Twilight stood in her castle, in her room, staring out the window. She stared out over Ponyville, catching the occasional shimmer of her brother’s protective barrier. This couldn’t be happening. This just couldn’t. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were stronger than this. Twilight was stronger than this. Her friends were stronger than this. How could they let this happen? How could any of this happen?
Grabbing the friendship journal from her nightstand, Twilight flung it across the room with her magic. What the hell was she supposed to do? She’d lost Celestia, probably lost Luna. She lost her Element of Harmony. She lost Moon Dancer. Her friend, was she even alive?
Twilight pressed a hoof to her cheek, staring at the book that lay crumpled on her floor. A number of loose papers had spilled out around the book.
A soft knock patted against her door. “Twilight? Mind if we come in?” Came AJ’s voice.
“Sure.” She replied flatly.
The door creaking open, Applejack and the others filed in. Twilight hadn’t even bothered to look at them. She merely gazed back out the window, only aware that her room had filled up with five more ponies.
The room again filled with silence. Only this time, it was an awkward silence. Twilight hadn’t particularly felt like speaking to any-pony, so she didn’t bother responding. She could feel her friends fidgeting behind her though. They obviously were trying to find the right words to console her, to comfort her. There were none. She knew it. They had to know it too. Not much to say after utterly failing Equestria.
Finally, Fluttershy worked up the courage to step over to Twilight, and placing a hoof around her friend’s back, hugged Twilight. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t smile. She couldn’t. She just hugged her friend.
Twilight neither fought the hug, nor returned it. She simply allowed it. She closed her eyes, and felt tears leaking down her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she whimpered. She could still see Luna being attacked by both Daybreaker and Queen Chrysalis. She could see Celestia trapped in her own body; and Luna being sucked dry by the changelings.
Gulping, Twilight finally broke down, and began to cry. She leaned against Fluttershy, and wrapped her hooves around the Pegasus for support. Her body quaked and her legs trembled. Her stomach lurched and Twilight felt as though she would throw up. She felt sick. She felt so . . .
Pushing Fluttershy away, Twilight knew she was going throw up. Sure enough, Fluttershy stepped aside just as Twilight emptied her stomach onto the floor. It’d been too much for her to handle. Just too much. She wanted to wake up. She needed to wake up from this nightmare. Everything needed to stop.
“Darling,” Rarity whispered, “Let me grab a towel and clean that up for you.”
Weakly, Twilight nodded her thanks. She must have looked quite pitiful to her friends in this state. Glancing over to them, she expected faces of disgust or disappointment. She’d failed them, all of them.
When Twilight did look at her friends, she saw looks of concern, worry, and love. She sniffled again and watched shamefully when Rarity, the pony of extravagance and beauty, had returned and proceeded to clean up her mess. “T-Thank you.” Twilight said weakly, her voice shaking a bit. “You should really let me . . .”
“Oh nonsense.” Rarity chirped back, “You are in no state to be doing anything.” Then turning to Twilight, Rarity smiled and said, “We’re your friends Twilight. We’re here for you.”
Twilight stared around. Rarity was right. They were all here. Despite what had happened, every-pony was here. Fluttershy had stepped back a few paces when Twilight had lost her lunch, but was just as concerned as Rarity. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were all huddled together, worried about her. Spike was even peering in from the doorway, shock covering his face.
“Here darling, you better wipe your face.” Rarity whispered with a smile. “You got a little . . . on your lip.”
“Huh?” And realizing what she meant, Twilight used her magic to grab the extra towel and quickly wipe her face, feeling her cheeks turn a bit red.
After everything was cleaned up, Twilight said, “Thank you every-pony. I don’t know what to say . . . except that I’m sorry. I failed you all.” Plopping down on the floor, Twilight bowed her head, “It was my duty as princess to make sure Daybreaker was stopped. Not only did we fail, but I lost my Element of Harmony on top of it.”
“Don’t worry about that sugar-cube,” Applejack said, approaching Twilight and sitting next to her, “We’ll get it back.”
“And then we’ll bust into Canterlot and show that Daybreaker who’s boss!” Rainbow Dash excitedly exclaimed, throwing a hoof into the air.
Bouncing up and down, Pinkie Pie playfully added, “And then they’ll be cake, and ice cream, and candy, and cookies, and . . .”
Rarity placed a hoof to Pinkie’s mouth and said, “I think we get the idea.”
“Thanks girls,” Twilight said, truly appreciative of her friends. “But, it’s not just that. Moon Dancer is out there too. I not only failed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but I failed Moon Dancer.”
