The Princess and the Prince

by Evowizard25

Shortly after the loss of her sister, Celestia has to deal with the fallout and heartache of ruling alone. However, now she is thrown into an incredibly dangerous scenario where the only man she can trust to have her back is a lone man claiming to be a Heroic Spirit of old.

The air was quiet and the land tranquil this fine morning. This wasn't surprising given this morning dawned on Equestria. A land of peace and tranquility. Well there was the occasional monster attack in the countryside but those were few and far between. As well, this dawn was upon Canterlot; the capital city of the prosperous kingdom. There had never been an attack on this city in its lifespan. The citizens had nothing to fear and so all was well this fine morning. They went about their days as happily as ever.

Of course, one little girl was happier than most. Her glee could be heard from outside of her house if one paid attention. No one would, however. For you see, the house lay within the confines of some of the more upper crust set of Canterlot's denizens. This meant that they normally kept to themselves. Loud noises weren't uncommon but no one cared to check. This time, they needn't bother. Most of them would lose patience with the little girl bounding about her room.

The house itself was rather big but not the largest around. It housed an impressive library that was connected with the girl's bedroom. If one was to ask her, the little girl would have preferred just sleeping in the library itself. Her parents would laugh it off since her room was basically a library anyways. What books were not in their assortment were littered about her room and on tiny shelves. Not too carelessly though. They were never bent out of shape or mistreated. Her room may be messy but books were her life. She would always treat them with care.

Peering into the room, one could see a little girl in a cute blue dress. Her dark indigo hair, which had some purple highlights to it, bobbed about as she raced around her room. Her pointed ears twitched as she listened to herself mumble and giggle in excitement. Her panic and glee were interchangeable. You could see it in her vibrant purple eyes that both sparkled and shook about in tandem.

The little girl had been doing her best to pack her backpack. She hadn't been given a list of anything to pack. In fact, her new mentor hadn't told her to bring anything. Yet she knew differently. This was obviously a test! A test to find out how smart and clever she was. She had to find the right books and materials for her first day. She wouldn't make the princess sad. No. She'd make her proud.

For this was Twilight Sparkle, the newest pupil to the solar monarch, Princess Celestia. The most important person in the entire kingdom. To Twilight, she was more than that. She was the most important person in the whole world. Perhaps this was in part due to her nation of origin and child-like temperament, so there was some exaggeration. However, it wasn't entirely wrong. For she was the one who raised the sun every day and then the moon. The world would not turn without her mighty magic.

Twilight was not going to disappoint her. Not now or ever. So that's why she would do well on this test. She'd show the princess how smart she was. It was just tricky to find the right books and supplies. Princess Celestia had rarely taken on pupils in her long reign. The last one, she heard, wasn't that long ago but she disappeared. Maybe she'd ask the princess about it but that was for another time. Right now, she needed to focus on packing.

To a normal child, moving so many books around would be a chore that would take hours. Twilight Sparkle was no ordinary child. Not even amongst the 'elven' segment of the population. For her magic was mighty. It was so easy for her to move hundreds of books around a minute, which wasn't how many she was lifting now. That was more along the number of a couple dozen a minute but she had practice with larger amounts in the family library.

"The Theory of Teleportation," she muttered as she looked over a book. She shook her head and swiped to the next one, "The history of the Griffon Empire. No."

And so it went on for a while as she put some pencils and notebooks into her backpack.

"How to protect your mind from magical debuffs. No."

"The art of potion making. Pass."

"The study of wild, magical creatures. Not interested."

"How to win a man's heart," Twilight made a gag noise. She was far too young to be interested in icky boys. "Definitely not!"

Of course, as time went on, trepidation started to seep into her mind. If she failed to pick the right books, would the princess hate her? Would she kick her out? Would she be stuck in Magic Kindergarten forever? She had been trying to drown out those fears. The little girl hadn't done a good job of that however. You see, Twilight Sparkle was known for her power but she was also known for her very active imagination.

It was a dangerous combination. Her parents and older brother loved her but sometimes it felt like they had to walk around a landmine. A very cute and bubbly one but a landmine nonetheless. So when Night Light poked his head into the room to see his daughter starting to freak out, he panicked slightly. Well that and his dad instincts kicked in to comfort his daughter as she was starting to hyperventilate.

He quickly walked over and picked out the book she was looking at right then. She blinked a few times as she processed it before looking up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile, which seemed to alleviate some of her stress. Well he thought so since her little hands weren't shaking. He looked about himself for a moment, noting how her purple magic was floating a couple dozen books about the room.

"Seems someone's a little antsy," Night Light said.

Twilight pouted and tapped her fingers together, "I want this to go perfectly. The princess is going to test me after all. I have to be ready for it."

Night Light shook his head and chuckled. He gave her a loving pat on the head, "I don't think you'll get a test on the first day. The princess seems like a reasonable woman. No doubt she'll just give you a study plan or something like that. You'll do just fine."

"But pop quizzes are my teacher's favorite thing to do," Twilight said, "What if Princess Celestia is the same? I have to be ready for everything."

Night Light sighed, "Not every teacher is the same, Twilight. They all have their own methods of teaching their students. I'm sure the princess will go over that with you as you talk to her. So chin up." He flicked a finger under her chin as he said that, causing her to giggle.

"I guess," Twilight said, before looking at all the books around herself. "So… should I put up all of these?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. His own hand started to glow blue as he used his magic to put up some of the books, "I think I'll handle it. Just get a few notebooks and pencils and that should do for today."

Night Light wasn't anything much to speak about as a person. He was a bit above average in the looks department, although his wife would say differently. In a positive way, that was. His magic wasn't anything to speak of either. Average in most respects there too. His blue hair was done in a bit of a mullet, something his wife wanted to cut. He denied her but he'd relent eventually. He always did, he thought with a chuckle.

He was and still is an astrologist. The study of the stars had always fascinated him as a child. So he spent a good chunk of his life studying them and ended up with a good job in Canterlot because of his dedication. The pay was good and it allowed his family to have such a lovely location to live in. Of course, that wasn't all just on him but he was thankful for having a supportive family to help him when things got tough. Now he could just sit back and enjoy his life.

Well, if his kids would let him that is. Shining Armor, his oldest, was one thing. He was also extremely talented and skilled. He was reasonable and Night Light couldn't remember the last time they had an issue. The only thing worrisome with him was that he was joining the military. While Equestria was at peace and there hadn't been a large-scale conflict for generations, it was still a worrisome prospect for a good number of reasons. A lot of things could happen to a soldier.

Twilight on the other hand was a different story. She had many eccentric quirks. He loved them all but they could be a handful. Hopefully the princess could deal with it. If anyone handle all of that built up magic, it was her. He just did his best to keep his daughter happy in the meantime. He probably should have expected this given his wife's side of the family was a bit zany. That's why he fell in love with them in the first place so seeing it in his daughter, even if it was headache inducing, was just so charming.

"Is everything alright?" A lovely voice spoke up behind him.

It was a voice he had loved the instant he had heard it. He turned around and smiled. Standing there in the doorway was the most beautiful woman in the world. Well if you asked him but he was clearly biased towards his wife. Her charming smile on her delicate face. Her flowing white and purple striped hair which framed her face so well. Her figure had curves in all the right places. Why, seeing her beauty was what inspired him to get a bit more fit. She deserved a more 'defined' guy and she had been very happy with the results.

Seeing her walk up to him with a sway in those hips took his breath away. His daughter just smiled and rushed up to her, giving her a hug. His heart melted at the sight.

"Momma," Twilight said, "Today's the day!"

Twilight Velvet chuckled and patted her daughter's head, "Oh I know. You're going to do great, Twilight. So try not to be so nervous."

"Okay," the little girl nodded.

"Don't worry," Night Light said, "We'll be nervous for you so you don't have to be."

"Dear," Twilight Velvet chided but she did it with a small smirk. "Don't go saying such silly things."

"I'm a dad," Night Light chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "It's literally in my job description."

---

The ride to the castle was an anxious one. Normally they would have walked the way there. It wasn't too far from their house and stretching your legs was always a good thing. However, the two parents thought it would be good for little Twilight to sit back and read something for a little longer. Just to calm her nerves. Twilight Velvet kept her daughter securely to her side, with a loving arm wrapped around her. Their daughter was nose deep in a book, the one place where she was the happiest.

Night Light couldn't help but smile at the sight. He could only imagine the cute serious look on her face. It was the same one his wife had when she was getting into something. In fact, that was how he first saw her. It was a convention all those years back. Not a science or magic convention like one might expect from a nerd like him.

No, it was a book convention. A fiction book convention showing off the latest hits and releases. He'd really only attended out of curiosity and the urging of a friend who was more into action and adventure series. Night Light didn't really care for this kind of thing. Sure he read a fiction book now and again but he was, then, currently studying for exams. It was a waste of time.

Oh how wrong he was. Sitting there in one of the booths was this cute mare with a look of concentration. She was obviously one of the writers and next to her was a tan mare, chatting about something. The cute mare he saw would chat back occasionally and nod, but she was focused on writing something. As his wife looked over at him, he was so glad he had walked up to them that day. His life couldn't have been better because of his little moment of courage.

Suddenly, the carriage they were traveling in stopped. A compartment in the front opened and the coachman looked inside.

"We're here, folks." He said before closing the little sliding piece.

Night Light caught the slight tightening of his daughter's hold on her book. His wife must have seen it too. She had immediately brought her a little closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't worry," she whispered to her little girl. "You've got this."

Twilight raised her head to give her mother a shaky smile and nod. She then looked over at her father who eagerly gave her a huge grin and two thumbs up. That seemed to ease her tenseness somewhat. The carriage driver then opened the door for them.

"This way out," he said. "The Princess awaits."

The three of them walked down the steps. The little girl was awestruck the moment she stepped outside. She had seen the castle many times in her life. It was hard not to given how large it was. Canterlot was already a large, imposing city. Hoisted upon the side of a mountain, it was the crown jewel city of the kingdom. So of course the castle would be just as grand as the rest of the large and imposing city.

The way the large castle was imposed over the city marked the strength of the kingdom. Never had Equestria fallen to an outside power. Never had the white city walls fallen when a threat came about. Of course, Canterlot wasn't as old as the kingdom. So it hadn't seen as many of the dangers the kingdom had faced but it was made by veterans and those that loved the kingdom. Every brick. Every spell. Every aspect of the place had been designed to show the strength and survivability of its people.

You couldn't look at the massive castle without feeling a sense of awe. It radiated power and it wasn't just because of the construction. Every Equestrian knew who resided there. The very center of the kingdom and its people. The heart of its culture and the goddess of the very sun that shone above them.

Princess Celestia.

Little Twilight Sparkle gulped as she shivered slightly. Being in front of the huge castle, knowing who she was supposed to meet, made her shiver in fear. She knew she shouldn't fear who was inside. The princess was very nice when they spoke and everyone loved her. She just didn't want to disappoint her. The issue with that is that she still didn't know what could get on her bad side.

