New world mean new enemies

The sharp, rhythmic knock echoed through the quiet house.

"Open up, Weather Field! The flyby is about to start!" A short, bipedal pony with bat wings called out, rapping on the door once more.

After a few more futile knocks, the pony stepped back, ears perking up as the door finally creaked open. They didn't need to turn around to know who it was; the voice was instantly recognizable.

"Ah, Grim, my apologies. I didn't expect you so early. My little Rain is still getting ready," Weather Field said, inviting Grim inside to wait.

The living room was a sea of oversized plushies, bunnies, and dogs taking up most of the furniture. Grim found a spot to sit amidst the plush menagerie.

"Why do you still have these plushies, Ms. Weather?" Grim asked, eyeing one that had claimed a recliner.

Ms. Weather's gaze swept over the room, landing on the plushies that had taken over her living space. A memory seemed to surface, casting a shadow over her face. She turned back to Grim, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I couldn't bear to throw them away, even if she's been gone for so long," Weather admitted. "Rain misses her, and I wish he could understand that she's never coming back."

Grim nodded, understanding the sentiment. The plushies were more than just toys; they were reminders of a time filled with laughter and joy, a time before the loss. They represented a connection to the past, a tangible link to the memories of a loved one. And sometimes, holding on to those memories was the only way to keep going.

"Hey, Weather, you've done well becoming the Lord of this planet," Grim said, twiddling her thumbs until the sound of hooves stepping upstairs could be heard.

Weather looked towards the stairway, rising from her seat to walk to the door. She then turned around to face the stairs. At the top, she saw her little son, Rain Field, all dressed up in a t-shirt and blue jeans. Seeing this sight, Weather smiled as her little bundle of joy descended the stairs, all ready to see the annual Royal Guard fly-by that had been agreed upon when she became the lord of this planet.

"Mommy, has Auntie arrived already?" Little Rain asked, struggling to navigate the stairs due to his small size.

Weather nodded and put a finger to her lips, indicating that Auntie was already here. She then turned away and quietly walked towards the living room. Rain hadn't noticed when his mother left for the living room; it had become slightly darker than it was before he started walking downstairs. He attempted to follow his mother, but it felt as though something was tugging at his clothes.

Rain tried to move down the stairs, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't go forward. After a few seconds, he saw a lock of blue hair in front of his face. Looking up, he saw his aunt. She just smiled at him, then picked him up and gave him a bear hug while gliding down the stairs to meet his mother, who was waiting for them at the door, ready to go for the fly-by of the Royal Guards.

"Auntie Grim, how did you get behind me?" Rain asked, surprised and giggling at his aunt.

Grim raised one of her eyebrows and grinned, not saying a word to Rain, letting his mind run wild with all the possibilities.

As they pass by the front door rain seen that his mother was on the phone again talking to someone.
Grim seen it as well and took rain out of the house to enjoy the fly by while her sister works.

Weather look for a bit as they left for only to go back to her phone and continue talking as she went up stairs to get ready for an unexpected meeting.

*Time skip*
*Pov change*

'This meeting wasn't supposed to happen this soon, not until another month,' I thought to myself as the car moved down the street, heading towards the diplomatic building.

Crossing my arms, I leaned back, gazing out the window. A squadron of Wonderbolts zoomed by in their vibrant blue and yellow fighters, a sight that usually brought me joy, but today it only deepened my existing gloom. I glanced at the window separating the driver and passenger compartments, feeling a wave of boredom wash over me. I pressed a button, rolling down the window.

My driver, a young earth pony from a farming planet known as Ponyville, belonged to a family called the Apples. I had done some research on them, learning about their family history and their reputation for honest trade practices. As I was mulling over the Apple family's place in the wider galaxy, my driver, Apple Maple, began to speak. I didn't quite catch what he had said.

My mind was elsewhere, pondering over what I might have missed by not spending enough time with my little one. The regret was subtle, but present, making me reconsider my priorities. The sight of the Wonderbolts, the phone call, and now the conversation with Apple Maple, everything was nudging me towards the realization of the importance of time spent with loved ones. I had been so caught up in my work and responsibilities that I had overlooked the simple pleasures of life. The thought of my little one growing up without my constant presence was a sobering thought. I resolved then and there to make changes, to give my little one the time and attention they deserved.

"Sorry, Maple, I didn't hear you. Can you repeat that?" I asked him apologetically.

Looking into the rearview mirror for a moment, I saw him nodding his head. This time I was ready to listen and not be distracted by thoughts of my missed day with my little Rain.

"Lady Weather, I was saying that I will be leaving for a week to attend my family's reunion in the Galactic Kingdom of Equestria," Apple Maple said, keeping the car heading straight for the meeting place.

