The Princess's Title

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A fragrant memory
Idle Chatter
The Princess of...
The Truth of Magic

A fragrant memory

Goose Chase

When I was a young colt, I decided that I wanted to serve under the princess as one of her protectors. Guardians of the world, those who guarded the princess that ruled it. Or, at least that’s what my friends and I thought at the time. We played games, we had fillies be stand-ins for her, some of us even growing to love each other. There were enough colts and fillies for everypony to match together in that little group, but I was never interested in any of them. One day, she would be my princess. And on that day, there would be nopony else. Just her.

Shortly after going into elementary, fate saw it fit to throw a wrench in my plans. Destiny depicted itself on my flanks in the form of a silver tongue. What else could I, the self-proclaimed hero of justice and protector of the princess, be, other than a fantastic liar? Tell anypony anything, and they’ll believe it. Not because what I say is believable, or what I tell them is true, simply because I was the one that said it.

Imagine my shock my sheer disbelief when I learned that the princess I so desperately wished to serve, was once the Element of Honesty. Somepony like me was unfit. There should’ve been no hope, no recourse. What little six years of life I had by then was all but meaningless now. But then, my parents surprised me one day. What I thought was just a simple trip to the market in our little corner of the big city that was Canterlot, turned out to be a life changing moment.

For what present could be greater than letting the colt that wanted nothing more than to be by her side, to meet the subject of his desires?

When I first laid eyes on her, I knew she was more than I’d ever dreamed. Princess Applejack, The Major Diarch of the Equestrian Empire. Her golden mane was almost like sunlight drifting in the wind, her coat a glistening vermillion that sparkled as she moved, her eyes like bright emeralds atop a crown. Truly, she was a work of art.

Even as a child, I understood that she was something special. But more than that, there was a quality to her that, all these years later, I still can’t quite place. Her every action seemed to bring balance. It was almost as if… she were virtue itself.

When it was finally my turn to greet her after we waited for hours in that line, I was almost too nervous to approach. What if she knows? What if she finds out? I can’t let her see my cutiemark, I can’t. In the end, it wasn’t me or my parents that coaxed me onwards, but her. That gentle smile, those warm eyes. Even now, the memory of that day is as clear and crystalline as it was then.

‘Come, my little pony. Ya came all this way ta see me after all. Ah want ta meet ya. What’s yer name, son?’

Tail tucked between my legs, just shy of shaking in fear, slowly, I managed my approach. ‘I-I’m Goose Chase, Princess.’ Even as afraid as I was, I never forgot the royal guard’s salute I’d practiced with my friends so many times, and performed it as best I could.

She made such a warm, bubbly sound. Laughter that could make a pony feel like they’re floating. ‘A little knight, are ya?’ Maybe she could see through me, maybe she’d taken a liking to me, but against everything that the signs and the event coordinators had said, she broke the rules and used her magic to set me in her lap. I was touching her. She brought me up. My young mind was pushed so far into overdrive that I nearly fainted from the idea that my idol was interested in me. Such a lovely scent, the fragrance of apples.

‘My dearest little pony, why do ya want ta be my knight?’

Why indeed. What was it that drove me to my current position? Was it that moment? Or was it even before? Did my cutiemark lead me to her, or did she find me because of my cutiemark? Regardless of how I ended up here, I believe it was what I said next that set me on this course.

‘Because I love you.’

The crowd laughed. My parents laughed. The event staff laughed, even the Minor Diarch, who was sitting right next to her laughed. Why were they laughing? Was something I said funny? That little colt didn’t understand it. The centuries old Princess, however, did. What happened next, I’m still not sure I understand. In a flash of green, the world froze around me. There was no laughter, no wind, no sound. She and I were alone.

‘Little Goose, do ya know what it means, ta love somepony? Especially, somepony like me?’ she asked.

The young mind didn’t understand. But because of that lack of understanding, there was a purity in it. An untainted innocence that spoke something true. ‘Why would loving you be different than anypony else?’

The princess laughed. She laughed so hard that it brought tears to her eyes. In a move I wouldn’t understand until many years later, she wrapped me in her forelegs and kissed my head. ‘Now that is an answer. If the day comes when you’re older, after you’ve grown and had the chance ta see what life is like, and ya still feel this way, then apply fer the royal guard.

‘If ya work hard, and ya pass the exam, then ya can be my knight. This world is harder and colder than ya know. Even here in Equestria, things are the best they could be fer a little pony like yerself, and they will never be perfect. Ta be my knight, you’ll have ta become somepony that can live in that cruel world beyond this place. Last time… Ah lost ya, and Ah couldn’t…’ I couldn’t fathom why, but the princess had started to cry. She looked at me with some… strange familiarity that I couldn’t place. I didn’t know what I did, but I was raised a good colt.

I wiped her tears away and said, ‘Please don’t cry princess. It’ll be okay.’

Of course, that didn’t do anything but make her cry harder, and I was still very confused. She held me close and stroked my mane and said, ‘Things will be different this time. Ah have real power now. Never again will Ah let anypony take my family away. Not now, not ever.’ She released me and took a deep breath. ‘Lamni… no, Goose… In just a second here, everythin’ is gonna go back ta normal. And when it does, Ah want ya ta pretend that none of this ever happened. Ah know ya hate yer talent, but do ya think ya could use it fer me and play along?’

She’d already known what I was. Who I was. My personality down to the very core. She knew me better than I did. But, she was my princess. What was happening then, that very meeting, was very special for both of us. Without hesitation, I agreed.

‘Good. Now then… Ah’m gonna tell ya one last secret. Once upon a time, Ah was the Element of Honesty. But now, Ah’m the Princess of-”

“Goose? Wake up.”

Damn. Right before the end too. What did she say? That’s the only thing I can never remember. Dazed, I sat up from bed and had to take account of a few things. First, I had to remember my age. Not five, but twenty-six. Second, my position. Not an elementary student, but the Major Diarch’s Consort. Third, the itinerary for today. Malus and Princess Flurry should be here at noon to discuss the attack. I have to meet with Aroma at fourteen hundred, I need to have the soldiers in prepped for ship out by eighteen hundred, and she wanted me to… she wanted me to…

“Goose.” I turned my head toward the source of the voice, and before I knew it, I was caught in a kiss. Other matters were dropped. All thought processes stopped. It was just like the green world in the dream, or memory, I suppose. Frozen in time, just holding still with her. “Good mornin’, Sugarcube.”

She pulled away, and I was left falling back to bed trying to catch my breath. I’ve always been very perceptive, usually aware of my surroundings thanks to all my training over the years, but no matter what I do, she finds a way to get the jump on me. It’s a little irritating, but I suppose I can’t complain.

“Morning,” I said after finding room to breathe. I looked around until I found the big touch display on the wall. Seven hundred? The sun isn’t even up yet. “Any reason you’re up so early, Princess?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Some days, Ah wonder if there was ever any reason fer any of this, and some days Ah wonder why there is reason fer anythin’ and everythin’. Ah made pancakes.” Bags under her eyes, wet mane just shy of trailing on the floor, bathrobe, bloodshot eyes.

“No sleep?” I asked making my way to the table in our chambers. The smell in my dream may not have actually been part of the memory because it was still in the air once I finally took notice of it. Apples and cinnamon, something sugary sweet. When I finally sat down, she met me with a large plate of a big stack covered in syrup, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.

“Well. Not really. Fer a number of reasons, my emotions are runnin’ wild and cookin’ seems ta be the only thing that helps me settle down. With all the ones in the freezer Ah started on before midnight, there’s probably enough of these ta feed the castle.” She brought me a cup of hot coffee, and now that I could see her little workstation, her green aura was still working the stove and the counter to produce more of her Apple Family pancakes. It’s not unusual to find her cooking for somepony, but it is unusual for her to do so in such volume. Whatever is on her mind, it’s more than just the attack.

“Thanks,” I offered while taking a sip.

