//------------------------------//
// Chapter 25: Vows and Oaths 
// Story: Black as Sin 
// by BearstarSeraph 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 25: Vows and Oaths

 

Ambassador Rasheed waited in the teleport room.

The crate appeared and Cadence climbed out.

He clenched his teeth to stop from laughing at her mane and tail.

Then Cadence lit her horn and Twilight soon appeared next to her.

“Greetings, princesses. Welcome to the Saddle Arabian embassy.”

“And thank you for having us under these unusual circumstances,” Cadence bowed her head.

“Let’s hurry to my private office.”


~~***~~


They were led to the room and the door was shut leaving them alone.

The princesses sat on the pillows on the carpets and the ambassador sat behind a low desk.

“Lord Nanda’s letter said you are seeking knowledge on bunduq—”

“Bundook,” Twilight corrected.

“Twilight,” Cadence scolded.

“What?”

“It’s bunduq in our language,” Rasheed said, his face twitching. “If anything, their word is a bastardization of ours.”

“I apologize on behalf of Equestria,” Cadence said.

“What, what? Why? What’s happening?” Twilight said, looking between the two.

“Twilight, just be silent,” Cadence said firmly. “Once this is over, we are going to have so much work smoothing over all your mistakes.”

“Mistakes?!” Twilight gasped.

“Since the youngest princess clearly has no diplomatic tack,” Rasheed smiled. “Why don’t we have her wait outside.”

He rang a bell and a servant came in.

“Gather the guards. Princess Twilight will be waiting in the courtyard while I converse with Princess Cadence. Don’t let her leave and do not respond to any questions.”

The servant left and immediately guards entered. They were all carrying what looked like bundooks with bronze cylinders and wooden staves.

“They might not be as powerful as their pure iron counterparts,” he smiled. “But if the newspaper's description of the injuries can be believed, they are more than enough for even an alicorn.” He waved his hoof. “Take her to the courtyard.”

“Twilight, just go. Now. And don’t do anything stupid,” Cadence said harshly.

“Ok…” Twilight got up and left.

“For a scholar on conversation and interactions, she is surprisingly inept. For your sake, I hope she understands.”

“I’m sure your guards are equipped with the best your kingdom has as brother of the sultan,” Cadence said.

“Indeed.”


~~***~~


Twilight was led out to the courtyard. The perimeter was lined with horses with a wide variety of bunduq designs.

She took a passing glance then sat next to the water fountain and sulked.


~~***~~


“So,” Rasheed continued. “The griffons have tried to kill one of the great bearers. That is not a question.”

Cadence furrowed her brow suspiciously. “I cannot confirm or deny anything concerning the injuries of Lady Pinkie Pie.”

“Our own country has suffered similar fates. Three months ago, 37 males across the entire country were shot at the same time. Quite the power move by the empire.”

“How do you know it was the griffons?”

“Because all the males shot were deserters from the Feligyt army after our most recent war. I must advise against traveling to the Feligyt embassy next. They have a military alliance treaty with the empire and their troops are trained there. They even make their officers go through their killing ritual. If you go there, all that will do is give the empire royal hostages.”

“I did not know there was a war between your nations.”

“It was just a single battle… a massacre really. The ports of Sharm el-Shagya and Aqabarb were taken six months ago. Feligypt, or should I say the Gryphon Empire now controls the entirety of the Ard ul-Fayruz. They have already finished laying iron roads for their smoking beasts and have started digging a canal.”

“Iron roads… do you mean trains?”

He shook his head. “There is not an ounce of magic left in the empire. Only ash and fire that blacken the skies and choke the lungs. Feligypt is now doing the same under their direction. Even museums are having their magical artifacts destroyed. Not depowered. Destroyed.”

“But Feligypt was the birthplace of non-pony magic.”

“Which no longer matters. If the weapons they used to take the ports is of any indication, magic is becoming obsolete.”

“I’m glad he sent Princess Twilight away…”  

“And what were these weapons?” Cadence asked.

“New types of bunduq. Some screech like griffons when used, others are as silent as the wind. Either way, they are truly horrible, even by burduq standards. And as they are made specifically for claws, most races cannot use them, as claws, paws and fingers are exceptionally rare for sentients.”

“Yes…” Cadence thought out loud. “Minus the three major bird-like races, the bipedals, and the centaurs, a good 75% of this planet’s population has hooves.”

“I would say even more than that. Ponies are a major minority even in non-hooved nations. Except for the empire, but Equestria carved Trottingham and Prance from its hide 500 years ago.”

