The War for Summer

Discord stomped along the cobblestone hoofpaths of the royal garden, still dripping wet from his horns down to the tuft of fur on his tail. He shivered as he walked, occasionally grumbling obscene utterances under his breath. All around him Canterlot was under siege by both forces, with stallions and mares in armor fighting each other on the streets in a tangled melee of destruction.

This is what I get for trusting in the magic of friendship! UNEMPLOYMENT!

He grumpily kicked a stone in front of his path out of the way, glaring at it accusingly before looking around at the organized chaos surrounding him. Philistines! he wanted to shout at them all. They had some nerve to take his art, and put on a show without all of the good parts. In fact--

"Owch!" He nearly jumped in place from the shock of pain that hit him. There it was again! He looked down to both of his own mismatched hands, and flexed them gingerly. It had begun as a strange itch the closer he had gotten to Canterlot, and he had ignored it. But now it was becoming outright painful, and physical pain was not a sensation he wished to experience in his immortal life time.

There was something wrong with the natural forces of magic around Canterlot, he was sure of it. Something that was messing with his own powers. Sabotaging him. Draining him. Ruining him. The forces of chaos were his to command, and if he wanted to go from a soaking wet mess to a well-dressed dapper draconequus in a tuxedo all it would take was a snap of his claws. It was just how the universe worked! Or at least, was supposed to work. He had tried (minus the tuxedo) to clean himself up after pulling himself out of the fountain he had crashed into. Repeatedly. But after waving his arms around, shaking them both like cheap electronics, and yelling some more obscenities for good measure, he had deduced that the problem was not with himself.

"How can this be?" Discord asked to no one in particular, pushing his sopping wet fur out from in front of his mismatched eyes. He caught a glimpse of some kind of cloud ship launching a volley of cloud missiles, and evaporating another cloud creation out of the sky. "It's not fair! Everything in Equestria is going cooky and it's not my fault!"

Wait! No! I need to focus! Discord forcibly stopped his own rambling, taking the time to seriously think. A better question would be, who can I trust to make this right? Who do I trust to put me back on my throne as the master of chaos, and bring peace to all of Equestria?

He stopped and began to count the digits on his claws. They were roughly equal to how many living entities he trusted to get such an important job done, with one of them being himself.

"Hmmmmm... I wonder if I have enough power left to bring them here..."

♪~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~♪

"I'm just speculating, but if we could be absolutely certain that my sister's forces were going to converge around the royal kitchen, then I, I..."

To the surprise of all of her officers gathered around her, their superior - Princess Celestia, the immortal ruler and founder of the Kingdom of Equestria - faltered mid sentence. For a ruler who normally spoke with unswerving conviction and perfect grace, even when alone with her closest confidants, it was utterly out of character. More than a few of the Day Guard officers exchanged brief glances with each other, all equally shocked by her gaff.

Who is it? Celestia thought, briefly forgetting her present audience. Someone or something in Canterlot had just arrived from chaos fueled teleportation spell. The spell had been casted in such a clumsy inelegance that more sensitive magic users (no doubt including her sister) had felt a disruption in the natural mana around Canterlot.

I must remember to look into that later...

"I've been thinking," Celestia finally continued, "that we could fake a weakness in our defense around the royal kitchen. If we can lure my younger sister into a fight to retake the kitchen, we could then encircle her marshaled forces and deal a strong blow strong enough to prevent her from counter attacking elsewhere. Well? What do you think?" Her last words were rushed, as if she were overly self-conscious.

"If, If I understand you correctly, your majesty," Captain Quel said, tentatively speaking for his fellow guards, "you're ordering us to reduce our numbers along the kitchen line to lure your sister into a fight to retake the royal kitchen. If so, ma'am, I beg to reply that it could be dangerous if she does not take the bait."

Celestia turned her head, pushing her flowing celestial mane back out from her face. "What's the matter, Captain?" she said, her voice suddenly hardening. "You're not worried about those bat-winged clowns my sister calls soldiers, are you?"

Quel knew Celestia was angry at him for giving a weak-kneed response on behalf of the other officers in her Day Guard. But he knew the reality of what she was really suggesting: timing a campaign of misinformation to make it seem as if Luna was the agitator in the war (which she was), and then slowly attempt to starve her forces out both in supplies and pony power. Once the war had been won, Celestia would rule unchallenged in a new postwar era over the summer and winter. Because no witnesses (save for the officers gathered) would ever know that Celestia had managed such an underhoofed and diabolical sabotage campaign against her own family, their own positions as her permanent military cabinet would be secure. Admittedly, Quel and many others knew that Equestria had avoided wars and conflicts in the past out of sheer guile and cunning on Celestia's part. But he had never suspected that he would live to become involved with such a historic scheme.

