Celestia sat in Fluttershy’s tent. Her’s was one of the biggest, considering she was a medic and she cared for the animals. Celestia had asked the grey pegasus, whose name was Derpy, the Remaining, Trixie, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Pumpkin and Pound, and about twelve others. They had seemed like a good militia. They gathered around a couple tables pushed together, and sat on the beds around it. Some stood. There was a large scroll in front of them, a map. They had set little blue flags to represent their militias, and red flags to represent Her forces.
“Alright, this is Infinity,” Rainbow said, placing an old coin where Infinity was. “Twilights forces are advancing here,” She pushed a red flag near Nedra, and a flag near a city called ‘Death’s Aisle’. “We should attack here.” Dash moved a blue flag to Nedra, and one to the Castle of Nightmares.
“Are you sure we should take the castle?” Scootaloo asked her former idol. “It’s..M.C. Escher-like. You can get lost the moment you step in. Only Twilight knows how to move through it. Even her Captain gets lost.”
“Then we ask someone who knows Twilight,” Rainbow smirked, looking at a particular silver mare.
“Oh no. Just because I am a spy, and one of Twilight’s many Generals, doesn’t mean I will guide twenty ponies through the castle!” Silver Spoon banged her hoof on the table with so much force the flags and coins jumped in the air a few inches. Another pony, light cream with a curly messy red mane put her hoof on Silver Spoons shoulder.
“I know it’s hard, Silvy. I know what you felt...when she was murdered. I’ve gone through that too. Many of us have,” The red-maned mare looked at Sweetie Belle, who gave her a knowing look.
“I know Twist, I know.” Silver Spoon looked up at Rainbow Dash. “I’ll do it.”
“Good. Then we present this to Luna at sunrise! Beer for everyone! On me!” Rainbow shouted, walking out of the tent. The others cheered and followed her. Celestia stayed behind. Twist was the last pony to leave. She turned and looked at her.
“Would you like to come?” Twist asked softly, kindly. Celestia shook her head. “alright.” Twist responded quietly, walking out of the tent. Celestia sighed, and laid her head down on the table. She fell into a troubled sleep, not sure what to do about all this.
--------------------------------
She stepped in to the town. Ponies stopped what they were doing and froze. There were only ponies. Nedra was one of the cities that only had ponies living in it. it was law. She walked on, flanked by her Captain, Pinkamena, and Silver Sword. Nedrans ran into their houses.
“No. You will come out, and gather in the clearing. I have an announcement. Do not run away.”
The citizens cautiously came out of their houses and homes.
“Now. Your dear god Celestia is back. She is hiding. If any mare, stallion or foal were to help her, they would face death. Not a quick,painful death, but slow and painful. So, if any of you wish to live, I suggest you step forward.” Silence. Nopony stepped forward.
“What of an alicorn?”
She grinned. She had waited for that voice. Ponies gasped and drew away as a certain dark blue alicorn walked through the crowd.
“Dear Luna, it’s been so long.”
“Yes, it has, Twilight Sparkle.” She flinched at the name. The true and false started circling each other. Silver Sword and Pinkamena edged back to a house. The Captain followed. Pinkamena glanced at Silver Sword. The silver-maned mare looked strangely familiar. Pinkamena drew her attention away from Silver sword and looked at the two circling alicorns.
Luna shot a beam of magic at Her. She dodged this, and shot a beam at Luna. This repeated for a while, with the occasional hit. They went into hoof combat, and She got hit pretty badly. Pinkamena yawned. Silver Sword had gone to polishing her glasses, and the Captain had fell asleep. It was a boring battle, considering it was just, fire, miss, fire, hit.
The battle was finally over. Both alicorns, true and false, stood panting, facing each other. Luna flew away, to her domain. She turned around and walked to the palace, and her goons followed her. Pinkamena caught Silver Sword glancing back at luna and raised an eyebrow. Pinkamena made a note to ‘integrate’ Sword. She raised her chin and walked on, to the castle.
---------------------------------
Cadence opened her eyes. She was in some sort of small cave, but she couldn’t really tell, it was so dark. She felt a throbbing at the top of her head, where her horn was. She tried to cast an illumination spell, but nothing happened. She reached up to her horn. Her horn was not there. What? She thought. She looked down at a puddle. Her-her horn was gone! She tried to remember, and memories flooded into her vision.
“Dear brother, don’t you learn? I always win.” A pony said. It was Twilight. “So you can’t stop me.” She cut of his head.
“No!’ Cadence yelled, her vision brimming with tears. Shinings head rolled over to her hooves. His body fell with a thump as Twilight dropped it.
“And now for you, dear foalsitter.” Twilight walked over to Cadence, and lit her horn “Now this is going to hurt.” Twilight ripped off Cadence’s horn, and dropped it next to her brothers head. Twilight turned and walked away as Cadence screamed. She screamed for a long time. Twilight had her guards hold Cadence in place, as she thrashed about, trying to get to Twilight. Twilight came back, with a sword.
“Bye bye.” She teased, raising the sword. Before she could, glass shattered as hundreds of Changelings flooded through. They took out the guards, and took Cadence. Twilight was battling Chrysalis, and saw that they had taken Cadence. She fired a death spell, but it hit a changeling, then Cadence.Then all was black.
Cadence blinked at her reflection. She sniffled.
“Shining...” A single tear fell into the pool, rippling her reflection. A sliver of moonlight danced upon the water as Cadence silently cried her heart out. Moonlight...? Cadence looked up, and for sure there was a small opening in the roof of the cave. She spread her wings, and gathered her remaining strength. Cadence leaped up high enough to reach the hole. she started to fall, and grabbed the edge with her hoof. Chunks of rock fell down on her, and she shook them off. Cadence grabbed the edge of the hole with her other hoof, and held on. Her crown fell off and clinked down the rocks. She flapped her wings and pulled herself up into the barren wasteland. She looked back down the hole, and saw the glint of metal. Cadence dragged herself away from the hole, and faced the freezing wind.