The Earth-Pony Revolution (An Equestrian History Story)

by Quartez

Storming the Winter Palace

Chapter Seventeen: "Storming the Winter Palace"

Celestia stepped forward.

Apple Scruff recognised most of the ponies with her, except for Mellow Yellow and Jelly Tart, who was an excitable light purple Earth Pony, who's fluffy pink mane bounced as she skipped around.

Celestia spoke:

"Citizens of the United Brotherhood of Brony Republics, you are free, we are proceeding to Ponyang to put an end to Golden Eyes' illegitimate rule."

The whole camp went up in cheers, Apple Scruff raced straight to Electron Shell; one question sprang straight to mind:

"What happened?"

"Golden Eyes stranded me in the Frozen North, outside the Crystal Empire. I kept trying to tell him the Weather Factory was a failure, he didn't want to hear it."

"All this time, you were on the other side of Equestria?"

"I was one of Celestia's greatest sources on Golden Eyes. We can talk later, you heard the princess; we have to go to Ponyang."

"I'm going too." said Apple Scruff simply. "I'm going to Ponyang. I let this start and I'm going to help you end it."

Electron Shell looked at Celestia, who nodded.

"Silver Tongue?" asked Apple Scruff.

"I've been here too long, I'm weak" he said simply, "I want to fight, but I don't know if I could help you."

Celestia nodded again: "I understand, stay here and look after the others."

With that, she pointed her horn at the prison, a beam of gold light erupted from it and hit the prison causing it to glow.

"It is warm in there, now, take shelter and we'll put an end to this."

Celestia pulled the carriage with the others inside, they flew over the UBBR, towards Ponyang city.

From the air they could see the extent of the snow-storms and the rainbow liquid which had fallen from the sky after the explosion; it grew thicker and thicker as they moved closer to Ponyang.

One thing stood out to Celestia in particular: the bitter cold.

"Wendigos" she thought to herself, it only made sense; this kind of hatred and mistrust attracted them.

It seemed as if they were trying to freeze the whole Union, but they were kept at bay by the happiness and friendship of the citizens.

It was the cruelty of the rulers alone that attracted them.

When they landed upon the snow, the carriage and Celestia sunk until only the top of the carriage and her horn were visible from over the snow-line.

At once Celestia's horn began to glow and the snow around the carriage began to melt and part, cutting a trail from them to the Ponyburo building.

As they trotted over they saw the bodies of two guards, lying on the ground, covered in rainbow liquid and snow, they didn't see anypony else anywhere.

"They must be taking shelter inside" thought Apple Scruff.

He forced himself not to consider the other possibility.

The doors were sealed and frozen, at once Celestia blasted them off their hinges and they entered the building.

The whole inside of the building was cloaked in darkness. A suffocating blackness which it seemed no light could escape.

Celestia, Electron Shell and Lustre tried using their horns to provide light, but it was no good, the darkness was too thick.

Celestia stopped and thought and then, reached her decision:

"Everypony forward."

They all stepped forward and the blackness swallowed them.

Apple Scruff looked around, he was alone.

It seemed as if the darkness had wrapped around each member of the party; cutting them off from the others.

He panicked:

"ELECTRON SHELL?!" he called out.

There was no answer.

"LUSTRE? CELESTIA? ANYPONY?"

But it was no good, the blackness had taken everypony but him.

Then he heard a dark, cold voice:

"They're still your friends. Golden Eyes and Iron Fist love you and only want what's best for you. Admit that you see them as friends and you'll be saved."

Apple Scruff thought about it, fear gripped him.

He wanted to escape, but he couldn't lie and he wasn't going to:

"No." He said simply.

The voice called back:

"Love them and you will be saved, They will forgive you and show the error of your ways."

"No. they're not my friends and I'm not theirs. They had my friendship and they lost it. I don't know exactly what they've done or become; but they're not the ponies I became friends with."

At that the voice became enraged, and something came out of the darkness; Some, horrible winged creature of darkness itself.

It swooped at him and he knew it was all over, but he wasn't going to lie.

He wouldn't compromise his honesty for any reason; even to save his life.

Then, just before the creature could touch him, it vanished.

It took the darkness with it and he found himself standing alone in a corridor.

Speed Racer galloped forward.

Darkness or no, this room had to have an ending, if he just kept galloping he could reach it.

A voice called to him:

"We only want your friends, give them up and you can go."

Speed Racer had spent his whole life in the military and he knew a thing or two about honesty.

As far as he was concerned there was nothing worse then a traitor:

"No. I'll never join you, I remain loyal to my friends."

"Then die for them."

Suddenly, the ground opened beneath him and he fell.

He was scared but he wasn't going to give up his friends.

Then he hit the ground softly, he was in a corridor with Apple Scruff.

Mellow Yellow stumbled around, trembling.

She was scared, the darkness was all around.

Then, she saw something, it was a box of matches.

A voice called to her:

"Please don't light the matches, I'll die"

"Who are you?!" She squeaked in terror.

"I am darkness itself and I don't want to die, don't kill me."

"Why would I do that?" she asked, her confidence returning.

"Because you're scared of me"

"Oh, I'm not scared of you" she said kindly. "I feel sorry for you, it must be just awful to be trapped in a horrible building like this. I'll let help you any way I can"

"You can help by dying."

At these words the darkness closed around her throat.

It was about to choke her, but she didn't give in, she wasn't going to kill it, she could, but she wouldn't.

With that thought foremost in her mind the darkness left the room; leaving Mellow Yellow in the corridor with Apple Scruff and Speed Racer.

Lustre looked around.

A voice called to her:

"I'm trapped here."

"Why what a coincidence!" quipped Lustre, "Me too!"

"I have been here longer, I want to leave"

"Another similarity...."

"Only one of us can leave at a time, if I leave, it may be many hours before you can escape"

Lustre didn't hesitate: "Oh, very well then, you have been here longer after all"

There was pause.

The voice called back:

"I don't understand"

"After you, I insist, I can wait."

The darkness closed around her, tighter and tighter.

But she didn't change her mind.

Then it faded away to reveal the corridor with Apple Scruff, Mellow Yellow and Speed Racer.

Jelly Tart skipped along singing to herself:

"La la la la la..."

There was a hoarse voice:

"Die....."

"No I didn't!" She quipped "It's always been that color!"

"You will die........you will all die."

Jelly Tart just giggled; "You talk kinda gloomy, don't ya?"

The darkness roared at her and something dropped down towards her; a fist of pure darkness.

She casually side-stepped it and it landed at the floor, smashing a hole into it.

There was a slide there, she eagerly jumped upon it and slid down shouting:

"Thanks for showing me the door, Mr Spooky!"

She arrived at the bottom to find herself in the corridor with the others.

Celestia and Electron Shell trotted along, trying to assess the situation.

Voices called to them: "No escape, your magic is not strong enough!"

Celestia and Electron Shell had the same thought.

The only way they were going to beat this darkness was together.

"We'll see" muttered Electron Shell to the darkness.

Celestia stooped down, they crossed horns.

Both horns began to glow yellow and the light spread outwards, burning away the darkness.

Until there was only the corridor with the others and at the end of it, a door.