She felt the hands of her parents on her shoulders. Looking up to her smiling parents, her nerves started to calm down. She gave a smile back. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Her parents had trust in her. If that was the case, she could do anything. She'd be the best student ever.

"You're the smartest little girl ever, Twilight." Night Light said, "Don't ever forget that."

"Now let's go find the princess and show her," Twilight Velvet said with a nod.

"I think I can help with that endeavor!" A loud, boisterous voice cried out to them.

The family turned their heads to see a small group of soldiers march up to them. The group of five, all wearing the standard golden armor of the Royal Guard, were led by an old, grizzled man. He had silver hair and a trimmed mustache on him. He was a head taller than the others and his plume of feathers, which every soldier had on their golden helmets, was purple instead of the usual red. It was a sign of a higher rank.

"I take it you are the family of our Princess's newest star pupil?" The older soldier said as they stopped before them, "I was told to come and collect you and bring you to the princess directly. Glad I came early or else you would have waited here for a while."

Night Light chuckled, "Well our family tends to like to be early to events. It gives us plenty of time to set up and get some things done beforehand."

The old soldier nodded, "Understandable, but where are my manners? I am Ironside, commander of the castle regiment."

Night Light's eyes widened slightly. He had heard tales of Ironside's family. They came from a long line of soldiers, each with incredible feats and heroic exploits to their name. To meet one so casually… then again, his daughter was going to be the princess's private pupil. Of course he'd meet some more well known and accomplished people of the kingdom.

Twilight Velvet bowed her head, "It's wonderful to meet you again."

"Back at you," Ironside said, chuckling as he did so. He wagged a finger at her, "I hope you've kept yourself out of trouble."

Twilight Velvet chuckled and waved her hand in front of herself, "I have been a very good girl. My husband can attest to that."

"I… can," Night Light looked a little confused.

He turned and gave his wife a raised eyebrow and she mouthed 'later'. He mentally shrugged. Perhaps it involved her writer friend A.K. Yearling. From the sound of it, they had been rather wild when they were younger. His wife sometimes showed that side of hers when they went on trips. He shivered, trying not to think about all the death defying stuff he had to do to make her happy. He loved his wife but sometimes she took her thrill seeking too far.

"Anyways," Ironside said as he motioned them to follow him, "I'll lead you right into the palace. It's pretty big so I don't want you getting lost. Happens every now and again."

---

Morning had arrived just on time this day. It did on pretty much every day. The solar monarch would accept nothing less for herself. After all, if she slept in, her precious subjects would start to freak out. She had dealt with a few cases like that very early in her reign. So she made sure to always get her beauty rest and a few spells to help with days she couldn't do that. It didn't help that she had to lower and raise the moon as well. So there was never a 'true' period to sleep.

If it wasn't her magical duties, it was her bureaucratic ones. She was the princess of the country. She had a duty to her people to attend and pass over laws or deny them. Both happened frequently, especially the latter from some of the rich snobs she had to put up with. It's why she silently begged for a vacation. Yet she knew that wasn't likely to happen any time soon.

So Princess Celestia simply used any moment she could to relax. Which was why she was humming to herself in her bedroom, combing her hair. Her long, multicolored hair that seemed to flow in the wind. There was no wind however in the room. It was simply a part of her magic. She didn't need to comb it. It was just a bit of a habit of hers to keep herself calm and collected.

The princess was every bit as beautiful as one could imagine. Probably more so. She was tall and well built. Her curves were large and in the right places, as was very evident now that she only wore a white bra and panties. Said bra was having trouble keeping her breasts in check. She could guess that's why some people would wax on about her being a 'fertility' figure.

If you were to say that to her face, she'd laugh and find it charming. If you said it in front of her guards, it was a surefire way to get a bruising. They were a very high strung bunch. That was even after she tried to soften their blows. It was cute but she didn't need anyone to look after her that fervently. At least, not anymore. Not after her many years of experience and honing of her powers.

So she felt like she could relax safely in her room without them holding her hands. Normally this would be enough for days like this. She had no real plans for the nobility or law makers of any sort. No delegations from other countries. Nothing. However, she had something else for today. A very special visitor that, for once, made her very happy.

Little Twilight Sparkle. The cutest little girl she had seen in a good while. That sure was saying something given the events she had to attend with family. Then again, most of those were snobbish, spoiled, or just kids too shy to say anything. It was nice to see a child be, well, a child. Her little hops of happiness were just golden. She'd cherish that for a good while. Seeing the smiles of her subjects was one of her greatest highlights about being a ruler.

It really helped that this girl had potential. A lot of potential. The likes that she had never seen before in a mortal girl. She was brimming with so much energy that Celestia pondered if she was secretly a god like herself. That was impossible and she quickly squashed that idea. A little bit of digging and it seemed she was just like Princess Cadance. A person with prospects beyond any normal person. Celestia had to look out for her, for Twilight's prospective future would no doubt shine brighter than Cadance's.

Possibly even her own.

She inwardly shook her head. That was getting too far ahead of herself. She would not make the same mistakes she made with Sunset. That hurt was too fresh to not have learned a thing from the experience. No. She would lead Twilight to her future. Perhaps after that, Celestia would finally get her vacation. One could only dream.

Maybe then she could finally find a little bit of happiness lost to her…

There was a knock at the door. Celestia looked on over, putting away her brush. Her little bout of inner thoughts could wait for another time.

"Yes?" She called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Ironside, Your Highness." A gruff voice called out, "I'm here with Twilight Sparkle."

Celestia smiled. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Instantly she was dressed in a fine, golden dress that did well to compliment her silky, light skin. She wasn't going to greet them in just her underwear. That would just be silly. Not like she hadn't done that before to mess with people but Twilight wasn't someone she'd mess with like that.

A few harmless pranks weren't out of the question, however. Gotta keep her on her toes.

"You may bring her in," she called out.

Her purple eyes tracked the little girl when she was allowed inside the room. She was nervously tugging on her backpack as she walked a few feet forward. Then she stopped, looking at the princess in awe. Celestia was used to that, but the little bit of fear made her want to scoop up the girl into a big hug. She did her best to resist that urge. Her mothering instincts were strong so that was a hard won battle.

"Twilight Sparkle," Celestia walked on over and had a seat near one of the tables. She gestured to the front of the finely carved, wooden table. "Have a seat."

Twilight nervously nodded and went over and did so. She hesitantly put her back pack on the table and started to tap on it, unsure of what to do. Celestia gave her the best calming smile she could muster. It did have an effect but not as great as she would have hoped.

"Now then," Celestia began, "I'm happy to see you are well."

Twilight nodded, "I am." She said in a small, shaky voice.

Celestia sighed slightly, "You don't have to be so nervous. It's quite alright. All we're going to do is chat. We'll start making a lesson plan the next time we meet."

"Chat?" Twilight looked at her with confusion, tilting her head in such a cute way that made her want to squeal. "About what?"

"Well about anything," Celestia said, "I'm happy to converse with such a smart little girl. So pick a topic and we can begin."

"Anything?"

Celestia nodded, "Anything."

Twilight was silent for a moment. Her eyes traveled the room hastily, unsure of what to talk about. Then she stopped and tilted her head as though she was curious. Celestia pondered if she had some Pegasus blood in her since they had a few bird quirks to their behavior. Of course, she might have picked it up from somewhere else too. The little girl lifted her arm to point at something.

"Who's that?" Twilight asked.

Celestia pondered on what she was talking about as she turned. She had plenty of portraits of past friends and important people in Equestria's history lying about. A quick way to remember the faces she once knew in life. However, as she stopped on the one Twilight was pointing at, her heart stopped. She knew that face all too well and it made her ache. Even after all this time, it was a very complicated feeling.

"Ah, him." Celestia gave a sad smile, "He was… a dear friend."

---

*Nearly a thousand years prior*

Even as young as she was, Celestia never overslept on her duties. As tempting as it was, the burden she bore meant that she couldn't linger in bed. No matter how much she wanted to. For this morning, she really wanted to. The covers covered up nearly her entire form. They were as messy as her hair and, well, the rest of the room as well. There was no care to it and everything was askew in some manner of form. Given how tightly she was in her blanket, you'd think she'd be trying to mimic the cocoon of a butterfly or moth.

She knew she had to get out of this position. It was time to raise the sun. Her one grand duty of Equestria as its monarch.

It's lone monarch.

The very thought sent tremors of remorse and pain through her body. It hadn't been long since she had banished her sister. Her fantastic and cute little sister who was so cute and shy as a child. Now, she was gone and the last memory of her was as a raving maniac. A corrupted form born of jealousy of her.

Celestia should rationalize this as her sister's fault. That's what she logically knew. Coming to the conclusion to encase the world in darkness was madness. It was right and just to send her away. It was just. It was what Luna, no, Nightmare Moon deserved. She had saved not just the young kingdom but the entire world. She should pat herself on the back and be done with it.

Life was never that simple. Her heart warred with her mind over it and it never ceased. Not even in her dreams could she get away from the agony of it all. This shouldn't have happened. This was her fault. She didn't deserve the admiration she was receiving from the Equestrians. Not one bit. She deserved their scorn for creating these circumstances in the first place. Yet they loved her all the same.

A wretch who couldn't even love her sister properly. That's how she felt and that's how it would stay in her mind forevermore. Not until she saw her sister again and fixed this. She didn't know when that would happen but she'd at least survive until then. She owed her sister that much. She didn't know how she'd fix it.

Her hand idly moved up to her hair. What once was pink was now a rainbow of colors. A memento of her 'great deed'. A showcase to the world of what she had lost. For not only did she lose her sister, but a connection to the Elements of Harmony as well. How was she supposed to keep Equestria safe without them? The one major trick that could defeat any foe she faced. The world without such a weapon was… unthinkable.

Maybe that's why she lost the connection to it. Why she wasn't able to use it to free her sister. She had thought of it as a weapon. Something to smash the problem when it got out of hand. It made her want to cry. Her sister didn't deserve a weapon turned on her and the Elements must have known that. Why else were they gone?

Princess Celestia needed to wake up and raise the sun. The Princess of Equestria needed to greet her subjects and let them know everything was alright. They wanted stability. They needed someone strong to show up before them. To lead them out of the darkness and into the light.

Just regular Celestia just wanted to stay in the bed, curl up, and cry until she couldn't anymore. That's all the regular girl wanted. However, she wasn't a regular girl. An Alicorn was what she was. With large, white wings on her back and pointed ears. Her body was as strong as an Earth. She was all three tribes combined into the ultimate package.

She just wished she was able to make use of that fact.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. In walked an elderly man with a blue robe and cap that was littered with white stars. His long white beard made it almost down to the middle of his chest. If one were to look at him as a passerby, you'd think he was kind of silly for dressing like that. Probably just an addled man who wasn't a threat to anyone. You'd be dead wrong. This was Starswirl the Bearded, the greatest Elf in the land. HIs magic was next to none and even her, an Alicorn, would have trouble in a magic duel if push came to shove.

