//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10: Retaking the Crystal Empire part 1 
// Story: Assassinverse: Unicornia The New Order 
// by efug25g 
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At the crack of dawn, all of the resistance fighters of the Lunar Republic have all gathered before Princess Luna, Discord, and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Upon seeing Twilight again, every pony was completely shocked that the Princess of Friendship came back from the dead to seek vengeance against the ponies that were against her Democratic Reforms. The Lunar Republic fighters were various earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, changelings, griffons, and all sorts of creatures that wanted to fight for freedom and for their friendship upon Equestria. Most of them were bearing the Lunar Republic emblem on their dark-blue armor, while some of them were wearing white capes in order hide their weapons from the public. Before any pony could speak, Princess Luna stepped up to the podium to make her announcement to the entire resistance group.

"Every pony, listen up!!!" Princess Luna spoke in a royal Canterlot voice. "We are all gathered here today to reclaim one of our strongest fortresses that have been captured by the enemy. We'll all be up against Queen Cicada and her Changeling Warriors. Do not fret, I have already contacted our neighboring allies from the Griffon Kingdom and Yakyakistan to form a blockade to prevent any Unicornian forces from reaching the Crystal Wastelands during this siege. However, we have to storm through the Crystal Empire with everything we've got before Unicornia gets past our allied forces or else our entire Republican force will be wiped out down to the last filly and gentlecolt. Before we can proceed to attack Cicada's makeshift fortress, Princess Twilight will come in first. We already build a underground tunnel that will lead to a secret entrance in the Crystal Empire. Twilight's group will use that tunnel to carry out their plan to infiltrate the Crystal Empire. As soon as she and her team raise the main gates, I'll give the order to attack and help free the crystal ponies. ARE YOU WITH US?!!!!"

After hearing Luna's speech, every pony cheered in agreement as they all raised their weapons up high as they all prepare for battle. During the time the crowd move on to form up their battle formations, Luna walked up to Twilight for another plan.

"Twilight, after you help raise the main gates, I want you to go find Tia and Princess Cadence. One of my scouts reported that they're both being held at the top floor of a dark prison tower near the Crystal Palace. And don't forget to dispatch another group in your team to find and recover the Crystal Heart." Princess Luna told Twilight Sparkle. "We'll hold them off as long as we can. Just don't get killed again."

"I'll do my best Princess Luna." Twilight said with a bit more encouragement before she left to discuss her plan with the rest of her group. "Alright, girls. Princess Luna wanted us to use the underground tunnels to sneak into the Crystal Empire unnoticed. They'll lead straight into the courtyard, right where the Crystal Heart used to be. She also expects us to divide our team into two groups just as soon as we help raise the main gates. As we fight our way back to the courtyard, one group will go rescue Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence, while the other group recovers the Crystal Heart. We must proceed with caution. I also have been warned that if Cicada deploys her troops onto the battlefield she'll also send in a squad of three Black Juggernauts to defend her fort. She'll also have General Rasputin lead her army to stop us in their tracks. As soon as he and the Juggernauts show up, we'll take them down with everything we've got. Remember girls, this fight is going to be more intense than the last time when we infiltrated the Research Prison Facility at Manehattan. I'll be leading the 1st group to rescue Princess Cadence and Princess Celestia. So who else is going to be coming with me on this rescue mission?"

After giving it some thought, Starlight, Spike, Trixie, and Flash Sentry decided to accompany Twilight Sparkle to rescue the 2 alicorn princesses while Sunset, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Rarity volunteered to go recover the Crystal Heart. As soon as they all geared up for the mission, all of Twilight's team, except for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, went down to the underground tunnels to proceed.

Meanwhile at the dark tower where Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence at chained up at, they see a huge army standing down below outside of the Crystal Empire standing by. After getting a closer look at the army's banner, Princess Cadence realized that the banner symbolized the regality of Princess Luna.

"Auntie, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Cadence asked the sun princess.