Hearing this news, I wondered if trade could be done with the Apple family for my small lordship of Notrcal. I had always wondered how Maple syrup made with apples tasted. Going through all the things Notrcal could offer the Apple family in trade, I could only think of something minor due to our lack of wealth.

"Maple, you can have the month off. I'll find someone to drive me around for that month," I told him, then looking in the mirror, "but I have to ask if you can bring back some Apple family treats for the people of Notrcal to enjoy."

Apple Maple heard what I said and thought about how he could fulfill such a large request from his employer. He knew that the Apples hardly ever spoke to him after he left the family to explore the stars. Seeing that we were soon approaching the building where I needed to be, he gave a thumbs up and pulled to the side of a building with a large white statue of a bat pony holding a sword and shield from an ancient race called the Storm Beasts.

"I still can't believe that you hired me because I knew who that bat pony was. It seems odd if you ask me," Apple Maple about it jokedBut I didn't find it amusing. Almost no outsiders knew who that statue was meant to honor, and I didn't want the other races to be forgotten. I turned my head to face him, my face showing my anger and other emotions. Apple Maple saw me in the rearview mirror and stopped talking, as this was a common occurrence with me.

"Look, Maple, I get it, you're young. But understand this, I hired you to help me make my home something more. This planet is my family," I paused to let my anger cool down a bit. "If my family gets hurt, it hits me hard, more than you will ever know," I said the last part softly, for it to only be heard by my ears.

I didn't let Maple speak anymore. I left the car and began walking up to the building, then entered it, leaving my driver confused by my actions. Looking around the main room of the Equestrian embassy, I saw the room where he wanted to have the meeting. I walked towards the doorway to my left where two royal guards were standing still with spears and reflective shields at the ready. They saw me approaching the doorway and instantly used their spears to make an exit to the entrance of the meeting room. I didn't say anything as this had become common with their customs towards the bat pony race.

"Guards, let her in. That's the one I'm supposed to talk with right now. Chop chop, my time is running thin," a familiar voice commanded. The guards promptly returned to their original positions, just as they were a few minutes ago.

As I entered the room, I saw him - the only one, the diplomat, Baron Revan of the Cloud Dal system. I walked towards my usual seat in this room, which was at the opposite end of the table. Sitting down, I noticed this year's tribute papers were already placed right in front of me.

"So, straight to business and no small talk, Revan?" I asked before reading the first paragraph. Revan only looked at me with a frown, pulling out a pipe that began to smoke as he gazed out a window to his right.

I said nothing and began reading the first page. The beginning seemed to be our normal yearly tribute, starting off with them showing up with a fleet above our planet. Midway through, I read how this year's tribute was to be twice as much as last time.

This seemed odd to me, but I passed it off as pirates becoming more frequent in our area of space. This was just the price they wanted us to pay for their protection. The next page was just about renewing some deal that had been made last year, something about mining privileges and being allowed to conduct business without taxes. This seemed unfair for my home, seeing how my world is on the edge of three galactic nations, but it could only be obeyed.

After going through seven more pages about how this year's tribute was going to work and how it was to be sent to Canterlot, I reached the final page. Reading the first paragraph, I found myself reading aloud, not keeping it to myself.

"Dear minor nation on the outskirts of the Galactic Kingdom of Equestria, you have been receiving much aid and the princesses have agreed that you are to be integrated into the kingdom under Baron Revan, as he has been the only one to have contact with you," I spoke aloud without realizing that I had risen from my seat, shouting at the top of my lungs at Revan, which made him put out his pipe.

Revan looked at me with a blank expression on his face, sighed, and walked towards a window. The room went silent, allowing me to think about what the paper said and how Revan seemed to hate hearing it as well.

"Look, things in the Senate have been getting out of hand. More trade ships are being attacked by pirates, and the Griffioen Empire is becoming more active at the borders," Revan paused to catch his breath, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but the royal navy has begun to weaken its hold on Equestrian space, and my fleet is not what it once was. So please, think a bit before doing anything," Revan said quietly as he looked out the window, gazing up at the sky.

I only looked at him as I processed what he was telling me. Then, I realized something seemed strange about what he said. I turned to face Revan as he was still looking out the window.

"Revan, how many other small planetary nations have been given this same paper?" I asked softly as I looked back at the papers, still where I left them.

Revan turned to face me, his expression revealing a fear that others had been given the same paper. Seeing his face and the silent realization of my predicament, I reached for a pen that I kept in my shoulder pocket. Suddenly, a loud boom was heard, and a few seconds went by until the building started to shake. Turning to face Revan, I spoke aloud so everyone could hear.

"Revan, sorry to ask this again, but is this flyby starting early, or am I just going crazy?" I asked with a frown on my face as I stood up from my chair again.

Revan's gaze met mine, his face etched with confusion. "I'm uncertain, Weather. The flyby wasn't scheduled to commence for another hour," he replied, striding towards the window for a better view.

