The Emissaries

"You think Fortis is going to invade?", Twilight asked.

She, Celestia, Luna, Shadowcorn and the rest of the Mane Six were gathered in Twilights castle.

"I'm sure about it. The way he said 'I will return tomorrow to solve this issue' leaves it open enough to be interpreted as him saying 'I'm going to take over tomorrow'. Plus, both Prostatis and Motus weren't too thrilled that you let Chrysalis get away without pursuing her. It is very likely that at least Prostatis is going to tell him about that. And he will propably exaggerate making it sound as if you would let every villain go. Fortis will use that to justify an invasion."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Celestia spoke up:

"We can't let them do that. Let's go to the Alicorn Empire and meet with Fortis. We need to convince him to seek a peaceful solution instead."

"I think that is a waste of time. Fortis is not going to listen. But: Considering that you wouldn't stand a chance against the forces of the Alicorn Empire and since I don't know whether your friendship-magic would even work considering he doesn't want to kill anyone but me, I have no better idea, either.", Shadowcorn said.

"Alright. Then let's get going.", Twilight said.

The sun was setting upon the fields surrounding the altar as the group exited the portal into the Alicorn Empire. Only a few meters away, they saw the lights of a number of small campfires surrounded by tents.

"It seems Fortis and his army have been waiting here for some time. Guess we won't have much of a walk.", Shadowcorn said.

As they walked down the path towards the tents, Twilight felt watched. She thought she saw a pair of glowing eyes watching them from some nearby bushes in the corner of her eye.

"Everything alright, darling?", Rarity asked.

"Yes.", she said.

She turned her head to the bushes but she saw nothing. Suddendly, two guards came up to them.

"Hold! Who goes there?!", one guard asked.

"We come from the other side of the portal. We wish to speak to Crown-Prince Fortis immediatly.", Celestia said.

The guards discussed what to do for a moment before saying:

"As you wish. Please follow us."

They led them through a maze of tents. Alicorns wearing full body armor either ran from one place to another or sat near a small campfire eating and drinking. As the group past them, they stopped and looked at them with suspicion in their eyes. After a short while, they came to a big campfire surrounded by tents in a circular position. Many guards sat around it and talked, ate or drank. Unlike the other ponies, these ones didn't pay much attention to the group. The two guards let them around the campfire to a large tent on the other side. Two more guards were positioned in front of it. As the group approached the tent, one went inside. Soon, he exited and told the group:

"His majesty has predicted your arrival. He awaits you."

"I don't like this…", Shadowcorn mumbled.

They entered the tent. Fortis said an a make-shift throne with two guards and Prostatis flanking him.

"Welcome to the Alicorn Empire. I knew you'd come to me. Though to be honest, I expected you to show up much later. I presume you have already guessed I decided to come over with my army tomorrow. And you are right. However, I do not intend on waging a war."

"You don't? Then why do you want to come over with your army?", Luna asked.

"To demonstrate you and everypony else in your world our power. To convince you all that you can't stand against us. And to make you give up your power and your kingdom to the Alicorn Empire willingly and peacefully."

"WHAT?!", the Mane Six yelled while Celestia said:

"Giving our kingdom to you? What exactly are you talking about?"

"Well, you see, Prostatis has informed me of your ineffektive and daring way to handle your enemies. Also, since you are not able to protect your subjects yourself but have to rely on others to do so, you are clearly unfit to rule. Further, he told me more about your world. And I think, it sounds wonderful. It is the perfect place to relocate the entire Alicorn Empire to. Equestria shall be renamed into 'The Pony Empire'. With me as its head, we will be able to expand rapidly conquering all the lands hold by those uncivilized creatures and wipe out the pathetic excuses of dragons your world has to offer and any other lesser creature standing in our way. Then ponys will reign supreme. As we should. Though, of course, there will be some changes within pony society. Since we can both fly and use magic, we alicorns will be the crème de la crème, the high nobility overseeing and ruling our empire. Those unicorns will be lesser nobility as they can still use magic with chances of upward mobility. The pegasi and earth ponys will be middle class seeing as while they can't do magic, they are still ponys. Though, of course, they will be granted opprtunities to enter nobility as well. Every other creature will be low class. While they aren't the crown achivement of creation we ponys are, I highly doubt they are useless. Every non-dragon has a use to us and therefore a place in our empire."

"That is madness!", Twilight yelled.

"No. THAT is what a REAL leader does. THAT is what it means to givie your people the best lifes they can possibly have. Now, since you are already here: How about you give me Equestria right here and now?"

"You are insane. We will never surrunder to you, Fortis.", Celestia said firmly.

Fortis sighed.

"As expected. Too bad. For you."

He used his magic to lift up the tent revealing they were surrounded!

"Seize them.", he said.

"Shadowcorn, open a portal!", Twilight yelled.

"I can't! They must have used a ritual or a counter spell to disable any non-portal interdimensional travel. But I have another idea…"

His horn glew dark. Before anyone could stop him, he unleashed his Black Light Spell followed by a tremour.

"Hang on to the ground and don't move!", he yelled.

Suddendly, Twilight felt a force pressing her to the ground for a moment. Soon the effects of the Black Light Spell faded. She looked around. They were flying through the air on a big chunk of ground. Shadowcorn had used his earth magic to rip the chunk they stood on from the ground and used it to float them out of the camp towards the portal. They could already see it. But suddendly, the part of the chunk of dirt Shadowcorn stood on exploded. As he fell to the ground, so did the chunk of dirt. For a moment, Twilight thought she saw a blue horn lurking out of the bushes she imagined seeing the pair of glowing eyes on her way to the camp in the corner of her eye. But upon taking a glance over to it, she saw nothing once more. Then the chunk of dirt crashed. Fortunatly, they hadn't fallen far and the portal wasn't too far away. Unfortunatly, the entire army of the Alicorn Empire was catching up.

"Quick! Into the portal!", she yelled.

As they ran, magical beams hit the ground around them or had to be deflected or absorbed by shielding spells. However, as they reached the portal, Shadowcorn suddendly stopped. He looked back at the army approaching. Then he looked at the group. Then he looked at the portal.

"Shadowcorn! Come on! We have to get out of here!", Twilight yelled.

"As long as this portal exists, Equestria will never be safe…", he thought out loud.

"Shadowcorn! What are you-", Twilight started saying but suddendly, she and the rest of the group were caught in a horizontal cyclone originating from Shadowcorns horn which threw them through the portal.

Shadowcorn then shot a beam at the archway above the portal destroying it and destabilizing the portal.

"Shadowcorn! What are you doing?! Quick, jump through!", Twilight yelled.

"I can't! The portal has become destabilized! If I jump through now, it's not unlikely less than half of me will make it."

"Shadowcorn…"

"Thank you. For everything.", he said with a genuine smile.

Then the portal collapsed completely.

Shadowcorn took a look around himself. He was surrounded by the entire army of the Alicorn Empire. Fortis stepped out of the crowd. He was beyond angry.

"You will pay for that.", he said.

Then he turned to his troops and said:

"Kill him."

Shadowcorn grinned. He took a battle stance. His horn glew brown. As a hail of magical blasts rained down upon him, he yelled:

"Bring it on, bucket-heads!"