Amor has long already shuffled himself up to his room, not saying a word to either of us in the process. I don't blame him for what's happened, just that I'm a bit inconvenienced that this happened the way it did. I always said to myself that his staying pent up was going to unravel itself in some way, and he's never really proactive about addressing it either. Guess his body finally won the war of attrition, spreading that wealth of victory all over my hardwood floor and his forelegs.

Ocellus comes back from the storage closet with a mop and a warm bucket of water, she diligently cleans the mess that she inadvertently caused. She doesn't seem to mind the responsibility much, but I suppose she's grown used to that throughout the years. "...Poor guy doesn't really give himself any reprieve, does he?"

"Maybe he was saving up for that princess of his." Zenobia comments as she waits for me to finish cooking her breakfast.

"If that's what he had saved up, then I feel sorry that I broke his jackpot that way." She says as she mops the last of the puddle of the prince's seed, the room smelling like a conflicting mix of both food and bleach. "Still, didn't think he was holding out that bad. Guy needs to put hoof to the shaft sometime, get rid of the backlog. Otherwise, this will probably happen again." She places the soiled mop into the bucket for a second to final cleanse. "Seriously, I deal with teen boys and girls all the time, sexual education is a course I run as a forum of informative exchange on the varying species and their coital interactions. And the amount of pent up teens I catch in the act don't even phase me as much as this did. He's how old?"

"Eighteen, will be nineteen in two months." Zenobia answers.

"Oh, so he's still there." The changeling mutters. "No wonder he's a loose cannon."

"Either way, he's needs to go fight him a mate and make her submit to him. That way he can calm down." Ember suggests.

Ocellus stammers as she corrects the dragoness. "Uh, no. That's not what goes on here."

"It works for us dragons, why not them?" Ember questions.

"Because that's called rape, you unevolved reptilian bitch!" Zenobia cuts in. "Who the fuck thinks that you going around fighting the opposite sex and shoving your bits around in whatever fucked ways is a remotely acceptable mating practice for equines?"

Ocellus slaps the mop on the floor as she gives her response. "Literally my mom, but only if she does that to other creatures. She almost could've started a whole brood with Emperor Shining Amor twice over, but even an infant Princess Flurry Heart shot magic beams at her over the idea. Goes to show just how unnatural forced mating is for thinking social creatures."

"I'm sure dolphins are pretty sexually aggressive." I call out. "And male leopard seals... and sometimes ducks are even considered actively necro. But that's just nature, and it's often red in both tooth and claw. But as far as species that exhibits higher intelligence, they'd punish things like that." I cut my eyes towards Zenobia also. "And to be clear, drugging is not a form of consent."

The others look to the alicorn, who sits with an unbothered demeanor. "You never asked me to stop."

"Only because I needed an out in several ways, and you were my ticket for each of them." I explain.

"And yet here you are, back in your humble yet futuristically lavish abode. My methods may have been unorthodox, but you are alive because I allowed it to be."

"You nearly blew up our ship, along with the entire marina in Foalsom." I argue.

"And I didn't. Aren't you grateful?" She banters.

"Celestia slapped the shit out of you before you could give the order. She did it so fast that she left second degree burns." I remind her. "You were in a bed for the better part of a week getting your boils cleaned and tended. You were leaking puss for about three days straight."

"Alright, you don't have to regale me with the tale of how I was the living manifestation of filth." She complains.

"Really now, cause I swear you were still trying to get me to diddle you while you were in that bed."

"To be fair, I wasn't burned down there! You could've taken the moment to relieve yourself if needed. It's not like I would've fought back."

"You fought back when we were wrapping you in gauss."

A short pause falls between me and the imperial princess. "...I wouldn't have fought back much."

"Celestia almost slapped you a second time for trying to get frisky on her ship."

Another pause appears. "...Well you're here now, and I'm still as pent up as dumbass Amor. Maybe you should take your turn to whisper sweet nothings in my ear to get me to a rousing finish."

"I'm not cleaning up any more sex fluids, thank you." Ocellus interjects as she drops the mop into the bucket a final time. "I get that we're all in our late teens and early twenties, but cleaning up after some lustful shenanigans can be a bit of a chore when you're not on the receiving end of the action."

"You can say that again." Zenobia mutters quietly. "Amor that lucky bastard gets to break a nut and I'm still not getting so much as a claw shoved up my snatch. Truly a tragedy."

"I've got claws I can shove down your throat." Ember says proudly.

"Hard pass." The princess grumbles in response. "You probably don't even wash."

"There's no lava to bathe in!" Ember complains loudly.

"There's a rather nice shower across the hall from you. Use it." Zenobia suggests.

"If I want to dump myself in water, I'll just jump in the pool upstairs."

"Please don't." I plead to her.

Ocellus moves the mop bucket towards the bathroom to dump the dirty water into the toilet. "Hey, should we check in on Amor? I'm sure he needs some encouragement, at least a healthy sit down to let him know that what happened isn't quite abnormal. He deserves that much."

