Upon seeing the pastel horse clad in armor to be none other than EQ-3, which happens to be Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, from Terram, most of the Sectanium soldiers stood there with confused, shocked looks in their eyes. This time, they couldn't tell if they still wanted to shoot at it or not. Since there is more than one pastel horse to deal with in Equis, things are going to take a turn for the worse. They already had trouble taking down Twilight earlier but now they are going to be dealing with a whole new army of her own kind fighting by her side.
For the General and the Admiral, they stood there speechless not knowing what to make of when they saw Twilight taking the lead in the army supporting the UFF. Trine felt like he was going to faint. However, Empress Vanista is still trying to get a hold of herself in the face of the pony leader of Equis.
"I-I-I don't believe this!!" Trine shrieked in disbelief. "Xul, you can't think that thing is in charge of these lands, right?!"
"Sorry Trine. You were right about several things revolving around Twilight Sparkle. In fact, we were all able to uncover the truth behind Twilight's defiance on Terram before we arrived here." Xul responded in a stern tone. "She's actually a young alien monarch ruling over the lands of Equestria; that's why she's been trying to escape from Terram!!!"
"How long have you all known that??" Vanista as her eyes narrowed at Xul, Zeck, and Twilight.
"It was since Captain Zeck used the translator on Twilight to discuss her thought of accepting the UFF's allegiance."
When Zeck, Xul, and Pam stood alongside Twilight, they both did their best to stay cool when Zeck activates the translator once again while it's hanging from his left hip.
"Do you really think that thing is going to outsmart me?? There has to be some sort of mistake here!!" Vanista snarled in disbelief as she looked at Twilight and then to Zeck.
"Sorry Empress, but she already did a lot of damage to your men earlier, you know. Is that too much to understand?!" Zeck snapped, taken back by the Empress' disbelief. "If fact, I already saw her hitting your ship earlier with her magic. Her insanity to defend these lands makes her a lot stronger than she looked. There's still many things out there in the galaxy unknown to you and me!!! Besides, she isn't the only pony here that was able to take on bad guys like you!!"
"Wait, you mean those pastel horses that intervened with my men back there are.......?!" Vanista gasped, remembering the incident with her soldiers and her royal consort weeks earlier.
"You heard him for we, the Mane 6, are the true heroes of Equestria!!" Twilight snarled as she drew out her rainbow sword with her magic, giving most of the Sectanium leaders and the Empress a bit of a fright. "You're not going to take this planet or this country that easily. Not when I have anything to say about it!!!! After all, my friends are not push-overs either. Because you wouldn't stop chasing after me, I had no choice but to have a few of your so-called friends held as prisoners in Canterlot's dungeons."
"WHY YOU LITTLE........!!!" Vanista snarled as she pulled out her gun and aimed it at Twilight.
However, before Empress Vanista could fire the gun at Princess Twilight, Twilight's unicorn guards have all teleported in front of the Empress and aimed all of their spears and crossbows at Vanista in the face. At the same time, Vanista's soldiers readied their rifles as they are aiming at the Canterlot Royal Guards, with the UFF Marines aimed their guns at the Sectanium soldiers as well.
From inside the gate, Shinning Armor, who is wearing purple guard armor, appeared as he was holding his sword with his telekinesis magic.
"Don't you dare shoot my sister!!!" Shinning Armor growled as he cautiously advanced next to Twilight.
Right after Shinning Armor made his appearance Celestia and Luna have also appeared as they lit up their horns in stern fury, readying themselves to shoot at the Empress and her soldiers with their magic.
Before any creature, Royal Guard, UFF Marine, or Sectanium Soldier could make a move against their respective targets, Twilight continued to carry on her terms towards the Empress of the Sectaniums.
"We can settle this the easy way or the hard way, Empress!!" Twilight said as she pointed out her terms. "Xul told me everything about you and your people. I understand how hard it was for you to find a way to save your people from the deaths taking place at your homeland. However, enslaving and hurting innocent creatures as well as robbing them of their homes is not the best solution. I didn't really wanted to snap at your people like that but let's face it, Vanista. You and your people brought all of this vile horsecrap upon yourselves and for what?? Some plague??"
