//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: A New Hope, Another Adversary 
// Story: Equestria Is Not Enough 
// by Canon Fodder 
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Chapter 14 A New Hope, Another Adversary

The sun rose above the horizon of Equestria and Nova was still awake, awaiting in his office on his ship. Buckingham and Comet were propped up in chairs, still comatose from the impact they took from Comets deflected magic. Also Big Macintosh stood by Nova's side. Sparks was sitting in his desk, sipping coffee, waiting for his steeds to come to. He turned around in his office chair, towards the window, watching on the horizon towards the desert where his missile lay dormant. He turned back around and saw Comet beginning to stir. It went on for a few minutes, then Bradshaw began to awake as well. Knowing that they were finally coming around, Nova took action, "Macintosh, wake them up."

"Eeyup!" The red stallion agreed.

Big Mac went behind both of them, and put one of his front hooves under each chair. Then, he thrusted upward, sending both Comet and Buckingham in the air for a short time until coming down and smacking their heads and chests off Nova's desk. They both woke up immediately, throbbing around in discomfort and tremendous pain. Sparks scolded the red pony, "Watch the desk you idiot! I just had it polished yesterday! Go over there by the door and stay out of the way."

Big Mac complied again, "Eeyup!"

Nova trotted from around his desk to his incapacitated henchmen. He kicked both of them, "Get up!...Get up!"

They both coughed a couple times before they stood up. Nova balanced them with his hooves. Then shoved them back, "Pick your bloody chairs up and sit down!"

Nova went back to his desk while Comet and Bradshaw fixed their chairs in front of Nova and sat down. They were still groggy and half-asleep. Nova spoke strongly and clearly to get their attention, "So...what do you have to say for yourselves? Huh? Once again, you numbskulls have contributed to their escape...AGAIN! I am beginning to get sick of this. The only other thing that's giving me a headache, besides Twilight Sparkle is you two. We had them...We had them! I ought to kill the both of you..."

Bradshaw lifted his head up and tried to explain, "Sir. Comet went ahead and fired his horn, knowin that them fillies still had that mirror. It was his fault. I tried to stop em..."

Comet snapped back angerly, "Don't you go trying to pin all the blame on me! I wasn't the one who could've shot them when he had the chance!"

The brown stallion glared into his partners eyes, "...You implyin that I started all this?"

Comet starred right back, "I'm not implying...I'm telling."

"Shut up! Both of you!" Nova exclaimed.

He continued, "Now listen...I'm only going to tell you this one time...You two mess up again...and I promise, it won't end well for you."

Nova glanced over at Comet, "I could take that lovely little golden horn of yours...and shove it up somewhere awful!"

He then turned to Bradshaw Buckingham, "As for you...I'll drive all those diamonds of yours down your gullet...In other words, this is your last chance. Buck up one more time, and your terminated. Understand?"

Comet and Bradshaw nodded nervously, "Yes Mr. Sparks."

Nova levitated his cup and sipped his coffee again, "Good. Now...I've surrounded Canterlot and filled the skies with guards so they have no possibility of escaping the city. All we have to do, is smoke them out of their hiding spot. Also, I received a telegram last night from the mine. project: meteor is nearing completion. I really rather not have those mares interupt my finest hour. So in a matter of days, I'll be making way to the desert, into the canyons. I mention this because I wish for one of you to accompany me while one must remain here while I'm gone. So discuss it amongst yourselves. Since you two love to argue with each other. Have at it...later. Right now on the other hoof, we need to find a way to capture those mares. I'll be contempt if we can capture only Twilight Sparkle. It's her that I worry about. She's obviously the back bone of their little group..."

Nova yawned, "Actually, I'll leave it for you two to plan this out. I'm exhausted, you two also caused me to lose a nights sleep."

He rose from his desk and proceeded to trot out the door. He stopped before exiting and turned around, "When I come back, I want to hear that you two can co-exist and deliver your plan..."

Then suddenly, a boasting voice of a mare broke their conversation. Sounding very proud, yet arrogant, "Oooh Please. Your really going to leave the plan up to those fools?"

Nova straightened up and went to turn around to the pony behind him, "and just WHO do you think YOU a......You. I know you, I've seen you I know I have...Trixie is it?"

The blue mare spoke up egotistically and went nose to nose with Sparks, "That's the Great and Powerful Trixie to you!"

Nova backed away and rolled his eyes. He sounded interested, "Well my first question is what do you want, and how the bloody buck you got passed my security?"

Trixie trotted in with her head up high and arrogant grin. She wore her star covered cape and sorceress hat, "I am here to help you deal with Twilight Sparkle. For I am the only one who can truly put her in her place."