A moment of silence fell upon the girls. It was brief, but before any-pony could speak, another knock rose from behind Twilight’s door. “Y-Yes?” She asked.
“It’s me, Shining Armor.” Came her brother’s voice.
“Oh,” and Twilight used her magic to open the door, letting her brother into her room.
Shining Armor looked over to Twilight and her friends. Then, smiling at them, he said, “I’m glad you’re all alright. We were really worried about you, especially you Twilight.” Twilight chose to remain silent at this comment, and only nodded her head. Understanding how his sister must be feeling, Shining Armor turned to the others and said, “Girls, I hate to do this to you, but would you mind stepping outside for a minute? I need a moment with my sister.”
The girls nodded in understanding. They filed out one by one, until only Twilight and her brother remained in the room. The two stared at each other, neither one able to speak. Twilight remained seated, softly flicking her tail against the floor.
“How are you feeling?” Shining Armor broke the silence, “You were out for a whole day. We’re lucky your injuries were just minor . . .”
“Was there no way to help Princess Luna,” Twilight asked. She hardly cared about her own physical condition. As far as she was concerned, she was just fine. Even though her friends had tried to cheer her up, this nagging itch in the back of her head still screamed at her for leaving a fellow princess behind. “Were we really that useless?”
Shining Armor bit his lip. He knew walking into this room that he’d be questioned like this. Twilight was on point as always. “I’m sorry Twilight. We didn’t have a choice.” He said with some finality, “I tried to convince her to stay in Canterlot, I really did. But . . . then the changelings came.”
“What?” Twilight asked, speechless.
Nodding, her brother continued, “Hundreds of them fell upon Canterlot, all at once. Ponies panicked, running through the streets.” Shining Armor stopped and stepped towards the window, glancing out at his soldiers patrolling the streets of Ponyville, “Our original plan was to bring you and your friends back to Canterlot where you and Princess Luna could devise a strategy to stop Daybreaker. But when the changelings came, we had to get her out of there. She didn’t have the strength to fight them off, and I didn’t have time to cast my barrier spell.”
“But that can’t be,” Twilight argued, “The changelings shared their love. They changed . . . They reformed. Because of Thorax, we were able to make the changelings allies.” Twilight finished, joining her brother at the window. “I know there might’ve been some rogues but . . .” Twilight’s voice trailed off.
Silence was Shining Armor’s response. He was well aware of the events that had led up to the changelings becoming their allies. “I don’t know if Chrysalis changed them back . . .”
“Where’s the rest of your colts?” Twilight asked, staring out over Ponyville. From what she could see, the number of soldiers patrolling the grounds were far less than what she remembered. Her view was limited of course due to surrounding buildings, but still, this couldn’t have been all of them.
“Many were attacked trying to help other ponies escape. The colts you see here are the only ones we have left. I couldn’t even tell you what became of the others. I managed to bring with a few pegasi, but not many. The rest that I have are setting up checkpoints along the barrier.”
Twilight understood now why they quickly retreated after the rescue. Shining Armor couldn’t afford to lose any more of his soldiers. Mounting an offensive against both Daybreaker and Queen Chrysalis would have been suicide. Of course, if she hadn’t lost her Element of Harmony, then maybe things would be different. “Still . . .” Twilight said finally, “this doesn’t excuse us from abandoning Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. What will we do without them? How will we protect every-pony in Ponyville? And Canterlot, and . . .”
“I believe that will be your job.”
“Me?” Twilight said, astounded, “B-But I can’t suddenly . . . What about Princess Cadence?”
“Princess Cadence will be doing the exact same thing we are. I’ve already had Spike update her on what’s happening here. With everything that’s happened, we can’t count on her support right now.”
Twilight stepped away from the window, looking about her room at all the books, neatly ordered and sorted by topic, by title. “I’m not Princess Luna, or Princess Celestia.”
Understanding exactly how his sister felt, Shining Armor stepped over to her side, and placed a hoof around her. “But, you are a princess.” He said calmly. “And truth be told, I’m just as terrified as you are about this whole thing. Maybe even more.”
Twilight let out a sarcastic chuckle, “you really think I’ll do that bad?”
Shining Armor smiled at his sister. “No, of course not. You’re going to do just fine.” Then taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m scared because I know Daybreaker and Queen Chrysalis are going to be after you now. They are going to do whatever it takes to get their hooves on you. And the only-pony standing between them and you, is me.” Hugging his sister, Shining Armor finished, “I’m terrified of what will happen to you if I fail.”
