//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: Let my ponies go! // Story: Buckflankia // by overlord-flinx //------------------------------// The crowd of ponies still roared and cheered with each other after their rousing call to arms. Twilight, however, moved away from the group and pulled Fluttershy off to the side, much to the pegasus' surprise. "Fluttershy, there's a very special part of this plan I have set up just for you." "Does it involve me staying home and giving everyone moral support from the side?" Fluttershy hoped out-loud. Twilight shook her head as she laughed, putting her front hooves on Fluttershy's shoulders. "Oh-ho-ho Fluttershy, always the kidder. That's why I choose you out of everypony else--" "Everybody else..." Fluttershy corrected. "Do you think I'm giving any power to the griffon or the buffalo?" Fluttershy blinked a blank response before Twilight went on, "No. I need someone kind and considerate to sit by my side as my second in command. And who better then the Element of Kindness?" "The Element of Loyalty?" "Can't do they Shy... I'm giving Rainbow Dash control over the air-forces." "Canterlot has air-forces?" "I'm giving Rainbow Dash control over the air-forces... That we'll make once we have time to make an air-force." Fluttershy shrugged at Twilight's comment before being shook a bit by the unicorn. "Doesn't matter! All that matters is that you'll be my second in command. Agreed?" Twilight's eyes burned into Fluttershy's face as she gave a cowardly nod. "Y-Yes..." "Great!" Twilight pushed Fluttershy away with a small crash as the yellow pegasus landed against a cluster of other ponies. "Alright everypony! Saddle up! We're in due action to siege against our monarch's oppressive castigation!" At first the crowd cheered, but it quickly died as everyone just started to question what Twilight just yelled. "...It means we're going to go attack Canterlot now..." The roars and cheers returned as Twilight led the new horde out of her home and into the bright morning for the cause of destroying their kingdom for themselves. One by one, the library was made empty of ponies and the sort until just Spike was left behind in the corner alongside Pinkie Pie. The little drake looked up at Pinkie for a second. "...Aren't you going? And weren't you just wearing a hat?" Sure enough, the trilby on Pinkie's head had been removed and now she had a backpack strapped to her back. "Nah, I'm just saving a trip by staying here. And I put the hat away. Being atop the fourth wall is nice, but I'll just wait here and---" Pinkie hit a string attached to her backpack, which made the bag cough out a pair of glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose. Pinkie's body slouched a bit and her voice became gravelly. "Just be a snob..." "...Huh?" Within Canterlot castle, Luna paced about with nothing but distraught sticking against her face; that green hat still fixed atop her head. Her sister on the other hand just sat calmly in her throne, her eyes following her pacing sister as she moved from one side of the throne room to the other again and again. "We're going to be invaded!" Luna shouted with absolute fear. "We... We must foster so sort of agreement! Or-or scramble the guards into formation!" Luna continued to try and figure something out while her sister just watched her do it. For a split second it seemed, Luna stopped and looked at her sister before returning to her pacing. "We must place all of Canterlot on notice and prepare for the worse! Why are we simply standing here!?" Finally, very slowly Celestia stood out of her throne and moved down to where her sister was. "Luna... I know how this will turn out..." Celestia continued around her sister and made her way to the door to the main hall. "If you want to see something fairly interesting, you might want to come with me to the front gate of the city. Celestia said nothing else as she opened the doors of the throne room and ventured down the hallway leading out of the castle. For a moment, Luna just stammered to herself. "B-But! What about-- Oh, neglect it..." she finally submitted and followed after her sister, slamming the doors close behind her with her own magic. Those gathered at the gates of Canterlot could have said they saw an unstoppable armada drawing over the spanning incline leading to their doomed kingdom. However, that would have been an utter lie. What they would say is that they bore witness to the collection of ponies and assorted races marching towards their fair, safe city. Twilight Sparkle continued to lead the helm of the charge, with her closest friends right behind her; and the infantry behind them and lining the sides. Once they saw the gate of Canterlot in view Apple Bloom and Scootaloo scurried ahead and matched sides with Twilight. "Sooo... Any big plans for the attack?" Scootaloo asked. The question received a quick pat from Twilight before she continued her march. "There won't be any need for an attack, Scootaloo. I warned them we were coming and gave them time to escape... The marching is just a formality." "Uhhh, if'n there's no fightin', why're their guards gatherin' at that there wall?" Apple Bloom pointed out. Twilight Sparkle threw a hoof up so everyone would see her. "STOP!" She shouted, causing her armada to scramble and bump into one another as they struggled to stop on a dime. Twilight looked up at the gates of Canterlot carefully and sure enough saw armor clad guards pacing rounds in watch. There weren't very many of them, which brought Twilight to smile. "I see how it is... Princess Celestia left a few guards to protect her kingdom while she escapes!" "Brilliant!" Rarity shouted out of nowhere, "...I-It is brilliant... Right? I haven't a clue at this point..." "It's not brilliant, Rarity. But it does mean this will still be easy..." Twilight turned around and looked at her entire army -at the looses definition of army. "Our plan is simple! We charge Canterlot and claim it in the name of..." Twilight paused a moment. "The name of..." "The Pony Republic?" Rarity added with an unsure tone. "Pegistopolis?" Rainbow Dash added her own. "Trixlantis!" "We're not naming it Trixlantis, Trixie!" Twilight shouted into the group. "The Great and Powerful Trixie... Will take that as a maybe!" "Whatever! We'll think of a name after we take over!" Twilight reasoned. When Twilight turned back to face Canterlot, her assembly braced themselves as well. Everypony did a different prep for attack; brazening