"Maybe later. I don't want him to feel pressured about it too soon, he'll just recluse himself." I respond. "Let's give him time."

My phone vibrates on the counter, letting me know that I'm getting a call from someone. I check the screen to see it's yet another worried representative from the Kirin Grove. And knowing that this is one that would sooner talk my ears off, I let it ring. Ocellus walks back in the room, seeing the name come across the screen. "You sure you don't want to take that?"

"Trust me, just leave it." I warn.

"You know, you can't keep ignoring everyone's calls like that."

"It's only until we can officially put together a plan. I won't divulge any false hopes in trying to appease connections, that would lead to distrust and a vote of no-confidence."

"I thought we already had a plan." Zenobia comments.

"Well we do... I still have to clear it up with one other... significant party."

Thirty Minutes Later...

"Are you NUTS!?"

At least I had the sense of turning down the volume before she blurted that into my ears. "I just figured it would be a good idea. Like I know it's a bit underhoofed, but think about it this way. This would put their country's administration into a state of confusion. If Zenobia shows the willingness on a broader scale, then we can prove that the so-called abductions are not what they seem."

"And what's to stop Ponyland from disavowing your so-called message that's being sent to the world?" She asks.

"Virtually nothing. But believe me when I say that their family situation is already way too kooky as it is. If there's any supporters to the princess, which I'm sure there are, that may grow an internal conflict substantial enough to dissuade a full-scare war being waged on our shores. And as an added bonus, it would give some credence to Zenobia's ability to engage in diplomatic talks! This could fundamentally change the regime of the empire for the better."

Twilight kisses her teeth in doubt. "Or it could be seen as her being a plant, a token used against her own family for a more favorable ruler to be put in place via means of a coup funded by us."

"Twilight, coups in their country happen almost every generation, more than once to the line of succession. It might be a little more covert due to the fact that it's between siblings, often done by a number of nefarious methods, and the country's Administration of Internal Affairs tries to keep it under wraps, but they still happen. It already happened with Amor's older brother. Only instead of it being a coup of blood and violence, it will be one of words and influence this time."

Twi sighs on the other end, trying to articulate her thoughts. It's probable that she's starting to consider what I'm saying with increasing support. "Spike, I'm sure you understand that the hard work we've put into making Equestria the bastion of friendship it is could very much be thrown into jeopardy by what you're proposing. It's a huge risk, and parliament is already trying to convene on casting a vote. I'm already trying to delay the matter for the sake of our international interests while also buying time to shore up our defenses. The margins are small for miscues."

"I can assure you that it will come with a public apology. We've talked it through, this is our best bet. Our plan may tilt the international perception in our favor. And we won't have to worry about another single drop of blood being spilled." I plea with her, insisting that we'd go this route. "Please, Twilight. I don't want to feel the weight of even more dog tags on my neck. Forty's enough."

"You realize that you'll have to negotiate with the dragons on this matter as well." She warns.

"Ember and I have talked, Zenobia was present. We've pretty much come to a consensus these days."

Unfortunately in a bid of horrendous timing, the imperial princess' voice rings throughout the house with righteous frustration. "WHO THE FUCK TOOK A BITE FROM MY PINK AMESTHYST JEWEL ACCENTS!? SPIKE JUST BOUGHT ME THAT FUCKING DRESS!"

And just on cue, I see Ember walking in with a few of the aforementioned jewels in palm, some already getting intimate with the spaces between her teeth. "Hey Spike." She sees me staring at her with a disapproving glance. "What? It's not like this is off of one of your outfits."

Somewhere in my mind, I'm already imagining the furniture that will have to get moved aside from this point on. "Twilight, just give me the green light so I can go get this mare another dress. I don't want my house to turn into ground zero of the war."

While she's probably having a moment to entertain the thought of Ember getting a round in with Zenobia, she looks at the overall situation as opposed to her own revenge fantasy. "How soon do you need a press conference to be scheduled?"

"Tomorrow morning."

There's a loud banging on my door, followed by the voice of today's victim. "DID YOU EAT MY SHIT!?"

"BITCH, I DON'T GET DOWN LIKE THAT! YOU WANT THAT KIND OF ACTION, TALK TO SPIKE!" She proudly stuffs the rest of the accents down her jaw and chomps emphatically.

I plead with Twilight for a quick answer. "Please just that much, I'm already having to ask Zecora to join me on a last minute schedule. Anything to get this done so I can have some peace in this house."

"I'll schedule a conference for 10:30. You better hope what she has to say is any good."

"Trust me, it'll work out."

The door swings wide open, a furious Zenobia barges in with every blood vessel in her eyes in the verge of bursting from her anger alone. "DRAGON BITCH, DID YOU EAT MY ACCENTS!?"

"OH, WAS THAT YOURS!? DIDN'T SEE THAT!" She plays a terrible acting job before burping up tiny slob-coated remnants of the jewels. She further rubs the issue in her face. "Fucking shit's delicious, you dumb whore."