Twilight nodded, holding back a couple of tears that wanted to leak out. She understood her position, understood his position. She just didn’t want things to come to this. “I understand.”
“Good” Shining Armor said, stepping away from his sister. Moving so that he stood in front of Twilight, he said, “Remember that none of this is your fault. You did everything you could to stop it.” Before Twilight could interject, Shining Armor continued, “But, what happens from here on out will be your responsibility.”
Twilight simply nodded her head. She didn’t have a choice in the matter. She was a princess of Equestria. This was her duty. As much as she didn’t want this responsibility, not like this, she had to accept it. The ponies out there would be looking for her to guide them through this nightmare. They needed her.
“I’m going to head out now and check on my colts.” Shining Armor said, “Take your time. Sort yourself out. Because when you do come out, I can’t be your brother.”
“What are you talking about? You’ll always be my big brother.”
“Yes, but once I leave this room, and until all of this is over, you will become my Princess. You will not be my little sister. I will do everything in my power to protect you and serve you. As captain of the royal guard, that is my duty.” Shining Armor said, moving towards the door. “Just as your duty is now to care for the ponies of Equestria.”
Twilight let out a long sigh. She simply nodded her head. Her brother gave one last smile, and then stepped out of the room.
Twilight glanced about her empty room. Things were changing all around her. The world, for all intents and purposes, had ended. The well-being of every-pony was now in her hooves. Her friends were now so far detached from what she needed to care about, that it scared her. They had always come first. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash; they were always there for her.
“How could all of this happen?” She whispered to herself as she stepped through her room. “How can I lead Equestria?”
A box off in the corner caught Twilight’s eye. She trotted past her bed and over to the cardboard box. Pulling it out, Twilight opened up the folded sides and peered inside. Extra decorations from Maud’s party filled the box to the brim. Streamers and whistles, balloons and banners, assortments of strangely shaped objects filled every nook and cranny of the box. Twilight sniffled. This party would never happen. It was just out of the question. The girls had worked so hard to bring the castle to life for Maud, and now she’d never see it.
Then a new fear crept into Twilight’s head. Where was Maud anyway? She’s not in Ponyville. The train that would have carried her into town wasn’t expected for another couple of days. She could be at home . . . or not. Twilight shoved the box away, knowing she’d be staring at the decorations in the main hall once she stepped out. Pinkie Pie is probably already dealing with them. Poor Pinkie. She probably doesn’t know how Maud or her family is doing.
Twilight’s mind then drifted to thoughts of the others. Rainbow Dash had worked for years to become a Wonderbolt. Would she ever fly with them again? Rarity had her boutique that she’d been so proud of, not to mention the multiple locations. Twilight always loved stepping into the parlor, just to catch a glimpse of what Rarity was working on next. Of course, she loved watching Spike’s reactions to Rarity just as much. Then of course were the barn raisings of the Apple family, the nature walks with Fluttershy, and of course Pinkie’s many, many other parties. Ponyville, no Equestria, had been filled with so much magic. So many dreams and wishes had been brought to life since Twilight had first arrive in Ponyville.
That was it. Twilight knew it. This is what being a princess was about. Those days are not over. We’ll fight past this. We’ll win, and those days will come back. Twilight thought to herself. I can’t let Daybreaker and Queen Chrysalis take this away from me, from Equestria. She knew what she had to do. It wasn’t what she wanted, but if she ever wished to see those peaceful days again, then Twilight Sparkle had to step up and bring Equestria together. Feeling a new sense of determination, her head finally clearing, Twilight trotted out of her room and down to the hall to join every-pony else.
“What a run-down pile of junk,” Queen Chrysalis exclaimed, buzzing through the remainders of Canterlot’s castle. “Did you have to destroy the whole castle?” She asked, clearly disgusted with the amount of debris per square inch. Almost every corridor, room, and tower now came with its own crumbling skylight.
“Oh don’t be so dramatic Chrysalis” Daybreaker retorted. She’d grown quite weary of the changeling queen’s complaining ever since they’d arrived. That wall is missing. There’s a hole in the floor. Does she ever shut-up? Daybreaker turned to Chrysalis and said, “It’s because of that miserable Luna that so much damage was done. Besides, we’ve got our own little army of builders right here in Canterlot. Why not put them to good use?”
