//------------------------------//
// My Tailor's Not Gonna Like This. 
// Story: My Little Space Empire: Mechs are Magic 
// by Wheezyandbreezy 
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Twilight collapsed to the floor. She had lost almost all coherence of self. She glowed like a dying flame and could barely process her own being. Her thoughts were in a haze. She felt like a cloud that was about to disperse.

Pinkie Pie's cockpit opened slowly and a very concussed Pinkie Pie scrambled out. "Sorry folks. I can only do that trick once!" She stumbled towards the vague glowing shape of Twilight. When she saw her doubled over and beginning to fade she came to her senses. "TWILIGHT!" She wasn't sure whether or not she should touch the now less than humanoid shape. "Twilight. I'm- I'm right here! It's Pinkie Pie can you hear me? Are you alright?" In Twilight's hazy consciousness she heard a distant voice calling her. A vague recollection, as from a very long time ago, half remembered came to her mind. She felt like someone she sorely missed was waiting for her. She tried to move towards the direction she heard the voice calling from. She wasn't aware of her legs, but felt herself moving up. The violet ball of energy started to rise slowly upward. Pinkie's knees buckled as she watched the ball of energy float slowly into the air. She reached out a shaking hand towards it. All she could do was weakly cry, "Twilight wrong way! I'm down here! Don't go! There's still so many flavors of pie I haven't thrown at you!"

The ball of energy erupted into a blinding flash of white light. When Pinkie blinked the spots out of her eyes she saw her floating there. Twilight. Her Twilight, eyes glowing, surrounded by a glowing aura, sporting a giant pair of lavender plumed wings that beat softly as she descended. Her hair had the same ethereal shimmer as Celestia's but with her usual pink and navy blue.Twilight landed gently and her eyes stopped glowing. She turned slowly to Pinkie Pie and gave a warm smile. She walked as in a dream over to her and wrapped her arms and wings around her in a delicate embrace. "I heard you. As I was dying. I heard you calling me."

"It feels like sparkles." Pinkie whispered through her tears. 

Twilight's face went blank. Pinkie was running her hands through the cloud of Twilight's hair. Pinkie Pie's shenanigans recalled Twilight back to reality. She looked to see how Celestia was doing, she was no longer leaned against her throne. She had risen and was staring in frozen horror at the machine that had killed her sister. Twilight snatched the mech off of Luna and immediately regretted it. There was only a red stain. Twilight silently panicked and didn't know whether to cover it back up or leave it alone. "Celestia. I'm so.~" She stopped suddenly as Celestia's eyes started to glow. The ground beneath them shook. Twilight grabbed Pinkie Pie and flew away, not knowing what she would do. Twilight's vision suddenly began to cloud and she thought she was going blind. Just as suddenly her sight returned. She turned and saw a cone of darkness covering the entire Imperial palace. Celestia was literally bending the light away from the palace. Twilight landed and her heart ached with sympathy for her mentor. Pinkie Pie clung to Twilight and worriedly asked, "Should we be worried?"

Twilight's tears ran freely down her face. "No Pinkie." She tried and failed to wipe away her tears. "Even after what she did, she's still heartbroken that she's gone." She clutched Pinkie tight and wept at the sheer gallantry of her sovereign. "Oh Celestia."

Pinkie Pie looked worriedly at the sky. "I meant about the whole space nuking thing."

Twilight's eyes shot open. "OH FUCKING SHIT!!!" She bent her will towards the sky and realized that she could see everything in her mind's eye. She could feel every heartbeat, hear every thought. Where once she had to learn how to not hear thoughts to spare herself the pain, now she heard everything she bent her will towards, and it felt right. It felt natural. Like a gentle roar of a restaurant during an interesting conversation. 

In the orbital battle Rarity stood alone in the stratosphere. She'd had to sink to lower and lower orbits to strike at vessels attempting to destroy the palace. Her power core was spent as far as her macrocannon was concerned. She had only enough power to maintain life support, not as if it would matter for very long. She sat upright and unafraid. She had fought until the last bullet, like a good soldier. She hadn't retreated, and she would not surrender. She was ready to face her fate.

The fleet didn't even bother killing her with mech units. This little knight had scuttled dozens of ships and mech units. She had defied a direct order from a Viceroy. They weren't just going to kill her for what she'd done. They were going to erase her from existence. Every cannon in the fleet aimed their macrolasers squarely at her. As if by an unspoken agreement all the ships prepared to fire at once. Rarity saw a thousand lights glimmer at once and gave an odd smile. She lay back in her seat and whispered. "I'll see you soon Sweetie Belle."

Then all the lights in the fleet dimmed. Every single mind in the battle heard Twilight's voice echoing as it said, "Stand down. Celestia has not betrayed the empire." Rarity turned sharply towards Terra in shock. She knew that Twilight was a powerful psychic, but this was ridiculous. 

On the bridge of the Damocles, Admiral Davenport clung to the railing with knuckles white with terror. Every sailor on the bridge was paralyzed with fear at what had just occurred. A thousand cannons had deactivated themselves, and then ten thousand minds heard the same message. A cannoneer asked in a voice shaking like a leaf in the wind. "W-w-what d-d-do we do sir? Do we s-s-stand down? Davenport tried to answer twice but his mouth wouldn't form the words. The cannoneer took the initiative and shouted, "Stand down! Stand down all hands." A few lifted their hands away from the controls as if at gunpoint.