Their training sessions taught her that much, she thought with a shiver.

"Rise and shine," he shouted before glaring at the bed, "Is what I would say if the bloody sun was up and about. Seems someone wants to loaf around instead of doing their job."

Celestia groaned and shifted to face away from the old man.

Starswirl flicked a finger and Celestia yelped as she was flung out of bed. She was thankfully wearing a gray robe around her form or else that would have been embarrassing. Well more embarrassing than it already was. The pain of hitting the floor was slight but nothing to really note with her durability.

"I raised a woman who could do her duty," he growled, "Not a coward who sleeps the day away. Get up and get properly dressed, or at the very least raise the sun."

Celestia moaned in despair as she pushed herself up to her feet. She glared at her old mentor, "Why don't you do it? You're strong enough."

"Ha," Starswirl said, "Even I have no affinity for it. You and I both know that. So get off that huge bum of yours and do what your Cutie Mark says of you."

Celestia blushed, "D-Don't talk about my butt like that. It's not huge!"

"Lay off the sweets and you'll fix that."

"NEVER!"

A known fact about Alicorns is that they had a loud voice. It was generally known as the Alicorn Voice, although some, notably Celestia, wanted to change that name. It felt too plain and demeaning. The voice itself was rather powerful and could very well shake a place to its core. Such as with her own room, which shook as though an Earthquake had hit the place.

Starswirl hadn't moved an inch. He simply stared at her impassively, "Quick to anger, eh? Bad for business, that is. You won't play the act of a proper princess with that sort of attitude."

Celestia gritted her teeth, "Maybe I don't want to, hmm? Ever thought of that?"

"I have," Starswirl said, causing Celestia to gasp in surprise. He had never been blunt about it like that before, "But each time I do, I know it would be wrong."

He sighed as he paused. A hand came up to his forehead to rub it, no doubt having a slight headache. Whether from her voice or actions, she didn't know. Probably a bit of both. He tended to have a lot of headaches around her and… well just her now.

"Celestia," he started, "I know it wasn't that long ago but we can't keep doing this. You are a princess now. The sole princess. Everyone looks to you for guidance."

"...I'm not good with that," Celestia looks away as she says that, "I can't guide anyone. You saw what happened-"

"That wasn't fully your fault," Starswirl cut her off, glaring at her when he did so. "Part of it is mine and the other fault lays on the head of the subjects. They chose who they supported. You could do nothing about it."

Celestia said nothing. She knew he was right but at the same time, it didn't feel that way. A small part of her knew that the blame lay at her feet. She couldn't deny that sick feeling that welled up inside her because of it. A sad excuse of a princess she was.

"Please stop with the pity party," Starswirl grunted, "It will get us nowhere."

"I am no-"

"I have lost one pupil to their dark thoughts," Starswirl said, stomping on the ground to emphasize his point. A small, magical boom spooked her into jumping back in fright. "I will not lose another. Either push them aside or smash them against me. You are not to keep it bottled up like what befell your sister. I will not allow it."

"Fine," Celestia scowled. She walked past him, "I'll raise the sun. Happy?"

"I can't remember the last time I was happy," he muttered, "I think you should think of the last time you were instead."

"... So why aren't you coming with me down south?" She asked, shifting away from him further.

"Changing the topic, are we?" Starswirl said. He sighed and stroked his beard, "Normally I would, but there was a book that was stolen from me. I intend to find it. I picked up the trail of the thieves heading west."

"What sort of book?" She turned her head to look at him. Starswirl had a vast collection of magical items and scrolls. Many of which contained vast amounts of potential. No doubt if someone stole from him, then it was bad news indeed.

"Nothing to concern yourself with yet," Starswirl said, "Once I get it, I think I can show you the pet project I have in store for us."

"And that would be?"

Starswirl just gave her an aggravating smirk, "It's a secret~"

"Joy," Celestia groaned. If Starswirl wasn't being completely serious, he acted like a troll. She made sure to never be like that in the future for it was the most irritating thing to experience.

"Also you need to get out of your pajamas," Starswirl pointed out.

Celestia groaned again and snapped her fingers. Her custom made white toga shimmied onto her form to replace her old one. Custom made since, well, she was rather large. Not just in height but in bust and hips sizes too. She had gotten used to the stares there. Her earlier pride in it was a bit curbed these days.

"Let's just get this over with."

---

The town of Goldshire was a place in a precarious position. It wasn't a large town. There was maybe a thousand people, if that, that dwelled in the place. There weren't any valuables or really anything of note within the place. No, the most important fact about it was its location. It was right dab next to the Griffon Empire. An expanding territory that had clashed with the three tribes, most notably the pegasi, many times beforehand.

Equestria itself had never fought against them. In fact, they hadn't fought a war since their unification. The alliance was still new between the three tribes, so a war wasn't something anyone wanted. Even with the added numbers and coordination, everything was shaky. The griffons were a different story. They were united as one people and had a strong foundation of a military. Their king was effective and seemed to be able to curb the nastier side of his people. Which meant Equestria had little to exploit. They could only hope that the two nations could get along.

The three hundred and fifty soldiers stationed just outside the town didn't have high hopes for that. They were mostly Earths, those without pointed ears of the elves or wings of the pegasi. They instead had their super strength and connection to the earth itself. Hence the name of their kind. The soldiers got along well enough so the mixing wasn't an issue. They just didn't trust they had enough to repel any griffon attack. Which was why they were so antsy. The only thing keeping them at all calm was a combination of training and a 'field' of magic that had been set up around the area.

It, in theory, should keep out any attacks. However, it was new, untested and the casters weren't the strongest they could ask for. It was at least something. Something was better then nothing and it helped keep the soldiers and especially the town folks at ease.

Which meant they had nothing to do. Which, to a soldier, wasn't out of the ordinary. It just plain sucked though.

"So I heard the princess is coming," one of the soldiers said as they sat at a mess table.

"How beautiful do you think she really is?" Another said, "'Cause I heard she's prettier than any woman on the planet."

"Nah, she can't be that gorgeous." A third soldier said as she sipped from her cup, "It's probably just horny guys without anything else to do but stare at ass all day. I'm prettier than her, no doubt."

The other two soldiers chuckled at that. They stopped when she glared at them. Her fingers flexed over her stone cup.

"Got something to say to me?" She said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Maybe you should put your money where your mouth is," the braver, or stupider depending on your viewpoint, of the other two said. "Ten bits say she's the most gorgeous person in the land."

"Ten bits says she's as ugly as a goat," the female soldier smirked, "I'll be taking those bits."

"What's this all now?" An old and gruff voice said.

The three gulped, their conversation dead in their tracks. They turned their heads to see the largest man in the camp. He was clearly over six feet tall and built like a brick wall. His skin was covered in scars from countless battles, yet none of them seemed to phase him as he moved around. His hair was silvery gray and his eyes a piercing yellow. This was Old Ironside, one of the most experienced soldiers in the kingdom. He had been placed here in command of this territory. No one with a working mind would want to cross him.

"Nothing, sir." One of the soldiers quickly said.

"Yeah," the female soldier laughed nervously, "We were just smack talking to each other. You know, the usual."

"I heard you mentioned the princess," Old Ironside narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, "Care to explain what it was about? I think I'd like to know what my soldiers have to say about our fair ruler."

"She's wonderful."

"Magnificent."

"So pretty!"

They all hurried to say something as the old soldier watched on. He sighed and shook his head, "You young ones really need to get your minds out of the gutter. Carry on but keep any such talk out of earshot of the princess when she arrives. There will be consequences if you do. Understand soldiers?"

They all gulped and hastily nodded. A collective sigh of relief was let out as he walked away. They shivered in fear of what could have happened. Old Ironside had a nasty reputation. Of course, it was mostly with the enemy that he turned his ire, but they had heard stories about his deeds to his own soldiers. It was probably just hearsay to scare recruits but they didn't want to take any chance.

"Scary." Was all they muttered.

---

Of course, that wasn't the only scary thing to be worried about. For not less than a day's march away was a small Griffon army. This wasn't anything unusual. The Griffons and Equestrians had always had skirmishes on the border. At the very least, they knew to station some troops there in case someone got antsy or wanted a little more territory. It came with the idea of a growing nation. It was nothing personal. Well, maybe it was a little personal.

A typical griffon looked similar to a pegasi except for their more bird-like legs. They also tended to be a little taller on average. Which meant they had some strength that the pegasi lacked. Of course, the pegasi nation were trained soldiers on par with them so this advantage wasn't too severe. It led to many glorious battles over the centuries. That being said, that was when they were a disunited band.

Now they were a powerful nation. Led by the mighty King Gurd, son of King Grover the Unifier. King Gurd had been able to expand the empire past even the borders set by Grover after the unification conflicts. Now some of those under him had their eyes on the lands of the newly formed nation of Equestria. The King had been hesitant. It wasn't known how strong the new nation was. Now that all the Equestrian tribes were together, this meant they could pull tricks a single tribe couldn't before. Which meant a conflict could spell disaster for the Griffon Empire.

Yet a newly formed nation built on the backs of tribes that hated each other not long ago would have cracks. Cracks they could exploit. The pros and cons had been weighed and in a normal situation, the cons outweigh the pros. So they would wait and see.

So one thousand and two hundred griffons waited with baited breath for any news. The common soldiers had been told to be ready to march. They weren't sure in which direction, however. Most of them were eager to move north into Equestria. Some were hesitant, like those back home warning of the possible dangers.

The only one who knew for certain where they were going was the commander of this small army. He was an older and grizzled man. His head was completely bald under his green, ornate helmet. He had his hands behind his back as he waited for any sort of news on what to do. He had been expecting company but as he idly looked at the clock, they were certainly late. That was never a good sign.

As quickly as that thought came to him, there was a sudden 'blip' in the room. He turned to see not a griffon sorcerer, but an elf. Most griffons would jump at the chance to kill one if they could. He wasn't one of those haphazard idiots. Not just because one should be wary of a magic user, but because this one had the info he needed.

"You took your time to get here," the griffon commander said.

"My apologies, Commander Greer." The elf bowed his head, "I had to go somewhere farther away from town to teleport. I didn't want to get detected in the new barrier."

"Smart," Commander Greer said, "Now give me your report."

"The princess will arrive by the end of the day," the elf said. "They should be lowering the shield during that time. The garrison there is mostly lax so we don't have to worry about stiff resistance."

"Good," Commander Greer nodded, thankful that he had listened to these elves earlier. If he pulled off this attack, they would gain a powerful bargaining chip. "And I assume that the wizard won't be with Princess Celestia?"

"He will be a ways off," the elf said with a smirk. "If all goes well, he won't know until it's already too late."

"And your agents inside?" The Commander narrowed his eyes.

"All ready to weaken any defense they can muster," the elf said. "Don't worry. We shall not fail you."

