//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Vilotyne // by Lemuractionnews //------------------------------// Celestia's eyes shot open, light poured into her corneas and blinded her. How ironic she thought as the doctor pulled the flashlight out of her face. His gentle, old, and fat face was tattered with wrinkles that became deep canyons when he smiled as he was doing now. "Good morning your highness." He said in a wheezy voice as he made for his clipboard. The sun goddess sat up and rubbed her head. "What happened forrest?" she asked the doctor. He finished writing down his analysis and spit the pencil onto the table. He thought for a second then raised a hoof to his chin. "Well Tia, I've been your doctor for thirty-six years, and I have never seen you act like how you did at your statement this morning." The memories flooded back to the white alicorn, she couldn't fathom how she had been so stupid. Forrest became quiet as he thought about what he was about to say next. "Do forgive me for my insolence your majesty, but is it at all possible that you have some new kind of inferiority complex due to you being defeated by Chrysalis?" Her giant magenta eyes locked onto his and she whispered: "I am the leader of the most powerful nation on this planet, I helped tame the chaos that existed before, I have survived fifty wars throughout history, and you ask me if some insignificant blunder has phased me?" She rolled to face away from her accuser. "But that's just it, you never talked about all that stuff before Tia! You were as humble as a hermit but you have achieved more than the most boisterous soldier. Anyway, you have a guest... please think about what I said." Celestia turned and motioned to say something back but the doctor had left and Cadence took his place. "Hello, auntie." The pink alicorn said. "Hello dear, it is a shame you are seeing me like this." Celestia said as she looked away from her niece in self-pity. Cadence chuckled, it burned her aunt like fire inside. "Oh, I'm sure this isn't anything you can't overcome. I mean, how old are you again? 2000 years old?" "I am 5492 years old" The princess struggled to not sound annoyed. "Exactly! That's why I think it would be a good idea for you to make another address. Y'now one that is more... calm?" her voice sounded unsure, Celestia knew she was hiding something. "And hurt myself again? No, I have learned my lesson. I simply cannot get out of this bed unless it is an emergency." Celestia answered as gently as she could muster. Cadence shifted uneasily on her hooves and her eyes darted to the ceiling. "Okay fine Celestia, you win. The reason you need to make a speech is because riots are now tearing this city apart. Thirty percent of Canterlot has been lost by fires started by these rioters." Her eyebrows were raised as if to say you asked for this. "What for? What do they want?" Celestia breathed. Cadence's eyes grew serious "The mobs outside the palace chant: death to celestia, death to the royal family..." "If we're in this room for what I think we are, I won't need to be restrained." Vilotyne claimed. Luna raised an eyebrow in confusion. "And what exactly is it that you think we are here for?" The dark blue princess asked. His crushed brown mane rolled over his shoulder as he turned his head away from her. "You obviously have wanted to overthrow your sister since you got back to this planet." He was taking a wild guess, but it wasn't the first time he had taken a leap of faith. "You and I are here because you want us to team up to stage a cute little coup." He paused for a moment and tried to think of a good way to vocalize his next thought, he settled for something less instead. "...but, I can't really understand why he is here." Vilotyne said nodding his head in the direction of the Minister. He actually did feel a bit of apprehension with the thought of lying to a monarch. "I see you're not all talk, as it were, Mr. Vilotyne. Yes, I do want my sister and her government out of the picture." Vilotyne let out a silent sigh of relief. "As for ferdinand..." she said indicating the minister "Well, he is the one that knocked you out and brought you to me. Also, being second in command of most of the armed forces, he is a great ally in our little 'coup'." "Your head was so small I thought I killed you there for a while." Chuckled the minister as he brandished a small blackjack in between his hooves. "So, am I going to continue to stay strapped to this chair like a convict or..." "Release him Ferdinand." "Yes m'lady." He moved forward and unstrapped the restraints. "One thing your highness." His country accent the garnish on his polite tone. "What if I say I work alone and I have no desire to join you?" "You would prefer the block?" Luna mocked. "I like you." chuckled the gray-coated stallion "You'll make an excellent second-in-charge" he got up and grabbed his jacket from the table on front of him and put it on as fast as he could, then gingerly laid his panama hat upon his head. They were too busy contemplating his previous statement to notice. "Second in charge?" the princess scoffed "You misunderstand how this is going to work, friend." "I have the people fixed in my grasp Luna. If you send me to the block I can make them charge the executioner." he claimed indifferently. "We'll talk about the division of power between us when we have the city." The minister said trying to mend the rift in the operation. "Sure, let's work out a plan." Luna agreed. Vilotyne sighed insolently and then began talking as fast as possible as if to say let's stop wasting all this time. "You." Vilotyne pointed to the Minister "Give a speech to your troops, light a fire in their hearts about us. You" He pointed to the princess "Do the same for the courts, the palace staff, and the rest of the government. Let me handle the citizens." "Here's one for you, smarty." The minister replied "Even if we cause all this unrest, how are we going to defeat... her?" he wavered a bit on the last word. "Simple, we secure the elements of harmony. Your troops will have to use heavy explosives to penetrate the vault." They sat in silence for a minute, thinking about other aspects and the mere undertaking of this plan. Finally, the minister broke the silence: "When?" "No time like the present right?" The lunar princess proposed. "Right now?!" he was taken aback by the idea. "I have no money or house." Vilotyne said. "And with Celestia immobile, it is a great opportunity to strike." "Exactly, we must act tonight." Luna claimed. They both stared at the minister who was looking a little uneasy. Eventually the idea sunk in and he reasoned that it might be less time to spend a servant. "Damn it, fine."