One
Prologue - End of the Line
By TechieBrony and Da kine
“CHIP, are Celestia and Luna okay?”
“Both of their ships have successfully left the planet and are moving out of visual range,” said a chipper voice in Twilight’s earpiece. Twilight sighed in relief. At least that had gone right. An explosion rocked her own ship, but Twilight hardly noticed now.
“Prepare the ascendancy matrix for upload,” She said.
“Senior bridge officers will be notified of the activity. Do you still wish to proceed?”
Twilight took a deep breath. “Yes.”
The computer gave a series of beeps to indicate it was busy, and Twilight removed a blue glass orb that was hanging by a chain around her neck. She looked at it reverently, then quickly swung it down and let it shatter across the floor of the room.
The remaining piece attached to the pendant was Halway between lokking like a spider and the web that it would spin . The voices of her ponies, the voices of her mind. All clamored for attention that she could not give, for she was too busy dealing with the voices of outsiders. The pressing call of hoofsteps rang ever closer to her room, a not-so-subtle reminder of what was to come. The singular crack of a lone rifle rang out. Her security would undoubtedly lose, being outnumbered by the mutinous crew three to one. Would she save herself from them?
No, I think I am done for now, she thought. That confounded rock better give me a moment of respite before my death. That’s the least I deserve.
"The Bridge Crew are at your doorstep right now - should I let them in?" The voice washed over her like a wave of pure blissful ignorance; ignorance of the situation, of the stakes at risk. She wished she could partake of such ignorance, that she might - for a single moment, forget about her responsibilities. But experience told her otherwise. She Had little time before events would play out exactly as she had foreseen them, And that was a small comfort. It would be nice to be right about something - even her own death, when she had, for so long, been wrong.
"Let them in when I am done. This work is important."
The little voice chirped out its affirmative, and several additional locks engaged. Had she the time, she would've patted herself on the back for thinking to install a sense of tact into the little machine. It helped soothe her nerves in stressful situations. It hardly helped at the moment though, what with the end of life as all knew it looming overhead.
Twilight continued the only task that stood between her and death. She scooped up the remains of the pendant in her magic, The branching paths on it shimmering with irridescence. She knew how important it was.
She wrapped her hoof around the small core, holding it to her chest as she brought it over to a blue-lit console. The middle of the pedestal housed a small indent, one that was purposefully shaped like the core in her grasp. She paused for a moment to hold it close to her. Like all magic, the core could feed off emotion, so it was critical she feel the importance of what she was doing. This Spidery core was the future of all life on Equus, and she had to feel it.
She felt the hesitation rise within her. If she proceeded, she could never go back. Her future would be cast in an impenetrable mould, as would that of all living creatures.
The ship keened out from its very bowels, rocking in cadence with the artificial turbulence of missiles impacting its magical shielding. Her time was short; she made her decision. With the utmost gentleness that could be spared in such a situation, she inserted the core into its intended resting spot. I’m sorry, she thought. A soft clink was heard, along with a dim flash of blue before the core was encased in a small plate of metal; Like the lid of a coffin.
With that final act done, she steadied herself against the console and spoke. "The core is active. please find your way to the closest stasis pod for ascendancy." Her words would be received by the whole facility via the auditory centers contained in their earpieces. They would do with them what they willed.
"Ma'am, they're still at the door," Silence held a deafening chokehold on the air around her before her AI continued. "Do you wish to let them in now?"
She held her breath, "...Yes." NO NO NO
She didn't turn around when the mechanical door whirred open behind her, she didn't turn around when the sound of hooves surrounded her, and she didn't turn around when she felt the cold touch of steel on the back of her head.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, you are hereby relieved of your duty as Princess of Equestria - you'll be handing the reins over to your next-in-command." the barrel was given a slight shove against her head as motivation. "Do you Acknowledge the transfer of power?"
She felt a familiar rumble in her bosom and before long, she let out the quietest chuckle. "You do realize that's you? You've always been my number-one assistant."
Spike didn't bother responding, instead giving her head another shove. "Answer the question, Twilight."
"The question is irrelevant, we're all dead anyways."
"Just answer the question! I don't want to pull this trigger, but don't think I won't!" Click; The safety was off.
The air was cold, but the look Twilight gave Spike was still colder. She did what she had to do, and she didn’t regret a thing. “I tried to save you… I tried to save all of you!” Her voice rose from a whisper to a roar, then fell silent again. You didn’t hear what it said! my life, my ponies... you won’t take it away never never never.
“Ma’am, the shield’s fai—” Twilight flicked her earpiece off with a twitch of her hooves, the motion/thought controlled device responding instantly, shutting out the AI’s voice.
She straightened her posture and turned directly into the face of death, the barrel now pressed firmly between her eyes. She crossed her hooves tightly and breathed deeply. You can’t take my ponies awa— "But you didn't come for control of the ship. You wanted me to step down, and that's exactly what you'll get.”
She cleared her throat, her eyes scanning the small assemblage around her. She recognized each and every one of them. The communications mare, Millie, the guard, Bronze Star, and her adoptive brother, the wayfinder, Spike. All of them held hatred and betrayal in their eyes. But what glared out of those eyes the most was fear. Fear for their own lives and the thousands of lives they were tasked to protect.
“I hereby resign as ruling Princess of Equestria and give authority to govern this country and the ponies therein to my second-in-command.”
A whisper. “What happened to the loving, caring, amazing sister that I used to know, Twilight? What happened to her?”
“She died, Spike. And she’s going to die again, along with all of you. But maybe, just maybe, the ponies that I saved will live to build again. To live again, to serve again, to love again.” She didn’t continue. There was nothing more to be said.
“Maybe.”
Now it was a race to see what killed her first: The gun pointed between her eyes or the tungsten barrage from the veritable armada outside.
Her question was answered as the wall nearest her was ripped to pieces by an explosion, sending her sprawling out and engulfed in the encroaching tide, desperately clawing at all around her as the cruel might of element’s power tore the life from her body.
The same fate met all the remaining members of the Ascendancy Crew and the burning wreck of the ship was sent spiraling downwards as the end of the world tore through it with cold resolve.
I’m sorry, said a voice in my head. I knew it wasn’t mine the moment I thought it; The voice was tired and soft and sad. My own thoughts felt coarse by comparison. What? I thought back. Wait, is mind reading a thing? Can a creature be telepathic? It might be possible if…
wait, where am I? Oh, crap... WHO am I?