"I always worry," Commander Greer huffed, "It's why I'm still alive. Should I not worry about my back being exposed to a possible threat? You betrayed your own kind. Why should you not do the same to mine?"

"Because we hate this alliance as much as you do," the elf snarled. "Earths and pegasi should not mix with us. The town is an Earth one so you can have it. The elves who die today will be mourned, but the rest will see that we can't rely on the others. Especially not to rely on a 'alicorn'. We'll be gaining a trump card through her, you and I. Both of our kinds will prosper once we convince those in command of our people the wisdom of this choice."

"See that you do," Commander Greer said firmly, "Just keep to your side of the bargain and all should go well."

"All shall go well indeed," the elf bowed and then disappeared.

Commander Greer sighed. Trust an elf, or any Equestrian at all, went against his own set of rules. They were the enemy. Yet sometimes an enemy can be an ally in strange times. These were certainly strange times indeed. He just hoped whatever 'trump card' these elves got out of this was equal to their own. Else he might have to consider severing ties with these traitors.

---

Princess Celestia couldn't help but frown as she rode through the land. Carriage rides were always so boring, especially when she went alone. Even if he got under skin now and again, at least her mentor Starswirl was someone she could talk to. Maybe bounce off ideas or at least something. Right now, she had nothing. Just a couple dozen guards to keep her safe. She huffed. She had fought monsters. She didn't need guards but she let them have their fun. She'd show them if a real danger came to face them.

Besides, why should they guard a failure?

She shook her head, dismissing that thought. Going down that pathway would lead to a trainwreck. She didn't need to do that again this day. She had been on the road for a good while. Perhaps being alone with just her thoughts wasn't exactly healthy. Then again, the guards wouldn't be much help either. They usually were silent or just praised her. Nothing in the middle. Perhaps being the equivalent to a goddess wasn't all it cracked up to be.

"We'll be in the town shortly," a guard said.

"Thank goodness," Celestia muttered.

She wasn't really on board with going to this place. Apparently they wanted to use her as a morale booster. To go see troops on the boarder to lift their spirits. To show that Equestria wasn't afraid of the griffons. She was thankful that this trip would, at least initially, be kept on the downlow. They didn't want to tip off when and where she'd be. Once she was done, it would be released across Equestria. Another shining example of their perfect monarch.

What a load of lies.

She shook her head. Again, it wouldn't be healthy to continue down that pathway. She stuck out her head from the carriage's window. They were getting out from the treeline and the small town was coming into view. It was a quant place. She hadn't been to a small town since she was a small child. Back then, she and her sister had been kept out of the public eye. Not just because some might use them but also in case a monster tried to attack. Of course, they had to go into the spotlight when Discord took over. That wretch needed to be stopped but alas, there went their peaceful life.

Maybe it would have been better if she and her sister stayed hidden.

There was no use in thinking about it now. What was done was done. It was for the best they had emerged. Discord needed to be stopped and Equestria needed someone to help out with things. She just wish… things went better.

She watched as a few horse riders rode up to the carriage. The largest man waved to them as they got closer. He looked old and grizzled. Well at least she knew she'd have someone experienced around to keep an eye on things. That was always helpful. Maybe she could give him the responsibility of looking into the troops here and get some good rest.

"Hail men and women of the guard," the old man shouted, "Hail Princess Celestia, may she forever reign."

"Don't want that," she muttered to herself quietly.

"Hail and well met, Commander Old Ironside." A soldier shouted back, "We are glad to see you out and about."

"As am I," the old soldier said, gesturing for them to follow. "Come, we've got everything prepared."

It didn't take them too long to ride into town. Princess Celestia heard the cheers from inside the carriage once they made it inside. She sighed. A part of her just wanted to stay inside. She didn't need to interact with them. Well she did, actually. It's just that she felt so hurt doing so. They loved her. Cheered for her. No doubt they'd give her gifts up to her neck high. All for a princess who failed her sister.

She sighed. As much as she didn't like it, she had a duty to them. She'd smile and wave. Be the best and prettiest princess they could ask for. They deserved at least a nice grin. Acknowledgement for their deeds. They were the true heroes of this, persevering even when she faltered. She stuck out her head and waved, causing the cheering people to get louder and louder. Her pointed ears flicked slightly backwards from how loud it was.

The carriage stopped and the door opened. One of the soldiers lent out a hand. She took it as she descended the steps. The guards stationed in this area bowed deeply, as did the citizens. Celestia really fought hard to keep her smile going while seeing that. As well as not throwing up given how sick she felt with the praise.

"It is our delight to see you," the old soldier said. "I am Command Old Ironside. I will do my best to make sure your stay here is wonderful."

"Old Ironside?" Princess Celestia quirked an eyebrow, "The one I have heard about?"

"The very one," he chuckled.

It was impossible not to have heard about him. He had fought basically everyone: from other Equestrian tribes, griffons, dragons, etc. Name an enemy of an Equestrian and he had fought and killed one. It was impressive and the scars abound on his viewable skin told of those stories. He truly did deserve the praise he got from everyone in the kingdom.

More so then she did.

"I'd be more than happy to escort you to the barracks," Old Ironside said, "But first, I think a trip to the center of town is in order. The people here have been dying to welcome you with open arms."

Princess Celestia chuckled nervously, "You don't have to do that. I won't be here that long after all. So you all can just save it for something more worthy to celebrate."

"There isn't anything greater than our princess," Old Ironside said so fervently that Celestia felt like someone punched her gut.

"Lovely," she said with a forced smile.

"Now then," he said, moving to lead her on. He gestured to the large building before them. Well, large in comparison to the rest of the small houses around. She'd seen plenty larger in her travels, "How about we talk with the mayor."

"That would be nice," Celestia said, hoping she could convince the mayor to cut this visit short. How to phrase it without sounding insulting would be a challenge. She'd try and meet that challenge as best as she reasonably could.

Before she could do that, an elf walked out from the main door. He was wearing purple ropes and a sash that covered his eyes. She pondered for a second if he was the mayor. As she looked to Old Ironside to ask this, she saw him look rather confused. A bit on edge, if she had to say given his shifted stance.

"I don't remember your face," Old Ironside said, "Or from what I can see of it. Who are you?"

"A loyal man to his people," the elf said, "Unlike you barbarians."

"Alright," Old Ironside pulled his sword from his side. Several other soldiers hefted their weapons or started to mutter a spell under their breath, "The joke's run its course. What are you doing here?"

"We only want her," he pointed to Celestia, "Everyone else will be spared by us if you do so. It will get complicated if you resist."

"Then how about we get complicated," Old Ironside responded, "There's no damn way we're going to hand the princess over to someone like you."

The elf smirked, "Of course you'd say that. All you Earths are far too thick headed to think of anything rational. Why, I bet if I cracked open your skull, mud would pour out."

"Trying to rile me up won't work," Commander Old Ironside said, "So how about you come down and face me like a 'loyal man' you claimed to be."

"I'd rather stay up here for a moment," the elf said with a yawn, looking at his fingers as though they were more interesting and worth his time. "How about you try and kill me now instead, barbarian. It's what you're good at. At least, I'd hope so or else this will get boring real fast."

Commander Old Ironside lifted his sword. HIs mouth opened up as he prepared to give the order. It never came. Instead, one of the allied elves cast her spell too early. It never struck the enemy nor was it meant to. Instead, it sent everyone flying. They tumbled along the ground, struck buildings, or hurled through the air for a distance. Not even Princess Celestia herself was spared.

Thankfully she caught herself with her wings. She fluttered back to her feet, shaking her head as she did her best to stop the ringing. The blast seemed to be good at disorienting her alongside the initial hit. She put a hand to her head and it started to glow. A healing sensation went over her as she could see straight again. She grinned. Now she could turn the tide.

Unfortunately for her, the enemy wasn't going to let her. One of the enemy mages appeared before her and shot a point blank attack right into her center. Her breath was ripped out of her lungs as she was sent further down the road. She skidded along before coming to a stop. She gritted her teeth as she started to push herself up. Then she let out an 'ooph' as the elf slammed a foot into his stomach.

"Such a waste of space," the elf said, "You're lucky we need you alive or I'd kill you now. The world would be better without such a miserable creature like you."

That stung. It hurt worse when she couldn't deny that claim. Perhaps that's why a bit of the fight went out of her. Perhaps he should kill her and be done with it. It would make up for her mistake. Luna would-

The elf turned to block a sword strike with a magically formed shield. Old Ironside scowled as he was pushed back. The elf smirked, ready to kill the Earth where he stood with a well placed magic spell. Old Ironside was ready for it. He had plenty of years of fighting elves and other magic users.

Of course, this time he wouldn't have to. Seeing one of her soldiers fight against the elf had reinvigorated her. She lifted a hand and a golden bolt smashed into the elf. He went flying into the air like a ragdoll. Up and over the buildings he went, no doubt slamming somewhere else in town. That wasn't her concern right now.

Old Ironside quickly went over to help her up. His rough hands hefted the princess to her feet. He gave her a short once over to make sure she wasn't hurt and sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness I got here in time," he said, "Now let's get you out of here."

Suddenly they heard a scream of pain. They turned to see one of their own fall to the ground with a spear through his chest. A cry of triumph was heard up above and they looked to the source. A griffon soldier was flying there before he started to swoop down to the ground. An arrow to the neck downed him permanently. Unfortunately, more griffons appeared. The enemy soldiers seemed to be backing the traitor elves.

"Damnit," Old Ironside said, "Traitors and griffon? Together? We don't have the numbers to fight that. We need to leave town, princess."

"Where would we go?" Princess Celestia started to panic as the situation was clear to her now.

"The forest is our only hope," Old Ironside said, "I'd ask you to teleport there but we don't know if they have any troops stationed in that direction. However, it's our best spot to hide so we'll gather who we can and run."

"But we can't get everyone," Celestia said, "There's too many people leaving here to escape."

"You're the one who's important, princess." Old Ironside said without a doubt in his voice, "Everyone else isn't you."

"Well they should mean more then me," Celestia said, "Let's go-"

"Get down," he shouted and pushed her to the ground. A bolt of magic passed where they were standing, "We'll talk while we run. So get up," he swiftly grabbed her and pulled her along.

Princess Celestia hadn't been pulled along like this since she was a child. A small, helpless child. Yet that's how she felt as she ran away with the old soldier. A stupid child who couldn't protect her people. She knew that was silly but a part of her wanted to go and fight. To show them that she wasn't useless. The wise part of her knew that running was the better option. They knew she was going to be here. Of course they'd have ways of dealing with her powers. They'd be stupid not to.

Two griffon soldiers ran forward through the alleyway they had been running in. They charged with spears in hand. A murderous cry escaped their lips as they did so, hoping to spill Equestrian blood. Old Ironside was too old to fall for a simple charge. He let go of the Princess's hand. His sword batted one spear to the side as he turned and grabbed the other.