“Is Saddle Arabia willing to testify to the existence of these weapons?”

“No.” he said bluntly. “Unlike Equestria that only faces assassination, we face an imminent, full invasion if we ruffle their feathers. But,” he raised his hoof to stop Cadence. “There is a work around. There were originally 38 deserters.”

He turned around. “Mido, you can come in now.”

A Felis entered from behind the drapes that separated the private rooms like tents.

The first thing Cadence noticed from the bipedal cat was the scar and missing left ear. Next, his left sleeve was rolled up and pinned at the shoulder. Then there was the crutch under his right arm. Finally, the right peg leg.

“Unteroffizier Mido al-Qitt of the 5th Hawara Midfa battalion,” the cat awkwardly saluted.

He was missing two digits and a chunk of his paw.

“Forgive me… but what happened to you?”

“Survived two run-ins with griffon feuerwaffes,” he said, trembling. “And I’m probably about to be asked to do so a third time…” He looked at Rasheed. “The Sultan said Equestria was the safest place for me. But now the griffons are shooting up Royal retainers?!” He started to cry. “Nowhere… Nowhere is safe now from a Scharfschutze.”

“You speak griffon?”

“Trained 4 years in the fathernest, unit retrained in Feligypt twice by griffon officers for new midfa designs, and partnered with different Hessian groups and individual mercenaries over the past 9 years. But I saw nothing… nothing like what happened at Aqabarb… the new gewehrs,” he began shaking his head, “they are nothing… nothing like what they had before. Nothing!”

“Gewehrs?” Cadence stood, recognizing the G syllable.

“Yes.”

“Under officer Mido, would you be willing to do a security mind read? It’s just sharing memories.”

“Even I don’t want to remember.”

Cadence smiled gently. “Under officer, the other three princesses and I just did a mental deep dive on a dark mage of all beings,” she chuckled the last words. “I think we can survive whatever you saw,” she said confidently.

“Ok,” he closed his eyes. “Poke my brain.”

“It will be done by Princess Luna,” she said gently.

“I’m not leaving the embassy,” he stumbled back. “I’ll die!”

“We can teleport you directly to the palace. And now that we have visited, we can teleport you back to this very room.”

“No windows. And as many walls as possible. They have kugel that can go through walls.”

“Kurel?”

“Umm, rusaas. The piece of lead that shoots out like an arrow from a bow.”

“Our word is rasaasa,” Raheen said.

“We have heard the word ball for the projectile.”

Mido tittered through his teeth. “Balls? Where are you getting your info, the Golden Herd? That is over a century old technology. A kurel is a pointed cylinder. Much more accurate and deadly. Naked ones expand inside and destroy everything. Vollmantelgeschoss are coated in copper. It slows the expansion so it goes deeper, like walls...” he started to tremble, “or other corpses you hide behind.”

“We will teleport you deep inside the palace,” she said comfortingly, “then directly back to this room.”

“How long will this take?”

“Mind walking only takes a few minutes. But it will feel much longer as we will be seeing your memories as you experienced them in real time.”

“Ok, but directly back into this room.”

“Of course.”


~~***~~


Twilight was still pouting next to the fountain.

Cadence stuck her head out of the door. “Twilie! Get in here!”

Twilight shot up startled. She spun around. “Yes!” she shouted as she scrambled to the door.

“(So that is an elegant Equestrian princess,)” one guard snarked quietly to his neighbor.

Multiple snickers happened across the courtyard.

“(Guess everyhorse is thinking the same thing,)” his neighbor whispered back.


~~***~~


“What the hay happened to you?!” Twilight shouted immediately after entering the room.

“Twilight!” Cadence shouted.

“I survived,” Mido said, his voice quivering and high pitched. “And I was promised you would keep me that way.”

“He was also shot by griffons,” Cadence said. “YOU, need to teleport us to the safest, deepest part of the castle.”

“Wait, you mean like the dungeons?”

“What?!”

“NO. Twilight. Think, for Celestia's sake.”

“I am! The crystal dungeon is the safest, deepest part.”

“We have foreign embassy staff!” Cadence pointed at Mido. “And you want to take him to a dungeon?”

“Yes.”

Cadence facehooved, “How about the safest, deepest part of the castle that doesn’t look like we are kidnapping and arresting a foreign national.”

“Why would anyone think that? That doesn’t make sense!”

“I would think that,” Mido said.