"Hey, I'll get everything ready on my end starting now. Talk to you later, bye." I quickly hang up the phone to drag the alicorn princess by her stomach and tote her along while her legs flail haphazardly. I try to calm her down. "Zenobia, Ocellus, let's go already!"

"YOU GREEDY PRIMORDIAL LIZARD BITCH!"

"I'm the dragon lord, I eat whatever the hell I want! Thank you, get fucked!"

As I continue to drag the mare away, I mutter to myself. "Four more days of this... I really could get used to drinking."

In the outing of finding Zenobia another dress to wear for this meeting, we've managed to come across a smile pink satin dress that's free of any jeweled accents. It took a lot of negotiating to get the imperial princess to agree to the selection, but she nevertheless accepted my gift, in her own words, 'because it's coming from you. Otherwise I'd have you executed for incompetence.' Didn't seem too upset with me after she put it on, in fact she was rather docile. Guess I can continue to wager on these successes as long as I play to her favor. Guess I need to make sure my diet for today is solid so that way I can give her what she's been fiendishly expecting on tomorrow.

Shortly after that, we pay a visit to Zecora, swiftly gaining her permission to conduct the ceremony. Her agreement, however, comes with the request that I'd do the shopping for some materials she'll need for another brew she has planned for another client. Turns out she's gotten a request from a wife to expose her husband for having an affair. So we run a few errands to acquire the goods to bring about the humble beginnings of a truth-telling tea. While Ocellus is eagerly anticipating the idea of playing the literal fly on the wall for that moment, Zecora warns her that she knows how to make the changeling exposure mix into a fine mist to prevent that from happening.

We return home later that afternoon towards the evening hours. And once we established that peace will be maintained in the home at all times, I get back to my reading up on information. Takes a while for me to get back into engrossing myself with the research, but it doesn't take too long before the world drowns out around me and I'm just left looking at pages of information that both astounds and... terrifies me.

One such page has a drawn diagram of an arimaspi, a before operation where there appears to be a dotted line going through the neck of the creature, and an after operation that shows a graphic visual of the head removed. But the oddity of the picture is that while the head is cleanly removed, the spinal column seems to be a bit elevated in contrast to the rest of the cut. The text highly recommends that the body should 'be removed and stored in ideal conditions for future use.' I mutter a question to myself in seeing the distressing details. "The hell do you need a headless Arimaspi corpse for? The hell kind of freak show did this guy run for him to be doing some shit like this? And how did he manage to move something that huge? Arimaspis are around 2500 pounds minimum for their average adult mass. How would you move something like that and not get noticed? I'm sure Celestia had some reports of this crazy shit sitting on her desk. How did they get away with this?"

"Spike?"

"Oh shit!" Because of the awkward position I was in, perched on the top of couch from the growing discomfort, I jump back, falling off balance and landing my head onto the floor. I yelp in discomfort, but also recognizing Gabby's voice as she comes in from work. "Please don't sneak up on me like that."

"I'm just checking in on you. You know me, I get concerned when you hole yourself up and don't show for hours at a time. Do you even realize what time it is?" She asks as she notices the piles of books sitting beside where I was perched. "I don't get you lately. You've been staring at black bars and boxes on a page filled with nothing but black bars and boxes."

"It's a sensitive matter of intel. Not allowed to disclose." I clarify to her. "Just pretend you didn't see anything."

She pulls me up by my arm. "Okay, I get this may be your job and you're a little busier than you'd like to be right now, but you still promised me time today. You didn't even come down for one minute to say hello, like I came home looking forward to just that much and you couldn't be bothered to try. There was a whole screaming match just earlier between Ember and Smolder, and you didn't even come down to mediate."

"Sorry. I've just been out of it, I'm honestly pretty tired from keeping the peace. Ember and Zenobia almost went at it today. Had to run some errands, got back home, never even got the chance to set up the table like you wanted." I walk over to the couch, checking my phone and seeing that it's well past two in the morning. "Holy shit, I didn't even know time flew by like that. I see why you're so pissed."

She pouts over my response. "To me, it seemed like you were too busy playing mediator than accommodating to the one you promised your day to."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

My apology doesn't stop her from nagging. "Seriously, two weeks and we had to deal with the idea of you not coming back in one piece. You show right back up and you don't do anything with us. It's like that other lady has been dominating your attention and we haven't gotten so much as a minute to make you smile, or even get a good ten for you to make us smile. This kinda works both ways, you know. And with you not even trying to make room for us, I don't know how to feel about that."

"It's been a long two weeks."

"I know it has. It's been that way for everyone."

"There's a lot on my mind."

"I'm sure there is. There's a lot on our minds too. I'm not meaning to lessen your experiences, but if you need the time to unpack some stuff in the mind before you get back to our regularly scheduled programming, then let us know. Don't have us planning our days, wanting to come home after work, only to sit at a table to read a book and not get any attention from you. That doesn't just hurt our feelings, it hurts our confidence in ourselves and you, not to mention our trust."