Nova laughed sarcastically, "Oh How fascinating! Really? What makes you think that you can capture her when me and my entire armada could not?"

Trixie turned around and starred him in the face, "Because I have a grudge to settle with her. She ruined my life!"

Nova shut his office door and trotted passed Trixie and sat back down at his desk. He insisted she explain to him, "Enlighten us if you could..."

Trixie gazed out the window, and up to the hardly visible stars, faintly twinkling in the morning rise. She went on, "I used to run a one-pony magic show. I went from town to town, city to city, performing for ponies all around Equestria. One day I ended up in Ponyville. It was only a small town, The Great and Powerful Trixie didn't expect much difficulty in pleasing them. After showing great and powerful magic for the audience. I think there were three simple locals that tried to outshow me. I couldn't remember who they were, but Twilight Sparkle stood out to me. She didn't try to outshow me at first. But that evening, she ruined my career...Earlier that day I spoke of my tale of the banishing of the great Ursa Major. Of course I only told that story to impress the ponies further more. Anyways that night, these two fans of mine go ahead bring a real Ursa Major for me to banish, at least I thought it was an Ursa Major. But then I'm forced to admit that I never actually banished one. So then here comes Twilight Sparkle to steal away my thunder! SHE ends up successfully banishing the Ursa Minor it turns out and permanently labelling me as a fraud! I left Ponyville that night, embaressed in front of everypony. For months and months I was ridiculed and everypony shouted me down as a fake! All because of Twilight Sparkle. I want her just as much you do..."

Nova nodded and took the last sips of his coffee, "I see, but it appears that you brought all of this on yourself. Isn't that correct?"

Trixie slammed her hooves down on his desk with stressful frustration, "But that's not the point! One little white lie should not have derailed my entire life! I hit rock bottom and now I'm trying to scrap my way back to the top, and the only way to do that is to eliminate Twilight Sparkle myself. I heard of your speech you gave in Ponyville and the minute I heard that you were hunting Twilight Sparkle, I made my way to here from Manehatten. I've been spying on you and your men for quite a while now. Knowing that you want Twilight Sparkle rid of ever so badly. I've come up with the perfect plan that will surely work...So...are you going to help me or not?"

Sparks leaned back in his chair and crossed his hooves, "Well that depends don't it my dear? What is your perfect plan?"

The arrogant Trixie smirked and her eyes looked heartless and cold, "I know you have four of Twilight's friends locked up. I also know that one of your Unicorns is able control a ponies mind. I'm really surprised you didn't think of it earlier."

She glazes her eyes over towards Bradshaw and Comet with a domineering look, "Then again with assistants like these, that explains a lot."

Comet rose up angerily, "For your information, I'M the one who brainwashed all those ponies! You can't talk down to me like that!"

Trixie snickered, "Well you seem pretty proud of yourself after losing Twilight and her friends for the second time."

Comet laughed mockingly, "Well at least I didn't humiliate myself in front of an entire community, permanentely labelling myself as an absolute and utter failure!"

Nova stood up, very agitated, "Comet shut your trap! This beautiful mares a genius."

"But Sir, you seen how she trotted in here. She's all ego." Comet added.

"I don't care." Said Nova.

He continued, "We should've thought of this earlier. It's a terrific plan. Are you implying that we turn Twilight Sparkles allies against her?"

The self-proclaimed great and powerful one nodded, "That's exactly what I mean. Twilight won't have the heart to fight her own friends. They'll be powerless and be forced to give in...Any objections?"

Comet went to raise his hoof until he realized no other pony, especially Nova, was raising their hooves. Nova applauded the idea, "Excellent, marvelous, there's just one more question I have for you."

Trixie smiled at him, "and that is?"

Nova sat back down and leaned on his desk with his front hooves crossed on the table. He tilted his head down and brought it back up with a smile, "How can I possibly trust you in my organization?"

Trixie took in the question and approached Nova. She stared into his eyes with serious expression, "Because I want Twilight Sparkle dead just as much as you do. I got a view to a kill with her name on it. I trotted all the way from Manehatten just to meet with you. Not to mention that I've given you the perfect plan. Isn't that enough?"

Nova concentrated into her eyes for a long ten seconds. He leaned back and turned to Buckingham, "See to it that this lovely girl gets a room, (he turns to Comet) and not a word out of you..."

Bradshaw got up from his seat, "It'll be done Sir. Come along Ms. Trixie."

Nova still glanced at Comet, "You can go ahead and take that red imbecile and go patrolling the streets."

Comet sighed and nodded, "You got Mr. Sparks."