their hooves against the dirt, snorting at the crack of their joints, eyes searching for a nearby exit. They all were ready, and as Twilight cried out, they charged forward. The afternoon air beat with the drumming sound of hooves and claws against dirt and grass. The horde thundered up towards Canterlot, howling battle cries and screams of war. Celestia listen well against the cries as she moved out from above the gate to Canterlot, her sister standing beside her with a green hat on. For a split second, Celestia and Twilight matched eyes with one another when Twilight looked up at the gate. After that brief moment, Celestia looked to Luna and gave a simple nod. Suddenly, the walls around the gate fell forward with a loud crash, revealing to the drawing army a collection of metallic ballistas aimed at the road they were charging on. Just as suddenly as the walls dropped, Twilight came to a halt and looked back at her team, who at this point were all wide eyed. "The first rule of war is to know when to run... This is when to run." Nothing more to say, Twilight broke through the mob and ran back towards Ponyville. The horde watched as their leader ran through them, then back at the arrow launchers aimed at them; now realizing they all forget to turn their ovens off and joined Twilight in an escape. Celestia watched with amusement as she saw the same cheering army that was coming at her kingdom moments ago running away with tails between some of their legs. "See?" Luna looked at her sister when she called for her attention. "That was easy. And we didn't even have to use the ballistas." "I have to ask, Twilight Sparkle... I really must ask... Did you have no back up plan in case they brought guns?!" Trixie snapped the moment everyone was back inside Twilight's library. Not one pony looked at Twilight with any level of good intentions after being threatened with twelve foot arrows through their chests. "To be fair--" "To be fair you told them your plans ahead; did you really expect them not to shoot us dead?" Zecora added before Twilight could say any more. "I had assumed they would act on the conduct of retreat in favor of keeping their citizens safe." "Oh yeah," Rainbow Dash scoffed, "They kept them safe alright. They kept them safe by pointing giant bucking arrows at us!" "I get it! There were giant arrows! Don't you think I feel bad enough?" All at once, everybody in the room shouted a harsh 'NO' at her, making her flinch. "Alright... Well I feel bad... So let's all think about a plan we can pull together." A few ponies began thinking, already too invested in this to back down. The first to speak up was Sweetie Belle. "OH! What if we make a giant present and hide inside it! Then we ship it to the castle, we pop out and -WHOOP- We take over!" Twilight considered it before shaking her head. "No... No that would take too many materials. We're starting on a fresh economy, and we're not starting in the hole." A chorus of 'ohhh's went through the group before they went back to thinking. This time, Applejack spoke up with an attempt to sound enthusiastic. "How about we f'rget this plan an' make some cider instead?" "That's your plan for everything..." Twilight brushed off. "Since when?" Applejack's rebuttal went unnoticed as everyone just went back to thinking up an idea. From the corner of the room, Pinkie Pie cleared her throat loudly. When everyone looked over to her, she fixed her square rim glasses once and began to speak with a gravelly drawl. "How about we use our magic, weapons, and anything else we can use to fight back with?" Everyone looked between Pinkie and Twilight. Twilight herself pondered this for a moment before clapping her hooves together with a smile. "Brilliant!" "That's brilliant?" Rarity mumbled to herself. "Everypony return home and gather whatever weapons you can work up!" Nobody hesitated on the order and left Twilight's house in favor of their own homes to bring back their weapons. "We will fight fire with fire! Metal with metal! Magic with magic! For on this day... Dawn will not draw... over Canterlot..." Spike, being the only one left in the library other than Twilight blinked for a second before walking upstairs. "Have fun storming the castle. I'm just going to take a nap..." One by one, members of the army returned, carting along their own weapons or fashioning their battle attire against themselves. Applejack and her family had returned with metal boots clasped onto their hind hooves; Applejack herself carrying a lasso with her while Big Mac sported a thick spiked helmet on his head. Rainbow Dash had dawned her armor that she 'borrowed' from the Hearth's Warming Eve play. Surprised as she was, the armor itself was authentic and so was the spear sheathed into the side. Against her wishes, Fluttershy was made to wear the same by Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie only wore her backpack from earlier; leaving the content inside a mystery for the time being. Trixie, however, came inside her wagon which she covered with a thick line of barbed wire and placed a rather large battering ram at the head of it. Many others filed along with abstract gear and equipment, except Vinyl Scratch who was pulled to the side by Twilight. "Vinyl... There is something very important I need from you..." "Kay... What is it?" "I need you to be the one to break down the door to Canterlot..." Vinyl was ready to say something against that when a smile began to form across her face. "OH! I get it! Alright!" Vinyl ran off back to her house, eager for her part in the plan. Twilight looked back to her army for a second and took it all in. There truly would be no dawn for Canterlot. For before the dawn, Canterlot would fall and... Something would rise. Something with a name they would decide on later. When Twilight heard the sound of squeaking wheels roll up behind her in the direction of Vinyl's house, she signaled for everyone's attention again. "Once more... We will lay siege against Canterlot! But this time... We have a plan. All of you will play the role of distraction so our ace in the hole can get through and cut down Canterlot's gate." "What ace in the hole?" Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight glanced to her side and saw Vinyl pulling a large tarped object along side her. "Vinyl is." "What's that?" Fluttershy asked with a gesture at the tarp. Together Vinyl and Twilight looked at it and smiled. "It's nothing special... Just the way into Canterlot."