"Okay, I get it." I stress to her, placing the book down. "I'm just filtering through a lot of details right now. I guess somewhere deep down inside, I'm just worried that none of this might not work." As I say that, I see Gabby turn away as though she's about to storm off. "I mean the plan for tomorrow! The relationship thing I can sift through, it's just that work-wise I'm worried. That's my main concern."

She grabs at my wrist, pulling me along forcefully. "Well if that's your main concern, Then that should be your cue to come to put this stuff away and go to bed."

"Maybe you're right." I answer as I start stacking the books to the side. In making an opening on the couch for two, I propose to her a means to make it up to her. "I can still spare some time for you if you're feeling it."

"I don't do cheap thrills, or afterthoughts. I like the work put into our time." She complains.

"So an hour?" I answer, knowing that it would take us past three in the morning.

"Not while we're both halfway awake. You can't stay true to the beaten path if you lack the compassion and drive to stay motivated." She presses a talon hard against my nose, tilting my head back. "And that require energy. We bring this back up on Sunday, but you'll owe me double. If Ocellus runs you dry on Saturday, be expecting to lose your soul come the waning hours of Sunday night. I'll take every bit you have left."

"A deal's a deal." I agree quietly. "I'm so sorry for today, I should've been more attentive."

She grabs me by my snout and pulls me in for a quick peck. "I'm just happy you're back in our lives, but try to do better."

We hover back downstairs, seeing the others angrily standing outside of the master bedroom. The both of us approach the others as I ask them what's going on. "Why are all of you awake?"

"Ember kicked us out of the bedroom." Ocellus replies.

"Literally." Smolder grumbles towards the door. "Were you so out of shit upstairs that you didn't hear us almost going at it just a few hours before!?"

"Trust me, he didn't hear a thing." Gabby complains to the others.

I groan and poke my head inside, seeing Ember hoarding all of the pillows around her as she lays on her back, jaw agape and drool freely flowing down her chin as a claw instinctively scratches her belly. Her tail whips for a moment as she argues in her sleep. "I'm lord of the dragons... *snort* I take whatever I want... including my mate... I don't lose to lesser bitches... Spike, get your scaly ass over here so you can lay my eggs."

Yeah, I'm just gonna close this door and pretend I didn't hear that last part. As I address the others, I plot out how our temporary sleeping arrangement is going to go for the time being. I know that the beds being human-sized twins can still fit two ponies, so we can start from there. "Okay, so since Ember is leaving a room open, I can put you and Smolder in that room. But that would leave Ocellus out for the open." I point towards the changeling. "I suppose I can have you share a bed with either Zenobia or Hestia. Amor, we'll leave alone. I'll just take the couch back upstairs."

I'm grabbed by Gabby yet again, she seems to have extreme reservations as Smolder questions me. "You sure?"

"I'll be fine. I'll just try not to get too engrossed in reading again." The griffon lets me go, frowning at me as I bid everyone else a good night. "You all get some rest, I'm sure the school is back open tomorrow, and everything will flow just like normal for the mail. I got my own day to work through. I'll see you all when I wake up. And if not, I'll see you when we get back."

As I float back up the stairs, I hear Ocellus call back to me. "Goodnight Spike."

I flutter back down to the couch where my time had been eaten away by the multitude of books I've been absorbing. However, I do my best to not let them distract me from what needs to be done. But in spite of that, I'm drawn yet again by curiosity of unanswered questions. And plus I could really use a nice reading off to let my mind drift and relax. I know these topics are quite heavy, but the details are so exhaustingly numerous that I easily doze off to sleep within the hour.

I check my phone's alarm, seeing the 6:30 wake-up time in contrast to my current 3 am state. I suppose a trio of snooze alarms across thirty minutes would be enough.

My eyes are slow to focus, but I do see the cracks of daylight entering them as I awake. A soft sensation runs down the side of my face, it tickles at first, but then it stirs me further awake. I raise my head to see Zenobia looking over me, at first with flushed cheeks and drunken glance. Then as she sees my eyes starting to come to focus, she looks off, trying to gather her composure before looking at me again with a more controlled smile.

"Well, it's about time you've stirred to waking."

Still can't shake the part of me that's a bit unnerved by that earlier expression. "Why were you watching me sleep?"

She answers softly. "Well you said you were tired, and you wanted another five minutes. So I took that device of yours and threw it off somewhere so that it couldn't disturb you."

"You threw my phone off somewhere?" A tired question, but not without some growing panic as I realize that I am too well-rested.

"I just felt that you were tired, plus the others told me that you were up in the early morn. If you ask me, you needed the additional shut-eye."