"When the Night Guard attacks, our own forces should be able to hold off the Night Guard long enough for our encirclement to be completed," Celestia added. "Don't you agree?"

"Why, yes ma'am." Quel placed his helmet down on the table next to some notes on Celestia's desk in front of him. "You're quite right, I'm sure ma'am. Our forces in the field, as you mentioned, are made up of some of our crack units."

"And, your majesty," from behind Quel another officer stepped forward and removed his helmet as he spoke, "the cadet ranks from the academy are showing good results in the field. As far as most of them are concerned, all of this is just part of an elaborate training exercise. Some I've been told are even enjoying it."

"I see. Nemo, would you consider pulling more cadets from the academy to participate then?" Celestia asked offhandedly. "If we already hold the advantage in numbers, would even more be better?"

"I would not be so sure of that, your majesty," Nemo warned. "I do not believe that members of the Night Guard, soldier for soldier, are any stronger than our own. But I do not want to see our ranks clustered with too many untrained stallions and mares at such a crucial time."

"I'm not expecting you to take them all under your command, Lieutenant. We should look into alternatives away from the front so that these cadets can be trained for service before the war is over." Celestia stood up and pushed aside the shades covering the windows of her expansive chambers. Outside the sun was beginning to set slowly, and the world outside from her spiral tower in Canterlot the sky glowed a healthy orange basking on everything in the world. Her world. But soon that world would be gone, replaced a foreign land of darkness and shadows that her sister held mastery over.

"You still seem hesitant Captain. Speak frankly to me, Quel."

"We can't control where the Night Guard will organized their first counter attack, ma'am. And we have no guarantee that Princess Luna won't be expecting some kind of trap, given how much effort we put into building the defenses around the royal kitchen. As long as that is true, I believe the plan will be very risky to carry out, ma'am."

"Hmph. I see your point. But surely it's possible with our intelligence to try and find out where my sister will organize her single-point attack? Can't we monitor their build up from the System project and predict where they are coming from?"

"Well... I, er, suppose so ma'am."

"System" was the codename for a top-secret Equestrian project to create a weapon that utilized the rays of the sun. The project had been commissioned after the Changeling invasion of Canterlot, but had become redundant in the days and weeks after since Chrysalis and her brood had gone into hiding after their defeat. The System project itself was constantly concealed underneath a thick and dense shield of clouds, higher than any normal Pegasus could fly, and constantly attended by a select few members of the Day Guard who spoke to no pony about where or what their assignments were.

If Quel understood what Celestia was asking, the implications were clear: not even Princess Luna knew about the System project. And if Luna knew nothing, than parliament or any other legal body in the Equestrian government didn't either. Every single day the citizens of Canterlot went about their business, oblivious to a super weapon right out of a science fiction novel hovering over their heads.

Celestia continued, "I've already had Greenwich, my vizier, sound out the possibility of a negotiated peace settlement afterward with my sister. I've nominated Periwinkle the wyvern ambassador from the Vagan Clan to mediate."

"Is there such a possibility, ma'am?" Quel immediately regretted asking the question so soon. He did not want to convey any enthusiasm toward a break in the fighting, given that the Day Guard had finally begun to see victorious results in combat.

"You could say so," Celestia answered mysteriously. She then turned away from her windows and walked back over to Quel. She smiled thinly, having to lean her slender neck down a little to match height with him. Quel instinctively stood at attention, holding his personal belongings he had brought with him to the meeting at his side. He knew immediately that Celestia had made a decision.

"I'll leave the timing of this encirclement up to you," Celestia said, casually walking away once again and sitting herself down on a large embroidered cushion that gently caught her as she laid. "But I want you to be ready if my sister attacks the royal kitchen tonight. Can you do it?"

"Yes, your majesty!" Captain Quel said enthusiastically, placing his helmet back over his head. Snapping off a formal salute, he turned to walk out of her room with his head held high.

She watched him go, with both Lieutenant Nemo and the silent Lieutenant Nero following right behind him. There was something attractively tragic about the Captain that the Princess loved; an older stallion, wise, strong, handsome in his own way, but still with a naive streak that came from not being a regular member of her inner circle. Ever since Shining Armor had left to rule the Crystal Empire with his wife as prince and princess, there had been a reshuffling of the Day Guard ranks to fit ranking officers who were being transferred. The opportunity had arisen for Celestia to hoof pick subordinates for her own political purposes, and completely sidestep any boring standards that peace brought. It had been nice to actually choose subordinates who showed promise and initiative, instead of having to choose ponies because of their political connections and material wealth.