"Yes, my dear. It seems that my sister has finally come for us." Princess Celestia said to her niece. "If only my dear sweet Twilight Sparkle was there for us. I missed her so much."

After mentioning her remembrance of how proud Twilight Sparkle was even before she became the 4th alicorn princess of Equestria, Princess Celestia could not help but started crying in her hooves again when she lost her beloved student and daughter-figure to the evil power-hungry nobles of Equestria. Cadence comforted Celestia in her hooves once more as she let tears come out of her eyes. 

"If only there was still time for Prince Blueblood to change himself first, then maybe all of this wouldn't have happened." Princess Cadence said to herself as she embraced her aunt. "I can't believe those monsters took away my one and only child and locked her up in Cicada's Quarters.

The Crystal Princess never forgot on the day that Cicada and her changelings have taken over her beloved Empire all in one day, it's as if it was like yesterday.





Inside the Crystal Palace throne room, several guard ponies were barricading the door that leads outside. Unfortunately, Cicada's Changelings have already taken over most of the city and are now preparing to storm through the palace and capture Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armour. "CADENCE, TAKE OUR DAUGHTER AND FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE, NOW!!!" Prince Shinning Armour said to his wife as he drew out his sword and ordered his men to form up in a spear formation. 

"But Shining...." Cadence pleaded to the crystal prince.

"I'm sorry, Cadence but this is for your own good." Shinning Armour said. "The Changelings have already breached the outer walls and their Queen has already captured our crystalling pony."

Without another word, Princess Cadence fled back deep into the palace along with her daughter Flurry Heart and 15 other crystal pony guards escorting her down the hallways. As soon as Shinning Armour marches in front of the door that was about to be breached, he makes one final announcement to the rest of his surviving troops.

"Soldiers of the Crystal Empire!!! We men are warriors." Shining Armour said to his remaining platoon. "To lead you has been my honor!!!"

As soon as the rest of the Crystal pony guard and the Changeling Republic have assembled, the decided to make one final stand against the rebellious changelings.

"Cicada awaits for us!!!" Shinning Armour shouted while raising his sword and his shield in a swordsmen stance. "I'd say, we make her wait a little longer!!!"

Behind Shinning Armour, his men drew out all of their weapons and prepared for the final attack. As soon as the Changelings bursted their way into the throne room, Shinning Armour and his men make one final charge against them. While most of the Crystal guards engaged the changelings with their crystal swords and their spears, the Changeling Republican soldiers started firing their crossbows and hurling their spears at their evil brethren.

"Twily, if only you were still with us..." Shining Armour thought to himself as he chopped one enemy Changeling's head off with his sword. "We might be able to turn back the tide more sooner than expected."

As three more Changeling warriors charged forward at the white male unicorn, Shinning unleashed a flurry of sword strikes at them. One Changeling attempted to thrust his spear at the prince, only for him to step out of the way and stabbed the changeling in the neck with his sword. The second changeling lashed out at the prince with his crude ax. As Shinning blocked the ax with his sword, he makes a clean horizontal slash at the changeling's legs, making him lose his balance, and killed him finishing blow, stabbing the changeling in the head. As for the third changeling warrior, he attacked the prince head on with his crude sword. However, Shinning parried against the changeling's sword and made a downward slash with his sword, gutting out the changeling's entrails. Next thing the Shinning did was kicking changeling in the face, making him fall out his back before he bled to death. After taking down 5 more changelings, Shinning Armour realizes that his men are slowly losing their ground, being outnumbered from 20 to 1. General Rasputin came out of the Changeling group and drew out his black sword before engaging Shinning Armour in a one-on-one quick draw. When Shining Armour charged forward with his sword pointing at the Changeling General, Rasputin performs a bladed stance with magic as his sword pointed downwards. As soon as Shinning Armour got closer to Rasputin, the Changeling General made a huge wide arc with his sword. Before any pony could see what was coming, Shinning Armour's sword broke in two, much to his shock and horror. The next thing Shinning Armour saw was a green magic beam coming out from Rasputin's horn and hitting the prince in the face and causing a small explosion that sent the male white unicorn flying, hitting a nearby crystal wall with the back of his head and fall on the ground unconscious. 