He pulled backwards, causing the soldier to stumble. He used that moment to step forward, cutting right through the griffon's neck. A gurgle was all that was heard before he fell. The other griffon smacked the side of his spear into Old Ironside's, well, side. However he wasn't named Ironside for nothing. He took it like a champ and struck. One of the griffon's hands was severed as he hit a weak point.

The griffon dropped his weapon and cried out in pain before he was stabbed right through the side, where his armor was weakest. He gasped before falling over. Old Ironside must have hit his heart for such a quick death.

Princess Celestia wasn't unused to battles. It just had been a good while and she admitted it, her current mindset was a limitation to her abilities. Still, it was nice to see she had a capable soldier to watch her back. Her eyes widened as a small flock of seven griffons flew overhead. They were bowmen, ready and willing to kill without hesitation. Her eyes glowed soft gold as the magic took a hold of them. The alicorn swiftly slammed them into the ground hard enough that she could hear bones cracking. She wasn't sure if they were dead or not but this gave them the opportunity to run.

"Good work," Old Ironside said as they kept going, "We're almost to one of her designated checkpoints. No doubt some of the others have hold up there."

"They have, but you won't meet them."

The cold voice was accompanied by a bright light that filled the area. Ironside had to cover his eyes as he was temporarily blinded by it. Celestia was more used to such lights but it still gave her pause. For a moment, all she could see was that light. It would soon pass.

The moment was still her undoing. Three mages teleported in a triangle formation around her. One of them had thrown a metal rope at her arm. It hit and as by magic, quickly shot out and wrapped around the other arm. Celestia could only look in disbelief as they clasped together. She tried to magic herself out of them but the orbs at the end of the rope seemed to siphon the magic away. She cursed under her breath. Of course they'd find some anti-magic restraints.

She opened up her wings to fly but the mage behind her slammed a spell into her back which sent her reeling forward. Another magic rope was sent flying her way and then another. One for her legs and arms. So by the time she had fallen to the ground, she was helpless.

"We've got her," one of them said, standing over the lone Alicorn.

"Get away from her, you bastards." Old Ironside shouted as he made his way over, sword at the ready.

He never got to them in time. They teleported away, leaving Old Ironside alone and without his princess he had sworn to protect. He gave out a yell of frustration. Anger getting the better of him as more enemies appeared. He'd get through them and find the princess, even if it was the last thing he did. He swore by the country and people he loved.

---

Celestia smashed into the ground hard. She ground her teeth to stop the pain, which wasn't helped when one of the mages kicked her in the sternum. She glared up at the man, wishing he'd just drop dead. Given his look of contempt, he thought the same of her. Not the most ideal encounter if she had to say so. In fact, this was all new to her.

She had never fought other Equestrians before. Well, aside from her sister… but that wasn't here nor there. For all her life, she was meant to protect them. So to have them try and kill her and others around her made her heart ache as did her head. It just didn't make any sense. Why would they not want to be unified? Maybe it was her alone that caused them to get angry.

Of course, she pondered further. She wasn't dead. So she was wrong about them wanting her head on a platter. At least for now. Hopefully this wasn't meant for a ritualistic killing or someone just pettily wanting to see her die before their eyes. Perhaps they wanted her power instead. She'd scoff if they tried to reason with her. After today, she wouldn't agree to help them for anything. Not even her life. Then again, her enemies aren't stupid. At least she thought they weren't. No doubt they had something up their sleeve.

"Well now," a fourth mage, the one from earlier, stepped forward. "Isn't this wonderful? Everything is in place as it should be."

Celestia couldn't help but look around her. The room was dimly lit with just candles to light them. Floating candles, mind you. A waste of magic but they no doubt wanted to show off a little. Either that or they thought it was spooky. Either way, she didn't care for that. What caught her interest was the large diagram on the floor. It was glowing red, indicating the power running through it. The slow pulses along the lines of the circle and pattern within made her nervous. What sort of spell were they planning to set off?

"You see, princess." He spat out the last word, "Equestria should be ruled by us, the elves. Not the Earths. Not the Pegasi. They should never stand to be our equals as you and the others preach. You bring us down. Weaken us. No more. We shall take our pride back and make you and everyone else rue the day you took the new lands from our sole hands."

"So this is what this was about?" Celestia scowled, "You can't stand the thought of other races being your equal. How 'honorable'. I expected something a little more from-"

A magic ball slammed into her head. It didn't kill her, but it pushed her skull down onto the ground hard enough to make her head ring. A gasp of pain escaped her lips.

"You disgusting hybrid," the man snarled, "You dare criticize us when you are the literal embodiment of that dystopian ideal? If we didn't need you as a living battery, I would have killed you right then and there."

"So you want to use me," she said, getting her bearings again. "Like you're using the griffons."

"They are a means to an end," the elven man said with confidence. "We both benefit from this. Our lands are too far north for them to attack us without going through the Earth lands. No doubt the pegasi will attack them as well. Meaning they can kill each other to their hearts content while we expand our borders."

"Our 'brave'," Celestia scoffed.

"It's called being smart," the man said before he picked off a knife from the table, "Which is why this spell is almost complete. All I need is your blood and I'll chant the incantation."

"Do your worst."

"I intend to," he said as he moved on over. He leaned down to slash across her cheek, ignoring her pained groans. He then turned around and splashed the blood onto the diagram. It immediately glowed brighter as the edges of the circle started to rise up. The man raised his hands and closed his eyes.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let [faction color] be the color I pay tribute to.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close."

It sounded like gibberish to Celestia's ears but somehow it was working. The energy was starting to rotate. It was getting faster and faster, answering whatever spell he was incantating.

"Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth."

He was summoning something? A monster? That could be the only explanation for this. That answer made her heart tighten. What sort of creature could they want that they needed her blood for? Her energy? It made her quiver in fear.

"An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.

From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

Just like that, the room exploded in a foreign light. This time she couldn't just shield it out or deal with it. She guessed some type of magic she wasn't aware of was involved. The moment she did, her eyes widened. For it wasn't a monster that stood within the summoning circle. Not one bit.

He was a young man, from what she could tell. Not the tallest but his statue denoted his ranking as someone to take seriously. As did his clothes. He wore black and purple stained clothes that went down his legs in a long skirt of sorts. Of course, his right arm and chest were bare of these colors. Instead they bore a simple white to them. He wore simple black shoes, although they seemed foreign to her. Maybe from some of the eastern tribes. Which his outfit also looked like too, now that she thought about it.

The strange man carried a sword in one hand. A warrior, no doubt he was. Of course the elven mages wouldn't summon anything less than a battle hardened fighter. She couldn't see much else since he wasn't looking at her directly, although he was wearing a strange, golden mask of some type.

"YES!" The elven man that had talked to her before cried out in jubilee. "It worked. I knew stealing from that old coot would do us wonders."

"I take it, you are my master?" The strange man had such a relaxing voice that made her heart flutter. She shouldn't think of it like that, she inwardly shook her head.

"Yes," the man raised his hand, noting there were three marks on it. "I am. You are to obey me without question. Understand?"

The strange man said nothing. Instead he turned to her. She could see the mask more clearly now, like the large purple gem in the middle forehead. Yet that wasn't what drew her in. It was his eyes. His beautiful, light blue eyes. She couldn't help but feel like she'd get lost in them. Like she needed to write a long poem to describe how she loved those jewels. They were perfect for his petite frame. Oh she wanted to see the rest of his face.

No. She scowled. He was an enemy. It didn't matter if she found him attractive. She had to treat him as such. So she just glared at the new person.

"Do your worst, monster."

"Master," the newcomer said, "Why is she tied up?"

"She is your battery," the man explained to him, "Use her to your hearts content. With her, you can do… whatever you servants do. Just so long as you do as I say, we shall win this day and grant my people a future to remember!"

"Has she done something to earn her place here?" The newcomer asked.

"She is a filthy, disgusting hybrid that mocks the very order of the world." The man raved in fury, pointing at her as though she was garbage. "I'd have killed her if we didn't need her. So don't think on her well. Just fight as I tell you and we'll do well."

The newcomer said nothing. He simply closed his eyes.

"Now that we understand each other, let's-"

"I am the Prince of Lanling," he said confidently, "I am of the Saber class."

"Well good for you," the man waved him off, "But it doesn't matter what class you are. There's only one of you anyways. You can fight against any mortal and win with these conditions."

"You're right," Prince of Lanling said with a nod, "I can win any fight. Such as this one that my heart tells me to fight."

Everyone blinked in confusion as he drew his sword. The man who commanded him wanted to raise the alarm but his hand with the red markings was cut off. He didn't have time to think about it as the Saber servant slammed a foot into his chest. He was smashed right into the wall, knocking him out.

The others didn't fare better. He was already on one, cutting off an arm before doing the same to his head. The one beside that one moved around to attack but a sword was stabbed right through his heart, ending him instantly. The Saber servant side stepped a spell meant for his head with ease and closed the distance with the last mage, stabbing him clear through the chest.

It all happened so quickly that Celestia had barely any time to process it. She blinked a few times before the man nodded. He grabbed a cloth and quickly wiped the blood away from his weapon before sheathing it. Then, strangely and grossly, he picked up the severed hand. The stranger wrapped it in a cloth and put it into his side as did he with his sword. He turned to her and her heart stopped. He had killed all of those people in cold blood and so efficiently too. Yes they were awful and deserved it but still. She wanted to escape but she couldn't do anything in this situation.

She was completely at his mercy.

The blade never came down on her. She looked at him in shock before she saw his eyes. He was concerned. For her. Perhaps that made his attack make a bit more sense. No doubt the men here had summoned someone with a bit more class and morals then they did. She wanted to laugh at the thought. It served them right. Karmic justice.

"Let me get you out of that," he said before standing up. He slashed three times and in quick motion, her bonds were broken. Then he gently picked her up.

Celestia couldn't help but note how small he was compared to her. He barely came up to her chest. It was honestly kind of cute, which just added to his appeal. She would have thanked the stars above if it were under any other circumstance about meeting such a lovely man. Then again, it was because of meeting him here that she was free. So perhaps she should thank them anyway. She always did like having an excuse to look up at the night sky…

"Can you walk?" He calmly asked, making her heart skip a beat.

He was so close. So cute. She just wanted to hug and kiss her little savior. She blushed and shook her head, confusing him. She would answer him truthfully. She was very able to walk so he didn't need to-

"Eeep!"

She squealed as he picked her up in a princess carry. Her entire face was blushing red. She couldn't believe it. She was probably twice his weight, not that she was fat. She just was tall and… all the right plush in the right areas. Yet he was able to easily carry her like she weighed nothing. He even smiled at her, which she nearly passed out from.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," he said, "So relax. I'll get you out of here safely. That I promise to you."

"...Okay." She said in a soft voice, too busy trying to fight her blush.

She was losing. Badly.

He calmly walked her out of the building. She was a bit surprised when there was no one outside. She guessed they were too confident in themselves so they hadn't put up any defenses. Idiots. Then again, she wouldn't complain about her enemies being a bit of an overconfident idiot when it benefited her. No, she loved fighting idiots.