Queen Chrysalis merely had to glance out the nearest collapsed wall to see her changelings grouping together a sizable number of captured ponies from inside the city. “I suppose a little redecorating is in order. For all the damage you inflicted upon this castle, the gaudy décor is still quite visible.”
Daybreaker grinned at the comment. She couldn’t help but agree with the queen. The castle was an awful sight to behold. Still, interior design aside, they had much bigger plans to attend to. Princess Luna had somehow given them the slip, and Twilight Sparkle had managed to regroup with her friends in Ponyville. Equestria hadn’t been won yet. Still, obtaining the Element of Magic was a win. It meant that Twilight and her gang couldn’t just run into Canterlot and blow them into Tartarus. “Castle aside, we have to keep ourselves moving. Don’t want any pesky princesses getting the upper-hoof on us.”
Before Chrysalis could respond, one of her changelings burst in through an open wall and landed before them. He greeted both Chrysalis and Daybreaker with a loyal bow. Turning to his queen, he excitedly announced, “My queen, we have captured the pony called Moon Dancer. She is in the makeshift holding cell above.”
Queen Chrysalis couldn’t help but laugh as she said, “Excellent work my changeling!”
“Oh please,” Daybreaker rolled her eyes, “even a dog can fetch.”
Abruptly dismissing her subject, Queen Chrysalis turned to her nuisance of a partner and said, “With her, we can almost guarantee that Twilight and friends will send out a search party. If we play this right, it might just be our ticket into Ponyville. You may be quick on the draw with magic, but I’m quick with the wit.”
Daybreaker’s mouth about dropped open. Angrily, she barred her teeth and demanded, “Are you calling me dumb, Chrysalis?!”
Chrysalis had to fight back a laugh. She shook her head aggressively. What a sensitive creature she had teamed up with! “Why of course not! It was you who invited me onto this escapade, was it not?” Daybreaker slowly nodded her head. “Of course it was,” Chrysalis affirmed, “It’s foolishness to go about conquering Equestria without some proper help. Not when we have the likes of Twilight and friends to deal with.”
Bored with the queen’s rantings, Daybreaker asked, “Then please do tell, why haven’t you cooked this Moon Dancer up for dinner . . . or whatever it is you changelings do?”
Chrysalis couldn’t help but chuckle. This was truly an amusing scenario. She just hoped this brute wouldn’t end up getting her and her subjects killed. “Information. This little pony will have information relevant to Ponyville.”
“And just how do you plan on making her talk?”
A sadistic smile spread over Chrysalis’ face. She narrowed her eyes. That part was long since thought of. “Leave that to me. You go ahead and start rebuilding the castle. I’ll get us into Ponyville.”
With that Chrysalis made her exit. She flew up to the upper floors of the castle, what remained of them. When she reached the corridor that led to Moon Dancer’s cage, Chrysalis glanced back out a nearby window and saw Daybreaker already gathering up a herd of ponies for reconstruction. Dumb ponies actually have brains. Chrysalis thought to herself. Then calling over a couple of guards, Chrysalis said to them, “Lead me into Moon Dancer’s cell as a prisoner, then go about your regular duties until I say.” The guards nodded obediently and stepped in front and in back of Chrysalis. As they started moving, Chrysalis changed her form to be that of Twilight Sparkle.
Moon Dancer rubbed her head as she awoke with an immense throbbing at her temple. She felt dizzy, and staggered to stand on all fours. Her body felt weak, and it took several seconds before her vision cleared enough for her to see. “Where . . . am I?” She asked, finally taking in the iron bars that trapped her in the corner of a fairly large, and dilapidated room.
As Moon Dancer oriented herself, she finally realized where she was. “Canterlot . . . I have to get out here. Find Twilight Sparkle,” she said hurriedly. Glancing around, she noticed a few changelings guarding the entrance to the room. They were far enough away, and facing the opposite direction that if she slipped out, they might not notice.
Closing her eyes, Moon Dancer used her magic to conjure up a teleportation spell; just enough to land her outside of the cage. When she poofed out, Moon Dancer flinched open her eyes and glanced around. “What?” She asked, horrified. Her spell hadn’t worked. It only managed to teleport her from one end of the cage to the other. “But how? I . . .” Then Moon Dancer saw her. The unicorn dropped open her mouth in shock as two more guards entered the room.
“No. Twilight! What happened?!” She called out. Her friend’s head drooping as the guards ushered her away from the cage’s door. Moon Dancer thought briefly of starting a counter-attack, but with Twilight, she didn’t want her friend to get hurt.