"It's not just a plague, Princess Twilight!!" Vanista snapped. "From the account of my scientists back at Sacreus, it is defined as the code-name: S89 Redadeus Viruliusis, which is simply known as the Red Virus."
"Red virus??" Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Zeck clarified in unison.
"Ever since the Sectanium Kingdom was first founded on Sacreus, the Red Virus has been lying dormant below our city for many generations. During that time when we first built the city of Krenthal, it was all on top of a rocky surface that spewed out endless gases of red, harmful mists from the planet's surface. When inhaled, our bodies could feel the painful burn flowing in us every year. There is like a 45% death rate when we inhaled the Red Virus for it burns up our lungs and then our brains, paralyzing our movement and our consciousness. Unless it was treated before the end of the year, the victims would collapse as they feel a temperature of a 100 degrees, burning us alive before we drop dead." Vanista said, explaining further about the plague infecting their homeland from within. "The only way we can suppress the Red Virus is by gathering traded resources from outside planets and blending them in at our Medical Research Station using the black granite rocks that we mined underneath the palace back at Krenthal. After that, we combine them all into a serum that only works temporarily. They all had to inject themselves with it without any charge before the end of the year or else my people would die from the hands of the Red Virus. This is also why my family and my ancestors worked very hard to conduct endless trades to our neighboring planets and my father told me all about it on the day I returned home from Earth. Of course, when I became Queen of the Sectanium Kingdom after my parents passed away, times have drastically changed for the worst. However, when me and my friends left Sacreus to study life on earth at their schools, I didn't really feel the Red Virus flowing in my veins anymore after I inhaled 2 days ago before the end of the year when I was still 6. It turns out that the Red Virus continues to lie dormant on Sacreus as of today, for it doesn't last very long when out in space. I knew now that the only way we can survive is to claim territories outside of Sacreus even if we had to do it by force since we lost all of our trading posts in most of the planets that my ancestors established."
"That is the most insane idea I ever heard!!" Zeck said, feeling totally offended by such a desperate measure.
"Well other than that, I was getting sick of those stupid alien races for not letting us in just to keep my culture alive. We Sectaniums are a very fast growing, heavily populated race that is living in a cramped space on Sacreus." Vanista continued. "So in this case, this galaxy is never going to be big enough for any of us. It won't matter what you all throw at me. As long as the Red Virus exists in my home planet, I'll never stop conquering the entire galaxy to spare my people from that plague."
"Come to think of it, I'm pretty surprise that your country didn't suffer like Sacreus did." Trine said to Twilight, feeling pretty nervous around her infuriated aura.
"Oh, that's because I had a lot of Royal Funds in my bank account used to pay for the best doctors that Equestria has to offer inside the Canterlot Palace. Also, the greatest of all pony doctors is Mage Meadowbrook, sometimes known as the Mystical Mask." Twilight explained briefly in a stern manner. "She already spent most of her years finding a cure to every plague that she bear witness and is successful."
"You expect us to believe that??!!" Vanista snarled at Twilight, not buying any of it.
"It's your choice to give yourself another chance, whether you like it or not!!" Twilight said, making a suggestion to Empress Vanista. "If Mage Meadowbrook can help cure any plague in Equestria, she can do the same on your planet too if you give her a chance."
"You lie!!! You're just making this stuff up so that you can mock me!!!" Vanista growled as she glared at Twilight with hostility.
"Well then, you are lost." Twilight replied in a grim voice. "And I'll have no choice but to teach you a lesson of being greedy and corrupt because no pony likes to listen to a tyrant!!"
As Vanista slowly put her gun away and with all of the guards, soldiers, and marines withdrew their weapons away from each other, both sides take a breather first before Twilight can continue with her terms.
"The easy way will be that if you give me a chance to have Mage Meadowbrook to accompany you back to your homeland where she'll help treat Sacreus of the Red Virus, we will end this war in peaceful terms. I'll even let release the prisoners and send them back your homeland after she succeeds. There will be no bloodshed after this." Twilight said before explaining the hard way. "The hard way will be if you choose to fight us just to rescue Lord Hampt and Ash from me, then you and your men will be facing a different kind of battle that will be your last. We ponies will hold nothing back!!"