Especially when that meant she got to be saved by her cute warrior. Sure he had killed people but they had deserved it. She wouldn't mourn them like she mourned her own soldiers. She hoped they were able to escape with the civilians.

A spear landing in front of them stopped their progress.

"Halt," a griffon soldier said.

Ten of them landed, forming a circle around them. Another six stayed airborne, seemingly just in case Celestia tried anything. Darn it. She had hoped they'd be a bit more stupid. It seems the universe had heard her inner bragging and wanted to punish her. She got it, universe. She sucked. It didn't need to rub it in.

She could be punished later but not now.

"Give us the Princess and you may go free," one of the griffon soldiers said.

"I honestly don't believe you," the Prince of Lanling said, "I've heard that before and it always is just a hollow phrase."

"Do you wish to die here, stranger?" The soldier asked, "You are no doubt not from around here. You may not even be of this country. Why throw your life away for someone you've never met? A people that aren't your own?"

"I do what I think is right," the Prince of Lanling said as he gently put Celestia down. He then drew his sword, "If that means I must protect this beautiful maiden, then I must."

Princess Celestia's heart nearly ripped itself out of her chest. That sounded exactly like from one of those elvish romance books she used to read all the time as a kid. Why did he have to keep being so lovely? It was just so unfair. She was going to die from his wonderfulness before an enemy blade even touched her. At the very least, it sounded like a nice way to go.

The griffon soldier laughed and motioned for the others to move away. He drew his sword, "Then I'll see if you're all talk."

With that said, he rushed forward. HIs powerful wings propelling him at speeds a normal person would have a hard time fighting again. It was a trick most pegasi and griffon learned when fighting on the ground. A nice and easy way to close the distance and strike.

Unfortunately for him, the Prince of Lanling was no ordinary man. He was a Saber class servant. Which meant he was amongst the most adept classes in close combat. Unless you were a man of legends, it wasn't feasible to fight against a servant at all. The man before him was no man of legend.

The Prince of Lanling easily sidestepped the fighter and moved his sword. It swept through the air and his neck. The body and head tumbled about as the momentum kept them going for a while. The rest of the soldiers stood still in silence. The swiftness of the kill made it hard to register at first. Celestia knew that this wouldn't last long. The Prince of Lanling was strong. Her noble knight in a cool outfit but he wasn't invincible.

Or maybe he was. She wasn't really caught up on what a servant was and what they could do. However, she wasn't going to find out the hard way. As the soldiers got their bearings from watching such an easy dispatching of one of their own, Celestia grabbed the Saber and spread her wings. With one mighty beat, she sent the pair soaring into the sky.

"Get them!" A roaring voice shouted from the top of their lungs behind them.

She was once again thankful for all the traits she had inherited from all three tribes. For strength and flight she was most thankful for at the moment. Strength that allowed her to easily carry her savior with her, although he was pretty light anyways. For Flight even more so since her large, majestic wings allowed her to soar through the air faster than any flier could hope to match outside of some dragons.

"After them," a griffon shouted, "Go faster!"

Celestia panicked and tried to fly quickly. She slightly winced. She hadn't noticed at first but her wings were still sore from being captured. Perhaps they were injured or cramped, something. She just wasn't flying as fast as she usually did. She glanced backwards and her heart dropped. A couple of griffons were starting to close in. They were probably some of the swiftest of their units. Just her luck that this unit had actually competent fliers. Her luck really was terrible these days. A part of her knew it was partially karma but she had someone to take care of right now. She couldn't let bad luck get to her right now.

She had to push herself. She had to survive. She yelped as she felt something brush along her wing. She looked back to see one of them was carrying a bow. Either that was a very strong bow or it had been enchanted to fire at these speeds. She wasn't going to wait to ask, especially since they were working with elven mages. She went faster, swerving to avoid any more arrows. Thankfully she did miss the next one.

Princess Celestia knew she couldn't keep this up. She couldn't predict where they were going to shoot next. She had to close her eyes and concentrate. Her magic built up inside of her. It was a little hard to do right now. Those restraints had drained some of her magic and kept the rest under wraps. So she had to do the best with what she had. She knew the spell she wanted to do. She just had to focus and prepare the spell.

An arrow slashed against her thigh. It was a shallow cut but it made her gasp and her concentration was broken. Another griffon had prepared his spear. He was getting tired of this. He'd run her through here and now and kill that man with her. With that, he threw.

With her tumbling in the air after the cut, she saw the spear. It was now or never. So she cast the teleportation spell, poofing the pair out from the area. The spear flew right to the ground, planting itself like a flag. The griffon couldn't help but let out a cry of anger as the pair stopped. They'd have to relay this back to the Commander. Hopefully he was in a good mood. Otherwise, there wasn't much of a future for them.

---

The frozen northern tundra. Nothing lived here for miles outside of roaming bands of Yaks. That wasn't much to say, of course. Yaks were a race of people who were difficult to deal with at the best of times. Hard headed and strong opinionated. They weren't heartless, so if you found yourself trapped up north, one of them could help you out in a pinch.

Unfortunately for the pair, they didn't land anywhere near a Yak settlement. Celestia shouted in alarm as she fell into the icy snow. The pair tumbled about for a good minute before they came to a stop. Celestia quickly stood up and shivered. She wouldn't die of cold, at least immediately. As both an alicorn and the sun incarnate, it would take a lot for her to freeze to death. However, that didn't stop her from yelping and rubbing herself about. She wasn't exactly wearing winter clothes.

"My Lady," the stranger said, as he rushed over to her side. "Are you hurt?" His eyes widened when he saw the cut on her thigh, "Let me carry you."

"There's no need," Celestia quickly said, shivering slightly.

The snowfall wasn't too thick but it could pick up at any moment. She had read up enough on the weather of the frozen north to know it could be a death sentence to most anyone. She might survive for some time, but she wasn't sure if her companion could. Now that was something she didn't want to think about.

"We'll need to find a cave," Celestia said, "Somewhere we can find shelter since I don't think we'll find any homes around here."

"Good idea," the Saber servant said with a nod. He kept himself close to her, nearly touching. "We'll have to stick together for this. The weather might make it easy to get lost if we ever split up."

Celestia nodded, hoping her blush wasn't visible. Stupid, kind savior. She just hoped he wasn't even more handsome under that mask or she'd lose it. She shook her head. She'd worry about that for later, right now they had to focus on surviving.

---

Commander Greer walked in front of the prisoners. Both the civilians and remaining Equestrian soldiers had been rounded up and kept in the middle of the town. His taloned feet clawed the ground as he walked about in front of them. The soldiers had been gagged so they couldn't shout at him.

Again.

He had made an example of that one but he didn't care to chance any other annoyance. He liked having everything neat and tidy. At the very least, when it came to an operations conclusion. Right now, it should have been fine. His losses weren't severe. Well within the acceptable range. Griffons had plenty of numbers to make up for a lost soldier or two. The battle hadn't lasted that long and he had everything in place. He should feel happy.

Yet he hadn't heard back from the elven mages. He needed to hear if they were able to go through with their ritual or if Princess Celestia was secured. She was extremely valuable to the war effort that was going to happen soon. He needed her in chains before him. Equestria would kneel just like she would.

"Do no worry," Commander Greer said as he walked about in front of the lot, "I won't kill you." He chuckled, "You're much better as hostages than dead bodies. So just chin up and you'll survive to tomorrow."

"Commander Greer!"

He turned to see two of his best fliers land before him. They swiftly stood at attention and gave him a salute. He returned it and cast it off. He was a bit perplexed and slightly worried given their expressions.

"What seems to be on your mind, soldiers?" He said. He turned to the captives, then back to the soldiers. He motioned for them to come with him and they made their way around one of the buildings. He didn't want those civilians and soldiers to overhear them. "Now tell me what's wrong."

The two soldiers opened their mouths and then closed them. They nervously looked at each other before coming back to him. It was obvious neither of them wanted to give him any sort of bad news. That was understandable. He didn't take the bad news well. It looked bad on himself if his soldiers failed and he made sure to take his fury out on them in retaliation.

"Out with it," he growled, "Or I'll start tearing off your fingers."

"The Princess has escaped!" They said in unison, trembling as they did.

Commander Greer blinked a few times, "Say it again?"

"The… Princess has escaped."

"The Princess has escaped," he rubbed his chin, "You mean the Princess we came all this way to kidnap? The Princess we need in order to win a future war. The Princess who could spell doom for our little force?"

They gulped and nervously nodded.

Commander Greer took a deep breath and sighed, "You know, you're lucky you're in my top ten fastest fliers or I'd have your wings plucked right now."

"Thank you, sir." They quickly said, "She was helped by a fast, small man as well."

"A fast, small man?" Commander Greer frowned, "I don't believe one man should have been a problem."

"He killed out best swordsman in one hit before we could even blink," one of them said.

Commander Greer frowned. He really hoped he was wrong about who he instantly thought this strange person was. He waved them off. They happily raced off, not eager to incur his wrath more so then it was already simmering.

Commander Greer felt his anger starting to simmer. He was a proud griffon. He had plenty of experience fighting the enemies of the Empire. A young, relatively, immortal should be no problem for him. Yet if his soldiers were telling the truth, then a new problem was arising. One he didn't care to deal with right now. He needed to find those blasted mages now.

Thankfully, the one in question he wanted to talk to came to him. His usual blind fold was askew as he was clutching his bandaged right arm. He was clearly missing his hand. Another elven mage was attended to it, using magic to heal the wound. Greer cared little for magic. One should do everything in a normal way. Magic was just a shortcut for cowards but he'd make use of its practitioners when he needed to.

"So," Greer said with contempt, "You lost the Princess, I hear."

The elven mage, Erlond as he remembered, scowled. "I don't know what went wrong. I had everything in order."

"I guess you didn't," Greer looked to his lost hand, "The servant?"

"Gone with that bitch," Erlond snarled, "How was I supposed to know a servant could just do that? I should have used a Command Spell immediately instead of waiting."

"Indeed," Commander Greer said, not really understanding the term but just going along with it. "Can you do it again?"

"Not without some time," Erlond sighed, "Perhaps some weaker ones but they won't be able to truly kill a servant unless we get lucky or send a lot of them."

"I think we should do anything in our power to get Princess Celestia back," Greer said, "So I would say you better get to work on whatever you were just talking about."

"I intend to," Erlond muttered, "No one makes a fool of me and lives to tell the tale."

Good. Anger. Commander Greer could use that. He'd steer Erlond and his bunch in a single direction and let them go crazy. Sure there would no doubt be collateral damage but these people weren't griffons, so why should he care?

"We can also try and track their location," Erlond said, "You can sometimes do that if a teleport wasn't that long ago."

"I'll send my men to show you the location," Commander Greer said.

