Simplified

After their bout underground, the imperial princes and their accompanying entourages surfaces back into the town proper. A still-laboring Agamemnon leans on one of his detail, meanwhile his older sibling shakes off the previous assault issued to them both. "Great. That magic still has me feeling tingly in spots, and not the good kind." The intrepid prince complains.

Not wanting to be seen as weak in the view of the surface-bound public, Agamemnon pushes away the guard that once assisted him along. "So what do we do now?"

"I'm not sure." Xerxes grumbles. "That dragon... to think that scaly scoundrel is getting protection from that unicorn bastard."

Agamemnon, still experiencing pain and numbness in his legs, doesn't dare to walk immediately. "I don't think I've seen a unicorn with that much power, much less that kind of power."

"There's no way there are Equestrian regulars on the same level as that guy. And even in spite of that, we've culled off forty of their so-called specialists. Something's amiss here. But the one thing we can confirm is that he could the rogue apostle we were warned of."

"How do you know that?"

"Tendrils of shadows, a telling trait that Zenobia spoke of at great length of how she's lost many of her subordinates in mere minutes." The prince recalls. "But even then she's an apostle of the Doctor's will, an abbess of his institution. So why and how would the Doctor make something that would actively go against his will? One would think he would be grateful for such powers given to him."

The younger sibling ponders a motive. "Perhaps it's a deep seeded rebellion, maybe a curse issued onto him. Perhaps his vengeance drove him to assail the very one who's given him that power. But I cannot see how the good Doctor would die by his hoof, especially if such powers were bestowed."

"There are so many unanswered questions, and too little time to solve them."

*bang*

Both of the princes take observation of the loud report sounding from a distance. They see a singular air vessel hovering above the waters leading out to the sea. Other ponies in the street stare at the development in the distance as yet another shot rings out. "Warning shots?" Agamemnon points out.

"That's Zenobia's ship." Xerxes assumes confidently. "She's probably found the holy mother."

Still unable to run for the time being, he issues his commands to his entourage. "You lot, you follow Xerxes' command. I'll stay behind and gather myself accordingly." The squad of centuries sortie with the elder prince's forces without delay. The aforementioned imperial appears muddled at the younger's submission. "Well, you have father's instruction, go on and deal with it."

"What, can't bear the idea of us failing from your unexpected intervention?" Xerxes mocks. "Or do you not want father to know you intervened against his knowledge?"

"We're still at a truce, you fool." He sneers towards the slight elder. "It's just as father said, you'll go to help her. And besides, I know when I'm in no condition to engage. You'll win this one... if you can manage."

"How quick all that bravado goes out the window when opportunity gets to knocking." Jests the ambitious prince. "Guess I should be satisfied that you finally admit to the true crown prince." He waves his hoof towards the docks. "Let's move!"

As the sounds of hooves clatter off into the distance, Agamemnon stammers quietly as he raises back to his hooves. He takes a few steps forward, completely able to trot in place proudly. He shakes off the residual numbness from his legs and snickers under his breath. "Can't wear the laurels of the emperor when you've only died as a prince. And if he runs into that stallion again, I'm sure his fate will be all but certain."

He takes to his wings, darting into the sky back towards his own airship. A smile forms on his face as he gives no mind to the fact that his elder brother would probably gain prestige with his success, confident in the impending failure.

"It'll be one less in my way, and I won't even have to scuff a hoof, a single feather over it!"

Meanwhile...

A century diligently maintains the checkpoint leading towards the town docks. Many simply wait around as they watch for the ship above the harbor to make any moves. But one party in particular calls out to the crowd to clear the way of his heavy freight. The only ones who stand opposed are the five maintaining the hastily assembled checkpoint.

"Halt!" A brown unicorn stallion calls out, standing out from the formation. He holds his hoof out to the rushing stallion that's brought to a screeching halt. "I'm sorry, but no one is permitted into the area. It's too dangerous."

Still using his magic to keep control of his freight, he comes to a clean stop with virtually no further momentum driving him forward. "Sir, I'm just trying to get to my ship!"

"I'm sorry, your ship is at risk, there's a notable threat that's in need to be subdued. I'm afraid I cannot explain any further than that." The century replies.

Nondis snorts with some frustration over the situation, but quickly runs down two options that would yield immediate results. "Buddy, what do you think it'll take for me to get you and your guys to move?"

"I'm not one to be bribed." He answers firmly. "So you can take your offers and go. I'm a proud century of the imperial grand army, you have no sway over the crown I serve."

"Tsk tsk tsk." He shakes his head, already relegating the solution to the secondary alternative. "I didn't want to do this, but sure. Why not force the issue?"

A blast of the crackling, corrupted alicorn magic is sent into the stallion's chest. The others raise up with concern over their superior getting sent to the ground after the impact. "AAARRRGH!" He screams as he tries to move in retaliation, only to find that his limbs are unresponsive for the moment. "My... legs!"

The others threaten to apprehend Nondis, but he summons a number of muskets to counter the squad's numbers. He stares them down as a cannon is brought to surface right in front of the disabled unicorn. "So, you got a family?" He asks the squad leader, yielding no initial response. "Well I guess you ain't got much to live for then─"

"WAIT!" He cries out, seeing the cannon aimed at his body. He at last gives an answer to the question. "I have two daughters... a son on the way."

Nondis nods as he hastily picks back up his wagon. "I want you to know that I've already had to rob at least twenty-seven families of their loved ones about a day ago. I did that in response to the forty that were taken a week back." He looks to the other four behind him. "And if you ask me, I can easily take another thirteen to call it even. I've got five candidates sitting here right now looking to join them."

Already caught off guard, the other centuries appear helpless with the muskets beaming them down from point-blank range. They make no sudden movements as their leader mewls in favor of their lives. "Please..."