She kissed my head and gave me a quick hug. “Course, Sugarcube.” She went back to the little apartment kitchen in the royal bedroom to continue whatever this pancake craze was, and I took the time to study her. I can’t always do it, but usually, I can read a pony. The little ticks in their movements, the little shakes and stalls in their voice. She’s… unnerved about something. One would naturally assume the attack on Celestia’s Island yesterday would be it, but this is… more than that. Emotions running wild? There was a tension in her movements. A stiffness. Usually when she cooks, she’s relaxed and loose. She moves with little care to her efficiency, in tune with how she feels. There’s often a bounce in her step. This however seems almost… angry?

“Still thinking about the attack?” I asked.

Her ear twitched, she spared me a quick glance, then returned to her work. “Yes and no. Ah’m thinkin’ about a lot right now, really. There’s been recent… revelations, Ah suppose. Feelin’ some things Ah never thought Ah’d feel again. Things that, quite frankly, Ah’m far too old ta be feelin’.”

Hmm. She doesn’t want to look at me and talk about it at the same time. Too old? Nothing about my bruised hips suggests she’s ‘old’ in any normal sense. If anything, she’s likely more fit than most of our top soldiers, including me. It couldn’t be about her body, so that leaves her mind. I can’t say anypony but one of the old princesses would know what a three hundred ninety year old mare feels like, but for one of them, that would be a magnitude of ages to remember back to. Too old to feel… maybe something infantile?

“Apprehensive about something?”

She sighed and stopped the production line. “Without a doubt, Goose, without a doubt.” She turned all the equipment off, wrapped her leftover batter in plastic and stored that in the fridge, then joined me at the table with a large stack of her own pancakes. Though, her stack beat mine by at least a few hands. That’s a lot of food, even for her.

“Well, why is that?”

She looked me over. This time, more intently. She found my eyes and held me in a stare for so long that I almost thought I’d done something wrong. But, just before I could say anything else, she broke away and shook her head. “Ah’ll tell ya later. Ah’m not ready ta discuss that just yet. Why don’t we play a little game instead?”

I swallowed the last half of my first cake and brought a hoof to my chin. “A game? You haven’t played a game with me since I was a child.”

She frowned after scarfing down good third of her stack. Abnormally hungry today I see. “Really? How long ago was that?”

“Maybe… eight, ten years? When you met me after you found out I joined the junior enlistment program. Back in high school if I remember correctly.”

She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Tch, ten years. That’s nothin’. That’s uh… when Ah taught ya how ta play chess, wasn’t it?”

I nodded. “It was. You beat me so badly that I devoted the next year to learning the game just so I could play you again. Imagine my shock when the Major Princess not only came to see me personally, but just to play a game with me that I’d never even heard of.”

She chuckled. “Y’all will never be as shocked about anythin’ as Ah was when Ah first met you. This is a different kinda game. One you’re good at.”

I raised a brow. “One I am good at? Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly taken an interest in video games.”

She shook her head. “No, no, nothin’ like that. Ah did try it out not too long ago, but Ah nearly broke a wall because the headset couldn’t numb my nerves. Very pretty, but there are physical limitations Ah have that other ponies don’t. No, what Ah want ta play is a bit of a word game.”

She wants to play a game she hates? “You? A word game?”

She waved a hoof at me and inhaled another couple pancakes. “Ah know how it sounds, but humor me here. It’s… a little like a test. Fer y’all and fer me.”

I crossed my hind legs and forelegs. “Well, at first you had my attention, but now you have my interest. What are the rules?”

A sly smile crept up her lips. “Eager and willin’ ta please, just like always, aren’t ya?”

I gave a slight bow. “But of course, my princess. Your any desire is my command.”

“Big mouth ya got there. Let’s see if ya can put yer money there too. The game is simple. We take turns askin’ and answerin’ questions. Yer goal is ta get me ta admit somethin’ without askin’ me directly about a subject, only usin’ yer words. The game is won once somepony says somethin’ they weren’t supposed ta. However, ya also have ta know when somethin’ was said that wasn’t supposed ta be. Sound doable?”

I frowned. “This… doesn’t seem like an all too innocent game. Or an easy one. How does a common pony such as myself manage to get the poker face princess to say something she doesn’t want me to know?”

“It ain’t, but the real-world applications of it are important. In this particular kind of game, y’all have an edge on everypony anyways, mister silver tongue. The princess might just so happen ta like ya a bit more than anypony else, so she might say things ta y’all that she wouldn’t say ta anypony else.”

“Hmm… Well, in that case, what kind of national dark secret should I try to pry from you? What happened to Princess Cadance and Twilight maybe?”

She flinched “Ugh. Flurry or Malus would probably tell ya if ya asked them in bad or good mood respectively. You’re part of the family, so ya have clearance ta know if ya really wanted ta.”

“Oh, clearly that’s out of the running then. That’d be easy to get if all it takes is asking Princess Flurry in a bad mood. Let’s see… how about the badlands conflict of 2093?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve worked fer me long enough ta have an idea of what Ah did back then.”

I shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know Princess, you weren’t an alicorn before then and well up in your years. Records say you became an alicorn the following week, but there were odd circumstances about it. The other elements of harmony from the chaotic era had been long dead by then, and even the lord of chaos himself left the world and his children behind. Why you and not one of them, too?

“And besides our usual method, there’s still the question of what happened to the ponies of Ironside, the focal point of that conflict. They disappeared around the same time, but not immediately after the badlands conflict was resolved. We could go back about eighty years from then and ask what happened to the ponies in Hollow Shades too.”

A vein bubbled to the surface of her forehead. “Pushin’ the wrong buttons, Goose.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, alright. A secret, but not a particularly dark one like the vanishing towns.” I tapped my chin until the memory of the dream returned to me. The princess of… the princess of what? Something the public doesn’t know and even closely guarded by the internal family…

She raised her snout. “Figure somethin’ out?”

“Guilty as charged. I’m ready to start the game then.”

She smiled. “Good. Ah’ll go first; Goose, when ya dream, what do ya usually dream about?”

“I suppose if this morning is any example, the past would be it.”

She nodded. “That past, huh? Alright, that’s one from me. Go ahead.”

“Princess Applejack, there is a sense I get from you when I see you move. Something about it, something about you makes me feel… well, let’s call it, ‘inspired.’ Why is that?”

She frowned, looked down, then looked up. “Well, Sugarcube, when colts reach a certain age, they start seein’ mares in a new light.”

I sighed. “I can’t believe you said that with a straight face.”

She shrugged and smirked. “Ah can’t believe y’all of all ponies asked that without thinkin’ about it. Ya know, if it lasts more than four hours-”

“Right. Let me rephrase that. This inspiration isn’t something so simple as physical attraction. Not even infatuation. Something more, something regal. Looking at you, aside from all the things that does to a stallion, makes me think there’s something more to you than just being a pony. Looking at you makes me think of virtue, but I don’t get that sense when Celestia and Luna visit, nor around Flurry. Why is it just you?”

She lazily held a hoof out. “Let’s be honest here, ya know Flurry personally, it’d be kinda hard ta think of anythin’ pure around that girl.”

“So many ways for that to be put into context.”

“And Ah mean all of ‘em, and ya know it. Virtue huh? Knowin’ what we do, Ah’m surprised ya think that way.”

I shrugged. “Dirty as the work may be, somepony has to do it. That said, this has been going on since the very first day I met you in person. I haven’t seen many pictures of you as a young mare, but I don’t get the same feeling when I look at element of harmony Applejack as compared to Princess Applejack. Any idea why that is?”

She leaned back in her chair and stared me down. A brow raised, she asked, “Lookin’ at pictures of me from the long dead past, are ya?”

“What can I say? You’re a particularly interesting figure. After being passed the throne by the Princess of Friendship, even as farcical as her title may have been, there is an… oddity about why that happened. Or really, there’s little information as to why. There’s no logical reason for the Princess of Friendship to retire after a mere seventy years of rule. All I can ever find is that she just… stepped down. And once you took over, Equestria took a much more militaristic approach to foreign relations. Some ponies were calling you a visionary, others were calling you a war monger.

“Yet, even though there were many battles fought over your first few decades in power, Equestria has retained peaceful relationships from then on. Well, save yesterday. Princess Celestia once told me something about keeping information not meant to be seen hidden away until it fades to black over time. If nopony remembers, then it’s almost like it never happened.”