---

The two of them had been walking for what almost felt like hours. Celestia had been using her magic to keep herself and her companion warm but she wasn't sure how long it would last. Maybe another day or two at most. The winds were starting to pick up which wasn't a good sign. She gritted her teeth. Of course it would get worse. Perhaps she should just give up now and-

"I think I see something," the Prince of Lanling said.

She wanted to give him a big kiss right then and there. They were saved! She followed his gaze to see what could possibly be the mouth of a cave. It shouldn't be that long of a walk from here. In fact, it wasn't. They got there in a few minutes and she could finally give a sigh of peace. Sure it was still frigid cold but at the very least now the wind wasn't smacking into them constantly. She leaned back into the wall and sat down.

"It's over," she muttered.

He sighed and shook his head, "I don't believe it's over, My Lady."

"Please don't say that," she muttered, her voice wavering. She didn't know why, but it felt like something was going to break any moment inside of her.

"I don't wish to upset you," he quickly said, "I just wish to tell you of our situation. Do not fret though. I'll endeavor to get us out of it, safe and sound."

"I just…. I just…" Tears started to flood her eyes, racing down her cheeks.

Everything that happened that day hit her. The attack. The deaths. The kidnapping and running away. She could do nothing to stop it. Absolutely nothing and those people had died because of her. Because they had put their trust in the wrong woman. A failure who couldn't even save her own sister. She raised her hands to her face as she started to weep.

"My Lady," the Saber servant leaned down on one knee to get closer to her. His soft soothing voice wasn't helping this time, however. "Just let it out. Let out your frustrations."

"I'm at fault," she blubbered. "I'm the reason those people died. I couldn't save them… I can't save anyone."

"We both know that is wrong," the Saber said.

"How would you know?" She removed her hands to glare at him for the first time since they had met. A spark of fury ignited, "How would you know when we barely know each other? I could be the most messed up woman in the world for all you know."

The Prince sighed, "Of course. You're right. I don't know you. I don't know what you're like but the fact that you're breaking up like this means you care about them. You want to help and that's what matters."

"Why would that matter?" Celestia sniffed, trying to stop her tears but failing. "I'd just screw up and people would get hurt. Again."

"I very much doubt it," the Prince of Lanling said, "I believe you have a good soul. You just have to bring it out."

"You're just saying that to cheer me up," Celestia said, still failing to stop her tears.

She gasped when the Prince started to wipe her tears. His smile made her heart skip a beat. She shook her head. She didn't want to feel that way. She didn't want to feel happy. She didn't deserve it, so she tried to push him away but it was rather weak. He simply side stepped her and wiped away the tears on her right side.

"Please don't cry," he softly said to her, soothing her as he did so. "I hate to see you so upset. You're too beautiful to be sad. Too kind hearted."

"Sh-Shut up," she muttered, putting her hands down. She let him keep cleaning her face with a piece of cloth he had on him. This went on for a few minutes, her temper waning. "I… I hate my life."

"That tends to happen to us all," he nodded and pulled back. He gave her another charming smile, "You look much better now."

"Flatterer," she muttered. They were silent for a moment, "So, what are you?"

"Hmmm?" He raised an eyebrow, "Did they not tell you?"

"They sort of kidnapped me without telling me anything," Celestia said.

"Ah, I see." He nodded. He took a seat right next to her, "I have given you many titles to myself, but I'll explain to the best of my ability."

"You see," he started, "I am a Heroic Spirit. When someone makes a mark in history and humanity itself, they are ingrained in a place called the Throne of Heroes. It's where all of these heroes and other such people end up, or at least a copy of them."

"Alright," Celestia raised a hand, "I'm a bit confused. So what you're saying, you're the ghost of a hero from the afterlife?"

"Basically yes," he said with a nod, "Although I am not the direct spirit. More of a perfect copy."

"Oh…" Celestia said but still looked a bit confused.

"So yes, to put it bluntly. I am the ghostly image of a hero long gone. We Heroic Spirits are summoned in many classes that donate our roles and abilities. For example, I am a Saber class servant." He patted his sword, "Which means I had an affinity with the blade when I was alive and well."

"So how many classes are there?" Celestia asked.

"Normally seven although there can be… extras." He seemed hesitant to talk about the last part, "Usually we are summoned for one specific thing but circumstances are… strange. So you don't have to worry about what usually happens."

"What usually happens?" Celestia said, feeling trepidation. Not knowing something could very well cost her everything moving forward.

"There is usually a Holy Grail War where servants fight each other for a wish," he said.

"That's barbaric," Celestia reeled back, "Don't you know those kinds of things always backfire? Why would you want to kill over something like that anyways?"

"Because sometimes a wish is all we have," he said simply. The two of them were silent for a moment, "Right now though, all I want is to keep you safe. Which reminds me," he pulled out the severed hand.

Celestia gagged, "Why did you keep that?" She really hoped he wasn't secretly a villain or something. She really didn't want to smash him into the wall after everything.

"I want you to be my master," he said, presenting her with the hand. She reeled back but he kept pushing it forward, "These are command seals. They are a prime indicator of your master status as well as a way to control me, your servant."

"Control?" That didn't sound good at all to her. Freedom was something preached quite fervently in Equestria and for good reason. Everyone had the right to their own life and future.

"It can also be used to get a servant to your side and allow them to perform feats they would normally never be able to do," the Saber servant said, "They are trump cards to only be used when absolutely necessary."

"Ooooh," Celestia said with a bit of awe, "So… how do I… get them?"

"Place your hand on them and accept my contract," the Saber said. He gave her a pitying smile, "Don't worry. It'll only be for a moment."

Celestia sighed. She weighed her options. If she took this deal, she'd be stuck with a ghost the entire time. One that could betray her for a wish. On the other hand, he seemed like a good person. He was rather strong and she needed a strong companion. The griffons and traitor elves were a strong combination. She couldn't win on her own and she had no way of contacting Starswirl or the others.

In other words, she needed to be this Spirit's master.

"What is your name?" Celestia said, her curiosity getting to her.

"You may just call me Lanling for now," he said calmly. "Who are you, master?"

"I am Princess Celestia," she said and put her hand on the limb. She decided not to throw up even if she wanted to, "I accept you as my Heroic Spirit."

"Servant," he said. When she quirked an eyebrow, "It tends to work better if you call me a servant."

"Only this once," Celestia said, "I prefer Heroic Spirit. It sounds far more proud and epic."

"Perhaps," he nodded.

"I accept you as my servant, Lanling of the Saber class."

With that said, the sigils on the severed hand disappeared. They instantly burned themselves onto her own, causing her to flinch slightly from the sensation. While it would have been nice to be warned about this feeling, she had faced worse before. Training under Starswirl meant she had to deal with a lot of pain with how some of his spells and missions went.

Lanling smiled and pulled back, throwing the hand far away outside. "Now let's get further inside. We're going to need to keep ourselves warm."

She nodded.

After a few minutes, they came to a deep enough section to rest. Celestia sat down. Leaning against the wall wasn't the most comfortable experience but it was all she had. She rubbed her arms, helping herself keep warm. She closed her eyes to focus on her magic. Instantly she felt warmer as the 'sun' inside of her helped things along.

"Interesting trick," Lanling said as he said down beside her.

Celestia blushed. Now that things had calmed down, being so close to her savior made her heart start beating faster. She gulped as she tried to say something, "W-Well, we might need to stay close to stay warm."

She couldn't believe she had said that. She wanted to go back outside in the cold now.

"I am a servant so I don't usually feel the weather," he responded, "However, if my master wishes it."

He scooted over and leant against her. Celestia didn't remark on his he fit well against her side or how, because of his size, he was resting against the side of her chest. Nothing she could do about that and he wasn't trying anything. That and a secret part of her really liked it. She did her best to calm her heart and brought her big wing around him for extra warmth.

He simply gave her a warm smile that made her melt, "Thank you. You are most kind, master."

"I… I'm going to have to get used to that," Celestia said, "Would… Would you rather call me Celestia?"

"I don't mind that," he said, "Most masters wouldn't care."

"I do," she said firmly, "I don't want to be anyone's master. Not now. Not ever. I may be a princess but I am also a lover of freedom. You should call me by my name as I will yours."

He stared at her for a moment, "Very well, Celestia."

She almost squee'd before she caught herself. Okay, girl. You had to stay calm, she told herself. She took in a deep breath and did her best to try and sleep. The cold, hard floor was one challenge to that. The cute man beside her was another. Her body however was on her side as she was tired from everything so eventually she conked out.

---

The waking world called out to her once more. As much as she would have rather stayed there, her eyes started to flutter open. She yawned. That was some dream. It almost felt too real for her liking. Way too harsh. She'd have to tell Starswirl about it later today. Maybe he'd know what it meant. Her eyes took in the low light area around her. It was blurry but it didn't look like her room. She fidgeted backwards. It didn't feel like it either. Far too rough and hard. It was way too cold too….

Her eyes widened and dread hit her like a sledgehammer. That wasn't a dream. Yesterday had happened. A part of her wanted to break into tears once more. Her failures hit her hard and fast again and again. Her mind is trying to play catch up with it all. Yet there was one thing stopping her from falling into that pit trap. She looked to the soft thing to her right.

"Hello," Lanling said with a kind smile.

"EEEEE!"

Celestia freaked out and tumbled the side. Lanling went 'oooph' as he was accidentally smashed across the floor when her went smacked into his back that had been keeping him warm through the night. Celestia tried to stand but ended up squeaking as she kept stumbling about. Her face was completely read at this moment. She had been sleeping with a guy. A hot guy who had saved her yesterday and dried her tears. A kind hearted man who wanted to help her.

And she had just smacked him with her wing after all of that.

"I'm so sorry," she tried to move forward but her nervousness got the better of her and she tripped over a small rock she hadn't noticed. To be fair, the only light in the cave was light and came from her. "Eep!"

She never hit the ground. Lanling had caught her swiftly and held her steady till she could properly walk on her own two feet. Celestia muttered a 'thanks' as she felt like she just wanted the ground to swallow her up due to her embarrassment.

"I'm glad you're doing alright this fine morning," he said. Then he frowned, "At least, I think it's a fine morning. I can't really tell since all there is is snow outside… I'm sure it's fine snow however."

Celestia sighed but giggled regardless, "Thank you… for everything."

Lanling bowed to her, "I try my best, Celestia."

"Now-"

The two of them were cut off when they heard a deep growl. They turned their heads to see a large baboon wolf-like creature. Its fur was white and its underside an ice blue. Its feet were wolf like while its baboon face was full of saber teeth. The creature snarled as it started to stalk towards them.

"It's a Lesser Yeti," Celestia said, "Not as dangerous as a regular one but we can't underestimate it."

"Let me handle this, Celestia." He said, "I don't think it should be too much of a challenge in my current form." He took a step forward, "But if I'm wrong, slam it into the wall with your magic. I'm also prepared to listen to a 'I told you so'."

