//------------------------------//
// Damage 
// Story: Politics 
// by Dai Kirai 
//------------------------------//

	Alicorns can be killed. It’s a fact of nature that anything that lives can also die. An alicorn itself is only sturdier against the flow of time than a normal pony. They can sense things others don’t even know exist, through years they amass power and knowledge. But for every defense there is a countermeasure. Surprise is the best way through an alicorn’s defenses if you can’t match them in power.
Celestia knew this; she knew it better than most. When she fought NightMare Moon, what felt like ages ago, she was afraid to act for fear of killing her sister, she nearly died herself at NightMare’s hooves. 
Celestia’s parents, creatures whose visage and names time took long ago, died at the birth of pony kind along with many other legends. They left to fight a great evil while Celestia was still a foal; they left to fight a great evil. They never returned, but neither did what the fought. The world had been made safe for new life and left the foal with a baby sister to care for. They had been safe. And ponies had learned to care for themselves, Unicornia even learned how to raise the sun.
Falling rocks or a fast enough projectile could kill. Celestia knew this as the Griffon Kingdoms had tried to bury her in Ghastly Gorge 1,500 years before. Her student at the time, Filly Buster, on the way to be a great diplomat, left to settle a dispute only to be ambushed in the pass. After not hearing from her student for several hours, Celestia investigated which was exactly what the Griffons had waited for. In the assault more ponies died and the war officially started.
It was with this in mind and how similar humans and griffons were, that Celestia opened the doors of her bedroom.