As he peered out, his face drained of color. "That's not the flyby," he muttered under his breath, "That's a fleet."

A shiver of dread coursed through me. A fleet? Here? Now? This was not part of the plan. I rushed to the window, nudging past Revan to confirm for myself. There they were - a fleet of ships, their metallic hulls shimmering in the sunlight, descending ominously towards our planet.

As we were both looking out the window, the two royal guards came running into the room, one of them holding a hologram device that was already activated, displaying a unicorn wearing the Equestrian navy uniform.

I turned around after hearing their armor clanking, but continued to look out the window.

"Baron Revan, I regret to inform you, but we need to evacuate this planet at once," the unicorn said urgently. But as he was speaking, the sound of alarms began to blare.

Another unicorn soon ran up next to him. They seemed out of breath and in complete shock of their current situation.

"Captain, our shields are failing and the left engine bay is on fire," they reported. But soon another voice from the background spoke.

"Sir, the reactors are failing. Another message from the Shining Whine - they're going straight for their bridge," the voice reported just as the hologram shut off.

Suddenly, a thought struck me. I turned to Revan, determination burning in my eyes. "Revan, I need to retrieve my son."

Revan looked at me, surprise flickering in his eyes. But he didn't argue. He simply nodded and pointed towards his two guards in front of us. "Take them with you. I will also come along. But we should move quickly and quietly."

I nodded, thanking him, and began to run with the three of them following me out of the main building. As we exited, I saw Apple Maple engaged in combat with a creature that had not been seen since the days of old.

"Storm beast," I muttered aloud.

We moved swiftly, the two royal guards rammed up and used their spears in one quick motion. Apple Maple, seeing me, nodded his head, went to the car, and grabbed my blaster and rifle.

We went forward into the city that had entered a state of chaos. We ran down block after block, seeing Noctral militias and normal citizens attempting to fight off the storm beasts, but it was a losing battle.

Avoiding a large group of storm beasts, we saw in the sky that Wander Blots fighters were also engaging with the enemy fighters.

This chaos that was unfolding around us. The once peaceful city I had helped build was now a battlefield, with the Equestrian navy and the invading fleet clashing in the skies above. Buildings were ablaze, and the air was filled with the sounds of explosions and screams.

Despite the chaos, we managed to reach downtown where I would go with Rain to see the annual flyby. But when I got there, all there was were limp bodies of both storm beasts and bat ponies, along with a small number of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns.

The sight in front of me sent me into a state of fear, seeing all these bodies on the ground. A frenzy began as I started searching through all of them, trying to find my son. Revan helped me as well, along with his two guards keeping a lookout.

It took me a while until I got halfway across downtown when I heard crying. It was the sound of a foal. It was coming from a body that was five feet away from me.

I slowly walked towards that direction and saw it was a little filly with a white coat and a soft sky-blue mane.

Placing my blaster on the side of my hip, I picked up the filly from what I believed was her mother's limp body.

I tried to calm her down as this was bad to have a little filly near a battlefield.

"Sister, get down," a familiar voice said.

In the next moment, I was on the ground with the filly still in my arms, the sound of my sister firing off a blaster right above me. Then hearing a big thump nearby, I looked up to see my sister, Grim, and more of the Noctral militia. But a small figure caught my eye.

It was my son, Rain. He seemed scared but stuck close to my sister as a sense of safety. But seeing me, he instantly left Grim and ran up to me, his arms hugging my neck.

"Mommy, I am scared. What is going on? Why is everyone sleeping?" Rain said to me as a wet feeling went down my neck.

But before we could do anything, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard from all around us. In just a moment, we had been surrounded without even knowing it.

We had fallen right into their trap, and as I looked around from the ground, I saw we had no chance of escaping. I held both the young filly and my Rain close to me, trying to give them some comfort.

"So this is the so-called Lord of Noctral. You really only help others rather than building up your strength while you had the chance to do so," a gruff voice said. I didn't move my head; I stayed holding them.

I heard nothing but the sound of blasters and rifles being raised. I held them tighter.

"Make ready, take aim, fir..." the gruff voice was about to say those words until he was cut off by the sound of a high-pitched screaming sound.

Then heavy blaster fire opened up, but not on us, but on the storm beasts themselves. In another moment, the sound of boots and armor hit only a couple of meters away from me. That's when I looked up, seeing the biggest bat pony that I have ever seen in my life. They said something I had never expected.

"Why are you on your knees, B1A2 0129? Help take care of her burdens; she needs the help."

"Roger, Roger, Roger," the voice responded.

The chaos around us seemed to pause for a moment as the new arrivals took control of the situation. I held my son and the filly tighter, a glimmer of hope igniting in my heart.