Upheaval: Breaking Point

by Visiden Visidane

Ends and Means

Upheaval: Breaking Point

Chapter 14: Ends and Means

The wolven in Fangbreaker were still feasting when morning came. Some of them picked away at what remained of the defenders. A few snored languidly. Gnawed bones and burned out bonfires covered the main courtyard of the once-hated fortress, while triumphant graffiti, smeared using thunder-foot blood, covered the walls.

Not every wolven was complacent in victory. Small packs patrolled the walls, and sentries watched along the entrances. Squads of wolven stalked the halls of the fortress, hunting for thunder-foots still hiding. Some of the berserkers were attacking each other, still in the throes of their battle rage. The white-furred brachyurii, the biggest and strongest of their kin, were content to watch in amusement.

Hasrok watched all of this from the still-smoking remains of the innermost gate, where some wolven were crudely putting together a barricade. His pack was among the first to charge in when the gates fell. Four new thunder-foot tails adorned his belt as the result of his prowess. Despite their role in the battle, it had fallen to his pack to begin repairs on the fortress while his bigger, stronger kin wallowed in celebration. The wolven army may despise Fangbreaker and everything it stood for, but they certainly were not going to waste it.

"Do you still doubt my visions now, Hasrok?" Regiskra sneered as she walked past him. "Fangbreaker is ours thanks to Moon-Shadow's return, as I predicted."

"You rely on dreams and the thunder-foots," Hasrok snarled. "Cursed Equestria will fall by wolven fang and claw, not through that thing on top of the fort!" He looked at the figure watching them from above. Right now, the strangest sight in Fangbreaker Fortress was one of the hated thunder-foots.

At least, Hasrok believed that it was a thunder-foot. A thick bank of black smoke surrounded the thing. At the center of the haze was the vague figure of a thunder-foot, ablaze with flames so black that they stood out within the cloud. A pair of red eyes stared out of the figure in a fiery glare that no wolven met without quailing. Ally or not, none of them dared to approach the thing.

The wolven knew Moon-Shadow only as Fenrir's enigmatic ally. The few interested in lore also knew that Moon-Shadow had been trapped in the moon by cursed Celestia for a thousand years. Her return heralded what they believed to be their greatest attack upon Equestria.

Not even the most knowledgeable wolven lore-keeper, however, could explain the presence of the brown-coated thunder-foot standing just outside the smoking presence of Moon-Shadow. When they burst through the gates, he was standing by Moon-Shadow's side, completely uncaring while they attacked his fellow thunder-foots. Smoke enveloped the wolven who attacked him and left nothing but ash. They decided that the brown thunder-foot must be Moon-Shadow's personal slave, and thought no more about it. After all, they had a fortress to prepare. King Fenrir himself was coming.

---

From her perch, Pyre Valor watched the wolven in growing disgust as they continued to defile Fangbreaker with their "decorations". The blackened flames bathing her body burned even fiercer and rose higher into the air. She wanted to dive down upon those filthy wolven, and incinerate everyone and everything.

"My, my, bloodthirsty are we?"

'I would rather drink pony piss than have anything to do with wolven blood,' Pyre retorted mentally. This was not what she had originally planned. She was supposed to be dead by now, slain as a defender of Fangbreaker Fortress as payment for what she had to ask of the Legion. Instead, she had all but allied herself with Wolvengard by merging with one of its strongest allies. Everything was coming to pass as Vanguard predicted. With a foothold into Equestria, the wolven were going spread all across the northern front. Ponies would die by the hundreds-no, by the thousands. Still, she had welcomed the gamble as surely as she had welcomed Nightmare Moon within her. Despite the deaths and the coming desperate battles, the Equestrian Legion would overcome this. As they did, Celestia and the Heartland would have to hear her.

Nevertheless, it seemed that the only thing she could count on was Blademane's constant loyalty. What was he thinking at the moment while he stood next to the monster that she had become? That he went this far for her was surprising, even for him.

"I'm a little surprised myself, Pyre Valor. I knew you were strong, but even I didn't expect this much power from our unity. Look at what we've accomplished! All while I mask my presence from that wretch, Terrato!"

'Is that supposed to be a compliment? We're not friends, Nightmare Moon. We're using each other, and nothing more.'

"That's no reason for me to lie. Princess Luna possesses far more magical power than you, but her hesitation and love for her family outweighed the strength of her envy. I could barely access a fraction of her magic. Our weak unity let us fall victim to Celestia's Elements of Harmony. But you, your rage and determination are a beauty to behold. Our unity will be the tales of legend for pony and wolven alike!"