She pursed her lips and tapped them with a hoof for a moment. “Twilight and Ah had… some differences of opinion, is all. Ah just happened ta prove her wrong. She wasn’t willin’ ta become what she needed ta be ta lead, so she decided against keepin’ on. Responsibility was never her forte anyways. But… you forgot somethin’, didn’t ya?”

Damn, she’s catching on. “Well, that’s possible. I’ve probably forgotten a lot of things in my life.”

She laughed. “What a non-answer. Ah’ll leave it be fer the moment then. Goose, when ya think about the future, what do ya see fer yourself? Ta be more specific, what do ya think life looks like fer ya goin’ forward? A little more, were it not me, and a normal mare ya were with, what would life look like fer ya, right now?”

Were it not her? I had to think on that. Two issues present itself right now: one, I don’t know what she’s trying to get me to admit to. Or, at least what she wants to know. Two, what… would life look like without her? What will life look like in a few years? She’s been what feels like my raison d’etre for all my life. Could I imagine a world without her? … Well, there was Aurora.

Had I never met her… I suppose I’d be with Aurora right now, wouldn’t I? Maybe a job as a speaker, or a career politician. A foal or two. Aurora always wanted to be a mother. I… wonder if she ever got her wish? Could there be any drastic changes in my life in a few years? I’d still be here, with her, protecting the world from itself like I have been for the past six years. Did I… ever have any other goals, than being here, with her?

“Well, honestly, princess, It’s hard for me to think I could ever be anywhere else but with you. However… if I’d never met you, all the way back in the beginning, I suppose I might be some kind of career politician. I’d imagine I might’ve married an old friend of mine from school and maybe had a child or two by this point. As for the future though… There was a quote I once heard.

“It goes, ‘Moving to the future is a lot like sailing a rowboat. We’re seated backwards trying to go forwards, so we can see the past clearly as we pass it, but we can only hope to reach the future we’ve set course for.’ I don’t know what lies ahead, but my hope is that I’m still here with you when I can look back.”

Again she laughed, but this time, it was almost like that memory from twenty years ago was playing itself out again. She took me in her hooves after grabbing me with her magic and held me close. “And that is the right answer, my dear Goose. Unfortunately fer ya, you’ve lost the game.”

I clicked my tongue. “What? Oh, come on, I haven’t even gotten my last turn yet!”

She shrugged. “Ah got what Ah wanted outta ya. By the rules ya agreed ta earlier, that wins me the game.”

“Now hold on. I thought you wanted an admission of something. What did you want me to say?”

A dark smile on her face, she pressed her forehead to mine and stared past my eyes and even deeper inside. In the strangest way, I felt even more naked than usual, almost like somepony had shaved my coat off. “Now, if Ah told ya what Ah wanted, that would defeat the purpose of winnin’ the game, wouldn’t it? It’s scarier fer yer opponent ta know that ya know what ya wanted ta, but not tell them about it.

“They spin their wheels tryin’ ta figure out what it was ya found out and end up sayin’ even more little pieces of information that ya weren’t supposed ta know. Ya said it yerself, Sugarcube. This little game we played ain’t so innocent. It does, however, have the power ta get the truth. So even if we have ta trudge through the mud ta see it, the truth is ultimately what we want ta know.” She kissed me, then set me off to the side to finish her breakfast.

Again, she’s eating much more and faster than I remember her ever doing, but I couldn’t figure out why. Or, even what I’d said that she wanted to know. I couldn’t decide if it was more frustrating because I effectively serve as an intelligence officer for my princess, or the fact that I was completely clueless. But, then again, I suppose that’s how she’s supposed to win the game. With me, or whoever her opponent is, in the dark. Wouldn’t surprise me if she practices this sort of thing every time we leave the country. Goddess knows she probably learned it from the Sun Princess. Princess Celestia spent a lot of time around her before and after she took the throne, after all…

“Well, that’s all well and good, I suppose, but can I just ask you what I wanted anyways?”

She took a napkin in her magic and wiped her mouth while sizing me up again. “Ah don’t see why not. But Ah won’t promise ya an answer, provided It’s what Ah think it is.”

“Alright then… For context, I was dreaming about our first meeting all those years ago. It happens fairly often, but I can never remember the last thing you said to me. We’ve had the Princess of the Sun, the Princess of the Moon, the Princess of Love, the Princess of Friendship, but… yours, and by extension, Princess Flurry’s titles are kept from the general public. You told me yours once, but I’ve since forgotten. What are your titles?”

She raised a brow and frowned. “Mmhmm. That’s what Ah thought. Ah’ll tell ya after we go deal with that jackass that attacked my Island. Ah’ll tell him too, fer that matter.”

I frowned. “You’re going to take care of him personally?”

She looked down at her hoof and flexed her foreleg. “Goose, Ah don’t like ta do what needs ta be done. Nopony does. But what Garma has done is an atrocity against even his own kind. For that, he needs ta be rewarded with what he deserves. Ta live up ta my title, ta keep Equestria safe, ta send a message ta all the other thugs out there with the power ta send armies after my little ponies, Ah will do what must be done.

“Fer three hundred years Ah’ve followed my ideals ta where Ah am, and Ah don’t think Ah’ll be stoppin’ anytime soon. So long as Ah remain in power, Ah will continue down this path, knowin’ that one day, Ah too, will be judged fer my sins. Anyways, finish yer breakfast. We have work ta do before the big day Friday.” Her horn lit itself with a green blaze, and then a holo watch floated to her. “Besides, it’s already almost eight thirty. Ah’m sure Aroma’s got her panties in a wad waitin’ on me. Ah’m surprised she hasn’t-”

Ring, ring, ring. In coming call from: Apple, Aroma.

My Princess laughed. “Speak of the devil and she shall appear.”

Idle Chatter

Goose Chase

The young Griffon king paced in place. Dressed in easily some of the fanciest clothing I’ve ever seen on a Griffonian griffon, and not one of the upper class griffons in Equestria, was King Garma Griffi. He couldn’t see me of course, there was a good chance that not a single griffon on the Island knew I was there. They were waiting for the Princesses, Malus, and I to show up at our proposed ‘meeting time.’ Malus and I were already here of course, but there were quite a few of us here right now. If any of the Griffonian soldiers knew that though, they certainly made a good show of feigning ignorance.

“Casval!” Garma shouted.

“Yes, sire,” A helmeted griffon replied with almost a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Well, someone certainly wears the pants in that relationship.

“Any word form the Equestrians yet?”

He shook his head and sighed a, “No sire.”

Garma punched a wall. “Damn it! Even after burning this island to the ground, do they still not even see us as a threat?”

The answer to that would be no, my dear griffon king. A surprise? Certainly. But you’ve no idea whose soup you just pissed in.

“Sire, I do not believe that the Equestrians are so cold that they would ignore the loss of a few thousand ponies. Even if they were, Celestia’s Island-”

“Alabaster Island,” King Garma shot.

If it weren’t for the helmet in the way, you could quite possibly feel General Casval rolling his eyes right now. “Alabaster Island is a tactical vantage point for their missile defense systems, and a refueling station for their warships and aircraft. They wouldn’t just sit idly by in the even such a valuable location was taken from them.”

Garma puffed air out his beak and then smoothed his violet head feathers down. “Of course. That’s why we attacked here in the first place. She cannot ignore us if we have something important to her. I will not suffer such indignity at the hooves of ponies.”

Casval stepped forward. “Sire, if I may…”

He threw a claw out in irritation. “Yes Casval, speak your mind.”

“When you brought this idea to me, I advised against it. When we prepared to assault the island, I advised against it. Now that the deed has been done, what exactly do you hope to accomplish here? Not a creature in the world has opposed the Equestrian Princess for nearly three centuries now, and that was before the technological boom of the last fifty years. Though we now at least have comparable fighting power, do you still believe it was wise to challenge her?”

“What else was I to do, Casval? We’re being bled dry, she stole Alabaster from my grandfather, and if I were a betting man, she probably has a few of my siblings in her pocket! These cutthroat marketing practices she’s pretending are fair are eating away at our resources like a wildfire in a forest, and at this rate, it’ll only be two decades before we are completely reliant on them.