Rarity sat slack in awe at the situation. After a long moment she heard Twilight's voice again. "Rarity! Where are Applejack and Rainbow Dash? I don't see them with you."

Rarity slowly answered as if unsure she'd be heard. "I think they're on the."

"Yes I know hush! I'm trying to hear!" Rarity heard in her mind. She wondered if she hadn't just gone crazy with the stress of the battle. "Holy fuck fine! Rarity, Pinkie says hi. Now where are they again I didn't hear." Twilight said in an irritated tone.

"Last I saw them they were hurtling towards the surface." Rarity said as into a faulty intercom.

Twilight snapped, "What?!" And she desperately felt for their presence. She felt that Applejack was unharmed, just out cold, but she physically cringed when she felt Rainbow Dash's crushing, agonizing pain and terror. She grabbed Pinkie tight and teleported to the crash sight. She lifted both wrecks and tore Applejack's suit off of Rainbow's. She ripped the canopy straight off, and for just a moment she stared in horror at her friend's wound. She crouched down and was at a loss for how to proceed. She was paralyzed with shock at the sight of such a valiant knight to be in such a pitiable state. She gently levitated her out of her cockpit. She grew hot with impotent rage and glared at the Damocles in orbit. She crushed Pinkie to her side in her telekinetic grasp and teleported three of them to the med bay.

The medical officers toppled backwards in terror when some creature like the Viceroys simply appeared out of nowhere right in front of them. Twilight's commanding voice echoed through the med bay. "This one takes priority." None of the medical officers made a move. Twilight growled "NOW!" And any who could move only cringed in fear.

Only one stepped forward. "Put her there, I'll take her."

Twilight saw a doctor with long pink hair. She felt nothing but kindness and concern from her. Though perhaps a slight annoyance at Twilight demanding this one receive medical attention first, when so many others were just as grievously hurt, and had waited longer. Twilight inhaled deeply and sighed. "I know she's not first in line, but she's. . ." Twilight couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "She's so hurt."

The doctor came over and put a comforting hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry ma'am. We'll take good care of her." Twilight smiled weakly at her. She looked about at the myriad of broken flesh surrounding her, she felt the pain of those still in the void. She felt the anger from those who still believed Celestia had caused all this misery. 

She kissed Pinkie Pie softly and then teleported into the void. She didn't know how she knew, but neither the vacuum, nor the solar radiation hurt her. She raised her hands and all of the wreckage of the vessels that had been destroyed suddenly started floating slowly towards the intact ships. She once again spoke to every mind simultaneously. "All hands not needed for the running of ships are assigned to search and rescue or medical duty.

She summoned S.P.I.K.E. and pointed to where she felt people were trapped in the minimal atmosphere in sealed bulkheads, and he marked them on the ship's maps. She used her telekinesis to pull groups of survivors into landing bays. She ordered patients of overcrowded medical bays to ships with more room. She teleported several groups down to hospitals on the surface herself. Her efforts went a long way to convincing several of the holdouts that Celestia hadn't gone rogue, though many still grumbled.

Twilight went back to Applejack's wreck and saw her sitting there, head in her hands, leaned against her mech. She stood silent for a long moment feeling the terrible weight of Applejack's guilt and self reproach. "Applejack." Was all she could manage to say.

"I fucked up Twi." Applejack said in a horrified monotone. She began to sniffle as she spoke. "I fucked up. . . Real bad huh?"

Twilight sat down beside her on the ground and put a wing around Applejack. She broke down and wept bitterly. She spoke softly to her as she wept. "Applejack. It's only because of you that she survived."

Applejack was silent for a long time. Eventually she asked, "She's okay?" 

Twilight nodded. "I told you that you could take a broadside and be okay." She channeled her inner Pinkie Pie. "Though you did run out of ammunition. Hrmm. What to do about that? Well I suppose it can't be helped. You were never meant to fight an entire fleet so I guess I'll let it go this time."

Applejack finally stood up and dusted herself off. Twilight was confused to see that Applejack seemed genuinely embarrassed that she'd been seen crying. "So uh. . . Twahlaght you uh. You got wayngs now. That's new." 

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes and my hair feels like sparkles apparently."

Applejack finally cracked a weak smile. "Ah know, it was ticklin me. Bet Pinkie Pie was super on about that." Twilight gave a genuine laugh. Applejack joined but still seemed pensive. "So uh. . . She's gonna be okay raght? Rainbow ah mean."

Twilight gave her a grin. "Oh please. Terra's got the best augmeticians and flesh smiths in the galaxy! She'll be back in the sky in no time."

Celestia mourned for her sister for three straight days of weeping in absolute darkness. After which she let the sun back into the palace and addressed her people. She saw the destruction that her knights had wrought on her own military and was caught between being impressed and being cross. They HAD stopped a coup, and she DID owe them her life though, so she didn't make a point of it. A public funeral was held at the palace, thousands attended to say farewell to their beloved Viceroy. Celestia had a statue of marble carved in Luna's likeness and placed in the throne room. Despite all Luna had done Celestia still loved her and missed her dearly. A general amnesty was issued for all involved in the attempted coup, as no parties involved had prior knowledge of Luna's plan so no parties were culpable. 

The crew of the Damocles was given a choice whether to serve with the people they had just fought against or to leave with no repercussions. Most stayed. 

In the medical bay of the Damocles a heavily medicated Rainbow Dash awoke to a friendly gentle voice greeting her, "Good morning Sir Rainbow Dash. My name is Dr Fluttershy."