"I think your prince is on the way over here." He replies to the rest, not wanting to waste any further time on the issue. "If you see him, let him know that the 'rogue apostle' gives him warning to not pursue. Because if he does, that's a solid twelve or more looking to get packed up in a box and express mailed to their surviving relatives. And I just warned him that I might take him for a ride. So tell your friends at the top this; Don't look for that last body, I'll have it."

He marches forward, maneuvering the cart over the paralyzed stallion. The downed century weakly hails back to him. "Wait."

He halts for a brief moment, offering yet another warning. "You know what, how about you all follow your own advice and get out of here. This wagon full of shit may be hitched to my ass, but that didn't stop me from hurting you like I've just shown. And if you plan on staying, let's just say I know a great way to make the pain stop."

The unicorn tries to stand once more, his limbs shaking with pain now. "Can't... move..."

"Meh, you'll learn to walk it off eventually. But remember, when you stand up, you run away." He looks to the others, toting the muskets along with him on his way out. "Oh, and if they threaten to kill you for disobeying, consider that your prince is more scared of me than you are of him. Have a nice day, gentlemen."

The crew of the fuel tanker watches in mortified silence, seeing the airship overhead. Their eyes go between the looming vessel, and the imperial princess in the midst of a standoff with another alicorn. Mrs. Kalimba's horn begins to weave a defensive spell to protect the party from the initial wave of cannon fire. And in the midst of the standoff, both I and Celestia try to reason with the irrational mare.

However, she takes a more sinister approach to the conversation, seeing how the imperial mare trembles with fear over her impending doom. "There's a reason I'm never too fond of sunsets." Celestia elaborates. "They may look beautiful at times, the sky surges with colors unreal to both the brightness of day, and the darkness of night. And with the modern connotations to one's cycle, it signifies the end of life. Why do we give such tragedy the name of something that's so beautiful, I'll never know... But you seem to be taking your vein of discovery a little too literally."

Zenobia continues to plant all responsibility onto me. "Pet, you can end this! C'mon and work with, for fuck's sake!"

"You're shaking, Zena." The retired princess points out nonchalantly.

"I am not!" She argues, despite the fact that her legs are just about ready to buckle under her own weight. "Please help me! I don't want to do this!"

"Then just walk away!" I call back to her.

"You know I can't do that!"

Celestia continues to play the harsh role of representing her internal self. "You may play like you don't care, but I know you fear death like every other pony. Believe me when I say that you don't announce to others when you're going to submit to the finality of death, you just do it. Making announcements, writing letters to the living, all of it are merely methods of hesitancy. That hesitation means something inside of you is fighting back, and that something is your instinct to survive."

At this point, the imperial princess starts to cry over the worsening situation, but still holds out to leave her choice to me. "Please help me, I don't want this!"

"As much as I wish I could've been there to watch you grow, I still have to treat you like the adult you are." Celestia further pushes the ultimatum. "If you're going to do it, then the choice is simple, Zena. Take as many lives as you're willing. Meet the ends you're trying to make. If you aspire to be me, then show me your unwavering conviction. Go on, get curious enough to act on it. And see where it goes from there... that's if you somehow live past this."

A set of hooves sound from the distance, gradually getting closer by the second. We see it's Nondis coming with a large wagon hitched behind him. He seems to be also lifting the wagon with his magic as a means to speed himself up without worrying about the wheels getting damaged from running speed. He screeches to a halt as he quickly observes what's going on. "...Oh cool, Mexican standoff near my multi-million dollar yacht. Love to see it.

"Nondis! Thank Faust you're here!" I yell over to him. "What's with the wagon!?"

"Ran into two other imperial knuckleheads, knocked them on their asses, donated to a local tavern, they shortened my shopping trip by giving me half of their weekly stock. Came out, saw ship, heard a boom, ran over, now I'm wondering what's going on and where's the caveman. But since you guys are so busy, I guess I'll just start loading this while I'm here─"

Zenobia raises her hoof, causing most of everyone outside of Celestia and Nondis to flinch. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" She breathes heavily while looking at the human in his equine disguise.

He glances towards her, seemingly unimpressed. "Oh, you again?"

"We're waiting, Zena. Make your move." Celestia calls out.

"Oh for fuck's─Babe, why are you gaslighting the crazy bitch while we're pumping gas?" He asks before glancing up to the sky, seeing the slightly-damaged airship and it's replenished arsenal. "Oh... Those aimed at us?"

"Very much so." His wife answers flatly.

"Ah, the old 'If I can't have you' number. Fun times." He mumbles sarcastically. "I guess I'll just just take this and load it later." He says as his shadow expands behind him, swallowing the cart whole. "Can't enjoy anything good this week."

"If you or your shadow moves so much as another inch, my airship will fire upon that tanker!" She yells, obviously trembling over the shadow's slow retreat.

"And you know if you do that, you'll walk away empty-hoofed." Celestia replies.

"I'd rather fail like this!" Zenobia screams again. "You don't know what's at stake!"

"If you're hoping you can rebound from death, that's not likely." Nondis informs her.

"And you're hiding somewhere in that shadow, trying to avoid what you truly are, Sniper Shot!" The mare stops trembling, almost as though a lightbulb ignites over her head. A smile cracks through her visage, a maddening thought stirs in her mind. "Or should I call you who you really are, Nondis P. Haines!?"

He narrows his eyes towards the mare. "Don't remember giving you that name."

"Let's just say my wisdom comes from up high." She cheeses. "You should know, you're his last creation."

"Yeah, seems like it." He answers quietly. "Or maybe he's cooking up another monster in you. You seem pretty... obedient. Did he ever tell you about the little filly he adopted, what he turned her into, what he turned me into?"

"He told me to ask you this question, and I quote: What's the difference between shit and me?"