“Worse still, she refuses to even barter with me! She’ll starve us until she owns us, and once that happens, we’re just the next Principality in the Empire’s belt. Does Griffonia not deserve to be free? Are we not a nation unto ourselves? What she’s been doing is taking us for a ride, and I want justice, Casval. If it takes a show of force just to get her to look at me, then I’m willing to do anything.”

Well, while that’s not entirely untrue, my Princess would never allow anyone to starve. Of course, Griffonia has rejected offers to join the empire for decades now. Had Degwin Griffi simply accepted a deal, there would’ve been no need for it to come to this. I suppose the miracle of Equestrian medicine was too good a vice for you to give up, wasn’t it Garma?

Another griffon soldier opened the door to the conference room within the Griffi hotel. “Sire!” she shouted, then kneeled. “Princess Applejack’s personal helicopter has been spotted a few hundred klicks west of the island. They should land in about ten minutes.” Garma took a deep breath and nodded.

“Good. Let’s go welcome them to Griffonia shall we? Make sure the magic suppressors are on full blast and not a single dead spot is anywhere on the island. Though there is little known about how the Equestrians do battle, what we do know is that when Princess Applejack gets involved, things come to a stop very quickly. They’d be fools if they shared their hand with the rest of us, so we must be prepared for anything! I will not let Griffonia become the next Diamondia… Or I suppose… They’re the Principality of Diamondia these days…”

Garma took his leave, and so did the female soldier. “Casval? Are you coming?”

“Ah, yes, I’ll catch up with you. I was cleaning my gun earlier and left some of my equipment on the desk. Though they are our enemies right now, they are royalty. Our guests deserve… the best hospitality we can offer them.”

Garma nodded. “Of course. Very well then. Come, Carmine. Let’s be off.”

“Sire!”

Door closed behind her, Casval turned and moved to sit on top of the desk. He removed his helmet, revealing a golden eagle headed griffon with piercing blue eyes. “Well, did you hear what you needed to, Mister Chase?”

I signaled for Charity Belle to disable the invisibility spell. “We did. My Princess is quite pleased, actually. I suppose it’s just unfortunate for your superior that his stolen suppressor tech doesn’t work the way he thinks it does.”

“Good. I’m going to enjoy watching that bastard die. I only wish I could’ve been there to see Degwin kill himself. I assume that since I’ve held up on my end, you’ll hold up yours, correct?”

I nodded and Charity answered. “While we plan on taking custody of Icelina and her children, you are free to do what you will with the rest of the Griffis. The Empire won’t pursue you, and you’re still free to take up a position of high office if you so desire within the principality once the council of nobles crumbles. We would prefer to have the real royal griffon line on the throne of Griffonia, but Equestria has no qualms about who acts as our figurehead.”

For the first time since meeting him, I think I saw Casval smile genuinely. “Well, while the offer is generous, I don’t think Astrya or I will be taking you up on it. She didn’t even want me taking revenge on my parents killers. But, as a show of good will, I suppose the children are too young to bear Degwin’s sins. A little disappointing that I can’t completely end the Griffi line, but they didn’t quite get the chance to end my father’s line either, now did they? We griffons are sloppy creatures… We can never seem to finish the job.”

I meet a lot of scum, working for my Princess as a member of the family, but no one I have ever come across has been as terrifying as Aznabal Griffonia. “Well, I can’t speak for your race since I am not one of you, but Equestria believes in merit. We don’t care about what you look like, just that you are able.”

He chuckled. “What a lovely philosophy. A shame that the soul is so easily corrupted. Ah, well. Creatures will try time and time again to reach that lofty utopia in the sky and never be able to grasp it. I look forward to the show. If we meet again after today, I hope you’ll talk of fluffy impossibilities with me again.”

“Is everythin’ in place?” My princess asked.

Malus nodded. “Yes ma’am. Give the order and every one of them catbirds gets a face full of lead.”

My lady grimaced. “Ah suppose that’s what we’re here ta do today, ain’t it? Very well. Ah’ll give the signal when Ah feel it’s most effective. What about the real royals?”

“Astrya wishes to stay uninvolved with politics, and Aznabal doesn’t want to take a position either. He still wishes to end the Griffis, but has agreed to leave the children alone,” I reported.

My princess sighed. “Foolish boy. Got too good a head on his shoulders ta be filled with this rage in his heart. Though, Ah suppose we’re not so different, after all. Ah say it’s my role ta play, but Ah have a personal desire ta remove Garma from this earth too. Is it right fer me ta be the one ta do this? Sometimes, Ah just don’t know. Even with sins as great as the Griffi family’s, they are lives lived by creatures that mean somethin’ ta somebody. No casualty goes unnoticed by somepony, so in what way can we find justice in our cold, cruel world?”

The helicopter was silent. Though this is not the first time we’ve started a mission like this, this is the first time she’s ever questioned it. At least, aloud, anyways. How heavy is the crown? I’ve never considered that. Does it bring her joy to wear it? Making final decisions like this can only weigh on her mind every day. Responsible for millions of ponies and other creatures, the lives of many on the wings of one. How do you carry it all for centuries?

“Well. I believe that if we don’t do it, it may not be done. Personal bias or not, this griffon has committed acts of violence against ponies and every other creature living on Celestia’s Island, and he had no reason to make them suffer for it!” Princess Flurry had risen to standing, but then took a deep breath and sat back down. “Regardless of how you feel, for the murder of over a thousand ponies, the punishment is death. There will be no justice if we let him get away with this.”

My princess was grim, but nodded. “Yes… for there ta be justice, Garma has ta pay for what he’s done. And because there is no one he has ta be accountable ta within his own country, that burden falls ta the ones with the power ta make him see the error of his ways.”

The helicopter began to descend, and our pilot announced that we would be landing shortly. Our welcoming party had already arrived, ‘Casval’ included. The blades slowed and the door slid open. Out first was Malus, then me, then Princess Flurry, and finally, Princess Applejack. With him dressed in the finest silks he could likely acquire, he certainly looked the part. My Princess, on the other hoof, has a particular style of dress she likes when going out to participate in jobs like this. A black suit, a red tie, a white blouse, a jeweled brooch with her cutiemark on it, and a black fedora with a royal circlet around it, the only thing aside from her being that signified whom she was.

There was silence, once the two locked eyes. Garma held a confidence about him. He was calm, sure, almost as if he knew he had the upper hoof here. My princess, however, did little more than frown and glare at him. Finally, Garma broke away.

“I welcome you to Griffonia, Princesses.” He said with a mocking bow. I know he isn’t a complete idiot, but to throw japes at the very pony who holds your life in her hoof is either very brave, or very foolish. Then again, he did attack out Island unwarranted, so who's to say that there really is any intelligence there in the first place?

“Oh, is that what this is? Last Ah remember, this island was sold ta me by yer own grandfather, a little less than twenty years ago.” She did smile while she spoke, she even had a very polite tone to herself. But, very clearly, she was not pleased with Garma. It takes a trained eye to see, but there were little sparks of green around the base of her horn. Garma clearly didn’t notice it.

“Why, yes, you did swindle a senile old man out of his territory with a gun pointed to his head. I remember that quite fondly. I simply thought it would be nice to return the favor, maybe now you’ll be willing to discuss this little… ‘dispute’ of ours, hmm?”

She let out a breath and nodded. “Yes, let’s ‘discuss,’ shall we? Ya seem so dead set on gettin’ my attention that Ah might as well. Course, ya could’ve arranged a meetin’ without the slaughter of a thousand ponies, griffons, and others.”

Garma laughed. “Yes, five months of trying to arrange a ‘meeting’ with you has certainly been a walk in the park! Next you’ll tell me that you’ve done nothing wrong, you didn’t steal the Island, and you haven’t been bleeding Griffonia dry. I don’t have time for this idle chatter, Princess, and it is dreadfully humid out here. Follow me and we can discuss this properly, if you would be so kind.”

My lady sighed and smiled. “Of course. Lead the way.”

The Princess of...