As Vanista backs off for a moment, she may have the opportunity to rescue Lord Hampt in the most nonviolent way. However, she'll lose most of her glory after taking all of those territories over the past several years as the Sectanium Empress. It will be a tough choice to make because she feared that if she shows them any weakness again, she will disdain her family's royal reputation and will force her to bite the dust.
Before Princess Twilight can get an answer from her would be enemy, Empress Vanista come up with terms of her own.
"You're not going to fool me with that kind of crap, Princess. I still suggest you to surrender to us while you still could. We already have like an entire armada of ships looming all over this planet's orbit and an entire legion of my best troops preparing to attack from the forest at sunrise!! However, if you do, I'll still make your life easier than that of in Terram!!" Vanista grinned in a deceitful tone. "If not, I'll crush your puny kingdom to a pulp in just one or two hours tops!!! I don't actually care what kind of pastel horse you are to them. You're just another nuisance that is standing in the way of the superior Sectanium race. So once your city is done for, your head will be stuck on a pike in the Sectanium citadel back at Sacreus."
"I won't surrender before any alien. Besides, I have came a very long way to ascend the throne here in Canterlot and I didn't do this because I wanted to. I'm doing this because I did things that are much more better than claiming lands in a cruel fashion as well as doing things what you failed to do!!" Twilight replied as she gritted her teeth intensely. "If you can't get along with anyone else first like real friends would, as well as learning how to make amends with your rivals and enemies in the end, then you can never rule over your own homeland any better like I could."
"Oh, is that fact?!" Vanista glared at Twilight.
"You heard her!!" Celestia snarled as she glared at the Sectanium Empress. "You may have made it impossible for Princess Twilight to do her royal duties in Canterlot, but since you and your ilk have foolishly chased after her all the way back here, we will help Twilight Sparkle protect all of Equestria whatever the cost!!!"
As they looked closely in the eye, the alicorn princess and the empress started growling at each other while holding onto their weapons in their own inventory. At the same time, Twilight held onto her sword with her magic as she was getting ready to pull it out while Vanista grabbed her rapier with her right hand, preparing to do a lighting sword strike at the alicorn.
"You think you're better than me, Twilight??!!!" The Empress snapped. "You haven't seen anything from the Sectanium Empire yet. I'm just getting started!!! I mean, who appointed you ruler of these lands anyway?!"
"We did!!" Celestia and Luna both bellowed out loud in unison.
"We both appreciated how Twilight Sparkle was able to do her part as an alicorn princess for more than a year." Celestia continued. "We're not letting you do her in the way the previous villains almost did. Besides, we'll help her end this fight even if its the last thing me and my sister do."
"Then, you're both stubborn, naive fools too!!!" Vanista shouted back before facing Twilight again. "If you think you and your pastel army have what it takes to challenge someone like me, I like to see you try get past my Warriors first!!!"
After Vanista makes her speech, she turns back towards her commanding officers and her soldiers as she gives the order to head back to base camp but not before Twilight gives the Empress one last remark.
"I guess Xul and Pam are both right about you. You despise friendship because of such political difficulty. Well in that case, I can't let you and your imbeciles anywhere near my ponies." Twilight growled as she put her sword back in her sheath. "By morning, I'll defeat your warriors and come after you next!!!"
"Then enjoy your last night while you can Princess because in the morning, your days are numbered!!" Vanista replied, not looking back at Twilight before disappearing back into the forest.
As they see Vanista and her small army disappear back into the Everfree Forest, Twilight, Shinning, the two alicorn sisters, and Twilight's Royal Guards withdrew back inside the walls of Canterlot just before the gates close again. Inside the city's main entrance, Twilight ordered most of her Earth pony guards to setup catapults and have them all stationed behind the city's outer walls by tomorrow morning.
Back at the Sectanium camp, the moment the Empress and her commanders arrived, Vanista angrily approached Colonel Janus while she was almost finished prepping their army for tomorrow's battle. Before Dialuria could see it coming, she was met with her neck held up by Vanista's left grip as she was lifted up to the ground while being strangled at once.
*UURRRRGGGKKKKK!!!*
"We actually found out who that pony was seen in front of the castle gates. It was that very same pony you captured several weeks ago before you brought it into Terram!!!" Vanista snarled as she tightened her grip on a strangled Janus. "YOU IDIOT!!! Why didn't you even think for once that she was actually the ruler of these lands???!!!!??? Because of your foolish actions, my men are getting beaten up by those pastel horses and my royal consort is taken hostage by them."