I reach for my phone, feeling that it's not where I last left it. Panic starts to set as I have no conventional means of telling what time it is. I glance for the remote, going to a local news channel. And in the lower right corner is the logo and the time underneath it. "It's 9:51!? GODDAMIT!" Zenobia appears confused by my frantic rise from the couch. "OUR PRESS CONFERENCE IS AT 10:30 IN CANTERLOT!"

She doesn't seem to be in any rush herself. "Okay, how far is Canterlot from here?"

"A forty-five minute train ride!" I warn loudly.

"Well you have wings, why not fly there?"

"Flying from low altitude to high altitude can be dangerous if you're not used to the changes in atmosphere! Trust me, I've done it before, and the last time I did, I found myself getting punched in the throat in some dungeon in the Canterlot underground."

The imperial princess tilts her head with curiosity. "Oh, so you lot build your cities under the earth too?"

"No! We don't!" I holler as I inform her of how we can still salvage our time. "Okay, it will be twenty minutes if we go full dash! We should be fine@ We should be fine. It should be fine..." I chant to myself as a means to calm myself down, but one question still burns like a foal Sweetie Belle trying to make homemade cereal. "Where's my phone?"

"It's in the bin." She casually answers.

I dart out of the room, looking in the dirty laundry for my device. But as time goes along, I come to the realization her word for bin means trash can as oppose to something to contain clothes. "Fuck! Which bin!?"

"In the kitchen, obviously." ...I love how that she expects me to know the cultural difference and also her inclinations upon waking from a cold sleep. My frustrations are visually apparent as I barrel past her, even as she hovers after me around the house. "Okay, in all seriousness, is that little annoying thing so important?"

"Yes! It has my whole weekly schedule mapped out in it, it has my contacts, has my business email, my back up business email, my private email, my backup private email, my spam email, my government email, all my socials, my credentials, my photos of me and my friends in the human world!"

"Uh... sorry?"

I dig into the trash can, seeing my phone sitting underneath a few wasted items. "Fucking there it is." Upon digging my device out, I notice the sliminess coating it and how unresponsive it is. "And it's got garbage juice all over it... and it's dead... and I can't charge it until the port dries... great." I nearly bash my head into a counter over how soundly defeated I am in the moment. Our time draws to the minute before the ten-o-clock hour. My mind runs rampant with preparations. "How fast can you fly?"

"I guess I can move at a gingerly pace of─"

"You need to go hard today!" I stress to her.

She groans with disapproval. "Really? I'm not used to marathon flying!"

"You better get used to it today, we head out right n─" I pause as a buildup of gas forms in the bottom of my throat. I tap my chest, releasing a belch that seemed to repulse the mare. But from my belch falls a rolled up scroll. "Oh great, now she's sending letters!"

I yank open a drawer, reaching for a ball-point pen and writing on the outside of the unopened scroll. "What are you doing?"

I simply scribble three letters on the item; 'OTW'. I promptly char the message to return to sender. "Sending message to Twilight, telling that we'll be flying in ourselves."

Zenobia seems to not take this situation as seriously, apparently used to everything going to her preferred schedule back home. "What's the big deal, we can just postpone it!"

I look at the clock on the stove, seeing 10:01 on the display. I take a minute to chew her out over her lackadaisical mannerisms. "There's a war looming over the horizon, one your brother decided to start from the moment his sorry ass showed up in Manehattan with seven heavily armed ships. Motherfucker put me in a cage to bring me to your castle, and none of my crew or security detail could get rooms for comfort, and their only accommodation was the crude manner in which they were cremated. I ran across your country for seven, fucking, days, to jump on a yacht of two motherfuckers who risked their retirement and the sanctity of their marriage to safely guide us to our own shores, the same shores we had to get a tug bot to bring us back to in the end because you wanted to aim a goddamn cannon for our refuel!"

The mare smiles at me sheepishly, understanding that I'm very upset with her. "I understand you're a bit distressed with my actions."

"Fuck it!" I snatch her by her foreleg and drag her out the door a full speed. "Let's go!"

Canterlot...

The one thing I realize about Zenobia is that she's a good flier for short distances, I suppose that's good enough for immediate combat reasons, but in terms of intermediate distances, she's not well-conditioned. I would say after the first two minutes, she's already panting and pleading with me to slow down, if we could take a break, if we could somehow relay the message of us needing to put this off for another hour.

However, her pleas don't stop my pace and I keep at mine until I land in the town square for the press conference. Upon my arrival, Twilight greets me with a not-so-pleased grin. "Spike, there you are!"

"Sorry... We're late..." I pant.

"Where's Zenobia?" She asks through the teeth of her faux smile.

"Tailing... behind..."

"What in Equestria has you running this late? Zecora and Padrig have been waiting for you guys for the better part of an hour. The conference starts in less than ten minutes!"

"I was up late last night, had to do some reshuffling of accommodations because of Ember. I had my phone set up for my alarm, but Zenobia didn't know how to put the damn thing on snooze, so she threw it in the trash, then I had to go diving through my garbage to find my phone covered in garbage juice because someone didn't know that was supposed to be my wake up alarm. Now my phone's dead to charge, and it won't let me do that until the ports are dry."