Pyre Valor snorted. Rage and determination, was it? She remembered Vanguard's smoking body, still whole despite the inferno she unleashed on him. He could be alive. She didn't even have the guts to check, because she knew she wouldn't have had the strength to finish him if he was. Instead, she hoped that the wolven would do the job for her. So much for rage and determination.

"Undermine yourself if you must. You still struck him down. You cast aside even foalhood friendship for this. Now that Vanguard Clash is dead, there is nopony holding you back."

'I will not hear that name from you, Nightmare Moon!' Pyre thought.

"Touching. You're trying to show some semblance of respect for a fallen friend. Why bother? You trusted him, and he spat on your face. He cast aside your friendship first. He chose to put his life on the line for some worthless chosen that he met for a day instead of the cause you so strongly believe in."

'That chosen,' Pyre thought. What was that chosen's name again? Night Sparkle? It didn't matter. She was merely a symbol for everything despicable about the chosen. Even though she faced an enemy about to tear her entrails out, Night Sparkle cringed like a witless foal. That was all chosen were: weak, spoiled foals of Celestia. They didn't deserve protection, they deserved to be pushed into the front lines. Let them be destroyed lest they pass on their cowardice and weakness.

"Is that a touch of bigotry? You're a pony after my own heart, Pyre Valor."

'Enough of this meaningless conversation! We have a war to fail!'

"We'll get to that soon enough. Enjoy the last gasps of the Legion. You'll have an eternity to remember your part in its downfall."

---

Throughout its long history, few things had ever caused uproar within the Royal Palace. As the home of Equestria's rulers, it was a symbol of harmony for generations of Equestria's inhabitants.

It took but a single announcement from Princess Celestia to cause yet another one. The normally peaceful palace turned into a bustling hub of activity when it was announced that Twilight Sparkle and her friends had been banished to an undisclosed location for committing an unspeakable crime. To make the matter stranger, it was an appointed pony, not Princess Celestia, who made the announcement. Nopony had seen her leave her room since Twilight arrived for a private audience. Only hours later, ponies asking for an audience started to pour in, swamping the already confused Royal Guard.

Luna strode past the confused crowd and through the halls of the Royal Palace with purpose. She cut through the guards so swiftly that many of them failed to bow. She barely noticed them. All of her thoughts were focused on finding her sister.

Celestia's room lay at the top of the Royal Palace's highest tower where she could enjoy a magnificent view of her realm. A pair of guards stood watch outside the door. When they saw Luna approaching, one of them came forward.

"Your highness, Princess Celestia has asked that--"

"Move aside." A stern look from Luna was enough. The guards bowed, and parted to let her through. The doors were locked and reinforced with magic. She smashed them aside with a spell of her own and strode in. After a moment, they slammed shut behind her. "Big sister--"

The sight within the room took even Luna aback. Celestia lay on her bed, eyes empty and staring ahead. Her mane was limp around her. Her crown lay forlornly on the floor.

"Leave me," Celestia said.

"Not until I get some answers," Luna replied.

The room's atmosphere grew heavy and ominous when Celestia's gaze focused on Luna. For a moment, she considered backing off until her sister's mood lightened. Celestia wasn't angry yet. This was merely a warning, a prelude to something none of the Heartland's ponies had ever seen. She remembered why she was here in the first place and matched Celestia's gaze with her own. "Why have you done this, big sister?" she asked. "Twilight Sparkle is your student. She and her friends bear the Elements of Harmony!"

"They left me no choice," Celestia answered. "I didn't want this!"

"You do have a choice! End this division, big sister. Bring them back from the Barrier Lands before it's too late!"

Celestia raised her voice. "I will do no such thing! Without the Heartland, ponykind will collapse upon itself. Both you and Terrato understood that this had to be done."

"I agreed because big brother agreed, and he agreed because he would have agreed to anything you said. I cannot stay silent anymore, big sister. Things have gone too far. Even your student believes that this division is wrong!"

The pained look on Celestia's face nearly made Luna relent, but couldn't. There was a lot of pain in the future, especially if circumstances were allowed to continue as they were.

"Twilight said the things she said because she hasn't seen what I have," Celestia replied. "When she sees for herself what the Legion is subjected to, she will realize that what I have done is necessary." A glimmer of hope flickered within her eyes. "When that time comes, I will ask her and her friends to come back. I know that they will all agree."

"Don't be--"

Before Luna could finish, arcs of magical energy filled the room. There was no mistaking their brother's spell.

Sure enough, Terrato's image materialized in the middle of the room.

"This is not a good time, Terrato," Celestia said.

"Good," Terrato retorted. "I'd hate to ruin a good time. It looks like your mood is appropriately sour."