Celestia gulped as she moved backwards. She'd give him enough space as she readied any type of spell she could muster for this. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to her savior. Not after all they've been through and had to do now. So she'd let him tackle this one but next time would be another story.

Lanling stopped a few meters in front of the beast. The creature was surprised by his bravado but he wouldn't be deterred. This was his home and he was hungry. He'd kill these two and have a small feast that would last him a good week. The Lesser Yeti gave a warning growl before he pounced.

Lanling rolled right under the lunge. The creature landed on its feet and blinked in confusion. It shook its head before growled. It gave a short bound and lunged towards him. Lanling rolled under him once again. The beast turned quickly. This was getting annoying. Prey was not supposed to dodge. It was supposed to go down so he could feed. He gave a small roar before he made to attack again.

Lanling moved to the side and grabbed one of the paws. With his servant strength, he gripped it tightly and threw it right into the wall. It gave out a pained whine as it hit it and then the floor. The creature shakily stood up on its legs and stared at the Servant. Lanling gave an impassive stare back.

The Lesser Yeti knew this would not be easy prey. It gave a huff before retreating further back inside. It wasn't worth his time and he wasn't going to be injured for such a scrawny animal anyways.

Lanling watched it go. He was mildly annoyed, as though the creature had called him small and scrawny somehow. He gave a nod before he went over to Celestia.

"The creature is gone."

Celestia marched on over and wagged a finger in front of his face, "That was a horribly reckless thing you just did. How could you have known you'd do so well against that beast?"

"I'm a servant," Lanling said as though that explained everything."

Celestia sighed, "Alright, I guess that is an answer." She was guessing a lot of things could be answered by 'I'm a servant' or something.

"So now that we are awake and safe," Lanling said, "I think it's best that we think about our next course of action."

"That's going to be hard given we're stranded in the middle of nowhere," Celestia said.

"Can you not simply teleport us like you did before?" He said before backtracking when Celestia looked annoyed, "I mean, I don't want to be pushy. If it's a bad idea, then I… should shut up. Sorry."

Celestia sighed, "You're fine. It's just… I'm going to need to save up a bit more energy. So another hour or two should suffice. After that, we're going to have to think about where we're going to end up."

"Perhaps a stronghold," Lanling recommended. "We go and gather an army to defeat our foes."

"We can't leave the people there to die," Celestia said firmly, "If we do that, they most assuredly will."

"I'm unsure that trying to fight them on our own is a good idea," Lanling frowned, "We had to escape last time."

"We weren't in the best of shape last time," Celestia said, "Now we have a better understanding of the situation. Besides," she held up her hand with the command seals. "You said these are trump cards. You can bust your way through those guys."

"I'd be wary about using those so willy nilly," he said, "It's best that we save them for only a necessary battle."

Celestia sighed and lowered her arm, "I guess you're right about that. So we'll just have to wait and think. I still say we should go back."

"Perhaps a compromise," Lanling said, "We appear a ways off and send messages to others while we look for weaknesses in their defenses ourselves."

Celestia tapped her cheek a couple of times, "I like it. That could work."

Lanling said, "Thank you."

Celestia went back to sit down on the ground, "Now we'll wait. My mentor should be back in the capital. I'll send a message there after we teleport."

---

Speaking of said mentor, the elderly wizard walked his way through an abandoned alleyway. The trail he had been following had led through here. This was not at all suspicious but there was one thing to be known about Starswirl the Bearded: he wasn't a quitter. He had committed to this path so that meant even if it was a trap, he'd move on forward. Besides, he was bored. Perhaps this could be a bit of fun.

Growing up as one of the strongest mages in the world, it was hard to find anyone who could give him a proper challenge. There were some monsters like sirens, dragons, and other such beasts that could allow him to flex his magic might. However, they weren't usually on his radar these days. Nowadays he has to focus on teaching his students… well student now and getting the Equestrian tribes to get along. The second one made him want to tear out his hair. They were so stubborn and stupid. The progress they had made already was honestly a miracle.

He really hoped Celestia was up to the task. He had high hopes for her. She was the only one he trusted to eventually lead the country when he was dead and gone. He hummed to himself. Maybe he will meet up with his colleagues after this. Going on at least one more adventure would be nice with that bunch. There was never a dull day with them.

That's when an arrow slammed into his head.

At least, that's what it intended to do. His magic field blocked it so it just harmless bounced off of him. He lazily blinked and cast a magic bolt which followed the path. A loud cry of pain before nothing. He moved over to see a knocked out griffon.

"Well this is interesting," Starswirl said.

A griffon this far north was troubling. They weren't supposed to be here. How did they make it here without anyone seeing them? Griffons were not known for their stealth. They would have spent time raiding and pillaging wherever they could. This meant there was something else. Someone was helping them but who?

Suddenly seven more griffons charged him with spears in hand. Each one burly and strong enough to take on three Equestrians by themselves. A normal man would balk at their strength and weapons.

Starswirl wasn't an ordinary man. He simply waved his hand and they all were frozen in place. Then he simply looked at them and huffed, shaking his head. They instantly fell down, all falling asleep as they did so. He sighed. This wasn't a fun ambush at all.

He frowned. This was barely an ambush. If someone was expecting him, then they would have tried something to put him down. Was there something else? Were they that confident that he'd be beaten easily or did they think he wouldn't find them? Perhaps it was that. Griffons tended to underestimate magic.

Yet he couldn't help but feel like something else was afoot. Some other type of danger. He shrugged. He'd just take these griffons with him and interrogate them. No doubt he'd learn something then. Maybe a simple memory spell could also help.

That's when he raised a hand to block a magic bolt. His eyes widened as he teleported back as a magic cube of imprisonment snapped up where he was. He turned around to see two elven mages there, younger than him. He sighed.

"Well that explains how the griffons made up all this way," he muttered. "You brought them here, you traitors."

"Us?" One of them said, "Traitors?"

"You're the traitor," the other said, "You're working with the other tribes to undermine us."

"There will never be unity."

"Only we can be on top," the other said, readying a spell.

"Fools," Starswirl sighed, "Fools the both of you. Only through unity and friendship can we survive. If we remain divided, we will all perish. Surely you have not forgotten the Windigoes."

"We can stop the Windigoes."

"Our elven magic can stop anything."

The two magic users flung their spells, confident they would do something. Starswirl merely waved them aside before firing a spell of his own. The mage used magic to raise himself up in the air. He fired another bolt. Again, Starswirl swept it aside. The other magic user put his hand on the ground. Starswirl jumped to the side to avoid an earthen fist striking from below. More earth came up to smack him as he avoided it. He ducked to avoid a magic blast as well.

"Face it," the flying mage said, "You can't beat us."

"We're too powerful," the earthen mage said, "We can best any elf who spends his time with the other tribes rather then his own."

"How pitiful," Starswirl sighed and shook his head, causing the other two to scowl. "I wanted to have some fun today. All I found are too disappointing opponents who have no idea how the world works. Perhaps if you spent some time with a cute pegasus, you'd understand."

"How dare you?!" The magic one built up magic around his fists, "I'll make you pay for suggesting such a vile act."

He fired a large blast of magic. Starswirl conjured a shield. However, this time it was curved. Instead of dissipating, the blast was redirected into the other mage. The earthen mage's eyes widened and a wall of stone was conjured to protect him. That wasn't enough. The magic blast was too powerful, plowing through it and smashing the mage into a building. Knocked out cold, he was out of the fight.

The remaining mage looked shocked at what had transpired.

"Wh-what?"

"I believe that's karma, my traitorous comrade."

"What-"

Starswirl had teleported behind the mage, floating in air as he peered down at the man. He lazily held up a hand and blasted him point blank in the face. The mage was sent spiraling to the ground, creating a crater.

Starswirl nodded as he landed, "Well at least that was something. Now," he peered down at the downed opponents. "Let's see what you all know."

---

Erlond snarled as he made a number of sigils. They weren't like the previous one he had for the servant. These were easier to make. Cheap copies of the original. He didn't have the time and preparation materials at the moment. He'd make another one later for a proper servant that would listen to him. Maybe he'd use a command spell immediately, just to be on the safe side.

Either way, he had to watch his subordinates set them up mostly. Having only one hand hindered things. That didn't stop him from doing it once and a while, just out of spite. He'd get his revenge. A new hand as well if everything went well. He'd have everything and more. He just needed to win. To beat everyone else. Whether they be griffon, dragon, Earth, Pegasus, or even another elf.

He'd have to break that stupid Starswirl one day anyways. Oh that would certainly be fun. He'd show the world that Starswirl wasn't everything he was cracked up to be. A hoax. A charlatan. Erlond was the true greatest sorcerer the world had ever seen.

He idly looked over the creations and then made a motion for everyone to move back. He chuckled as he readied the final command. He raised his hand and dark magic radiated around it.

"Come to me, oh mimics of the heroes of old. Heroes, clones, creatures of the night must heed my call. Join me as I strike against those that stand against a heart of darkness. For I, Erlond, am your master!"

Suddenly the room exploded. Instead of light like before, it was from sheer darkness. No shred of light was allowed to exist for a few seconds. Then it receded. In its place, three beings now existed. Each was just a vague shape. A shadow of a person. Not living or dead. It was hard to make out what made them unique but he could vaguely make out 'pseudo' classes: Archer, Berserker, and a Saber.

He chuckled, "Yes, yes! This is what I'm talking about. Now heed me, my servants."

They said nothing but they did nothing to harm him. Good so far.

"Hop on one foot."

They did as they were told.

"Hahaha, yes. Now stop." They did as they were told, "This is a proper master and servant relationship. Now I just need you to rip apart that traitorous bastard of a servant." He looked back at the other mages, "Have you found them yet?"

"We're working on it," one of them said, "We should have it ready within the hour."

"Good," Erlond nodded, his viscous grin nearly stretched from ear to ear. He turned back to his new creations, "This may be the greatest day of my life. I shall rule this land handily. Maybe I should go with them to see them die."

"We need that alicorn," Greer's voice spoke up as he walked into the area. He curiously looked at the new beings, "Interesting idea. Do you think they can tackle a full servant?"

"A three against one situation isn't ideal," Erlond said, "There's no doubt in my mind. We shall win this day. No one can stop us now."

"Hopefully you are right," Greer said, "Otherwise this would have all been for nothing." He narrowed his eyes, "I hope you won't find out what happens when people waste my time."

"Perish the thought," Erlond waved him off, "You'll love the conclusion to this tale. The princess will be in our hands and Equestria will fall. Our people will both prosper in this new world we'll create."

"Hopefully," he said, he turned. Then he stopped, "Do we really need an alicorn to create another servant?"

"There are other ways," Erlond said, "But we'll have to figure that out first. For now, the shadow servants will be able to do their job well."

"Very well then," Greer said, walking away.

Erlond's smile disappeared, "Freaking griffons."

"Are we really going to let them have some Equestrian lands?" One of the mages asked.

"For now," Erlond said with narrowed eyes, "For now but not forever."