His shadow shoots into a wide circle, engulfing anything around him within a twenty foot radius. A haunting roar sounds from beneath. Zenobia looks down to see her legs standing on the shadow's outer edge. She leaps back trying to avoid the shade, but a pair of tendrils surface and transforms into a pair of hooves clasped together, tripping her upon her retreat. The stallion cracks his neck as his eyes gives off a hollow look. He takes a step forward, invoking a terrible howl from the shadow. "NONDIS!" He stops dead in his tracks, hearing the voice of his wife as she makes a plea for his sanity. "Come home. Come home, sweetheart."

The stallion pants as he recovers from his episode. The shadow slowly retreats. Upon realizing just how close she was to seeing the monster unleashed from beneath him, she laughs in both relief and mocking. "Wow! That's it, that's all I had to say!? And to think I had a mind to find something that would break you, turns out I don't need to do that after all! Why break what's already broken to hell!?"

It's not even a moment where I could blink my eyes, I don't think I've seen a pony ever move so fast that they virtually alter the laws of physics. But that's what happened. None of us could react as fast to Zenobia's cruel comment, not one of us could even breathe a word, blink an eye, or mentally process the lighting strike that takes place.

Only instead of lightening, it's fire.

A painful wail is unleashed from the alicorn imperial, half of her face scalded, her neck and right shoulder, the top of her foreleg, all red and boiled from the impact of Celestia's indignant blow. Her hoof follows through the impact as she screams with a piercing voice.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BITCH!"

The princess falls to the ground, wailing from the immense pain of her burns. Out of some form of instinct, I run after and check on her. "Zenobia!" Amor shouts out to his sister, rightfully concerned for her condition.

Hestia shouts a desperate plea to everyone around. "PLEASE, LET'S STOP THIS! EVERYONE!"

Celestia grimaces from the unsightly wound she gave to the mare, but fails to feel remorse for having reacted the way she did. Honestly, it was a good move. She was distracted, and brought down before she could issue the command for any further harm to come to any of us. And I'm sure that airship doesn't want to cause harm to their princess when she's in this condition.

In speaking of which, I loom over to see Zenobia in bad shape. I'm careful not to touch where she's hurt, but her writhing isn't helping her pain any less.

"Dragon!"

My claws flex from the sound of the stallion calling out to me. I look up to see twelve centuries, armed with muskets and led by none other than Prince Xerxes. "You again?" Nondis comments.

The prince focuses in on the sight of his wounded sister. He easily identifies the burns on her body, and my looming over her. The stallion fiercely scowls at me, already determining me as the source of her new injury. The mare continues to howl in pain, really setting him off. He summons a musket, and lifts his wing to signal to the airship above. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you dead for what you've done!" He also shouts his command. "TAKE AIM FOR THE DRAGON! FIRE!!!"

Nondis leaps in between both us and raises a barrier to protect us. "Decision time! Make a move!" He hollers at me as the pellets impact against his shield.

After firing his first round, the prince summons a pistol to use instead of reloading. He screams back at me before firing his second. "You let her go, you yellow-bellied bastard!"

I think quickly, looking to make a split decision as both Celestia and Mrs. Kalimba shield our ship and the tanker from the incoming cannon fire. As the princess continues to suffer, I call out to Amor in the midst of the chaos. "Cold water! She needs cold water for the burns!"

One particular blow towards the tanker cracks the shield placed up by the zebracorn. She winces from the immense stress. "We can't stay like this!"

"Not going to!" I holler back. I scoop the alicorn mare and run with her in tow to the yacht. Nondis voices his disapproval. "I know you're not putting her on my fucking ship!"

"Leverage!" I shout back. "They didn't kill her before, they won't kill her now!"

"And just like that, we've somehow accidentally a war." The stallion complains as he sheds his disguise, getting in a much more comfortable form for his own magic management. Standing as a human, he shouts to his wife. "Tia, start the engines!" His tendrils rise to form a temporary barrier over the tanker. The multitasking man places an expedited inquiry towards the lesser-blooded siblings. "You two, staying or leaving!?"

"We are leaving now!" Amor answers, grabbing his sister by her wing and tugging her along.

As the pair gallops onto the ship, Celestia leaps into the air and lands on the ships deck to widen the perspective of her barrier, covering both the yacht and the tanker. Mrs. Kalimba sighs as she's finally freed of her strenuous defense. She offers a comment towards the man. "You know, this obviously counts as a hostile act endangering life by means of firearm, correct!?"

"You know what, you're absolutely fucking right!" He calls out happily. "Weapons free!"

The zebracorn does not hesitate.

She summons one of the weapons that's stashed on the yacht, an assault rifle with two magazines of ammunition. She also summons a shotgun for the human to use. The prince stares back as the weapons manifest before his very eyes. "What the hell is that!?"

As they're still left with their reloading process, Nondis chambers a shell and takes aim at the other guards behind him. "Twentieth century innovation! Be enlightened!"

The powerful blast of the shotgun peppers against the prince's forces, injuring a few and felling one. One of the centuries leaps in front of him, offering to protect him. "Your majesty, fall back!" But in his bid to defend the prince, one of his hind legs is shot from underneath him. He falls to the ground, screaming before another three bullets are burst-fired into his body, blasting open his chest in front of the prince.

The zebracorn fires her rounds at the others who appear to be the closest done with their reloads, a burst of three per shot quickly demolishes the ones who dare to raise their muskets to fight back, leaving them a heaping mess of their former selves. More guards pour in from varying areas, looking to bolster the numbers, but a shotgun round quickly sends some to the ground with serious injuries.

One takes cover, trying to take aim at Mrs. Kalimba, only to be greeted with the muzzle of Nondis' Citadel Boss 25. With the squeeze of his trigger, the stallions head is shattered into fragments of bone and pink matter. The others watch in horror over the blatant carnage. The muzzle is aimed at another, fired, and another head disappears. He takes aim at another, not quite hitting them in the head for a quick dispatch, but hitting their chest for a cruel excavation of his internal organs.

Seeing the speed of their weapons, the prince realizes that their slow reload speeds aren't enough to pressure the offensive duo. "The spears, you fools! Use the spears!" He orders.