"Has something happened, big brother?" Luna asked.

"Fangbreaker Fortress has fallen," Terrato replied. His focus was entirely on Celestia. "If something isn't done soon, Bastion City will be next. From there, they will spread across the northern front."

Celestia's eyes widened. "Twilight! Is she safe, Terrato?"

Terrato raised an eyebrow. "Those ponies you sent over the barrier," he asked. "Twilight Sparkle was one of them, and you sent them to Fangbreaker?"

"Is she safe, Terrato?" Celestia asked, more urgently this time. "Are they all safe? I sent six ponies to Fangbreaker Fortress."

"I'll have to check," Terrato said. "Hundreds of legionnaires just died, Celestia, I'll sort through them to see if your six survived or not."

Celestia didn't seem to hear Terrato. Breathing rapidly, she rose from her bed, pacing. "I…I just sent them to their deaths," she whispered. Her pacing stopped as she stood in silence.

"Why did they have to choose this fate?" she cried. "Why didn't they listen to me?"

"We don't know if they're dead yet," Terrato said. "We must discuss other things. I've sent reinforcements to help with the northern crisis, but Fangbreaker's sudden fall was not part of the plan. It may be too late at this rate."

Celestia did not respond. Her thoughts were in another place as she digested her grief. As the silence lengthened, Luna decided to step in.

"What must be done, big brother?" Luna asked.

"Let my legionnaires pass through the Heartland so they can arrive quicker," Terrato replied. He continued to act as if it was Celestia talking. Luna turned towards their sister, who appeared to wither and age on the spot.

"And what will you have me say to my ponies when they see your army?" Celestia said quietly.

"Tell them it's Equestria's first 'Stay at Home and Close Your Eyes Day'." Terrato snapped. "I don't care! The north is in danger, Celestia! If we don't act now, it will take decades to root the wolven out!"

"Big sister, please," Luna said. "We have to do something!"

Celestia's hooves shook as she remained silent for a minute. "Has everything conspired to ruin what I've tried to protect?" she whispered. She turned her gaze on Terrato, her eyes defiant. "No. More than ever, with the sacrifices I have had to make to protect Equestria, I cannot let this war taint all of ponykind. The Heartland will remain unsullied by the presence of war, whether from your legionnaires or the wolven. The north will stand strong no matter the crisis. You are my defender, Terrato; you can do all of this without sacrificing what the Heartland stands for."

Under Celestia's stare, Terrato's face twisted. Unsaid words struggled against hesitant lips. Luna looked pleadingly at him.

'Send your ponies through,' she told him wordlessly. 'You can end this, big brother. For the north's sake, for all of Equestria's sake, this division must end.'

"I am your defender," Terrato finally said. Luna could only look away in disappointment. "I will stop anything that will harm what you cherish, dearest sister, but you have dictated this cost." His image vanished after that.

"You have your answers, Luna," Celestia said. "Now, leave me."

"I will go then," Luna said. "There is nothing more to be done here." She headed for the doors.

"Where are you going?" Celestia asked just as the doors opened.

"To the Barrier Lands," Luna said. "Our brother needs help. Since you won't raise a hoof to help him, I will go instead." Even as she spoke those words, Luna remained unsure of what she could do. Throughout his conversation with their sister, Terrato didn't as much as look at her. He called Celestia "dearest sister", as he always did, and what those words implied was not lost on her.

"The Barrier Lands are no place for a princess of Equestria!" Celestia said, slamming a hoof against the floor. "I forbid you to go!"

"And what will you do if I go anyway, big sister?" Luna retorted. "Will you banish me to the Barrier Lands too? Will you throw everypony who displeases you to our brother's realm? How long will it take, I wonder, before big brother rules all of Equestria because of you? Or will you banish me to the moon once more?"

Luna looked at her sister. "But you can't do that. It took you the Elements of Harmony to do that, and they are no longer here. You've sent them into danger. For their sake, I will defy even you."

With that, Luna left her sister's room. As she made her way through the halls of the Royal Palace again, a group of ponies stopped her.

"Princess Luna!" a red stallion with a green apple half on his flank said. He bowed low, and the rest of his companions followed. "We've heard about what AJ and her friends did. We've all came here to ask for forgiveness. AJ's a good pony; she'd never try hurt anypony. She don't deserve to be banished and all!"

"Please send her home, your highness," a small yellow filly next to the red stallion said. It was hard to make out the words between her sobs. "We all miss AJ. We'll do anything!"

The rest of the ponies came forward, and groveled. One look at a running apple theme in their cutie marks told Luna who they were: the Apple Family. Many of them offered to take AJ's place. It didn't take much to understand that AJ meant Applejack.