“Agreed,” Rasheed said, standing. “And now I insist on going as well. Unless you want me to alert my brother of an abduction.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” She raised a hoof at them. “Neither of you are making any sense!”

Rasheed walked over to the drapes. “Fatima!”

“Yes?”

“Send an emergency scroll to my brother that I’ve been abducted by the princess if I do not return in one hour!”

“What?!”

“Do it, broodmare!” he shouted. Then he placed his hoof over Mido’s shoulder.

“Take us to Princess Celestia herself,” he ordered.


~~***~~


Back at the castle, Celestia and Luna are in her bed eating cupcakes and drinking coffee made from a surprise stash the kitchen staff kept for themselves of Eternal Sunshine. Celestia is in her wedding veil and wearing her horn ring and showing Luna the albums and sharing stories.

Suddenly four beings teleport into the room.

Celestia screamed.

Luna blasted her horn.

Twilight blocked it.

“Why are you in my bedroom?!” Celestia shouted.

Cadence went to speak.

“Why are you wearing a vei— IS THAT A WEDDING RING?!” Twilight pointed.


~~***~~


Luna handled Cadence and the visitors while Twilight had her bubble burst.

“You’re not a virgin?”

“No, Twilight,” Celestia sighed.

“You’re married?”

“Widowed, multiple times, and many others never married,” she said, poofing her veil and ring away. “I was sharing stories with Luna of the ones she missed when you teleported into my bed.”

“Do you have kids?”

“I’ve never carried a foal, no.”

“Sister,” Luna stuck her head back behind the screen. “This felis is a deserter and was shot over multiple attempts by the griffons. He’s a gun soldier and is here for a mind read.”

“That is good to hear, Luna.” She looked back at Twilight. “Good job, Twilight.”

“Prince Rasheed wants to talk to you before we start the dream walk. We’re going to teleport to medical and get everyone ready in the meantime.”

Luna lit her horn and vanished.

Celestia walked out from behind the screen. “I personally apologize for this awkward situation. I hope this little incident can be kept between us.”

“Gladly,” he smiled, “But may we talk alone.”

Celestia nodded gracefully, “Of course.” She raised her head. “Cadence, Twilight, please escort our other guest to the hallway.”

Mido ducked under Rasheed. “I would rather stay with Prince Rasheed.

Celestia looked at Rasheed.

“I approve.”

“Alright then,” she smiled. “Cadence, Twilight, step outside for a moment.”

“Yes, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said eagerly and quickly left.

Cadence made eye contact and mouthed, “this is bad,” exaggerating the word bad, before leaving.

Celestia turned to Rasheed. “So,” she hid her worry behind a fake smile. “What is it you would like to discuss?”


~~***~~


Twilight sat outside chatting with the guards, with Cadence hoping she doesn’t say anything important.

Suddenly Celestia stuck her head out. “Cadence, come in here for a moment,” she said sweetly.

Twilight stood.

“No, Twilight.” Celestia said before she could speak. “Just Cadence. Your time will come.”

Twilight sat back down, chest out like a proud dog. “Yes, princess.”

She watched Cadence disappear with a big smile.


~~***~~


“So you confirm everything the prince said?” Celestia facehooved.

“Unfortunately, I have more to report once Prince Rasheed and Mido are returned.”

Celestia took a deep breath. “I am… so sorry. I had no idea my student had such a lack of skills.”

“I would believe a being such as yourself would be keenly aware that friendship has nothing to do with diplomacy. Friendship is not even universal. Disparate cultures have very different rules and customs concerning personal interactions that have nothing to do with Equestrian norms and morals. Some are even the exact opposite.”

Celestia hung her head slightly. “Yes… Yes of course,” she nodded.

She suddenly lifted her head. “I need to tell Luna of the time restraint,” Celestia said. “Cadence, watch over our guests for a moment.”

She teleported away.

Cadence smiled, turning to them. “Please, come sit at the waiting table. Would you like some coffee or cupcakes?”


~~***~~


Celestia appeared in Vegeta’s room.

“Vegeta and Discord are sleeping and ready to go.” Luna smiled, “Vegeta was very accepting of the spell.”

“Luna, brace yourself. Twilight has majorly bucked up.”

…

“She did not want to teleport to the dungeons?!”

“She did.”

“Does she have no common sense?!”

“Apparently not.”

Luna looked at the clock, “46 minutes. Let’s lay them down.”

Celestia extended her hoof as Luna lit her horn. “Not. Twilight.”


~~***~~


“Why not me?!” Twilight whined.