Mrs. Kalimba holds a side down to herself, mowing down at least another ten centuries before seeing another group file in from around the corner. She summons another weapon that was stashed away in the ship's arsenal. Biting down on the pin, she releases the trigger of a fragmentation grenade, and tosses it towards the filing group. Being unaware of what the smoking item does, some stare with curiosity before the item explodes, sending deadly shrapnel into the group. The blast kills two, injuring the others that merely looked from a wider distance.

Nondis chides the zebracorn for her choice of weaponry. "Grenades, at a fuel depot, seriously Kali!?"

"There were more coming! You got any better ideas!?" She shrieks as she guns down another two centuries before having to reload.

The man fires another shot before he notices that he's out of ammo. He glances towards a nearby warehouse, seeing a few centuries trying to load their weapons from cover. He calls out to the zebracorn for their retreat. "To the ship!" He also screams out a word of warning to the cowering prince, who's more confused about the weapons displayed before him. "I'll be seeing you again! Trust you'll see me again!"

As the pair tries to quickly board the ship, Mrs. Kalimba offers a parting farewell to the airship in the distance. She quickly charges a heavy burst of magic, sending a large blow to the airborne vessel and crippling it's engines. Celestia breathes with relief as the airship crew stops firing to focus on the damaged vessel and it's stirring fires. She walks into the ship, quickly trailing for her husband and his accomplice.

Meanwhile, the once ambitious prince rises to see a multitude of corpses lying before him. His eyes wander both left and right, seeing the moaning forms of his country's finest. Some are left to bleed out from their injuries, having no immediate medical attention available. Others fade with ghastly wounds that are so numerous and precise. Of the dozens that came to his aid in the raid, only he remains of the initial wave. Another of his centuries hails him from behind the warehouse. "Sir prince!"

"A hoof cannon that fires like lightning." Xerxes whispers to himself. "...What madness... carnage... cruelty."

"Sir?" The century gazes with shock over the bloodbath left in the wake of the operation. "What the hell happened?"

The prince stares blankly at the ship in the distance, having no legitimate answer. "Hail my father. We've much trouble to discuss."

"AH! BLOODY FUCKING HELL!"

Our escape seems to have gone largely unfollowed thanks to Mrs. Kalimba's quick thinking. But the time after is far from peaceful. The wounded alicorn princess is brought to a bed, namely the one I've been given for the duration of the voyage. She, understandably, hasn't been too happy about the accommodations due to lack of comfort. A self-imposed issue due to her poor choice of words, but that's just the part of life, we deal with our consequences. I know that I'll be sleeping on a couch for the better part of the upcoming week, but that's a sacrifice I'll willingly accept, even if Nondis and Celestia aren't too thrilled about it.

In the meantime, I try to gingerly keep her from flailing around too much. "Sorry, I know it hurts. I'm just trying to get you where you're comfortable."

"Bit hard considering the fact it hurts EVERY-FUCKING-WHERE!" She lashes out.

"I know, I know." I respond as Amor also aids me in trying to keep her stabilized as Mrs. Kalimba comes around with a concoction of hers. We make room for her to start administering her medicine, which the mare predictably screams about.

"AH! THE FUCK YOU RUBBING ME FOR!?"

"Aloe vera for wound to heal." She answers. "Honestly, you got off easy. The only place you have second degree burns is where she punched you. The rest is but a mere first. Me personally, that would've been your life."

"You pressed the protective wife button, you never want to press that button." I warn her, as if she even needs it at this point.

"I was expecting him to make a move, I didn't anticipate being blindsided like that!" She argues.

"You were out of line." Amor rebuts. "I don't know what that was that made him go off like that, but when you called him out for being broken, that was beyond a low blow."

"And? It's a confrontation!" She defends herself.

"Exactly! That's why that happened!" Hestia answers back. "You talked way too much! You should've known your cue to stay quiet was from the moment his shadow got big! You saw what happened when that thing comes out, and you still pressed the issue! You obviously have a death wish!"

"The human world has a saying, 'fuck around and find out' is the phrase." I add.

"You've done just that, found out. I hope your prize is worth it." The zebracorn comments.

The alicorn princess screams out in protest. "Ugh, my fucking NECK!"

"Yelling really helps." Mrs. Kalimba deadpans.

"Why the fuck you even took me along?" Zenobia painfully questions. "I'm the enemy!"

"Leverage." Hestia replies. "If we can get close to Equestrian waters without intercept, you'll be released safe and well-cared for. You'll go back home, and father would simply have some random century show you to your room. That's it, that's your role here."

The alicorn blows off her sister's idea of a resolution. "You, of all ponies, should know father cares very little about his daughters. Do you honestly think they won't blow this ship under the waves, with me on it, if he calls for it?"

"Not that they can, we've made quick work of your brother's detail." Mrs. Kalimba notes. "Don't know how many we've killed, but they'll be hesitant for sure, especially now that they've seen what a shotgun can do."

"A what!?" Amor asks.

"Seriously, you used the human arsenal?" I question her also.

"Why are you surprised?" She responds. "They were shooting at us. There a whole protocol for that. Shout, show, shove, shoot, shoot to kill. They were trying to kill us, it's only fair we reciprocate that treatment."

"Some holy mother you are." Hestia comments sarcastically.

The zebracorn rolls her eyes. "I am far from 'holy' in every sense of the word."

"So I've heard." Zenobia mutters.

The zebracorn mare pauses for a moment, becoming statuesque. She looks at me and then hands over the bowl of ointment. "You can have this one, you've already got her tamed to an extent. Maybe you can put her in place before I put her overboard."

Amor groans before he asks me. "You got this from here? I think I'm going to go before she gets personal."

Hestia issues her rebuke of the alicorn. "You never learn to not say off-color comments, do you? Grow up sometime."