“In you go Princess,” one of the guards said mockingly. “You two will get plenty of quality time together. Until of course our queen gets hungry.” And locking the two in, he stepped away from the cage and left with the guard that had assisted him.
“Moon Dancer!” Twilight exclaimed, rushing up to her friend and hugging her. “I’m so glad you’re alright. When I saw Chrysalis with that book, I was so worried. I thought I’d never see you again.”
Moon Dancer sniffled a bit. She was glad to see her friend too. She hugged Twilight back and said, “What’s happened? Where are the others?”
Twilight sat in silence for a moment, her head drooping as she spoke. “After Chrysalis showed up with the book, she and Daybreaker teamed up against us. We didn’t have a chance.”
“What do you mean? What about the Elements of Harmony?”
Twilight shook her head. “We tried using them, but Chrysalis countered us. If it wasn’t for her, we would’ve stopped Daybreaker. She made off with my Element . . . and Daybreaker used the book.”
“But the book disappears after each use. Maybe we can . . .”
“Daybreaker destroyed the book.” Twilight blurted out. “It’s gone. Unless . . .”
“Unless what?”
Twilight turned to her friend. “The spell Daybreaker used on herself; from what I can tell, it was meant to silence Celestia. But, it seemed to give her more power. Do you think we could somehow undo it . . . even without the book?”
Moon Dancer chuckled. “You’re the princess, not me.” Silence fell over them as Moon Dancer pondered the idea. While it most likely wasn’t possible to reverse the spell, she did remember a number of the spells that were in the book. None of them would help, but if her theory was correct, then . . . “Twilight, there may be a way.”
Smiling a bit uncharacteristically, Twilight said, “Tell me.”
Moon Dancer hesitated at her friend’s strange behavior. She’d never seen such a weird, and eager smile on the princess’ face before. Then again, she’d never helped any-pony save the world either, so maybe this was normal? “W-Well, obviously the Elements of Harmony would still work on defeating Daybreaker.”
“And if those aren’t an option . . .”
“Then . . .” Moon Dancer began, pacing about the cage as she poured over the idea in her head, “many of the spells that were contained in that book were meant for usages over a short period of time. It’s reasonable to conclude that if the same is true for the spell Daybreaker used, then its effects may only be temporary.”
“And if we get her to use her magic even more, then the spell’s effects could vanish even sooner.” Twilight said excitedly. Hugging her friend again, she said, “Thanks Moon Dancer! I knew I could count on you!”
Blushing a bit from her friend’s over zealousness, Moon Dancer said, “Well no problem Twilight. What are friends for?” Then remembering the cage, she added, “But first thing’s first, we need to get out of here first.”
When the two ponies broke away from the hug, Twilight wore that strange smile once more. “Don’t worry, I’ve got that all figured out.” Twilight’s horn lit up, and Moon Dancer stepped back in amazement as a dark, lime green magical aura swirled around Twilight Sparkle. It filled the cage with light, making it hard to look at. Moon Dancer covered her eyes as the magical energy creating gusts of wind that circled around them both. It clawed at the remains of the carpet, tossed small brick fragments against the cell, and kicked up dust into the air.
When everything had finally settled, Moon Dancer opened her eyes and quickly threw herself as far away from Twilight as she could. Her eyes widened in horror as her friend was gone, and in her place, was the leader of the changelings, Queen Chrysalis.
The queen laughed at her beautiful little trick, and was quite pleased with herself for getting some dirt on that nuisance of a partner. “Unfortunately Moon Dancer, you will not be escaping this prison. In fact, I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere for a long, long time.” She hissed, her smile growing as she walked towards the terrified pony.
In a desperate attempt, Moon Dancer fired off a magical beam, to which Chrysalis easily deflected with her own magic. She laughed again at the pathetic attempt and violently shoved her hoof against the unicorn’s throat. As Moon Dancer gagged and struggled to breathe, her hooves beat uselessly against Chrysalis’ leg. The queen peered into the pupils of her victim and said, “Thanks for the tips Moon Dancer. I’ll be sure to put them to good use.” She began to laugh again as her victim’s struggles grew weaker. Then, in one fell swoop, Chrysalis brought Moon Dancer’s lips up to her own, and squeezing the pony’s body, she drained Moon Dancer of love until her prey had stopped moving.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Spike asked, a bit relieved when the princess finally stepped into her throne room. They’d been waiting for over an hour, and Spike had started to wonder whether or not Twilight would even come down. It was almost like the previous twenty-four hours all over again. When both Shining Armor and Nurse Redheart had scampered back and forth through the castle. They’d done everything they could to make sure she healed as quickly as possible.