“We are on a time restraint. Please zap Luna’s horn in a steady rhythm 20 minutes from now if we have not returned yet.”

“Princess Celestia, may I stay out as well?” Cadence asked.

“You may stay with Twilight if you wish.”

“Thank you, princess,” Cadence bowed her head.

“Alright,” Luna poofed a bunch of floor pillows and laid them down. “Please lay down so we can cast the spell.”

Celestia did as an example. “Make yourself comfortable,” she said before laying her head down.

Prince Rasheed laid down next. “You may lean against me if that makes you feel safer, Mido. You are the priority here. Not my dignity.”

Mido cautiously crawled on the pillows. Rasheed picked him up by his shirt with his teeth to help him.

“I think this is good,” Mido said, curling up between Rasheed and Celestia.

“Then let us begin.” Luna flashed her horn.


~~***~~


The group came to a white flat plane in all directions.

“This is a blank dreamscape,” Luna said. “There will be no outside influence other than what you will Mi—”

Suddenly a familiar door appeared.

“Thou could have waited…” Luna grumbled and opened the door.

Vegeta had his fist raised to knock.

“Welcome, Vegeta.”

“You seem miffed,” Discord said, poking his head in.

“Vegeta…” Luna glared.

“Nope, I invaded his white space,” Discord said teleporting in. “All he did was the door.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Vegeta said walking in, pink shirt and yellow pants on full display.

“Buddhas are real?!”

“Holy fuck, it’s a Thousand and One Arabian Nights all up in here.”

“Vegeta, please watch your mouth,” Celestia scolded.

“Vegeta,” Rasheed’s eyes widened, “as in the dark mage?”

Vegeta crossed his arms. “I don’t bite unless you give me a reason to.”

“Vegeta,” Celestia scolded. She turned to Rasheed and Mido. “We’ve discovered our kingdoms are ancient allies from the time of Starswirl the Bearded. The only harm has been on our end. He has done nothing but be kind.”

“Then the story that you almost died saving Lady Pinkie Pie is true?” Mido said, peeking out from behind Rasheed.

“Yep, I royally fucked myself over as only the Prince of all Saiyans is capable of.”    

“Vegeta,” Celestia said frustrated.

“Is that a nickname or title?” Mido asked.

“Title. I am technically royalty,” he turned and smirked at Celestia, “As someone keeps reminding me to behave.”

“Technically?” Rasheed asked.

“I ran off with a commoner of another species. I was Crown Prince of all Saiyans when I met her.”

“Love at first sight?” Mido asked.

“No, we were at war at the time. Tried to kill her.”

“Vegeta,” Celestia stomped her hoof.

He sidestepped behind Discord.

He teleported away. “Don’t get me involved.”

“Can ye all stop acting like foals,” Luna said. “We have a time limit.”

Vegeta crossed his arms and looked out at the white space. “Sorry…” he muttered.

“I did not hear you, what was that?” Celestia smiled.

“We art talking to thou too, Sister,” Luna said angrily. “Stop picking on each other. Ye both act like little siblings fighting in the back of a wagon.”

“No we don’t,” they said at the exact same time.

“Discord,” Luna glared.

Discord grew a second head. “I wasn’t going to say jinx,” one said as the other whistled.

Mido covered his mouth to stifle a giggle.

Vegeta surprised everyone by kneeling down. “So, you must be the man of the hour. Judging by the fact you have something resembling hands. Your name, warrior?”

Mido slid even more under Rasheed than he was.

Vegeta pointed at him, then moved his hand.

Mido suddenly was yanked out from under Rasheed and was sat down in the open.

“I said, what is your name, soldier,” he said, standing up and crossing his arms.

“Vegeta, please stop using your powers to interfere with the dreamplane,” Luna scolded. “This is our pony show.”

Vegeta raised his hands and took a large step back. “Ok. Mea culpa.”

“I,” Rasheed took a step forward, “am Prince Rasheed. Full blood brother of the Sultan of Saddle Arabia.”  

Mido’s servant clothes changed to a uniform.

Vegeta recognized the black cross and the pointy helmet from history documentaries.

Celestia and Luna were looking at the metal and wood stick with an offset stiletto dagger on the tip he was holding at attention like a spear. 

He saluted. “Unteroffizier Mido al-Qitt of the 5th Hawara Midfa battalion.”

“Can you explain what that means? Word by word,” Celestia asked.

“Unteroffizier is my rank. After the treaty 30 years ago with the empire, the Feligypt Malmuks adopted griffon military structure, training and weaponry. Hawara is a scouting unit. Midfa is our word for Gewehr.”