As the two lesser-bloods leave the room, Zenobia mouths back the pegasus' reprimand, mocking her before laying silent. "I suppose you'll be the one to give your little retort and fuck off next, right?"

I glance to her wounds, seeing that much has still been left untreated. "I could be, but then you'd be much worse off for it. Maybe it would be better if you didn't go for the kill-shot on every creature you run into."

"And what, you expect me to make friends? I'm not you, alright. I don't get a bumbling order of lackeys who make me smile, or laugh, or fraternize around with. I'm a princess... an unwanted one at that." She replies before I go back to applying the cream. This time she's a little more willing to grit through the pain. "You should've just left me for dead."

"Sorry, I had to make a strategic choice. You understand."

"What strategy is there in keeping me around? If you want a strategic choice, I'll outline one for you! If I were my brothers, I'd take me and the holy mother, blow the ship, blast me dead, drop me into the ocean, report back to my father and say that I was a loss at the hooves of the Equestrians, return with the holy mother in tow. Then they'd finally get the crusade my family's been yearning to wage for ages, all in the name of me. To my father, that's probably the most mileage he'll get out of me that would remotely satisfy him."

"Look, I understand how you'd see yourself as less than your brothers─"

"Do you really?" She questions. "From the moment I was born, I was always imperfect. Wasn't born male enough, wasn't pretty enough, wasn't smart enough, wasn't talented enough. I was just never enough, never."

"So you sit in a reflection chamber, building an image you think is ideal for you, all while not paying attention to the attitudes you treat others with. Wanting others to behold you in your journey of your visual epiphany, aspiring for the aesthetic of times past not realizing that your path lies elsewhere." She looks up to me as though to defend herself, but I continue. "I'm not bringing you down in any way, I'm just giving you a third-person perspective. Whenever you look in a mirror, you only see yourself. You don't see what others see in you. That's not to say that you're ugly, it's to say that you have scars you think you hide well, but they show in the other perspectives. And it's certain that everyone around you gives you those scars, but it's up to you whether you wear the makeup to hide them... or you bear the process to properly heal from them."

"Ow!" She yelps out as I give attention to her burns, namely the area where Celestia's hoof came into contact with her.

"Just like now. It's hurts to touch where you got hit because of how deep the pain goes. But if we just leave you alone, who's to say how that heals? If it's deep enough like it is here, you may never be the same. It'll always be there because you never took the time to nurse it properly. Again, not an indictment of your character, but a reflection of the influence left upon you. It just tells me that whenever you had a problem, no one gave you the attention you needed. You've already explained that much from your youth."

"Then you understand?" She asks, still bearing with the pain of me tending to her wounds.

"I understand that part just fine. But now we need to address the alicorn in the room, and that starts with you. We can't go around imparting the pain we felt upon others like it's their burden to pass that on to someone else. Some things you have to keep to yourself, even if it does hurt. I know it's cathartic to just unload on everyone, but not everyone deserves that treatment." I explain. "Have I ever unloaded anything on you that you didn't deserve?"

"A lot, actually." She answers. "Can't say that I didn't feel good when you were unloading because I enjoyed it."

Okay, seriously? "I mean did I ever treat you wrong?"

"You literally left me after I did for you." She complains. "I know my father was unreasonable with his approach, but that isn't to say that I didn't lean on you as much as you leaned on me. There were times I yearned for you, but you were gone. I can't go about like that." She squirms in thought, but winces as I still nurse her to health. "...When I heal up, I am going to do things to you. Hell, I'm only the imperial broodmare anyways, so I might as well piss off and make you a father."

...Where's the brakes again? "You realize I'm nineteen, right?"

She turns her head, slightly to not aggravate her injury too much. "You're what?" I purse my lips and shrug. "You're shitting me. No wonder your dick is good for hours on end. Holy fuck, I've managed to cut the matter a little too close, haven't I?"

Huh, to think about it we never asked once about our ages. Now I have a feeling that she's a little older than what I have pinned down as my guessing age. Hopefully it's not too far off. "I wont ask about your age. I've learned from a certain someone that asking about a lady's age is rude." At least that's what Rarity would always say.

"...Thirty seven."

"...I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I'll be... thirty-eight... come August."

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WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!? That's not an gap, that's a prison sentence! That's eighteen years off! The only thing that's separating us is a birth certificate and the time it takes to get a high school diploma! She's almost doubled my age! What the hell!? "Oh... fuck."

She hesitantly chuckles. "As if I care at this point, it's not like it's illegal or unsanctioned. As long as you can get it up and keep with the energy, you're fine. It's hard dealing with males my age due to varying issues. Lack of energy, low libido, erectile dysfunction, familial obligations, emotional baggage─"

"I get it." I quickly cut her off. "Holy fuck, that is..."

"Ah!" She screams as I tend to a painful area of her wounds. "Still hurts like hell."

"Now I can't say you didn't deserve this. What you said was uncalled for." I tell her. "Nondis is a nice guy who'll go as far as blowing up a building for anyone. Pretty crappy that you called him out like that. You have to remember that Celestia did marry the guy."

She shoots up with shock. "Wait, they're married? A two-legger and an alicorn princess!?" You're seriously judging? "How does that even work?"

"Dunno, but their age gap is an Olympian one. Try twenty-eight vs a thousand."

"Holy shit." She mutters to herself. "...What's he like in bed?"

"Really, you ask that now, of all times?" I deadpan towards the mare.

"What? That much of an age difference, and with HER, it has to be good."

Foalsom...

The citizens of the town, having heard the firefight taking place, also have to bear witness to the multitude of centuries getting placed in wagons for medical attention. The others that didn't make it are given a much quieter resolution. Many families are brought to identify their loved ones, some by cutie marks, others by faces. A young pair of sisters hold tight to their father as their mother expresses relief that he's come back alive. His expression isn't that of his wife's, but of stark emptiness after having seen the carnage of the fight in it's waning moments.