“I think so.” Twilight answered as she sat down at her throne. “I don’t really have a choice. Without me . . . no, without us, Equestria doesn’t stand a chance. With all of you here, I know we can win.”
“But what do we do?” Spike again questioned. “We don’t have all the elements anymore.” Spike said.
Twilight nodded. It still upset her that she had allowed Chrysalis and Daybreaker to run off with hers. Looking around, she could see that her friends all still wore their Elements of Harmony. Perhaps that was for the best. The elements would be safer with their rightful owners.
“You’re right.” Twilight said, “We don’t have them, and we’ll need to get mine back . . . eventually.” Looking around, Twilight saw all her friends were listening. Shining Armor must have talked to them after he left. Twilight thought to herself. I suppose that makes this official. I’m the ruling princess. Sighing, Twilight continued, “Our first priority needs to be the safety of every-pony in Ponyville. From what my brother has told me . . . I mean, what Captain Shining Armor has told me, there are changelings out there, lots of them. And they are not reformed.”
“How is that possible?” Rainbow Dash blurted out, “those changelings all . . . changed when Starlight and Thorax broke us out of their hive!”
“I don’t know. Details are scarce, but maybe we just didn’t get all the changelings reformed. They had spread all over Ponyville. Some may have escaped.”
“But enough to take on Canterlot?” Applejack asked, unconvinced, “I don’t mean to doubt you Twilight, but that don’t make a lick of sense.”
Twilight nodded, completely understanding. “I’m not sure I believe it either.” She said. “But it’s all I got.” Then glancing around, she realized something. Starlight wasn’t there. The one pony that might be able to give some information on the matter was absent. “Where is Starlight anyway? She might know something on this.”
“Ah . . . about that,” Spike said, standing up at the mention of their friend’s name. “Before things went . . . well south, umm Starlight left for her village. Sounded like they had wanted her help with something.”
The girls started to talk amongst themselves. It truly was terrible timing on Starlight’s part. Having another pony with her magical ability would have greatly helped Ponyville’s chances. Still, the more Twilight thought about this, maybe it was for the better. “Spike, is Starlight aware of what’s going on at all?”
“There hasn’t been any word from her, so I would say no?”
“Send one.” Twilight instructed. “But tell her to stay put. We don’t know what Daybreaker and Queen Chrysalis are planning. If they head north, Starlight is that village’s best shot at survival.”
“Right away!” Spike exclaimed as he hurried out of the room.
“So . . . what do we do in the meantime?” Applejack asked.
“Well, I’m going to meet with Captain Shining Armor, and find out what our situation is. After that, we can start thinking about what our options are.”
“Well, we’re all here for you.” Fluttershy added softly.
Twilight smiled and thanked her friends for being there for her. It meant the world to her that she wouldn’t be going into all this along. She just hoped she was up to the task. “We can chat more about this later. The sooner I can get a grasp on things, the better.” Twilight said. And getting up from her throne, she headed out the door, to find her brother, the Captain of the Royal Guard.
Twilight followed her brother out to the edge of his barrier. The first order of business had been to update her with Ponyville’s current situation. It wasn’t too good. As Shining Armor explained to her, “I have just under eighty soldiers to help protect Ponyville. While that may seem like a lot, when we spread them out, it’s only enough to setup a hoof-full of checkpoints with a few left overs for patrolling the streets. We have to be careful not to waste them.”
Twilight nodded her head as they followed the barrier towards the hospital. As they walked along the path, a number of soldiers were already defining a checkpoint. They had set about creating trenches, and turning an old tree-house into a make-shift watch-tower. Both Twilight and Shining Armor watched their progress for a few moments. Part of Twilight still couldn’t believe this was happening. This wasn’t Ponyville to her. Ponyville wasn’t supposed to be a war-zone. But this is exactly why I have to fight . . . to get my Ponyville back.
“While we’re not under attack now,” Shining Armor continued, “We’re prepping for a full-on assault from the changeling army.”
“Do we have any estimates on how large Chrysalis’ army has become?”
“We don’t know.” Shining Armor said reluctantly.
Twilight waited, expecting her brother to elaborate. But he didn’t. There simply was no explanation, only that they were back.
“Where is Starlight Glimmer anyway?” Shining Armor suddenly asked, “She might be able to help us reform these changelings.”