Twilight facepalms over the ridiculousness I've elaborated to her. "I knew I should've sent some guards. I just figured you would've had it together."

"Oh fucking forgive me for ALL THE EXCESS AMOUNTS OF HIGH AND MIGHTY BULLSHIT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH!!!" I loudly exclaim.

"You're frustrated, I understand."

"No, I'm stressed. I'm stressed from seeing the ghosts looking back at me in the dark, I'm stressed from the fact that I'm trying my best to stop a war before it starts getting physical, I'm stressed from having to look after a foreign princess and a dragon lord who can't seem to reason with each other past a pair of toddlers in magic kindergarten!" I give an exasperated sigh, trying to keep myself together. "I need a drink."

"No, don't you start that!" She angrily points at me.

I lash out to her. "Who the fuck are you to tell me what I need!?"

"Obviously you don't need this press conference that bad." She reminds me.

As much as I would love to pin this all on her, and she's fully deserving of it, it's still a favor that she called in to do for me so last minute. So I have to at least play to that. So I take a deep breath and regain my composure. "She's still not here."

Twilight gives a look around the sky, pointing to a lumbering figure flying in from above. "She's right there."

As soon as she lands, she stumbles over from exhaustion, her wings not even attempting to rest against her back. They merely drag on the ground as she slowly pulls herself over to me. "Pet... how the fuck... are you... so fast!?" She leans her body against me, her sweat uncomfortably drenching my scales as she declares her own exhaustion. "Can't... breathe."

"Get her some oxygen please." I request to some of the guards, who salute me and quickly bring over a tank and a mask to breathe into.

While they set her up, Twilight gives me a stern reminder of our time. "You two have five minutes to get ready. I hope you've planned things out in advance."

While she walks away, I wince from the pressure of the moment. I check with Zenobia, hoping that she did what I recommended to her. "Did you study the speech I wrote out yesterday?"

While the oxygen is working overtime to replenish her state of being, she seems quick to rebound from the extensive trip. She's still leaning into me as she speaks. "Ocellus had me study it a while, I think I have most of it memorized."

"Dammit, they didn't even think to wake me up." I grumble.

"They woke at the crack of dawn, needing to get to their jobs. I told them that I would see to it personally that you'd wake up with all the comforts afforded to you."

I shake my head. "I know you probably meant well, Zenobia. But sometimes I just gotta go through the rough to make things seem organized, even if I myself don't seem to be in the best state. It comes with the job."

She takes a few more breaths, staring back up at me. "Can we get another ten minutes? I just want to lay here a bit."

As Inkwell walks over, she signals to me that it's time to get moving towards the podium. "I don't think we even got two at this point."

"Boo birds." She takes one last breath before slinging the mask off of her face and shaking herself, retracting her wings and trying her best to appear stable. "Alright, let's wing it!"

"No I─" I plead, but she's already nearing the podium where the cameras are rolling. "...Faust help me."

As soon as I join with the others, Twilight begins with her public address. "Hello, to all my faithful subjects of the realm. I know that the last time I was giving an address of this magnitude, I had disposed of some rather unfortunate tidings on the horizon. And while that seems to be the going rate these days, we do however have a much lighter announcement to make. But first, we offer a disclaimer for the viewing audience."

Zecora, having already met Zenobia yesterday, politely guide her to the side of the podium. "Come now, step here. We need to make an example, my dear."

Even if we had already explained it to her, she's confused by the green gunk that the zebra wears on her hoof in abundance. "Uh, what is going on?"

I have to remind her what's going on here. "Face paint. I told you yesterday, it's just a counter measure to prevent changelings from taking your shape."

As I reexplain that bit of info, one of our esteemed specialists step beside her and bow. "Honored to meet you, your highness."

"I know we're short on introductions, but this is Specialist Padrig, he works in reconnaissance and information transfer. He's probably the only one we give any license to transform into Twilight's form, albeit with strict permissions. He's worked with us for a while, long before the changelings reformed during the previous royal administration."

Specialist Padrig

Royal Special Operations & Reconnaissance Division

"I know it may seem a tad invasive, but I'll need you to do a quick spin around for me."

"For what?" She asks.

"I'm taking your form, for the demonstration of course."

Nervously, she brings her inquiry to me. "Can I trust him?"

"Yes, you can trust him."

"If you say so." She's still rather nervous about what's taking place, but she gives a quick twirl around. "That good enough?"

"One more time, other way around." He requests.

Feeling a bit embarrassed that she's doing this in front of so many others, she grows a bit uncomfortable. "Is this really necessary?"

"Just making sure I'm accurate is all." He says before a teal flash wipes over his entire body, giving an approximate copy of her appearance. "Close enough?" He speaks with her voice, but fails to properly catch her accent and vocal fluctuations.