Goose Chase

For the second time today, I stood in the corner of the conference room in the Griffi hotel. As we headed here, again, I had to suffer the smell of the burned island. To come in and burn families alive in their homes. Precious few were even given the chance to surrender, and even less were granted it. Maybe we have become too complacent. In a world where all the grime and muck is further away from our homes than it has ever been, the thought that we might need to repel an invading force on a small island within our bounds was little to consider. What few soldiers were here tried their best and still managed to sink a ship in the dead of night.

We were too slow to react and too unprepared to fight against what we thought was our ally. That was the mistake we made here. Going forward, I’m certain our borders will have their defenses bolstered with the order to simply be prepared for anything. Two days ago, a trust was broken that can never be repaired again. And this man… doesn’t even realize what he’s done.

“Well, Ah’m here Garma. Flurry’s here, our Consorts are here, tell us what ya want.” Malus and I were standing in the corners closest to the door. The female officer and General Casval were in the opposite corners, both with large rifles at their sides, ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. Poor griffoness. She may not even get the chance to realize she was betrayed.

“I see that. What I have never seen is the Equestrian royals in suits. I find it odd. Any particular reason?”

My princess nodded. “In the Apple family, a tradition was started where the head of the family would take care of business in the finest clothes we could afford. It wasn’t until the chaotic era did things start ta settle down fer us and we could really make some money, so we did the best we could and bought suits. They were never very fancy, and havin’ one fer just the head wasn’t always easy, but we always managed ta do it.

“When Ah took over the family though, things changed. My ties ta the princess earned me favor when it came ta trade routes, and so my family started makin’ real money. At this point, it’s just an old custom, but… Equestria is my family now. So anytime there’s business fer me ta take care of, the suit goes on.”

Of course, the other reason is that black doesn’t stain nearly as easily, and these are made especially so that they’re liquid proof. It has been years since my princess has put the suit on herself.

Garma waved a claw dismissively. “You ponies and your traditions. Very well. My first order of business is to discuss the recent tariffs you’ve placed on us. We buy food from you at twice the price the Abyssinians or the Minotaurs do. Why is that?”

“Someone started buildin’ up arms when my agreement with Degwin, or that treaty ya stomped all over Wednesday, says that in exchange fer the guarantee that ya do not build up yer armies, Equestria will provide aid and support in any and all military conflicts between Griffonia and her enemies. The Island, which also came with that deal, would be equipped with a missile defense system so that, in the event Griffonia needed immediate support on any front of her borders, it could be called upon and granted. Unless, ya didn’t realize that Ah know what a magic suppressor looks like, or maybe even that ya have a little hidden camp over by the great swamp that you’re trainin’ a good amount of new soldiers at, in this very moment.”

Garma cleared his throat. “Suppressors are simply a new technology that Griffonia needs in the event she has to defend herself. The camp at the great swamp is public knowledge, so I’ve no idea what you mean by that. Per regulation, Griffonia still has not exceeded that maximum amount of troops allowed by the treaty.”

My lady rolled her eyes. “Come now Garma, ya know that is not what the treaty says. Malus!”

Malus stepped forward and placed a small holo on the conference table between the two rulers. Turning the little electronic bar on, a screen came up with the exact document. “Like Ma was sayin’, the exact wordin’ on the treaty says that; ‘Should Griffonia approach or exceed the number of soldiers, in public or in secret, as stated above, all consumable goods Equestria sends ta Griffonia will experience an increase in taxes ta the crown before makin’ land on Griffonian soil.’ As it stands, Mr. Garma, it looks like y’all are gonna hit that seven hundred thousand mark real quick if ya keep this up. Last we counted, ya’ve got six-fifty, which is also beyond the ninety percent limit as noted in the hoofnote under what ‘approach’ is defined as. You’re twenty thousand over, by our estimates anyways.” Malus took the holo and stepped back.

“Thank ya, Malus,” My princess said.

“You’re welcome Ma.”

My lady rolled her eyes. “Ah never shoulda let ya call me that. Anyways, Garma, that was the deal, and ya broke it, so this was the consequence. You’re past ninety percent, so we hit ya with fifty. If ya keep goin, we’ll hit ya with a hundred, because that’s what Degwin agreed ta. Previous ta now, Griffonia was experiencin’ the lowest prices Equestria had ta offer thanks ta the deal we struck over the Island. What y’all paid fer our goods was little more than what my ponies pay fer our goods, and we still accepted Griffonian minerals at a tariff of forty percent. Any other reasons ya’d like ta add onta why ya attacked my island?”

Garma huffed. “As if he agreed to anything. Griffonia was at war with the Minotaurs and was desperate for help. You gave him three days to read this…” he opened a desk and pulled out a massive three ring binder filled with pages and pages of documents and slapped it on the table, “Tome of a treaty, knowing full well that his eyes were already being assisted. There isn’t a summary in the world that could pair this down to half of what it is, so he signed knowing little and less of what he was agreeing to, because he was desperate. You took us for a ride.”

“Ah offered ya support with conditions. Ah ended yer war too. My ponies died fer Griffonia, and the minotaurs were forced inta an agreement that y’all drafted. That ‘treaty,’ if ya can call such a thing that, practically made the Minotaurs yer indentured servants. Course, that’s what Degwin was after in the first place, because he’s always had his eye on the Labyrinth. Ever since he was a little cub, he wanted it, just like he wanted the Griffonian thorne. A shame that the Griffonia family all died in an accident one day and the Griffis were there ta fill in the void. Who took whom fer a ride, huh Garma?”

Garma scoffed. “What foolishness. Are you suggesting that my grandfather had something to do with that explosion?”

My lady raised a hoof. “Ah don’t know Garma, is the sky blue?”

“Of course, the highest authority in Equestria believes in some conspiracy theory started by our political rivals. My grandfather had nothing to do with Lord Griffonia’s death. The Anti-Griffonia faction had been at work for decades prior, and it was only a matter of time before there was some kind of security failure. There were several car bombings that year… my own uncle Dozle was the victim of one himself.”

My lady sighed, but Princess Flurry was the one who answered next. “Oh, Garma, you… precious, naive boy.” Here we go. “Has it ever occurred to you that, in the right situation, it might appear odd that your uncle was a victim of a bombing in the first place?”

Of all the ponies in this room, there are two that have the ability to manipulate others with their words via their special talents. My own cutiemark is the silver tongue. Princess Flurry’s is the charismatic heart. As the heir to the Princess of Love, she has the looks, the voice, and the ability to move people, and she uses their worst vices to do it. Little a stallion can do in the face of Princess Flurry. Her title is also well hidden, but if I had to guess, she’d be the Princess of Seduction. She’d stood and approached the young king to a certain point, but then the guards raised their guns.

Garma held up a claw. “Hold. My family has been heavily involved in Griffonian politics since the country was restructured during the late Chaotic era. We’ve never not been in danger thanks to the anarchistic nature of griffons, and there were many times in which the Griffis and Griffonias suffered casualties. We were made the vassals in the event a tragedy occurred so that the country didn’t fall into chaos.”

Princess Flurry nodded. “Well, at least he knows his history. Turbulence in the kingdom means the balance of power is unsteady. The council of nobles makes decisions on behalf of their regions and in an effort to take power away from the Griffonias and the Griffis to make their own claims on the throne. But, listen to a conspiracy theory for a moment, what if the nobles were in league?”

Again, Garma scoffed. “The nobles, in league. Ha! You know there is a reason the saying ‘like herding cats’ implies a level of difficulty, don’t you?”

She nodded and got a little closer to Garma. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. “But, clearly, there’s someone out there that can do exactly that. Daikum Griffonia did it, and Gallus Griffonia did it all the way back in the beginning, didn’t he? If someone so charismatic as those two existed, is it not safe to say that… others were capable? Let’s take a step back for a moment.” Flurry backed away from the desk and took a holo out of her own suit.

“In 2384, Daikum Griffonia takes power after the sudden death of his father due to some unknown illness. Later examinations of the body would reveal he suffered from a rare type of cancer related with radio-magical poisoning that comes from magi-tech reactors, the very thing that powers most of Griffonia and most of Equestria. Thaumium, the mineral that is so very sought after, the very thing that causes these reactors to work, will poison and kill any living thing within meters of it after a few seconds of exposure. It takes a high concentration of it to do that so quickly, but what about a microscopic dose of thaumium? Get it in your clothes, in your hair, Goddess forbid, in your bloodstream, and it will only kill you in a few years instead.