Glancing at the hospital ahead, which a number of guards were moving in and out of, Twilight turned back to her brother. “I’m afraid she left Ponyville just before all this. She went back to her home village for something. I’ll try to stay in contact with her.”
Then changing the subject, the princess glanced about the barrier and asked, “How long can you keep this thing up?”
“I’ll keep it up as long as it takes. But, once the changelings start pounding on it, things will get a lot tougher. That’s why we’re evacuating the hospital and moving it into Town Hall. When the changelings do start attacking, I may need to shrink the barrier, so that it is easier to maintain.”
“And with the hospital on the outer limits of Ponyville, it’d be one of the first to lose protection.” Twilight said. Her brother nodded in response. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just organize some volunteers. The more colts that I can be spared, the easier it will be for me to protect Ponyville.”
Twilight nodded. “Done. But I’ll be needing a few of them.”
“For?” Shining Armor asked. He was happy to help the new princess, but he’d also just finished explaining to her that he was short on soldiers. Splitting off any more than necessary could potentially weaken Ponyville’s defenses.
“I need a couple of soldiers to go out and search for Moon Dancer.”
“Princess Twilight,” Shining Armor emphasized, “we don’t know where she is. Most likely, she was captured by Queen Chrysalis and Daybreaker.”
Twilight nodded. She knew this was a very real possibility, and perhaps even a probability. “We still need to try. Moon Dancer is my friend. More importantly to Ponyville though, she was also the most familiar with the book that Daybreaker used. If there’s a way to defeat Daybreaker, Moon Dancer could be our key to ending this quickly.”
Nodding his head in agreement, Shining Armor said, “Very well. I’ll send out a small detachment of soldiers to search around the grounds of the Castle of the Two Sisters. If they’re unable to find anything though, I’ll order them to return. We don’t know how long it’ll be before Chrysalis’ forces are banging at our door.”
“Thanks, Shining Armor.” Twilight said, smiling up to her brother.
The tour around Ponyville eventually turned back towards the Castle of Friendship. Even though she’d been a citizen of Ponyville for several years now, being shown around the town in such a manner was surreal. It was as if Shining Armor had given her a tour of a far-away country. The buildings and the ponies were familiar, but the atmosphere and presence of a small military added a different air to the town. Ponies wandered in groups, and not a foal was left unaccompanied. Twilight received glances and stares from ponies she knew quite well, like she was an outsider. They knew what we were doing. Twilight thought to herself. They must’ve realized I have to actually be a princess for them now . . . and not some Ponyville mascot. But Twilight didn’t blame them for judging. That much had to be expected.
When Twilight and Shining Armor did finally reach the castle, they found an unexpected pony standing outside of the castle, waiting for them. It was Applejack. She’d been inside at her seat when they had left, but now, she stood nervously at the door. Her hooves rooted to the stairs where her eyes darted from road to road, looking for them. Twilight had only noticed her because Shining Armor had pointed it out from a distance.
“What’s with her?” The captain asked.
“I’m not sure. We better find out.” Twilight said, and the two trotted back over to the castle.
When Applejack spotted the two approaching, she jumped in surprise a bit. She wasn’t sure how she’d missed them. Having to ask Twilight as a princess put Applejack on edge. She’d been thinking about it ever since her friend had left with Shining Armor. “Alright now Applejack, settle on down. She’s your friend.” Applejack said to herself, and even found herself starting to pace back and forth. She must’ve been quite the sight for the two. It’s not that she wanted to ask for assistance. Applejack knew very well the position that both Twilight and Shining Armor were in. It’s just that, Applejack didn’t think she could handle this by herself.
“Something wrong?” Twilight asked, reaching her friend. “Why aren’t you inside with the others?”
“Well . . . I,” Applejack pulled off her hat, and wiped at her brow, “The thing is Twilight, I’m worried about my family. They’re not here.” Before Twilight could respond, Applejack continued, “They’re still on the farm. Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith . . . I don’t even know if they know what’s going on.”
Stepping in, Shining Armor said, “I’m sorry Applejack. I can’t extend my barrier to protect your farm. They’ll have to come here, and it’ll have to be before the changelings start attacking.”
“I know that.” Applejack answered. She’d known deep down that wasn’t a possibility. “But . . . I also know they won’t wanna leave. Granny Smith, well she’s as stubborn as an old mule and Big Mac, well he won’t rightly leave the farm without her. And Apple Bloom, well she’s just a young-un, but can be just as stubborn as the other two.” Letting out a long breath, Applejack’s voice faltered and she gulped down, looking at the two, “That farm has been in the Apple family for generations. The thought of letting it go now, after all the work we’ve put into it . . .”