Elsewhere above the city, Xerxes stands before the holographic image of his father, his hooves, forelegs, body, and face stained with blood, bearing the shame of defeat. Agamemnon is even mortified by his brother's appearance, all while their father appears disappointed with the result.

"So what I am being led to believe is that they now have possession of your sister, they have the magical defenses capabilities for averting our weapons, and they have weapons that dwarf our own functionalities?"

"We were misled, father." The bloodstained imperial answers.

"You, you were misled. You misled us, now they've retaliated." The emperor retorts. "They have abducted one of our purebloods, embarrassed us, mock our religion, and now they have taken the lives of thirty-three of our centuries on this day, the toll was already at twenty-seven. Sixty lives have been lost in the past two days. This is unacceptable."

"Just come out with it father." Chimes Agamemnon, who is favorable to a possible war.

His father tries to rationalize that thought against the current circumstances. "You'd have me declare war on a nation with weaponry far beyond ours?"

Xerxes, still mortified over the chaos, stirs with anger as he feels the scorn of his father looking down upon him. "Zenobia's account is indeed legitimate. We know it was a two-legger that led the counterattack. But if we strike them when they least expect, I doubt they'll be able to do much out in the open sea. Plus we know that it's because of the two-legger that they have the weapons. So if he hit them in the middle of the water, their greatest threat would be behind us. We should eliminate that vessel first, and then we declare war."

"You would wager the death of the holy mother and your sister?" The emperor questions his son.

"Father, if we back down now, we'll never be able to save face. The pride of our nation depends on it."

The emperor slouches in his seat, showing a crack of resentment. "Too much is at stake. Xerxes, what do you intend to do?"

"I intend to kill the dragon that has wounded my sister, TWICE NOW!"

"Aside from that." The emperor complains.

"Our priority should be Zenobia, then the holy mother. Everything else from there can burn!"

"And you have a solution for this?" The emperor asks, appearing quite fed up with the matter.

"We send a fleet of airships to stop that vessel, surround them with overwhelming firepower. From there we'll conduct a recovery operation to claim the two objectives. Once those ends are met, the vessel will be mercilessly sunk to the bottom of the sea. There will be so little of them when we finish that there won't be a need for the recovery operations to verify the presence of a body."

"Very well then, I'll let you be the judge for the powers you wish to acquire." The emperor summons a scroll, unfurling a list of airships in the local area. "How many do you think you'll need to overcome their advantages?"

"Twelve should do. If we go any further than that, it would deplete too many resources from the homeland. Twelve ships, twenty-five hundred units, we put an end to this farce."

"Then I will have you take the six that are there under you and Agamemnon's control, plus another two dreadnaught class airships, five scouting class vessels, and two freight suppliers." The scroll disappears from his possession. "A baker's dozen plus two ships for ample amounts of ammunition, fuel stores, and rations. That should be enough to cover your pursuit well into their shores."

"You are too gracious, father." Xerxes bows before the emperor, more than satisfied with the provisions made.

"Deny them the idea of reaching their shores. And even if they should, you will intercept them on the ground." The albino emperor leans into his orb, appearing large and looming. "Do not fail me, Xerxes."

"There will be no such thing."

"For your sake, I pray so."

The figure fades as the transmission sphere grows dark. Xerxes remains bowed until his father disappears from view. Agamemnon, still a bit disappointed that the blood-stained prince isn't resigned to join with the others who were sent in with him initially, mocks his brother. "Well, here we are, at the apex of your imperial résumé. I wonder if you'll claim the glory as usual, or will it finally be known that you've been leeching off of Zenobia the entire time."

The older sibling teases back. "Perhaps you would like to join this little excursion, for glory's sake."

"I know a fool's gambit when I see it." He chuckles back. "It amazes me that you can't see it for yourself when it's not affixed to some slab of checkered wood."

"Then you would watch it for my downfall?" He further teases.

"I know you're just baiting me to go along with you." The younger alicorn stallion responds, but also eager to see in what way his brother could fail. "Perhaps it would be fun to see my act of succession from a close perspective."

"There's not a creature on this planet that's capable of wiping out thousands within the mere moment. Even with those weapons, they were forced to retreat due to our numbers. Failure is far from attainable at this point." Xerxes smirks. "You should enjoy the fireworks from a safe distance. I'm sure there's a cargo ship with your name on it."

"Hmph! I'll be sure to bring a spyglass."

The Gulf of Antleria...

The waves of the gulf aren't as rowdy as those of the ocean proper, but they rock the ship regardless. Laying in the bed given to her, Zenobia labors through the discomfort from her body being in constant motion. Her teeth grinds amidst themselves, her eyes clenching shut, she breathes heavily to vent her agony.

"Dammit... I hate this fucking pain."

As her eyes are clenched, she fails to notice the human quietly stepping into the room. He overhears her complaint. "Ah, the song of my people."

Not able to turn around, she tries to crane her neck to see who speaks. Instead, he walks around the bed to face her. She shows resentment in his appearance. "You."

"Yeah, me. Wouldn't you guess it?" He cheeses back to her. "You have information. You're on my ship holding that information. Personally, I could just drop you into the ocean and let you burst your blisters out in that salty spicket. But that would be letting my intrusive thoughts win, and I promised myself not to let those take over too often."

"Your intrusive thoughts?" She spits with disgust.

"Oh trust me, you don't want to know what half of them shits look like." He warns as he summons a shadow-covered claw from the depths of his feet. It appears to be a hulking reminder of a creature he's slain in the past. As the wrist surfaces, he sits himself comfortably before her. "So... You've been talking to grill master x, let's talk about him. What bullshittery did he fill your mind with? Delusions of power, overpromises of respectability, you already have the wealth so I wouldn't see you going for more of that, but maybe I can see how you'd want a direct route for you to take your crown from dear old dad. Maybe that's your angle."

"I bet you're just mocking me right now." She grumbles at the human. "Seeing me laying here, helpless and devoid of all my power, shit like this just gets you off, doesn't it you sick bastard?"