He got up and slugishly trotted out the door accompanying Big Mac, "Come on you!"

"...Eeyup!"

-----

Twilight awoke after only getting a few hours of sleep. She looked around the dark room with only one torch left lit. She lifted up her hooves to find that it wasn't a dream, the enchanted apple slices were still there, "I guess it really happened..." She told herself.

"W-w-what happened?" Rainbow said curiously, just waking up.

"Oh Rainbow...I'll tell you later." Twilight answered quietly.

Rainbow nodded and drifted back for another few minutes of sleep. Twilight could hear the faint clops and trots of other ponies through the ceiling. The library was open. She stuffed the apple slices inside her saddlebag and stood up. Twilight brushed herself off from sleeping on the ground and trotted around, re-lighting all the torches with her horn. When she lit the last torch, she couldn't help notice the large portrait next to her. It was in the very back of the room. She wondered why she had never noticed it before. It imaged Star Swirl surrounded by the other council members. Twilight had always looked up to Star Swirl, almost as much as she did Celestia. She wondered if Star Swirl was there today, would he know an easier answer? Twilight knew it was going to be a near suicide mission to free her friends, but it had to be done. She decided it was time to wake up Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and tell them of her encounters early that morning. She trotted over and nudged both of them, "Girls...Wake up I have something important to tell you."

Dash and AJ stirred around for a while then looked up at Twilight, "Well boy howdy, what a night. Mornin Twi." Applejack greeted while rubbing her eyes.

Twilight cut to the chase, "Girls get up. This is really important."

Rainbow stretched out and put her hooves behind her head, "Yeah yeah, just a couple more minutes mom."

Twilight shook her head, "You don't understand. It's about saving the girls!"

Immediately AJ and Rainbow sprang up. Rainbow suspended herself in the air out of excitement and flew up to Twilight, and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Their alive? Really? How do you know?!"

Twilight tried to ease her friend down, "Rainbow! Calm down! I got to explain it to you first."

Applejack grabbed on to Rainbow and pulled her down, "Whoa there Rainbow, calm down now. Carry on Sugar Cube."

Twilight sighed and thought of a way to explain it but there was no right way, other then just to come out with it, "I don't exactly know how to tell you this girls...but last night, I was visited by the spirit of Princess Celestia."

As expected, Rainbow and AJ looked at her with a weird, skeptical expression. Applejack spoke out, "Uh Twilight, you ok?"

She continued anyway, "I know it's hard to believe, but you got to believe me. It all started with a magic apple..."

Rainbow cut it abruptly, "Ok now I know your crazy. Are you sure it wasn't a dream?"

Twilight grunted, then remembered the apple slices in her saddlebag. She went over her to bag to retrieve them. Though instead she just levitated it and brought it with her. She flipped the bag upside down, emptying all the contents; mirrors, books, quills, a map of Nova's ship, a vial of "silverblood" sirum, manarite ore...and the six, gleaming, enchanted slices of apple. AJ and Dash were suddenly intregued. Twilight tried to explain again, "The Princess explained to me that there was a possible way to defeat Nova's magic...The elements of harmony."

Those words sparked Applejack and Rainbow, and they looked up from the apple and looked into each others eyes. Twilight sensed their interest and continued to explain, "This apple has been enchanted by the Princess herself. As you can see, each other one of these slices has our individual cutie-marks etched into it, each containing our specified element. Princess Celestia warned us that Nova's missile will be completed within the next week. We have to stop him before he sets it off...Spike and the girls are fine, their doing well. That and she told me to tell you Applejack, that Applebloom is ok. Now that Nova has the most powerful horn in Equestria, if we can strike him with the elements of harmony, his horn should cause a chain reaction and lift all the curses he's placed on everypony, turning all the brainwashed ponies back to normal, eradicating the manarite. This is our only chance girls, it's our new hope...I don't know how yet, but were going ot get our girls freed."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared at each other for a little bit longer, then turned to Twilight and nodded, "We believe you Twilight, don't worry."

Twilight smiled happily, "Thank you. We'll get through this."

She levitated three slices of the apple. Rainbows, AJ's, and hers. She passed Rainbows and Applejacks pieces to them and held her's next to her, "Alright, be sure to eat the whole piece, we can't risk any faults."

They all agreed and scarfed down their slices, with three remaining. Twilight picked all the contents of her bag and packed them back in neatly, "Now we have to think of something by tonight girls, before Nova can get away. If that missile sets off...Nova's actions will be irreversable."

Applejack looked concerned, "What'll all happen if we don't succeed?"

Twilight kept a serious look and began to open her books, "...We must succeed..."