6/1/14 3:40 am, Celestia’s Royal Chambers, Bridal Lake, Earth
Celestia sat on her plush bed of pillows, unable to sleep. Things were going badly, she had hopes and misplaced faith that history would not repeat itself, that humans would be better. But things were coming to a head with Senator Brent controlling one section of this country, with traps and machinations her ponies were not prepared for. If the meeting with Tow did not go well, she would have to break off all relations with the United States and either work on fortifying the portal or finding relations with another country, neither seemed likely. And the only reason she had the plot of land on this world they currently did was because their leader extended the courtesy and it had so far backfired. She took comfort that they were safe for now at least.
She kept the television off, not daring to see what diatribe was going on now. Instead the princess focused on what she could do next, if she could convince people…
A shot rang outside her window, then another. The sound was unmistakable, it was a human firearm and none of her ponies would dare use such a device. Celestia’s heart dropped out of her chest and for a split second she just stared at the door before jumping to her hooves and running straight at it. If shots were ringing out then someone had to be shooting at her ponies, and if so much as one became hurt, whoever was responsible would pay dearly.
Celestia got to the doors; she waited for a moment before opening them. Her guards should have come through by now to check on her, but both doors were still closed. She extended her magic beyond the door to sense her ponies, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing there except the vague stirrings of magic that had been creeping in from the portal.
She cast an old spell, something Starswirl the Bearded thought he had discovered. Time slowed around the alicorn, as well as her own body. But her mind retained its speed. It was a delicate spell, a binding between the world and the caster. But, such subtle magic would evaporate if the caster used any kind of high level spell. It had been buried and removed from records because the Princess had deemed it ‘too dangerous’ for standard use, it could cause irreversible neurological damage in the untrained. 
Celestia blasted the doors open with a hoof, if anything was on the other side, she would have the upper hoof. On the floor, ten feet apart, were her royal guards still clad in all their revelry of golden armor. Between them at half a pony’s height was a large yellow wrapped box tied with bright red ribbon. Inside though, inside it Celestia felt magic dark and malignant. Magic was imbued with the intentions of who cast it just like how it was woven could tell you its purpose. This was a bomb.
Celestia checked her guards, thankful such a thing wasn’t powerful enough to dispel her other working as the device was charging up energy at an alarming rate. Neither guard had a pulse, neither were breathing, and neither had a tangible sense of living magic; they were dead. 
The Princess of the Sun knew she only had two ways this could turn out. She could shield the bomb and protect the bodies of her guards, the ones who undoubtedly gave their lives trying to stop whatever plot this was, or she could shield herself. The latter gave her an edge, whoever placed the device would think their plan had worked, that she had died. It tore her heart, the families of these two guard ponies deserved more than empty caskets. 
Celestia wove the pattern for a shield in her mind; multilayered, the first designed to give and absorb as much energy as possible, the second designed to fail and redirect the energy around her, the third a rock hard portion of air designed as a brute force method should the other two fail. Finally she poured energy into the spell and time returned to normal for her mind, but with adrenaline coursing through her body, time still seemed slow.
The device was a slow thing, finally releasing a wave of white hot gas at the Princess, the air seemed to ignite around her; it tore through the outer shield like paper, too much pent up energy released in a single instant, but it failed to even scorch the second layer, large pieces of shrapnel spread around the Celestia. If I were them, she thought, having survived multiple attempts on her life and Discord, I would have a second trap set up, to go off once my prey’s defenses were down. Celestia looked about the room as a second blast hit.
The ‘shrapnel’ Celestia thought she saw, were actually smaller bombs, more potent bombs. The initial blast had disbursed the smaller packages around her, not even a second having occurred since the shield was cast, several were still in the air surrounding her. Each explosion was shaped, designed to impart all its energy in a singular direction. Celestia saw the total energy, completely encircling her, overwhelming her second layer and she poured more energy into the final layer.
The blast hit her final layer, the rigid shell. Celestia felt the force of it, the heat and fire, the sense of pressure as air moved faster than the speed of sound. The energy bounced off her shield made much stronger than the previous two. The redirected energy blasted out the now empty windows, her entire room burnt like it stood too close to the sun. In a way it had. 
Celestia stared at the damage, her pillows, bed, desk, even her guards had been turned into little more than ash. This was too well planned, that bomb too well designed, made to kill a single powerful creature. She felt energy burning through her, released through her eyes. Whoever did this and threatened my ponies will pay! She promised, descending to the third floor of the Embassy complex.
The guards should be awake in the basement and heading up her now. The first step will be to secure the Embassy, use it as the command center. 
Celestia stumbled on another unconscious pony on the second floor, she recognized it as Quick Wit, a Princess remembered her guards by name. A sad smile graced her lips, there had been a pool going around the barracks about who would ask who out first, she had her assistant discreetly place two bits on Autumn. But, that would never happen now as she stared at the body of the mare, the stallion nowhere to be found, and he would never abandon her. She fought down memories of them during training, such memories would only hinder any response she could give.
“Princess! You’re ok.” The voice came from down the hall, an earth pony led a small contingent of guards.