Maybe I should annex more kingdoms into Equestria. Celestia laughed at the thought, while picking a tall wineglass from a silver tray on a nearby table. Fishing around with her magic, she pulled a wine bottle out from the base of the same table and wrenched the cork out from its top with a loud pop.

Just a light drink before going to bed. ONE drink...

Tilting the bottle expectantly, she gently poured the rich red wine into her glass. She looked over the bottle which still had the golden yellow gift ribbon tied around its neck from when Loto had given it to her. It had been an unexpected and unusual gift, but she had accepted it graciously from one of her favorite servants. Celestia had vowed in the past to stay sober after one too many nights of drinking with diplomats or nobility had loosened her lips too well. Some truths were meant to stay buried, out of tact mostly. But a present from a dear friend (and a handsome stallion to boot) was a different matter altogether.

Without any guilt she took a petite sip, letting the tart blend of flavors splash into her mouth before gingerly swallowing. After the first sip she could slowly feel the weight of the day leaving her mind, as well as the nagging headache that had refused to go away since the afternoon. Ever since that damned day where Luna had had the audacity to insult her season, she had been plagued with headaches of great intensity. She had tried to work through them, but on some days they had been so unbearable that they had incapacitated her from focusing at all.

But like magic Loto had been there, always there just at the right time to help her keep a strong image in front of the rest of her subjects. It was hard to put into words just how much his dedication meant to her; what it meant to have somepony who could almost read your mind and be there to help you. And how rare it was to have somepony who knew and respected the sensual guidelines of looking but not touching.

Sitting in her room alone watching her sun set, she realized just how much she missed him terribly. Maybe it was the prospect of fighting that had scared him off, or maybe she had said or done something to offend him. But his request for an immediate weeks leave had been approved before she had even heard of it. The very fact that he hadn't come to her first with his request made his absence sting even more.

Hmph. Well, who needs him. Celestia sneeringly frowned, resisting the urge to polish off the rest of her drink in one go. But before she could think of anything else, a gentle knock came from the doors to her room. Celestia swallowed, placing her glass down aside on the table where her maps of the castle lay.

"What is it?"

"Your majesty? You have a...erm, several guests here to see you."

She turned to her windows, glancing somberly at her descending sun. "Visiting hours are long over, guardsman, and I would like to be well rested for tomorrow. Please tell whoever it is to come back--"

"Out of the way! We don't have time for your stupid stuffy security!" Celestia heard an all-too-familiar voice on the other side of her doors say, as well as the protesting of her guards who were probably being forced away. "Celestia! Open this door! NOW!"

"Discord!" Celestia shouted back. It was just what she needed; unending headaches, a tense briefing with her army commanders, a light drink before bed, and a visit from an irate god of chaos who was in the middle of a temper-tantrum. "How many times have I told you! Just because you can come and go doesn't mean--"

She froze in shock, taken back the mess of matted and dirty fur that was barging into her chambers. Despite their antagonistic history, Discord tried to prevent anypony to seeing him in any kind of disheveled or messy state. There was something - she had chalked it up to his ego - that compelled him to keep an impeccable degree of good hygiene despite the chaos he involved himself in. But the Discord entering her chambers looked as if someone had used him for a massive ragged dish cloth, and scrubbed every dirty surface of the castle with him before setting him loose her way.

"What--" She almost laughed, but caught herself after seeing the very unhappy look in his eyes. "You seem very upset Discord. What has happened to you?"

"We have a problem. You and me." He narrowed his eyes down at her, pointing a claw back and forth with his words. "So I brought in help to fix it. I hope for your sake that you will cooperate with us."

Celestia narrowed her eyes back at him, challenging his menacing glare. "Do not come into my chambers and take that tone with me, Discord. I have more than enough problems to deal with than whatever problem you dug yourself int--"

"Aunt Celly?"

"Princess Celestia?"

Celestia froze again, her eyes wide and meeting Discord's own that seemed amused at her shocked face.

"Your majesty," he bowed mockingly, "I present Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire, and Princess Twilight Sparkle of...um...uh... Hey, what did--"

"Ponyville." Twilight grumbled.

Discord looked back at her. "Really? Just--"

"Yes. Shut up."

♪~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~♪