“Zeon Griffonia was a very cautious man. He was famous for never visiting the Magi-tech plants because he knew how dangerous they could be, even in little doses, yet, he still died of something similar to thaumium poisoning. His right hoof man, Degwin Griffi, on the other hoof, visited the Magitech plants on a regular basis. It was his job to ensure power generation proceeded smoothly, and he was very prudent about it.

“We also know that Degwin was not a very big fan of the King. He would often speak out about unreasonable policies that Zeon would introduce, and blast the nobles for agreeing with the King’s outrageous decisions. Am I… wrong so far?”

Garma swallowed. “Well, no, I don’t believe you are. What does this have to do with the car bombings nearly ten years later?”

Flurry smiled a dark smile. “Well… allow me to… paint a picture for you. If I wanted to kill my fellow princess here and take over her awful job in the pursuit of power, figuratively,” she gave a glance at my lady, who nodded in response, “I would start by making her seem unreasonable. Argue hard to push her to the opposite end of my side and make her agree to things that are more extreme than she normally would to make her unpopular with the public. Then, I would use the considerable wealth at my disposal to take control of the media outlets that support me and have them shout, day after day, what a horrible leader Princess Applejack was.

“True or not, I can spout disinformation all day, and nopony would hazard a glance unless they were in the political sphere. Ponies get tired of hearing the same things over and over again, so they will then internalize what’s being driven forcibly into their ears and accept that as the norm so they don’t have to acknowledge what garbage they’re being fed. Does any of that sound familiar?”

Garma swallowed again. “N-no, I don’t believe it does.”

My princess tilted her head. “Hmm… Ya know Garma, ponies tend ta stutter when they’re made uncomfortable by somethin’. Even more so if they know somethin’ that… ain’t so pretty when it’s put in the light. But, that’s just an observation from the former element of honesty, nothin’ special. Carry on Flurry.”

“Yes Princess. So, now that I have a devoted fan base of ponies who dislike the Princess, I can continue to infect this opinion through the general public by persuading the media to lie on my behalf while making speeches about how, if I were in control, I would turn things around for the better. So long as I say things that are more reasonable than what the Princess has signed into law, then I am seen as the one who should be signing things into law.

“Were it easily done, I would then find a way to ‘accidentally’ kill the princess. It could be fast it could be slow, but it must be seen as something that doesn’t tie it directly to me, but something that could’ve happened without much effort. To, ‘go out with a bang’ would take a lot for an alicorn. But for a griffon? That’s just an everyday creature with an every day lifespan.

“I have an extremist group on my side that agrees with me, but is willing to take my money to attack my opponents under their own banner. War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength, they spout their slogans while committing violence in the name of their creed, all the while believing that their opposition is evil and worth it. Easy to do when they’re all hyped up and buying into the lies I’ve put out there.

“I tell them to kill one of my own just to make the public think they’re mad at everyone in the government, and then take my opposition down at the same time. Dead men tell no tales, so as long as everyone dies, than there’s no one left to question what happened. Does… that sound familiar to you, Garma?”

Garma stood. “My grandfather played no part in any such plot to kill the king!”

“The first stage of grief is denial, Garma. How exactly did Degwin die again? I believe it was reported as him passing in his sleep, but on closer inspection, he too suffered from radio-magic poisoning like he’d been exposed to a large piece of thaumium. Isn’t that strange? Degwin’s movements had all been recorded since he took power. He never once visited a Magitech plant after becoming king and shouldn’t have ever been in range of enough thaumium for it to kill him.

“At the same time, no thaumium was ever found in the castle. As a matter of fact, it looked like he died in his sleep. But, another odd thing about Degwin’s death was that there were signs of flight over his carpet. Degwin’s wings hadn’t worked in over ten years, so it couldn’t have been him. Don’t you find that strange, Garma?”

“Y-you have no basis to say that anyone killed my grandfather! There was no conclusive proof that there was any foul play in my succession! He was exposed to Thaumium on the previous king’s orders for years, his health had been in decline ever since he was given the position. My grandfather specifically left me a note, which was read publicly I might add, that he wanted me to take over and finish what he started.”

“Oh, I’m not suggesting foul play at all. Degwin was one of the most cautious kings of Griffonia to ever rule. Often times he would even avoid our surveillance of him, which was no small feat. But… it is interesting that the note he left you was written only days before he died. Of course, it’s clearly in his handwriting, but his health before then was… just fine for a griffon of his age. As a matter of fact, he was healthier than most griffons in Equestria at that age. It’s… almost like he knew he was about to die.”

Garma put his claws over his ear holes. “I have no need of your conspiracies, or your theories! I did not call you here to have you spout nonsense to me! I want to know why you adamantly refuse to see me even though I have sought you from the day I took the Griffonian throne! You’ve started to offer less for Thaumium, you’ve increased the untariffed price of consumables, medicine, and technology from the moment I took the throne, and done no less than gradually raise those prices by one percent every month!”

He pointed a claw at my princess, and I was half tempted to draw and shoot his talons off. However, my lady moved a feather toward me. “I know your game, you witch! You did this to the Yaks, you did this to the Diamond Dogs, and you’re working on doing it to us and the Abyssinians as well! Just like Diamondia, things will start gradually. Prices will increase. Public unrest will change the political sphere and the people will choose the person who can make their lives easier again. You’ll seek better and better deals with those around you until the idea sets in that the people don’t need their own governments, they need Equestrian governance. Public opinion to join the Empire will grow steadily until finally, you arrive and you let it slip that the offer is there.

“Everything devolves into chaos, the creatures of the land fight over whether or not it’s better to be free than under your hooves, and when the ashes settle, the pro Equestrian forces always win, and a new Principality is added to the Empire’s belt. You play the peace loving, generous ruler when it suits you while you cut at the ankles of those you want to fall under you next! I want the truth! I want Justice! Griffonia does not need Equestria or her princess to rule us, we need our own people to ensure that we are our own people! I want you and you black games out of my country!”

He calmed down and smoothed the feathers on his head. “If need be, I can recreate what has happened here on Alabaster Island if things don’t improve.”

My princess looked to Flurry, who shrugged in return. “Ya make a lotta accusations Garma. But, of all the objections ta that Ah have, and there are many, My biggest one would be that ya could recreate this little ‘event’ on Celestia’s Island.”

Garma snorted. “Please. It would be easy. Your estimate of my soldiers isn’t even close to the truth. I could have many and more ready to storm your beaches any time I want.”

My princess shook her head and sighed. “Ya know, before ya said that, Ah was seriously considerin’ givin’ ya a chance ta repent. Redeem yerself fer killin’ ponies in my family. Woulda been the most generous offer Ah’ve made in a lifetime. But ya’ve crossed a line, Garma. A line ya never should’ve crossed, and that, would be threatenin’ my family.” She raised her wrist and revealed her holo watch. “Do it.”

The first shot fired was from Casval to the female soldier. She took four bullets to the chest, had enough time to look at Casval in horror, then took a shot to her open mouth. She slumped over in a heap, then the fire erupted all around us. Griffons inside the hotel started falling one after another, and in mere minutes, the shooting stopped.

“W-what just happened? Casval!? Casval!? Why did you shoot Gina!?”

The general removed his helmet, and then took off the mask he wore underneath. Even as shocked as he was, a new horror took over Garma’s face. “Because, Garma Griffi, your grandfather killed both my grandfather and father. My name is Aznabal Griffonia, and once we’re done here, you can expect every last one of your miserable line to be eliminated, just like your grandfather tried to do to mine.”

“Casval, you bastard!” Garma reached into his pocket for a weapon, but just as quickly, My lady shot it out of his claw, leaving a talon on the conference table.

“Restrain him,” She ordered. Malus and I moved, and we put the griffon king in cuffs and forced him to the table. My princess stood, tilted her neck to either side until it popped, then put her hoof gun back in her own jacket.