Just when Princess Cadence was about to leave the Crystal Palace from a rear exit along with her infant daughter, she and her escort guards were immediately attacked by a group of Changeling Drones. The next thing Cadence saw was most of her escort guards getting butchered and killed in less than a minute. Before she tried to get away, a Black Juggernaut appeared in front of her and grabbed Cadence with its left mechanical hand. 

"UGHH!!! LET GO OF ME YOU HORRID FIEND!!!!" Princess Cadence shouted as she made a futile struggle to escape the Juggernaut's grip. 

Cadence's baby was left on the ground unattended when, all of a sudden, Queen Cicada appeared with Sunburst imprison inside her magic bubble.

"MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Queen Cicada laughed. "Nice try, Princess Cadence, but you cannot hope to escape us that easily. "I'll take the alicorn child into my chambers. You guys go lock up Princess Cadence in the tower."

"NO, GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS, CICADA!!! " Princess Cadence shouted at the Changeling Queen while being dragged off by her minions. "You can't."

"It's already done!!" Queen Cicada laughed as she flew up into the sky and headed towards the Crystal Palace.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!! FLURRY HEART!!!" Cadence cried as she got taken away into the darkness.





"Well, I hope Princess Luna will find a way to come and save us." Princess Cadence said to Princess Celestia, as she let go of the sun princess before looking down from the dark tower.

Meanwhile, Twilight and her group are making their way through the underground tunnels that lead to the Crystal Empire. At the end of the tunnel, they came across a ladder that leads straight up to the ceil. Above them, there is a trap door that leads to the Crystal Courtyard. 

"All girls. As soon as we come out of the trap door, proceed quietly to the gate house and kill any enemies that get in our way." Twilight said to the rest of the group.

As Twilight went up the ladder first, she used her magic to open up the trapdoor a small creak. Around her, she sees a group of Changelings sitting around near a campfire next to a couple of Crystal Houses and one patrolling the outer walls of the Crystal Empire. She slowly came out of the trap door and moved to a nearby building to hide behind cover. As the rest of her friends came out, Trixie, who was the last one to leave the underground tunnels, used her magic to quietly close up the trap door before moving on. During their stealthy trek towards the gate house, Starlight spots a changeling guarding the door leading to the gate house. As Twilight gave her a nod, Starlight hurled a little pebble to draw the changeling away from the door. Just as soon as the Changeling walked towards the sound of the little pebble, Starlight took out a dagger and stabbed him in the head while covering up his mouth. After the Changeling collapsed on the ground dead, Twilight and the rest of the group proceeded forward. When they got closer to the gate house, three more changeling drones came out of the gate house, all drunk and disorderly. Before any of them could see what was coming, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Flash flew straight at them in a swift, silent dash and stabbed them all at once with their spears and lance. Twilight and Trixie both went inside the gatehouse, only for them to see two changeling marksmens guarding the control panel that is used to raise the gates. However, they're both staring out at the open field unaware that the alicorn and unicorn are getting ready to assassinate them with their knives. Just when they're about to turn around, Twilight sliced at one changeling in the neck, with green blood gushing out of it, and Trixie to grab the other changeling by the neck, turning around, and performed an arch killing move that broke both the second changeling's spine and neck in two. As Trixie used her magic to turn the wheel to raise the gate, Twilight grabs a nearby torch with her magic and started waving it at the Lunar Republican Army outside of the Crystal Empire walls. Upon seeing the signal, Princess Luna gave her army the order to attack.

Meanwhile, at one of the front garrisons, General Rasputin sat on a chair while drinking coffee only to hear the sounds of the horns of  the Lunar Republic. As soon as Rasputin got out of his seat, he walks up to the battlements to see Luna's army heading straight for them. When Rasputin spotted the gatehouse, he sees Twilight and her group leave the gate house to engage his army.