“Yes. But we are under attack, secure the Embassy then send everything we have to Bridal Lake.” She had seen more explosions taking place, whoever it was was attacking civilians now. Unless they know which houses hold guards. Celestia moved her look from ‘Buck’ to Quick Wit. “And place our dead someplace safe.”
“Dead ma’am?” He turned his sight to the fallen unicorn. “We found one earlier. He had a puncture mark where his armor didn’t cover, our medic Cross Stitch took a look at him and the pony was only unconscious. We think it was Autumn, he was hidden in an office.” He pulled a small needle out of her leg.
NO! Does that mean my two guards were…
“Dismissed!” The Princess ordered.
“YES MA’AM” ‘Buck’ yelled, then turned on his squad as Celestia continued down to the first floor, the wards preventing teleportation working against her at the moment, but who knew what it kept out. “All right, you heard the Princess, split into teams of three and search every office and nook. Anything that looks out of place you report immediately!”
Celestia fumed. Her guards, her ponies, and yet something slipped past her defenses. She kept her senses open, anticipating another trap at any turn. So many ways to set off traps, even still Luna likes to set up traps. Height, weight, magic patterns; it is a constant struggle. But these will do more than dousing her in ice water or flinging a pie at her.
Three more shots rang out from the first floor. Are they not working together or did they not expect the windows to lock? Celestia charged up a defensive spell just in case and descended the last set of stairs just in time to see a black hominid blasted into the wall by a beam of purple energy cast by her Captain of the Guard. 
Celestia took a minute look at the small black shape, the familiar black shape. 
“What happened?” Celestia ordered, she did command the Royal Guard, sometimes she had to act like it.
“She descended the stairs, the weapon attached to her chest drawn. When she saw me she fired little needles that bounced off my shield. I ordered her to surrender. She pretended to, I think to trick me into lowering my guard. And then she pulled this second weapon from her back and fired. I don’t know why she only fired three shots, one more and it would have gotten through.” There was something in his eyes, every guard had read the initial threat estimate on human weapons, but they had never seen them in action.
“Where is the rest of the guard?”
“I sent up two squads after we heard that explosion while I stayed down here, there is another squad waiting outside and the rest were sent off in pursuit of two fleeing humans. The explosions went off before we knew what was happening.”
“Ok.” Celestia took a moment to plan, too many variables including who could profit by this. “I will take the ones outside with me. You will secure this prisoner while the Embassy is secured. If she does anything threatening…” Is this the path I want to walk down?
“If she does anything threaten, you are free to use your own judgment. But we should question them first.”
Shining saluted and moved to a corner where he could watch both the door and the prisoner. 
“You know who that was. You know there are only so many people who could have ordered this.” The voice in her head spoke. “Luna was right.”
That last part stung, but it had the ring of truth. This was her fault for trusting, her fault for ignoring her sister who had seemed paranoid, and her fault for not destroying every copy of the book that started this.
“Everypony with me!” She ordered, voice of steel as she exited. In an instant they all fell behind her. In the next they all disappeared in a flash of light.
Teleportation was exact and precise so long as you had the needed magic and concentration to transport you far enough and knew where you were going. It was easy for Celestia to determine her destination, where guardponies were headed, and where guardponies were falling. There was no loud report of guns, there was no discernable sounds at all in the chaos.
To her happiness, she appeared behind the two humans. Celestia knew the flash of cast magic would draw their attention in this darkness. She spread her wings to their full ten feet each something most would find intimidating. 
The two humans turned, guns ready to fire, ones she knew were designed to kill. But the faces, she recognized the faces, they were the ones in charge of security at the Human Embassy in Equestria, Avery and Victor. 
These humans worked with ponies. Worked directly with their Ambassador! In that moment, she was furious, feeling waves of heat roll off her body, she knew her guards would either be backing up from her or sweating in their armor. 
Celestia realized, she would be happy to destroy them here and now all for her ponies. MY ponies!
“You have attempted to assassinate me and have killed who knows how many of my subjects!” As the Princess spoke, her rage increased until she could barely contain it. She felt the effects, her magic tried acting on its own, the need to make the opponent feel impotent. “You will surrender or I will burn you where you stand!” The desire to burn. 
For a moment, they stared at her, covered eyes preventing her from seeing their expressions, but fingers were tightening on triggers. 
Fingers of fire touched the corners of her eyes. It would be just, they burned her ponies, and fire doesn’t have to kill. Celestia moves power into her horn, giving them only a few more seconds.
Some sort of communication passed between the two. Avery was first; the gun fell to his chest as he raised his hands in surrender. Victor followed a moment later. 
“Take them to the Embassy, we have another one there. If they make any attempt to escape or to reach for weapons, kill them. See if you can’t find some place to securely hold them” Celestia began to calm. Her guards wouldn’t kill them, ponies hadn’t had to kill in a long time, they weren’t made for it. But things are changing.
Celestia looked out to Bridal Lake, the explosions had stopped but the fires still raged and a multihued pegasus flying over the houses. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. I would expect nothing less of you. Twilight should be in the thick of it too, telling ponies where to go with Rarity finding blankets and water. Forget the rage, she told herself, you have an obligation to these ponies, work for them.
“Get every pegasus we have forming clouds to put out those fires.” Celestia ordered. “Silver Shot, bring me parchment and a quill along with Rainbow Dash. Round Housekick, bring Cherry Blossom and her equipment. Silent Watch, the humans we have captured came from their Embassy, send a covert guard to watch over the portal. Deimhall, keep a lookout for any more humans, they may have sent more.”