A pair guards came flying towards the group. "There they are!" one of them yelled. "You ponies aren't allowed here!" Both of them bowed low before Luna when they got close enough. "We're very sorry, your highness, they broke through, and ran here before we could stop them."

Luna waved off the guard's apologies. "I cannot reverse my sister's edict, but rest assured that I am going to do something about it," she told the Apple Family.

The hope she saw in the ponies' eyes only reinforced Luna's determination. Something had to be done. Until her brother came to, she had to act on her own no matter what the cost.

Comments

[Jess887cp]

I'm tempted to comment on every one of these because they have none. Silly me.

[Attemborough]

Thanks for the information of EqD.
This fiction is amazing.
Keep reading now.

[Crochettail]

I never liked Celestia. "UNSULLIED"

[eucatastrophe]

Poor Celestia, driven to the brink of desolation in an attempt to create harmony and peace in an otherwide cruel and merciless world.

Poor Luna for being mistreated, ignored and judged by her siblings

Poor Pyre, she - wait...nonono, fuck that bitch. That jerk deserves whatever is coming to her.

[shy sad jaded shard]

Dear : princess Celestia this is what being a zealot gets you believe in something yes but not to the point that you are blinded by it your Faithfull student shy sad jaded zarvuk

[Samey90]

'I would rather drink pony piss than have anything to do with wolven blood,'

Seems that she needs some survival lessons...
whatcanilearntoday.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/bear-grylls1.jpg

The Heartland will remain unsullied by the presence of war, whether from your legionnaires or the wolven.

Celestia reaches the Applejack Level of Stubbornness...

[Thread Necromancer]

Luna is the badass princes of the century.

[PaulAsaran]

I cannot reverse my sister's edict

I first read 'edict' as 'idiocy.' I am truly delighting in Celestia's pain – she deserves ever bit of it, and more sense she's continuing to not see sense. Even so, I dread that my prediction regarding Luna being captured has taken one small step to coming true. I applaud her for continuing to be the smart one, though; Terrato needs to get some sense slapped into him. Literally.

Blademane remains a curiosity. I can't wait to see him break his silence and finally confess his reasons... assuming he does so at all.

[SweetAutumns]

Is it bad that Pyre, Red Brand and Terrato are my favourite characters?
Seriously, Vanguard is pretty good but can go bugger himself, Celestia is ignorant and stubborn and Luna, while still pretty good, just doesn't quite hit the mark. Oh, and Scarlet Rabbit just rubs me the wrong way for no apparent reason.

[Biker_Dash]

So far, this has proven to be one extremely well written story.
It earned its place in my Favorites shelf from the start, and I strongly believe that it will end up in my Best of the Best, The Warrior Files, and my Silver Screen Material bookshelves.

The stories that go in my Best of the Best bookshelf are the ones that move my soul the greatest. The stories in my Warrior Files shelf are the ones that truly speak to the warrior inside me, and my Silver Screen shelf, those are stories that I wish to make into either full length animated movies, or episodic series.

There are few fics out there that impact me as much as this one. I am looking forward to continuing reading this story at every opportunity I have.

A song I feel fits:

[Widow Peak]

This was not what she had originally planned. She was supposed to be dead by now, slain as a defender of Fangbreaker Fortress as payment for what she had to ask of the Legion.

Uh....okay? I really, really do not understand this character.

And I do not think I like this Celestia either. She is willing to make some major sacrifices, but hesitates to make minor sacrifices.

[HiddenMaster]

Celestia's hooves shook as she remained silent for a minute. "Has everything conspired to ruin what I've tried to protect?" she whispered.

Yes.

Well, this somewhat addresses my concerns in the previous chapter, and I am now convinced Celestia is hopelessly in denial and a bit of a lunatic. She more or less sacrificed the element bearers-her friends and her trusted student- but cannot stand the thought of allowing an army to go north to save thousands of pony lives and repulse an entire army.

Does...does she even consider ponies in the Barrier Lands even alive anymore? Are they just chess pieces to her? Because, while she shows regret regarding the mane 6, the fact that hundred to thousands died at the fortress and were eaten and many more will die-innocents included. That's it, isn't it? She just can't bring herself to look at them as actual ponies with hopes and dreams-they're too "barbaric" and tainted by a life exposed to some of the horrors of the world.

Well, this makes me want to see her reaction to the barrier being taken down that much more.

[Rosewell8]

7195339
When she was talking to Vanguard about betraying the Legion, she said she was going to die defensing the Fort. Her merging with Moon Shadow ruined that plan.