"What are you, roleplaying as my wife?" He quirks a brow at her. "If you're trying your best to get my attention, I can easily tell you you'd fail from the moment I walk out of this room with those thoughts running through my head. My wife would probably thank you because of that."

"Fuck, you're even kinkier than Spike." She hisses with exasperation. A passing thought runs through her head. "So... I'd be inclined to tell you, provided that I get something out of the deal."

The man chuckles back. "Funny, you want me to find the quickest way to get myself killed so you and your cronies won't have to work as hard. Nah, you're gonna have to earn my death certificate."

"You don't even know what I was trying to do." She bluffs, knowing she's not in any mood to indulge in her own physical desires.

"Spike told me enough. Kinda funny how he told me he stuck his dick in crazy. I originally gave you the benefit of the doubt in saying that you were probably young and didn't have control over your impulses, but the he dropped the bomb on me." He leans towards the mare, snickering all the while. "By the way, thirty-seven? You got me by nine whole years. Don't you got some middle-aged duke trying to make you a housewife, or are you that much of an embarrassment?"

"And here you are at twenty-eight, caught on the leash of an ancient deity, which I'm not understanding how that's possible with your personality and her pedigree. Me personally, I think she's just taking you for the ride."

"More than once, and my hips ain't broke yet. Guess I do have to give props to grill master x for that one. Sturdy bones." He smacks his waist repeatedly with a snicker. "Now let's get back to the main topic. You, your agreement with the dust bowl, start talking. What's on your list he's supposedly offering?"

"Power and respect, that's all I want." She proudly answers.

"Nah... it's beyond that." He argues. "Power and respect, that's something you want as a side dish, a nice dessert even. But that attention, that thing you can't get from a random raw-dog sesh, that shit that hits you in your chest real funny-like, that's the shit you want."

She rolls her eyes at the human, denying his observation. "You don't know anything about me."

"You can ask any one of my friends, you can ask the princess you've insulted, you can even ask my wife, I find out things by letting you talk about anything. I can even have you say it without even saying it. You're not the first mind I've probed, won't be the last."

"As if you're some demigod." She spits back.

"Hmm, I could be, but I choose not to go that route because I know what it'll turn me into."

"A monster?" She guesses.

The man looks down at his shadow, not exactly pleased with the manifestation he's conjured. He dismisses the large hand and stands on his own. "I'm already too much of that. I don't want to be any less of human than what's already left."

"Human?" She asks.

"That's what my species calls themselves, sounds a lot less awkward than the shit you guys call us, two-leggers." He responds. "And if your guys ran into that already, obviously you're aware that we humans have no such thing as magic, nor the shit I'm able to do."

The injured princess hails inquiry to the man before her. "Then allow me to ask. The Doctor, did he bestow that power to you? If so, then why do you besmirch his name on a repeated basis? Why not offer praises and tribute? Your testimony would be a subject of great merit."

"I think it's batshit how you think he's deserving of any merit considering what all he's done, but since you're so ill-informed, I should give you a rundown by answering your questions. He called himself benevolent, saying that he healed all the broken bones in my body, the broken bones caused by what was also one of his other creations. I can't say that I would hail him as anything other than the demon from hell given an equine body to work with. And with that one body, he stashed away millions more, those millions predating me by over four hundred years, and much less without the consent of their living families."

He summons a medical book, placing one of the diagrams next to her, revealing a rather graphic depiction of the equine body and it's internal muscle structure. He summons another, detailing the structure of the nervous system, even showing an example of how the extracted nervous system would look if stood as though it remained in the body. He pulls out another book, highlighting the practice of amputation and transplanting limbs and organs alike.

"How the hell else do you write medical books with all these juicy details that could revolutionize the medical field for future generations? It's not by being ethical and merciful, by placating to established guidelines. It's by breaking the rules and doing what's forbidden, and doing it enough times till it stops being a forbidden art and it becomes an applied practice. You don't do this shit without abandoning your humanity to a significant degree, much less grave robbing for the research. And if you think it's just your species, think again."

He summons a book, opening it from the back and flipping through the pages for her. Many remain blank for four-fifths of the entire tome, until it lands upon a page where there is a diagram of two humans placed next to each other, a dotted line placed upon their necks. There mare gasps a whisper, her eyes widening at the image.

He reveals the scar on his neck, and traces it as he speak. "So you tell me, why do I hate his dusty ass?"

Still holding to her beliefs, she tries to deny what's been shown to her. "You could be saying that just to intimidate me."

"Well, can't say I didn't try to tell you the truth, much less in it's unredacted form." He comments, dismissing the books he's summoned. "I suppose a hard head makes for a soft ass. Maybe your ass needs to be a little more tender until it finally clicks. Until then, you may want to put in for your final request an immediate order to cremate."

"Why?" She questions.

"...Because that's the only way your corpse becomes unusable. That's all you'll need to know." He answers coldly. "If you don't believe me, then ask him for yourself. Ask him how much he loved his last moments. There's a reason why I call him 'grill master x'."

A chill runs down the mare's spine, almost causing her to ignore the pain in her body. She shudders as the man stares back at her. "So what now? You'll hold me on your ship until my brothers come for me?"

He shrugs with indifference. "In hindsight, I guess I can give Spike credit for dragging you along for the ride. You can think of yourself as the bargaining chip of our safe travel. Though I'm sure you've been told that already."

"And if they should elect to choose violence anyhow?" She inquires.

"My wife knows a thing or two about human weaponry, just like Kali does." He answers as he pops his neck. "And Spike knows his way around our weapons too. So don't think of him as a defenseless dragon when the hunting guild comes around. If he's anything like me, he'll light your boys up like a 21st century skyline at night."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Realizing he's made another reference that the mare misidentifies, he shows willingness to give her a visual. "Okay, I know I'm not supposed to show you this, but fuck it. My world, my rules." He summons for his phone, tapping the screen and making a search for the skyline of his birthplace. He faces the image towards her. "See this picture, that's my hometown. That's the city I was born in back in my world."

