future with a worried look.

"This will be your first true look at conflict outside of our own peaceful nation, Twilight Sparkle. Some conflicts aren't settled with magical blasts, l pretty words and forgiveness." Luna declared, getting an ear twitch from the lavender alicorn. "It doesn't mean your way is wrong, think of Snowrocks's peoples. Let Rainbow focus on Caballeron."

"LANDFALL!"

One of the sailors on the crows nest announced. The slow sight as everyone emerged to see came into sight as a large white city came into being. "OOOOH! It looks like a big vanilla cake!" Pinkie bounced, climbing over the railing as AJ grabbed her tail to keep her from going overboard.

"How shameless. To sparkle in the sun like a diamond just before the wedding when it was sullen and grey when we left." Celestia's brow furrowed in a way that gave Twilight chills. A peek at the old world. Unbeknownst to her, Rainbow stood behind everyone within the doorway of the captains quarters glaring as if the entire landscape was a land of demons. It was all Caballeron's. A mountain with a one eyed dragon on top.

The count looked over the similiarly themed drawing he was gifted those years ago as he sat in his office, adjusting the eyepatch as he felt a shift in the air at the moment. His meditation on the feeling interupted as he stowed the picture in his floofpocket when Withers entered. "The envoy has arrived, boss. It looks like the princesses has brought Twilight Sparkle to witness the wedding."

"..."

"Sir?"

"I've changed my mind. Send the countess to join the welcome brigade to meet with them. I'd prefer they enjoy the sights of our flourishing city before the wedding."

"Is that smart? They'd be tempted to leave with her."

"We have to make a show that the countess is participating of her own accord. I also doubt Rainbow Dash would leave the stallion who saved her life to die." He grinned viciously, pressing his hoof to the table while grinding his teeth.

"I have preparations to make. Get me the magistrate before you go."