“It really would be safer here,” Twilight said.
Applejack nodded her head. That much was a fact, an undisputable fact. She glanced down at the Element of Harmony that hung around her neck. She could feel the eyes of both Twilight and Shining Armor upon her. “I know Twilight,” She said, “But I can’t force my family to leave the orchard. That’s our home. Born and raised there, ya know?”
Twilight nodded her head. She understood perfectly what Applejack was telling her. “I know ya’ll be needing me too . . . what with my element and all. But I can’t let my family down neither.”
Twilight glanced up to her brother. He was just as conflicted as she. There was not an easy answer to this problem. She hated that this had to be her first big decision in Ponyville. Still, Applejack’s family meant so much to her. Maybe there’s a way to make this work. Twilight thought to herself. Turning to her friend, she said, “You’re right Applejack. Your family needs you.”
Turning to her brother, Twilight explained, “We’re going to need about six soldiers to accompany Applejack to her farm.” Twilight saw her brother’s immediate concern with the decision, but she continued. “The soldiers will stay on patrol at Sweet Apple Acres and provide the Apple family with any assistance that they require.”
Applejack, her eyes flooding with tears at the support, exclaimed, “Really? Y-You’re sure that’s alright?”
Shining Armor flinched at the request. He’d just finished explaining to Twilight, only minutes ago, the stretched resources he was already working with. Now, she wanted to stretch them further by trying to rescue Moon Dancer, and protecting a farm. Leaning in, Shining Armor whispered to Twilight, “Princess, we can’t stretch our resources too thin. We need those soldiers.”
“Applejack needs them too.” Twilight whispered to her brother and then said to her friend, “Of course it’s alright. And if we need you for anything, then we’ll let you know as soon as we can.”
Unable to contain herself, Applejack thrust her hooves around Twilight and hugged her friend. She’d been worrying over this nonstop. Ever since they’d entered Ponyville, she’d been counting the hours as to when she could return and check-up on them. It already felt as though she’d been gone too long. “Thanks Twilight! I really do appreciate this. If it’s alright, I’d like to get going as soon as possible.”
“Of course, we understand,” Shining Armor interjected, “if you could just give us a moment in private, that’d be great.”
Nodding Applejack stepped back into the castle, closing the door behind her.
Shining Armor wasted no time in expressing his frustration at what just took place. “Twilight, I don’t appreciate being ignored like that. I said you’d be my princess . . . but that doesn’t mean you get overrule everything I say. We’re short on soldiers” He said, a bit sternly to his sister.
“I know how you feel Shining Armor, and I’m sorry for how I acted.” Twilight explained, “but Applejack is my friend. She needs our help.”
“The ponies in Ponyville need our help as well. And it will be a lot easier to provide the help if we’re not splitting off our army like this.”
Getting a little frustrated herself, Twilight raised her voice, “you’d rather have them out there alone?”
“I’d rather have them inside the barrier where it’s safe.” Shining Armor clarified.
Sighing, Twilight finished, “I’m afraid the only way we’d get that is if we dragged them in, kicking and screaming.”
“Well . . .”
“But . . .” Twilight said, stepping up to Shining Armor, “I am still thinking of the other ponies of Ponyville.” When her brother only responded with a confused look, she continued her explanation, “Applejack and her family own an apple farm. The number of apples they can pick at any given time is more than enough to help keep every-pony here fed. We don’t know how long we’re going to be keeping this up.” Then turning back to her brother, she asked, “Well we have to have food, don’t we?”
Sighing, Shining Armor nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“I’m sure Applejack and her family will have no problem sharing their crops with us.”
Shining Armor pondered over Twilight’s request. “Six guards?” He asked, wanting to make sure. When Twilight nodded in agreement, Shining Armor said, “Very well princess. I’ll help get Applejack ready.”
“Thanks,” Twilight said, “and Shining Armor, I really wasn’t trying to ignore you.” Her brother nodded in understanding. “And . . . if I ever would get completely out of line, for the love of Ponyville, stop me.”
Letting out a soft chuckle, Shining Armor shook his head at the silliness of the thought. “Of course I will, Princess.” And with that, Shining Armor stepped back into the castle to work out the details with Applejack.
Twilight remained outside for a few brief moments. She stared out over Ponyville, watching the glimmer of the pink barrier above her. Before heading inside, Twilight couldn’t help but think, please let this be the right choice.