“Garma, Garma, Garma. Let me tell ya some things that ya clearly don’t know. First, the suppressor tech that ya stole was incomplete. there’s a fatal flaw in the design that, when applied just a little magic, will short the thaumium cables, causing it ta not work. Course, ya couldn’t test this because ya don’t have access ta unicorn magic, and what little magical weapons ya do have come from us, and are far too powerful ta use fer testin’ purposes. They’re made that way fer a reason, after all.

“Second, Ah have never instigated a civil war. When creatures have somethin’ that would be useful ta me or my ponies, Ah make an effort ta get it fer them at the best price Ah can. Deals are made, but the funny thing about governments that change leaders periodically, is that they tend ta have different ideas on what’s fair and what isn’t. They become accustomed ta what they have, take it fer granted, and then forget the good will that got them there. Ah don’t take it too kindly when some little upstart comes at me like he’s the top of the food chain and demands more fer less.

“When that happens, Ah treat that arrogance with what it deserves, and tell those creatures that they can prove ta me how they can live without my ponies, and they get voted out. Ah’m surprised that ya noticed this pattern, and still decided ta attack me. So much fer conspiracy theories, right? Ponies are just ponies, surely they don’t have the power ta do anythin’ but give. In the days of the previous Princess, ya might’ve been right, though not fer the reasons ya think.

“Ponies are weak. Fer a lotta y’all, we were a prey species fer the longest time. Before Celestia and Luna came around and started knockin’ heads in an effort ta protect us, our villages were raided and pillaged, and there wasn’t much we could do against the stronger races that tormented us. It took the one thing we have on all of ya ta save us from ya, and that is magic.

“Thing about magic is though, is that is does better the more we share it. It’s good fer ponies ta use magic fer the benefit of another. Actually makes it stronger when it’s applied. When we were foolish enough ta believe that the Princess of Friendship earned her wings because of her efforts ta complete a spell left by an old, senile wizard, we really thought we had a perfect understandin’ of the stuff.

“As it turns out though, things ain’t always what they seem. It was a lie, pure and simple. Celestia was tired of rulin’ and she wanted somepony ta take her place. She didn’t trust her sister or the other alicorn she made ta do it, so she found somepony with a uniquely large magic capacity and a bond ta the elements of harmony that could take Equestria from her. What made Twilight a princess was somethin’ dark. What made me a princess was somethin’ dark. But the difference between how Ah became one and how she became one is that those who suffered fer it didn’t deserve it in her case, and Ah chose ta punish those who suffered fer me.

“Twilight knew she was livin’ a lie when the friends that made her who she was started ta die off and she didn’t lose any of her power fer it. She wouldn’t accept it, and in the end, she couldn’t accept it. Ah was still around, and after a deal, Ah was granted the power. When a princess is made artificially like we were, we are gifted a title fer the atrocity that is committed ta make us what we are. In Twi’s case, Celestia lied ta a whole village under the guise of friendship, so that was the title she earned.

“In my case though, Ah chose my title myself. The truth about the Badlands Conflict back in 2093 goes as such; Abyssinians had struck oil in iron mines just outside of Ironside, which was a little south of the Equestrian border at the time. The ponies, jealous and envious of this discovery, created a division between themselves and the cats in an effort ta take the rights ta the oil from them.

“They fought and killed each other over a piece of dirt, and when it came down ta it, the Princess of Friendship couldn’t believe what had happened. She couldn’t get ta the truth of it either side, so who does she seek help from but the last of her friends from the old days that was still alive?

“Ah’ll admit, Ah was… hesitant ta help her at first. My husband, who’d been doin’ business, in Griffonia Ah might add, was murdered in cold blood by a rival group, and neither yer great ancestor, nor my princess was willin’ ta take action fer it. Ah was mad. Ah was bitter. Ah wanted revenge. And so, Ah organized. Ya can be sure that Ah got my revenge. Even took care of it personally, though Ah was still young back then.

“Ah learned a lotta things about the world, and Ah learned a lotta things about my old friend. She could not and would not believe diplomacy couldn’t solve everythin’. She refused to raise an army, she refused ta hire out soldiers, and she banned ponies from formin’ mercenary groups within her borders. There was nothin’ friendship couldn’t solve. Until she came across a problem that friendship couldn’t solve.

“Ah knew damn well that it was gonna take force ta put that spat ta an end, but she refused ta believe that it would work. Ah went in, Ah figured out that it was my own kind that started the fight, and Ah pointed a gun at the lead cat’s head and offered her as much cash as Ah could muster ta get her ta skip town. Nearly bankrupted my whole family doin’ that, but the rights ta the oil were mine now, and Ah could just set up shop there and start sellin’ that ta fix what Ah’d spent. But that leaves the selfish, greedy bastards that started this whole mess in town and free ta work. Ah was a pony, one of them, so they were willin’ ta work fer me, but that just didn’t sit right ta me. They killed cats, they got innocent ponies killed in the crossfire, and if Ah let this slide, they were gonna get away scott-free.

“There ain’t nothin’ that leaves a more bitter taste in the mouth, in this world, than injustice. Wanton murder out of the blackest pits of their hearts, all fer the sake of bits. Pure, simple, and disgustin’. Ah knew how Princesses were made thanks ta some research done when Ah asked the right pony the wrong question, and Ah knew how ta make a contract that couldn’t be broken. Ta punish the evildoers, ta ensure that Equestria would see a peaceful future, ta make sure that my family would never again be killed at the hooves of some other creature, Ah made a deal with the devil ta take that burden on myself.”

My princess took out her gun again, and pressed it against Garma’s forehead. “W-wait! Hold on a minute, can we not discuss this? I-I’ll join the Empire! I’ll make the move, and convince the nobles, and… and… and I’ll do anything you say! P-please!”

My lady made a face of disgust and beat Garma across the head with the butt of her gun. “How disgustin’. Ya take the lives of a thousand innocent ponies under the guise of conspiracy theory fed ta ya by someone that hates ya more than ya could possibly know, and now ya plead fer forgiveness. Well, let me teach ya somethin’ Garma. Ignorance is non-defensible in Equestrian Law.”

She pulled the hammer of her revolver back and pressed the barrel on top of Garma’s forehead. “As judge, jury, and executioner, Ah, the Princess of Justice, will now carry out the punishment of the man that murdered the populace of Celestia’s Island in cold blood. If y’all have a god, Ah suggest ya pray. Any last words, Garma Griffi?”

Resigned to his fate, Garma didn’t even struggle. “Please… just keep my children safe from that monster.” Garma gave one last glare to Aznabal, and he just smiled and waved right back.

“May the goddess have mercy on yer soul.”

Bang

The Truth of Magic

Goose Chase

“I never knew all that about how you became princess, my lady,” I mentioned after we’d returned home. She’d cleaned the filth off her hooves again and again, showered twice, cleaned her hooves again, until finally, she brought out a bottle of her favorite fermented apple family whiskey, and downed about half of it.

“Course ya didn’t. Could ya imagine what ponies would do if they found out the truth? They’d never let another princess sit on the throne again. Ah ain’t no different than the scum that Ah deal with every day. What a crock of shit, Princess of Justice. That wasn’t justice, that was vengeance. He killed Fuji and Oxford along with all my other ponies, and even through everythin’, Ah didn’t think of anythin’ but my descendant’s faces when Ah pulled the trigger.”

Though she’d asked me to make some fresh pancakes after we got back, I turned everything off, finished what I could, and then went to my lady. “Princess...”

“Don’t y’all princess, me! Ah ain’t said nothin’ but the truth all day, and Ah hate it! Things fall at my hooves because Ah decided ta take it up. Ah have ta put up a facade of bein’ somepony better than the rest when Ah know deep down that Ah’m the worst of them all. Ah stand on a throne of corpses and preach ta the masses outta one side of my mouth and lie out the other.