-----

Back on Nova's airship, later that afternoon, a prison guard dog walked into the holding cells with trays of hay and gems on a multi-levelled trolley, "Alright line up straight so we don't have any confusion!"

Spike spoke up, "Ok Geez, for one thing were right here. No need to yell, and there are only four of us. How confusing can it possibly get?"

The guard snapped back, waving at Spike strictly with a baton, "Don't get fresh!"

The Spike rolled his eyes and the dog opened a slit through the cell, big enough to fit plates through. Spike grabbed each plate and passed each one to the girls, except the gems of course. The girls were relaxing and lazing around in their cell. There wasn't much else they could do. Fluttershy was relaxing on the ground in the corner of the room. Spike laid her plate down in front of her. Pinkie's hair had flattened to express her depressive state, she was also sitting down with her plate. Rarity on the other hoof was in a complete state of anxiety. They all haven't bathed in the last many days, making Rarity's mane slightly crusty and dirty. She was a complete wreck. Although she managed to keep her sanity for the most part, "What day is it?"

Fluttershy peeped up with a response, "I'm not sure, after everything that's happened, I forgot..."

Pinkie Pie only lifted her head up, to put it back down again. She had refrained from talking the last few days out of terrible depression. Spike had managed to keep their hope alive, being the only left who had hope. Spike spent most of the hours going back and forth along the cell, gliding his claws over the bars and thought about Twilight. Fluttershy had been locked in flight restraints. It was a metal apparatus that wrapped around her abdoman, locking on the top, it was tightly fastened but not tight enough to cause pain. Rarity of course concerned about her looks, was even more concerned about Twilight and the other girls. They had no connections to the outside world as long as they remained in that prison. There had been many more prisoners that checked in over the past days. The other prisoners were locked the other cells among the room. Altogether there were three different cells. One for stallions, one for mares, and one specifically for Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Between the two other cells, there were nineteen prisoners. Twelve stallions and seven mares. Some got to leave while others struggled not to be dragged to their execution. The prison guard had finally finished serving out the rations. He rolled the trolley out the door and accidently bumped into somepony, "Watch where your going you bloody bloke!"

It was Nova. He entered the jail room and brought attention to the crowd, "Silence right now! Or you'll all be shot dead!"

The slight roar of the prisoners deafened to dead silence. Nova glazed his eyes around and ended off at the prison cell to his right. He smiled and approached, "Good afternoon Mr. Spike."

"Shove it Nova!" Spike exclaimed.

Nova used his magic and pushed Spike back against the wall, "No...You shove it, and shut up. Now I have some important news for the four of you. Within a matter of days, my life's ambitions will bring me my finest hours. Also...My dear, please enter."

Trixie strutted through the door, her nose still high as ever. Spike and the girls were shocked as their jaws dropped. Nova charmingly kissed her hoof, "I do believe you've met this lovely mare?"

Trixie smirked and stared at the four with her cold eyes, "My my, it has been a long time. Finally got the green out of your mane Rarity?"

Rarity jolted up, furious and tried reaching through the cell to get Trixie, "Never mention that again!"

Trixie flicked her silvery blue mane back with a cocky grin. Nova unveiled his plan, "Now listen up. I must unfortunately admit that your little friends are still alive and quite well."

He parted some of his mane away to show them the bump Applejack had left on his head from the first-aid kit she bucked at him, "Thanks to this stunning mare of magic, we have compiled the perfect plan, and you four are the missing puzzle pieces. I have only come down here to announce that when I need you, you'll be summoned."

Spike snapped, "You better not hurt...Did you have that horn before?"

The girls gazed in as well. Nova laughed, "Ah Yes my horn. I must inform you that your beloved Princess has...sacrificed herself for science. I claimed her horn...and her life."

Those words sunk into not only Spike and the girls, but the other inmates. Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, and Spike couldn't muster up the words to react, it was a shock. Fluttershy turned her head away began to sob softly. Pinkie looked even more distressed, and Rarity sat down, speechless. Spike also, had nothing to say. He only turned away and leaned his head on the wall, smashing his fists against it. The crowd remained silent out of respect. Nova broke the silence, "You see? Not even your Princess Celestia could defeat me. Were even now. For my horn, and my stolen life from Equestria. I'll eventually see to it that you four, and your other agitating allies are incinerated...Alive...Come along my dear! It's time for tea."

Nova lead Trixie out the door and disappeared from sight. Nopony said anything for the longest while. The only words spoken, were the torn-hearted words of Fluttershy that touched the hearts of everypony with sadness,  "I can't believe it...she's gone..."

[...To be continued]