"Eeehhh... I suppose." She's understandably put off by the mirror image of herself staring back at her and turning away. He drops his imitation of her for the moment. The previously uncanny reflection gives her a moment of observation, but she does give critique of his attempt at her voice. "He does not have my vocal finesse right at all."

"Try speaking to him five minutes before, bet he'll have every last possible inflection." I inform her.

As we conclude that matter, Twilight continues to address the press. "Now, for our disclaimer. We want to vehemently disprove any and all allegations of a changeling taking the place of our foreign guest. We further assess that she is here of her own choice, not of any forced coercion or blackmailing─"

"I'm here of my own accord!" She blurts out of term, causing everyone to quietly stare at her. I cringe to myself as she completely breaks the decorum. "Sorry, continue."

Twilight carries on without missing a single beat. "Now, I will ask our changeling specialist to transform into the princess for the purpose of this demonstration, but a verbal confirmation."

Zecora asks the question loudly, making sure that she's heard for the cameras and radio. "A shape of yourself you will soon see, but only if you say that you'll agree?"

"Asking for permission." I translate to her.

Zenobia catches on and speaks out loudly. "I consent!"

Upon that note, Padrig assumes her shape and form. Standing beside her as an identical imitation. "As some of you may see, our guest appearance may have doubled, but we will soon verify their presence with a specially made paste that will disenchant a changeling's shape-shifting properties. But first we will apply a simple smudge to the cheeks."

Zecora marks the side of her face, broadly stroking her hoof full of the paste down the side of her cheek. After dealing with the unknown minty paste being measured upon her face, the imperial princess issues a curious complaint. "Just one cheek? Shouldn't we do both for symmetry?"

"She knows what she's doing." I tell her as the same is done to Padrig. As the paste comes into contact with his face, his head is forced to drop the transformation, all while the body remains the same as Zenobia's. Yet another uncanny moment for the mare to observe about herself.

Zecora elaborates for the viewers. "As one can see of the paste applied, one remains herself as the other is denied. Now that this demonstration is through, we hold that our guest is the one who is true."

Twilight nods and proudly introduces the foreign princess to the press and viewing audience. "Fillies and gentlecolts, creatures of all ages, shapes, and sizes, I wish to give a honorable reception to none other than Princess Rosa Zenobia, high princess of the Ponyland Empire."

While I'm sure she was expecting a chorus of applause, only silence greets her as she steps to the podium. She puts on a forced smile while I lean behind her and whisper. "Just remember what we rehearsed and stick to it as best as possible."

I pull the microphone towards her for her to be picked up. She gives her introduction, initially at the previous volume she thought she had to use. "Hello─oh shit this is loud!" She shockingly enunciates into the public airwaves, causing Twilight to facehoof with second-hand embarrassment. "Um, hi, I'm Princess Rosa Opaline Zenobia of the Noble Blood, first born of the imperial lineage of the great leader Emperor Basileus Apollo of the Noble Blood Primus, descendant of the maiden branch of House Opal Rosa. While my introduction is a long one, it is dictated in imperial charter that I must state my name, blood title, his imperial majesty's honorific, and that of the mother that has sired my branch on the account of our father having many mothers to his lineage. It is with great honor that I introduce myself to you today."

"Okay, did not plan a blank that long in such a short intro." I comment towards Twilight.

She continues. "While it appears that our delegation is sat upon the seat of war, I wish to offer an official response from the Emperor himself. And that this stems mainly from the list of offenses my younger brother, Prince Rosa Xerxes of the Noble Blood and crown prince to the realm, his grievous actions leading to the horrific things enacted upon your esteemed friendship representative."

"Why is she deviating?" Twilight asks.

"Part of the agreement with Ember." I explain.

"Upon his arrival to escort that of my off-branch brother, Prince Amor Ambrosia of the Lesser Blood, descendent of the maiden branch of House Aurora Amor, he has dishonored my dear pe─"

"AHEM!" I loudly break decorum to have her snap out of what she usually calls me, knowing that such a title would immediately cause an uproar.

"Oh, sorry." She clears her throat and carries on. "He has dishonored my dear... Acquaintance, by means of throwing him into a capture cage to guide him through the city to the castle, under the guise of 'being for his protection'. From there, he was made to meet with my father the emperor. From there, my father sought to make good on the trade agreement in pending, but due to my brother's discrimination against dragons, that was not the ideal outcome. As a furthered resort, he issued a hunt with the intent to slay dragons. And upon the parade of my lesser-blood sibling, he presented the heads of seven dragons before him... those seven he later attached to a flail with an eight chain made ready for his junction."

My stomach churns as the unspoken truth of my dilemma is brought to light, a cruel and sadistic detail I willingly omitted from my reports as a bid to cast as much light to the salvageable, but also favorable end of neutrality. Twilight, in juxtaposition, is horrified and appalled. "Spike, is this true?"

"I didn't think she'd tell this much." I grumble before whispering back to her. "Psst... Script."