“Friendship is magic? Bullshit. Unity is what makes magic stronger. Ya can use magic fer the sake of somepony else ta kill plenty. So long as both parties harmonize, ya can do anythin’, all the way ta movin’ the sun and the moon. When Ah met with Celestia ta figure out what Twilight wouldn’t ask, she told me the truth. Hollow Shades wasn’t an accident, it was what made a princess. Our lives are extended by the lives of those we sacrifice, the more ponies ya take, the more lives ya have ta spend. We’re not immortal, but the worst of us could be.

“That’s why King Sombra tried so desperately ta get Celestia. She knew the spell ta make an alicorn, and he wanted it. He would’ve been the worst tyrant the world had ever seen if he knew the spell, and she had ta do everythin’ she could ta stop him, even if it meant exposin’ her sister ta the blackest magic there is. And of course, what does that do but corrupt her and give her the same goal? This blasted spell is gonna die with me, and Ah pray ta the goddess every day that nopony else ever accidentally happens upon it.”

“Princess...” I managed to put my hoof on her cheek, and before I knew it, she brought me in like a bear trap.

“Goose… if Ah told ya some of the things that Ah’ve been hidin’, would ya still love me?”

I frowned. What could she tell me? No, I already know the answer to this. “Princess… I don’t think you could tell me anything that would make me stop loving you. There’s nopony you hurt more than you by doing what is necessary to keep your people safe.” I smiled. “You know, you do this every time, right?”

She sniffed. “Ah do what?”

I wiped her tears away. “You cry, you drink, you wash yourself again and again and again. And you wake up the next day, and you go out there with a smile on your face, and you tell everypony that things are fine, and things will be fine. I wasn’t sure why I wanted this job so badly when I was young, and even as I grew older, my desire to be here with you always confounded me.

“But, after our first mission together, all the way back when I first became your consort and you had to… exact justice, I knew. If my purpose in life is to be the one that you allow yourself to cry on, that you allow yourself to feel in front of, then I am satisfied with just that. The weight of the crown is heavy. That finally struck me today. So long as I’m here though, I can help you bear it.”

She wrapped herself around me tighter and cried a little harder. I didn’t understand it when I was a child, but as a stallion, now I know. It was never because she was sad, but because she was relieved that I was there for her. When she’d finally settled down, she cleaned her face, blew her nose, and came to the table. I finished the requested stack of pancakes and came to sit with her while she ate.

“Ya know,” she finally spoke up, “When Ah saw ya as a colt, Ah was damn near sure ya were the reincarnation of my husband.”

I nodded. “I know, princess. I never forgot what you called me all those years ago, and I looked into it when I was finally given clearance to look at your family history. If I were in your shoes, I probably would’ve thought I was looking at a ghost.”

She nodded. “Ah figured. Ah know you’re a smart one, and Ah also know how devious ya are. Usin’ a back door, an encryption, and a server outside of the country. Tried real hard ta hide yer tracks.”

I shrugged. “Guilty as charged. But, I suppose it would be hard to hide anything from you. If I am as similar to him as you say, then you’ve known me longer than I’ve known myself. We even had the same cutiemark. If anything could be a physical representation of the soul, it would have to be that.”

My lady nodded, then continued on her cakes. It’d been bothering me since we talked about it Thursday, so finally, I asked. “Princess, if I may...”

She shuddered. “Oh, please don’t remind me of that man. Ah shoulda taken care of Aznabal while Ah had the chance. That griffon scares me. He even agreed ta let me remove everythin’ Ah said about my past from his memory. No normal creature would do that.”

“While I understand the sentiment, I don’t think Aznabal is a threat to Equestria. He was… a griffon with a drive to do something. Though it’s vengeance tainted by wrath, when he finally does finish what he set out to do, I think he’ll lose purpose and wander. He’s talented, but his drive stems from hate. He’s not the kind of man to see what he wants beyond his goal.”

She thought on that for a moment. “Ah suppose you’re right. He’s not the first of his kind, and he certainly won’t be the last. At least, so long as greed exists in the heart. All we can do is try our best to end the cycle, knowin’ there there will always be people that slip through the cracks and repeat it. He was right, ya know. About utopia. Fer as gross as his desires are, he understands how sentient creatures operate. Such a… damn shame he’s so hell bent on revenge. He could be so much more...”

“Yes, it is a disappointment. The king Griffonia deserves, but not the one it will ever see. Oh well. The nobles will scrambled for power, the armies will split, and Griffonia will fall into chaos now that their throne is open. Is it… right that we allow this?”

“That is a question Ah have been askin’ myself ever since Ah set on my campaign ta make Equestria the dominant power in the world. When Yakyakistan collapsed, Ah did try ta intervene. But the party that Ah gambled on ended up unfit fer rule, so Ah tried ta talk them inta lettin’ me take care of it. Took seventy years ta get them under control and stop the fightin’, and that only worked because most of the yaks that remembered a self governed Yakyakistan died off. Give ‘em luxuries and comforts, and creatures will abandon their desire fer freedom. It’s disgustin’ and another thing Ah wish Ah never did, but here we are, two hundred years later, and Yakyakistan celebrates me fer puttin’ their pieces back together.

“Meritocracy works, but Ah shouldn’t be the one ta make them see that, they should see it fer themselves. If creatures just bow ta whoever feeds them, then they’re just another dog waitin’ on the next bowl of food. Diamondia went the same way, and that time, it was Flurry who decided ta pick ‘em up. We let the chaos drag itself out fer a few years, but it was when she said this ta me, that Ah ultimately decided ta allow them into the Empire.

“‘Creatures have every right ta be free. They have their own unique souls that makes them a creature of value because they can love and be loved just like everyone else. But they are also violent things with vices that rule their hearts and interests that only serve themselves. The creatures who lose when the powerful play are the weak, and no one else. So when we have the chance ta step in and give the weak a chance, we should. If they reject us, then that is their choice and there is nothin’ more we can do fer them. But if they accept us, and allow us ta help, then we should.’”

“Her mother raised her right. She bears this curse unlike anypony else, and there is no pony who will ever suffer more than she does. As much as she is a connivin’ little slut, she’ll break character every now and again and show the truth of her title, the Princess of Purity. So, now Ah let things happen, knowin’ that it may all fall back ta me. Griffonia was on this track ever since Degwin killed Zeon, and it was only a matter of time. Course, Garma went and pissed me off and moved the date up fifty years, but that was always a possibility too. With the way things are goin’ in Abyssinia, we’ll likely see future where they tear themselves apart and fall inta ruin. I’ll just make sure that they can’t do anythin’ stupid ta my family next time.”

I nodded and took a piece of cake off her stack to nibble on. The ones I made weren’t as good, but I suppose that comes with practice. “Yesterday, we played a game.”

She swallowed a hearty amount and nodded. “That we did.”

“To be quite honest, I still haven’t figured out what you wanted out of me. Could you tell me?”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Ah really hate ta do this ta ya, but Ah suppose you’ll find out eventually anyways. Just a minute ago, Ah lied ta ya.”

I frowned. “You did? About what?”

She looked down and put a hoof on her stomach. “Flurry… ain’t gonna be alone in how she bears her curse. The reason Ah’ve been feelin’ things Ah should be too old fer, the reason my emotions have been runnin’ wild, the reason’ Ah haven’t been sleepin’ well… is because, you’re gonna be a father, Goose. And just like the rest of us, Ah’m about ta bring another life inta this world that will suffer our curse.”

She must’ve been surprised when I started laughing, because next she said, “Goose? What in the world is wrong with ya?”

This time, I took her in my hooves. I planted the deepest kiss I could manage before I needed air, and held my princess. “Has old age degraded your brain? What could possibly be more joyous than this? When the day comes that I can no longer be by your side, now I have the assurance that somepony will. And it won’t just be anypony, it will be ours, that stays with you. Even if eternity keeps us separated, and my soul can’t always find its way back to you, this will be our bond that lasts forever. There is one thing that I disagree with that you’ve said, princess.”

She blinked. “And what would that be?”

“If not Friendship, then at least Love, is magic. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far we are apart, our bond will never be broken. And this foal of ours will be proof of that.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Well, maybe somepony can finally prove Twi right. If this little pony is the one that does it, then Ah won’t be nothin’ than happy fer it.” She sighed and picked me up. “How did Ah ever get so lucky as Ah did, ta find ya again?”