"UGH!!! I-I-I-I'm sorry, I-I-I-I-I had no idea. I thought she was a witness that needs to be put down i-i-i-immediately!!" Janus said, while gasping for air as he airways started to clog up because of the angry Empress.
In about one second later, Vanista drops Janus on the ground as the Colonel landed on her back, coughing repeatedly as Dialuria tried to recover from her labored breath.
"You have only one chance to make up for this fiasco, Janus. You will be the first to lead the ground attack upon that city first thing in the morning." Vanista shouted as she glared at the horrified Colonel in sheer malice. "Also, I want you bring me Princess Twilight's head or I'M GOING TO BLEED YOU LIKE A STUCK PIG!!!"
"Y-Y-Yes, your majesty!!" Janus replied as she frantically scurried to get Vanista's battalion ready for battle.
For 7 hours of nighttime, the Royal Guards remained diligent as they stood up on the castle walls while several UFF Marines are on the lookout from the trenches they are stationed at. For Zeck, he decided to get some shut eye while Chmone and Anta take point in watching out for any activity from the Everfree Forest. Now that all of Canterlot's citizens and their children have finally evacuated, the rest of Equestria's forces have went to their posts and rest up for tomorrow's battle against the invaders.
Meanwhile inside the Palace Dungeons, Ash and Hampt are both locked up in the same holding cell with only one Royal Guard Unicorn watching over them from outside. Throughout their time in prison, the powerless Warrior and the female Mandor are both avoiding each other while muttering to themselves in self-pity. They were both forced to eat soup and salad provided by the Guards inside the Dungeons.
Eventually, in just a one hours before sunrise, Ash and Hampt get an unexpected visitor from outside. Fluttershy makes her appearance as she walked down the stairs to check up on the prisoners.
"Hello, every creature. Are you still sulking in here?" Fluttershy said in a soothing voice, spooking Ash.
"What do you want??" Ash said, taken back by the yellow pegasus' entry.
"Even though we ponies are now at war with the Sectaniums and Mandors, you still have a choice to make, both of you!" Fluttershy said as her eyes narrowed in a serious tone. "If any of you were to start over again, what will satisfy you the most to find a happy life without being looked down upon?!"
"I don't know. The only reason why I was into this mess is because Lord Hampt dragged me into it. I was only following orders to recapture the prisoners that escaped from Terram." Ash said, in an anxious tone. "Besides, I was just getting paid to work in Terram as a low-class security guard."
"Even if that prisoner is a high-class government official in our world?!" Fluttershy said as her voice got intense.
"I still don't understand why would you ponies let that purple pastel horse govern your land!!" Hampt said as he sat on a stump while looking at Fluttershy. "Do you really think she's going to offer you any freedom while serving under her?!"
"She would, because Twilight isn't as crazy and ruthless once you all get to know her!! Besides, she's only doing what a true ruler would've done!!" Fluttershy replied back to Hampt sternly. "After all, I've known Twilight for a long time."
"Did you even think for once that she might tried to enslave you in the end?!" Ash said, taken back by Fluttershy's gullible voice. "To think that she would gain more power than us Mandors or the Sectaniums only to enslave all of us as well?! Are you not even worried that she might turn on you too??!!!"
"I think not!!" The yellow pegasus snapped. "If she were to enslave us all, Twilight wouldn't be ruling over these lands with love and honor would she?! I mean, you guys don't know anything about her yet!!"
"Well, the Empress was already having problems with the other alien races for a long time before we declared war upon them all." Hampt said briefly. "I'm doing this to ease her pain and suffering."
"Then ask me this: What path you would take to save the Empress and her people from the plague if not for planetary conquest and enslavement?" Fluttershy asked, giving Hampt and Ash a hard question to respond to.
Upon hearing this, Ash and Hampt stayed silent for a while not knowing how to answer Fluttershy's question. Before either of them could give her an answer, Fluttershy makes another statement.
"Also, who would you trust the most to earn a better future for your people away from war and violence?" Fluttershy asked in an assertive tone. "Ask me that if you can!!!"