"I know that I'm being told to move on. I'm sorry, I was made to tell the truth in ambitions to make amends with that of the Dragon Lord Ember. But more importantly, I say these things to make amends with the one behind me." She turns around, yanking my wrist to have me join beside her. "He and I grew close in our time together in Ponyland, becoming acquaintances. Prior to his arrival, I too believed in the propaganda of our nation's supremacy and the illiteracy of the dragon race. I could not have been more wrong. In our talks together, I was made to realize that the dragons are much like us, fighting to maintain a comfort in their way of life."

"What are you doing?" I mutter to her in a panic.

"Telling the truth." She replies as she spreads her wings, pulling me even closer to her. "Never did I ever believe that I would ever have my heart fall for one." My jaw falls as she takes the sudden turn for an amorous confession instead of sticking to the script of a global press conference. "He and I shared many moments, many that has opened my mind to saving the dragons that visit our borders. While it seems counterproductive to say my personal feelings out loud, I wish to make it transparently clear as to why I have made my decision to seek peace between our two nations. Because I know that my father's way is to uphold the status quo, but my brother's means is to go beyond the borders and give grievance to all that he believes is underneath him. And that includes the one I have with me at this moment."

"Okay, I think that's enough." I grumble through the gritted teeth of an awkward smile.

Instead, she caresses my head and emphatically states the obvious. "This is the dragon I now cherish. And I will seek peace to maintain that."

Meanwhile in San Fransiscolt...

"Get her out of that box!"

"I'm trying!"

In desperate but vain attempts, the trio of brothers look to free their sibling from within the confines of a projected television screen. They attempt all means of magic, looking to tear open the poor inanimate object by it's exterior and comb through it's wiry guts of led transmitters and receptors. It takes the store owner to confront the three over their unusual approach of attacking one of his displayed items. "Hey, you guys must be tourists or something."

Two pause as Agamemnon goes about the effort of freeing Zenobia from the screen. "Y-yes, we are. We're just trying to rescue this poor mare trapped in this horrendous box." Eros explains.

"It's not a box, it's one of those new items running in from the human world. It's called a 'TV', they broadcast all sorts of stuff on there. Unfortunately we can only get one channel. I hear that some places in Canterlot can give you a ton more with content staged from the human world."

Xerxes bats at the back of the head of his one-eyed sibling, prompting him to stop. "And what's this supposed to be?"

"I dunno, some princess from the nation we're supposedly at war with looking to declare her love for dragons. I hear her brother's a real asshat." The store clerk shrugs off as he dismissively offers commentary over his actions. "To think someone could do such horrible things to those dragons, they probably didn't do anything wrong. What a waste of functioning organs that guy is!"

Before Xerxes can rise to anger and defend himself, Eros intervenes and gives the stallion a parting wave. "Interesting, thank you for explaining! Oh, and how much would this thing cost?"

"It's not for sale, just for display. Our next shipment doesn't come until two weeks from now." He answers as the broadcast goes on.

"The ones that were declared as pilgrims were not as such. Instead, they were active centuries, members of our armed forces. They came to the ship we were on, surrounding us with cannon fire from all directions. Their deaths, as tragic as it is to many back home, were not without warrant. They operated the machines that gave license and ability to eliminate us by any means. The ones who guided us home operated not of ill-intent, but in self-defense of the home they allowed us to take refuge within. And for their actions, we are truly grateful."

"Is this some sort of recording?" Eros asks.

"Apparently it's live. It's on our radios too." The store owner states. "Oh yeah, in speaking of stocking up, how about you guys just chill out for a bit and don't damage the hardware while I go look into when that next shipment of phones is expected."

"Phones?" He asks.

"Yeah, it's like transmission spheres... and memory spheres... and phonographs... and cameras. It's like all of that built into one thing!"

"Huh... yes please look into that for me." The lavender-streaked prince requests with an eager interest.

Agamemnon, overhearing of all the things that the rumored devices are capable of, makes a note of it to his other siblings. "This makes me think that their technology is not as meandering as the others we've conquered."

"Seems to me their little trade deal was omitting a lot." Xerxes comments. "A world of information and technology beyond our comprehension, and we were left out of it. Such insult."

"That matters little at this point." Eros says as he narrows his eyes to the albino alicorn mare on the screen. "It is apparent that Zenobia has indeed betrayed us."

"It says it's 'live from Canterlot'." Agamemnon points out.

"She speaks in place of our father. That's not in any way permissible." Xerxes replies.

"Then I suppose we should get moving, damn the resupply." Agamemnon suggests. "Let's head to the airship and make this a quick trip."

As the one-eyed prince departs first, a violent stare gleams from the eyes of an infuriated prince watching his sister fawn over the creature that denied his father more favorable terms, as well as thoroughly embarrass him in the eyes of his guildmates. "Dragon."

"Ah-ah. You remember father's words." Eros warns.

"I couldn't care less." Xerxes passionately declares. "I want that scaly bastard dead."