***


Dearest Sister,
You were right.
The humans attacked. A powerful explosive was set to kill me and Bridal Lake has been attacked, it was guards from their Embassy; Avery, Victor, and Aiko. They may be planning a two pronged attack to take the portal. Exercise caution.
Pegasi are making rainclouds now to put out the fires. We have confirmed dead and what has to be many wounded. We are in desperate need of doctors and nurses. We could also use more guards, some specialized for the night, there may be more intruders here.
This was a planned attack. We need to discuss how to move forward. I promise I will listen this time little sister.

‘Tia

p.s. Keep the letter carrier there. You will know why.


***


“Rainbow Dash, Ma’am.”
“Thank you Silver Shot.” Celestia turned her attention to the prancing pony. “Rainbow Dash, thank you for coming. I need you to deliver this letter to Princess Luna as fast as possible.”
“What?! But I need to get those fires under control, there aren’t enough weather ponies here.” Her gravelly voice pleaded, looking back to Bridal Lake. “And I need to check on Twi and Rares. I left them in a bad state.” 
She doesn’t know. Celestia didn’t either, but from her vantage point Rarity’s house was nothing more than a jumble of fallen beams and rubble. There was too much chaos with the fires still trying to consume the town. The ferocity of the explosives had heated the air, the shield funneled it back and created its own winds to fan the flames. Pegasi worked as fast as ponily possible. Unicorns and Earth ponies waited to clear the rubble. But I can’t let her stay, if the worst happened…
“This letter has to get to my sister as fast as possible. There may be a second attack planned.” Celestia saw the smaller pony’s will bending. “You are the fastest flier here, and time is of the utmost importance.”
Celestia saw the praise light up the pegasus’ eyes, but the devotion to her friends was strong. There was more to it; at the right angle Rainbow looked haunted. She’s seen something bad. “We need doctors and more personnel. We don’t have enough to care for the wounded. You can come right back to help.”
Rainbow took one last glance towards the remains. “Fine.” She yanked the letter with a hood from Celestia’s magical grasp. “Ten. Seconds.” And she was off, leaving a rainbow trail as she moved.


***


The fires were contained; the last outcroppings were attacked as she wandered through the wreckage. Occupants were helped out through windows at the back of the unhurt domiciles. Energy had buffeted the area, both physical and magical. She stared at a guard removing a little black box from a door. It truly was brilliant. Rig the explosives to go off when a pony opened the door. When the Embassy was attacked everypony would hear it, and to make sure I would respond they fired a weapon near the Embassy. 
Out of the 150 or so houses, 30 had received serious damage. Groups of ponies worked at removing rubble and searching for survivors. One pony was pulled out; missing a leg and an ear, guards went to work to stabilize her using field medicine. Another was pulled out, blackened to a crisp, halting breaths could be heard but no doctor could make it in time to save him. 
Celestia moved about the camp, to show her ponies that she was still there. She wanted to help, to move rubble and heal ponies. There is only so much even my magic can do. It cannot regrow limbs, not without an 80% risk of rapid uncontrollable growth. If this goes on, these guards will have to learn to deal with this. I can’t do everything for them.
“Princess, we’ve cleared the area around the Ambassador’s house.” His face spoke volumes.
“Thank you ‘Buck’.” Celestia could delay no longer, no longer hide from the effects of her actions. 
Celestia took ragged breaths, a familiar purple shape on the ground. Fur and mane singed with pieces of glass still sticking out of open wounds. 
Next to Twilight, practically held in her arms, laid the formerly white unicorn, only a few patches of white remained on her back with the rest burnt off. 
The alicorn took hesitant steps for the two bodies, happy her guards were kind enough to give her some time. Rage took her again, slamming a hoof on the ground until cracks appeared in the Earth. 
Celestia heard sobbing, racking of breath from the purple mass. “I failed. Princess Celestia.” Twilight’s grip tightened. “I couldn’t save her. We were having a p-p-arty…i-ii-I went to make popcorn. Explosion. Rainbow left. The energy changed. Blown out the window. Found in rubble.” Everything after that was drowned out by crying.
Celestia stood there, unable to move. Twilight blames herself. The realization cut deeper than she expected, than she remembered. It might as well be Luna laying there crying her eyes out. She was at a loss for words. “The best doctors in Equestria are coming.”
Twilight turned back to her precious teacher. “Why did this happen? We were just having a party!”
“I don’t know.” Yet! But we WILL found out if I have to rip it out of them.



"Whatever misanthropists may say, ingrates and the perverse are exceptions in the human species."
-Napoleon Bonaparte


"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd; And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"
— George Gordon Byron, The Destruction of Sennacherib