Feeling lost in such a series of questions, Ash and Hampt were totally stunned as if the yellow pegasus gave both of them an assertive negotiation while being held prisoner inside Canterlot. However, after remembering what Xul said while being held in the brig of Zeck's ship earlier, Ash may need to come up a good answer very soon or else she will be stuck in the Castle dungeons for the rest of her miserable life.
For Hampt, he wasn't able to do anything now that he lost all of his mind-controlling powers no thanks to the creatures of Equis. He can only hope that very soon, he will find a way out of this cell before recovering his confiscated powers.
At the Canterlot Palace......
As the clock reaches 5:58am, Twilight gets out of bed from her Royal Chambers as she puts on her armor and grabs her sword before preparing for the siege that will immediately take place in Canterlot. With the night sky still showing, Twilight's Royal Advisor Spike takes the opportunity to have every single Guard Pony in the palace to report to the throne room immediately. At the same time, Zeck and Derek have armed themselves once they both got out of bed in the guest chambers and head down to the throne room, while Xul and Pam are stationed at the trenches outside of the outer city walls.
Once all of the royal guards and the UFF commanding officers are assembled in the throne room, along with all of Twilight's friends and her brother, the Princess of Friendship makes one more morning announcement.
"Alright every pony and creature, you all know why we are here, armed and ready. I do want to thank you all for being by my side, here in Canterlot. We are to hold our ground in this capital city with everything we got until allied reinforcements arrive both from our neighboring nations and from outer space!! We will report to our stations before the battle begins. Once I use the amulet to raise the sun again, we'll be facing the might of the Sectanium Empire. I want all to be ready as soon as I give out the signal!!!" Twilight announced as she spread out her wings while sitting on her throne. "May the power of Faust protect you all. FOR EQUESTRIA!!!!"
"FOR EQUESTRIA!!!!" All of the ponies cheered in unison. At the same time, the UFF officers raised their weapons high in acknowledging that they will help the equine ponies do battle with Sectanium Empire Army.
"Alright everyone, you all know what you had to do!!!" Admiral Derek said, carrying out Twilight's orders. "Give them no quarter!!!!"
In an instant, all of the equine ponies and the UFF officers left the throne room as they make their way to their posts. As for Twilight, she puts on her helmet and activates the trap door in front of her as she hopped right in, disappearing into the secret passageway leading to the grate via the main road towards the outer walls of Canterlot.
At 6:15am, the Sectanium Army is marching through the Everfree forest in a massive line formation with their hover tanks up front and the Sectanium soldiers marching from behind. On top of one tank, Colonel Janus gets the Empress' army ready for their first strike upon Canterlot. As promise, Janus is ordered by the Empress to attack as soon as the sun is raised into the sky. She takes out her handgun, preparing herself to fire into the sky as a signal to have the army charge straight at the Canterlot gates. As soon as she sees the walls of Canterlot, Janus ordered the men to halt at once, reforming the line within the edge of the forest.
At the outer walls of Canterlot, an armored Twilight appeared from a hidden entry way as she flew up to the battlements, while still carrying her amulet around her neck. Just as she landed on all fours, she looked left and right to make sure her men are ready to fight. She can only hope that with the aid of the UFF, Twilight will finally succeed in defending Canterlot from the invaders. Hopefully, it will not be just like her nightmare when those Sectanium Guards are advancing towards Twilight before the walls of Canterlot. Without further a due, Twilight takes out her amulet and uses her magic on it to raise the sun.
For Zeck, he and his men are now defending the trenches surrounding the city gates.
"Steady men!! We will fire as soon as Princess Twilight gives out the signal!!!" Zeck ordered as he took out his blaster from his holster.
Heeding Zeck's orders, the UFF marines readied their combat rifles, their Anti-tank rifles, and their blaster rifles as they lurched themselves towards the edge of the trench, facing towards the forest where the enemy will pour out from.
In just 20 minutes later, Colonel Janus sees that the sun has finally risen into the sky above them. This can only mean that she will make her move against the forces of the UFF and of Equestria.
"ALL FORCES!!! CHARGE!!!!!" Janus shouted at the top of her lungs as she fired a shot up into the sky with her handgun.