“And that is a ‘gewehr’?”

“Yes.” He presented arms, “This type of feuerwaffe is called a gewehr.”

“Fire weapon?”

“I think that’s the Equestrian translation, yes.”

“There are many versions?”

The white plane began to darken.

“Yes…”

Luna lit her horn and dispelled the encircling storm.

“And that is called fear…” Vegeta said, looking around. He looked back at Mido, and noticed his arm recover from becoming partially transparent.

“You're missing a limb, soldier.”

“How?” Mido took a step back.

“Your arm was transparent for a moment.”

Mido clenched his gun and pointed it shakily at Vegeta.

The ground began to tremble.

“Luna, wait…” Vegeta said as she lit her horn.

Vegeta took off his pink shirt.

Even though they had seen it before, Celestia, Luna and Discord gagged with Rasheed.

Mido's eyes widened and he lowered his rifle slightly.

Vegeta pointed at a circle indented scar in the middle of his chest.

He tapped it. “I see you recognize this.”

“How… Is your heart not in that location?”

“No it is. I’m here because of damn luck. I have no logical reason to be alive. A complete freak accident in my favor.” Vegeta knelt down to be eye level again. “I know what it's like to bleed out on the battlefield. To have your breaths full of your own blood instead of air. For the darkness to swallow your eyes. To feel cold. To know you’re not coming back.”

“I am also missing a limb.” Suddenly a fuzzy tail came out of his pants. He rubbed it lovingly, “I lost it to a sword, over 30 years ago.” He spun around. His back was blurry, but there was an image of a scar floating around his lower back. “Sword strike to my back. Went right through my armor, my tail, and sliced a vertebra. Less than a hair’s width more and I would be permanently paralyzed.” He spun back around and his tail vanished.

“A tail is not an arm.”

“A saiyan’s tail is fully prehensile. I used to have three hands. Now I have two. And it was hard to adjust, as I know it has been hard for you.”

“You mean like a monkey?”

Vegeta gave the most obvious fake smile in the galaxy, “Monkey is a racial slur for my kind. Do not repeat it again.”

“Yes, sire!” Mido jumped to attention.  

“Our enemy has almost killed a friend of mine, and are using their allies to blame an innocent unicorn.” He touched the tip of the bayonet, “And because guns like this were completely unknown in this country until I recognized the hole in her chest, they have an iron clad case.” He ran his finger up and down the blade, “I cannot tell the world these exist. I am the epitome of evil after all. No one will trust me, even with the princesses’ backing. We are already preparing for riots once that gets out, not if.”

Celestia pressed her lips together not to scream at him.

“You are the witness we need. Cadence and Twilight have been running from embassy to embassy looking for someone, anyone who could help. Who would be believable. And they found you.”

He extended his hand, “Help us expose these murderers for what they are, and their infernal machines of death. Help save this unicorn, his wife, and his newborn. They are all going to die if you don’t help us.”

Mido looked up. “Even a kitten?”

“Yes,” Luna jumped in. “They are already about to be sold to a known serial killer and pedophile in the nobility. But the nobles have arranged everything so that any intervention will be us breaking the law, not them.”

Celestia puffed out her cheeks.

He clenched his rifle to his chest. “And these nobles are allies to the griffons?”

“Yes,” Vegeta said. “In fact, Pinkie was not the target, but the father. Pinkie spotted the griffon, guessed it was a weapon, and pushed him out of the way.”

He started to shake. “A kitten? All of this because a noble wants to use a kitten?”   

Vegeta poofed four familiar pieces of paper. He gave them to Mido.

He looked over the autopsy papers. “What are these?”

“Celestia’s heart.”

They suddenly burst into flames. Along with her mane and tail. “Vegeta! Leave him out of this!”

Suddenly a huge bucket of water appeared and emptied onto her.

Celestia blew her mane out of her eyes, turned, and glared at Discord.

He lowered his snapped fingers behind his back.

Mido looked at Celestia, understanding something.

Celestia took a deep breath and spread her wings to scream.

“Crown Princess Celestia…”

She stopped to look at him.

He held his rifle vertically in front of him. “When I took my oath, it was to defend the life of the river from the deserts of the dead. I swore to defend life.”

Suddenly a wall of light spread out from him, and they found themselves standing in sand, surrounded by marching cats and drunken griffons.

“I will keep my oath. And I will be your revenge from your gilded dungeon.”