"Changelings, deploy the garrisons." Rasputin shouted orders to his men. "The Lunar Republic Army is attacking!!!"

At the Crystal Palace, Queen Cicada appears at the balcony to see the Lunar Republic advance upon the city. Without hesitation, she ordered the rest of her minions to issue a counterattack against the Lunar Republic.

"Changelings, deploy the Black Juggernaut squad." Cicada ordered her minions as she went down to the armory to mount up.

As Cicada left the armory, she is now wearing Orange Changeling armor with green linings and is carrying a huge battle ax on her back. At the main gates, the Changeling Marksmen moved up to the outer wall garrisons and opened fire with their venom rifles and venom crossbows. When their venom weapons struck at the oncoming LR Warriors, they collapsed on the ground with their skin turning green and started suffocating from the inside, while the venom is eating away their flesh. However, most the LR warriors used their magic to raise their shields in order to protect themselves from enemy fire. As soon as the Lunar Republican army got closer to the gate, a large group of Changeling warriors assembled and formed a spear formation. Just in less than a minute, the Lunar Republican soldiers and Cicada's changelings clashed into each other as they started engaging in a full frontal assault. During the fight, Twilight's group split up and proceeded forward with their plan of rescuing the other two princesses and securing the Crystal Heart.

"All right, girls. You all know what you have to do." Twilight said as she drew out her orichalcum greatsword. "FOR EQUESTRIA!!!!"

Twilight, Starlight, Spike, Trixie, and Flash headed down to the courtyard, along with several dozen of Luna's soldiers as they fought their way through the changeling warriors and drones. Twilight made a large wide arc that decapitated three changeling warriors with her sword and made a huge chop that split the fourth changeling warrior in two. Flash hurled three javelins at the Changeling marksmen, impaling them in their chest before they fell on their backs dead. Trixie used her magic to pull out a wizard staff, summoned an electrical essence, and aimed it at the encroaching changeling drones. In less than a second, her wizard staff discharged a powerful lighting bolt that exploded a few centimeters to where the drones are standing. The explosion send 5 drones flying in different directions, completely burned of all flesh. After Twilight took down 3 more changelings with her sword, she tossed her ice blade to Starlight Glimmer. When Starlight grabbed the ice blade with her magic, she moved forward and made a horizontal sweep that froze every changeling in her sights. Flash used his lance to move a changeling warrior's spear away from him and stabbed it in the stomach. As soon as he saw 2 changeling marksmen in the sky, the orange pegasus unfurled his wings and launched a "death from below" jousting attack.  Before they could shoot at Flash, he flew straight at them so fast that they didn't see him shish kebab both changelings at once. Spike pulled out a fire hand grenade from his pouch and threw it at a group of 2 changelings. Upon impact, grenade exploded sending both changelings straight into a nearby building as they got caught on fire. The teenage dragon pulled out a flintlock pistol and shot a Changeling marksmen from his left, delivering a bloody headshot that made the changeling fall on its back dead. As for the second group, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Rarity, and Applejack fought their way to the left road that leads to the palace. Sunset shoots down several changeling marksmen from the sky with her flintlock pistol. As soon as 5 drones teleported in front of her, she and applejack drew out their weapons. Sunset unleashed a fire spin attack with her flame-enchanted flamberge that engulfed all of the drones all at once. Applejack unleashed a flurry of stab wounds at one changeling warrior before she slashed him in the neck. Another Changeling warrior charged at the earth pony with a sword in his hooves only for her to stab the warrior in the head with one of her talons. Behind Applejack, a changeling drone appeared but before he was about to attack her with his sword, the changeling was met by a rear kick from the earth pony mare. Rainbow Dash and Soarin both flew up into the air and performed a dive bomb aiming their spears at the changeling marksmen. Despite the Changeling Marksmen shooting at the pegasus with their venom weapons, Rainbow and Soarin were able to easily evaded them all as they took down with a powerful aerial attack. As soon as Twilight and her group reached the courtyard, they were all met by a Black Juggernaut that is poised to strike at them with its weapons.