Her eyes expand considerably as he nods. "Yes ma'am. That's a whole lotta lights, ain't it?"

The sun has ventured beyond the horizon, lifted to illuminate the other side of the world. In it's wake remains the moon barely giving off any light of it's own, and the seemingly infinite void of darkness that is the ocean's surface. The quiet scene is disturbed by a mass of humming ships taking a wide formation in a bid to sweep the seas of one vessel bound to the waves.

Scouting vessels sail high into the sky, making their observations. In the vast emptiness of the ocean lies a singular source of light, the yacht of the fleeing party. The observers confirm their visuals, going in depth with their reconnaissance. And in getting the information they desired, they transmit their findings to the flagship by means of a telegram.

Onboard the flagship, a signal of beeps are received, a communications expert sits by the horn, listening for the designated patters for the message that's being sent over the airwaves. They accurately translate the message to words, finalizing the message before walking towards the second in command. He hands off the information and the century relays the update to the high prince. "Sir, we've confirmed visual on the maritime vessel matching the description you've provided."

"Where?" Xerxes inquires.

"Scouting ships took high into the air to confirm our positions and theirs. They're due east, cruising at a mere thirty-five knots. We know that the vessel is made of an aluminum alloy, but they seem to be taking into consideration the icefloe conditions. We're gaining on them, should be withing firing distance come an hour or two."

The prince nods, satisfied that their pace is far faster than that of the fugitives. But he is not satisfied with the current method of approach. "You say an hour, it'll be an hour too soon. Give the order for our fleet to hang back a while, reduce speed of our main front."

"Sir?" The second in command asks with bewilderment. "Won't that let them get away?"

"Far from." He begins to explain. "We'll be taking a flanking maneuver. We hang back until our other ships get into their assigned positions. Have our scouting ships remain in their altitude until the night's waning presence, from there, have them drop their altitude. Move slow, stay low to the water's surface, and space out far enough so that they don't see us coming. The curvature of the planet will allow for us to remain unseen. From there, we gradually let our flanks gain speed, two by two, one on each side per advancement. This will cut off any of their attempts to change course. And when we finally arrive, our outside flanks should serve as interceptors. We hit them from all sides, see if that defensive magic of theirs will hold or break."

"The two objectives?"

"Have our magic specialists teleport them when they're in sight." The prince commands. "Then with those two in tow, we unleash all of the might of our empire upon that vessel, give them no escape nor recourse. We will show no mercy."

The stallion finishes writing down the instructions for the communication carriers to transmit to the other vessels. The second in command gives further insight into their timeframe to execute the strategy. "Current figures estimate that our formation will reach perfect encirclement in the matter of the next thirty-six hours with your assigned pace. We'll be well into international waters. Does this satisfy you, my lord?"

"They'll be four days away from Equestrian shores by that time. They'll still be far from help."

The second in command gives the intrepid prince a bow. "With no further word, I shall inform the emperor of your progress. He will be most pleased with your approach."

The stallion dismisses himself, leaving only a quiet prince to proudly wallow in his thoughts. "Watch and learn, little Agamemnon. This is the difference between us, your brute show of force versus my patience and cunning. You think I don't know how to lead a force not assigned to a chess board, you'll soon find my accomplishments are truly mine and mine alone."

Meanwhile in Canterlot...

The dawn shines brightly across the land of Equestria, reflecting upon eyes a shimmering brilliance of the mountainside city spritzed with a light coat of morning dew. The citizens are bright and early, some going about their daily doings, be they the foals walking to school, or even the multitude of adults venturing to work.

But for some politically wary citizens, the otherwise blissful morning comes with a sense of dread. Many have become privy to the forty missing members of the friendship advisor's traveling party. This morning is set to be an update to that situation. And for those in the know, that update will come with a lot of grief and fear of conflict rising behind the waking sun.

Once more, the microphones are warm, the signals are live, and the sole camera in the room is up and running. Meanwhile the princess behind the curtain readies herself to face the country with the tidings of ill news, followed by a disproportionate speckling of good that will only benefit that of herself and a few select other.

Her royal secretary, Inkwell, approaches with a scroll in tow. "Your highness, the speech is ready."

The high princess takes a deep breath, knowing the heat that's soon to come her way. "The fate of our nation will soon be in the hooves of a bunch of parliamentarians and senators. They're not going to look at what's lost to us already, they'd probably be as eager to lose plenty more for the sake of national pride."

"Be that as it may, nothing brings back what we've lost." The secretary offers in return. "A tale as old as time, but it's one that's not told for very long, I recall your predecessor saying as such."

The princess is comforted by the mare's words, having heard the wisdom of Celestia's former aide. She turns to her captain with a hardened resolve. "Solemn Oath."

"Yes your highness?"

"At the conclusion of this speech, we raise the level of our readiness to a national code orange. Whatever may come, we'll be ready."

"Yes, your highness." The mare salutes as another comes running in.

"Your highness!" The young mare quickly snaps to a salute.

"Yes, what is it?"

The mare seems a little frantic in giving the news. "You have a visitor! We've told her to wait until the end of the conference, but─"

Twilight cuts the young mare off with a raised hoof. "Please inform them that now's not the time."

"Oh, it's perfectly the time!" A shrewd voice screams angrily.

The alicorn princess performs an about-face, being greeted with an infuriated dragoness, tossing a crushed wad of parchment towards her. Twilight unfurls the crumpled paper, gasping as the image of her friendship advisor is plastered to the front of a wanted poster. On it reads a hefty bounty of a hundred-thousand spurs. The furious Dragon Lord herself screams at the alicorn princess with a demanding tone, never minding the sweat in her eyes from her long and expedited travel.

"Where! Is! Spike!?"