//------------------------------//
// A United Equestria 
// Story: Upheaval: Breaking Point 
// by Visiden Visidane 
//------------------------------//

Upheaval: Breaking Point

Chapter 26: A United Equestria

The night following the initial wolven attack on Bastion City was far from a quiet one. Outside the walls, the wolven howled at the moonless night sky. Tonight was an expected full moon, a period which they revered. Instead, only stars lit up the night sky.

Within the walls, the city remained as alive as it was during the day. Families and friends grieved over the first casualties of what may well be a long siege. Mixing with the mourning were the small celebrations of those who made it through the battle; raw recruits marking a milestone in their path to becoming veterans of the Legion. Among them was Captain Iron Jaw's platoon of earth pony infantry.

With the battle over by noon, Applejack and the others had resumed training for the rest of the day. She was immensely relieved now that Pinkie had been transferred to Logistics. A small part of her wished that she had followed suit, especially when she saw the bodies of a few fellow recruits being carted off. Even with the washing, she couldn't get the smell of blood out of her tramplers, or her forelegs.

The streetlamps were already lit, and the smells of various dinners being cooked and served wafted from windows all around them to fill the air. Colts and fillies looked out of windows to stare and wave at the passing legionnaires until their parents called them in. 

As she followed up behind them, Applejack glared silently at the rest of of her platoon. One legionnaire boasted of taking down two wolven at the same time. Another one was talking about how he narrowly dodged a wolven bolter. She mostly ignored the small talk. She didn't have much of a story to share herself, and she didn't like the idea of taking so much pride in killing. A thread of conversation, however, caught her attention.

"Did you see that purple chosen unicorn during that fight?" Slimblade asked. Nearly half her face was bandaged after being clawed by a wolven, but she was still grinning widely. "A few days in the Legion, and she's throwing fireballs!"

"Yup, I saw it alright," Mossneck replied. A quarter of his left ear had not made it through the battle, but he didn't seem to have problems hearing. "She took out a squad of wolven, and burned down one of their siege towers. I heard that Special Operations is already eyeing her for recruitment."

Slimblade looked over her shoulder. "Hey, Applejack! That purple chosen is your friend, right? Are all chosen unicorns that amazing with magic?"

"Naw," Mossneck said. "I heard that the white chosen unicorn did horribly during her tests, and got sent to Logistics."

"Applejack?" Slimblade persisted.

"Chosen unicorns can be just as good as any unicorn out here," Applejack said. "But Twilight's extra special with magic. Why, she took lessons from Princess Celestia herself!"

Mossneck snorted. "That explains it. She's the nag princess's pet!"

Applejack gasped, then trotted up to Mossneck. "That what princess's pet?" she asked. "Did you just call Princess Celestia a nag?"

Mossneck raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I did. What's the matter? It's a common expression!"

"It's a wrong expression!" Applejack snapped. "You don't call a princess of Equestria a nag!"

"Oh really?" Mossneck asked. "Then, how about this?" His voice turned into a mocking sing-song. "All hail the Nag of the Sun!"

"Mule-faced monarch of Equestria!" Slimblade joined in with a grin.

"Out here we fight, then we poke fun!"

"Of the candy-coated despot, Celestia!"

Half the platoon chortled with glee while the others frowned, Applejack among them. She was about to rush the two when somepony grabbed her barding, and pulled her back. She turned around, and found herself glaring at Twocolt.

"Unless you can make Princess Celestia appear to prove them wrong, you're wasting your time, and causing an unnecessary fight," Twocolt said.

"It ain't right that they make fun of the princess!" Applejack said.

"You're right," Twocolt answered. "They're ignorant. Let them have their sing-song fun. We know better."

Applejack shrugged Twocolt's hoof off. He was right. It wasn't a good time to be starting fights. Still, she remembered the faces of those two recruits. She was going to confront them at some time. She and Twocolt broke off from the platoon, taking a smaller side-street with fewer ponies walking it. She was off to her quarters although she wasn't sure why Twocolt continued to walk with her.

"So what you were saying about that purple chosen…" Twocolt said.

"Her name's Twilight Sparkle, not 'purple chosen'," Applejack said.

"Right. Twilight Sparkle it is. Was what you said about her true?"

"Course it was!" Applejack snapped. "When have I started lying?"

Twocolt frowned. "Then, why is she out here? Why are all of you out here? The most popular story is that you're criminals, and didn't belong in the Heartland, but that's not true now, is it?"

Applejack took her hat off, and dusted it while looking for bloodstains. "I'm not exactly the best pony to ask that," she said. "All I know is that Twilight was getting banished, and I wasn't going to let her go alone."

Twocolt paused for a moment to stare incredulously at Applejack. "You let yourself be uprooted from your home even though you didn't know why she was being banished?"

"Yup," Applejack replied with a shrug.

Twocolt put a hoof to his head, and exhaled loudly. "Amazing," he said. "And I thought you couldn't get more reckless."

"So why are you asking all these things now, Twocolt?" Applejack asked. She jammed her hat back on, and straightened it.

"I wanted to make sure of something. To be honest, I'm still not that sure, but I'm going to take a chance with you."

"Only Vanguard can get away with that murky, dramatic talk. If you have something to say, say it plainly!"

"Tell me straight out then, Applejack," Twocolt said, his voice dropped, and his eyes hardened. "How loyal do you consider yourself to Princess Celestia?"

Applejack frowned. "How loyal? Pretty darn loyal! As loyal as any pony can be!"

"Even though she banished you?"

Applejack hesitated. "I'm sure the princess had her reasons. I ain't gonna pretend I can completely understand somepony as old and as powerful as she is, but I can believe in her."

"Good answer," Twocolt said. He started walking again, leaving Applejack behind. "I'll see you around tomorrow, Applejack."

"What's this all about, Twocolt?" Applejack called out.

"I'll tell you some other time. I'm pretty tired right now."

Applejack didn't buy the excuse, but she shrugged her shoulders, and went on her way.





After Applejack had gone, Twocolt looked around, and ducked into a side street. From there, he moved through one tight passage to another, expertly navigating the twisting back alleys of Bastion City's darker sections.

Finally, he found the place he was looking for: a small one-roomed house with a sturdy, locked door. He knocked twice and waited. A single knock came from the other side. That was his cue to put his head close to the door, and whisper "for the one and true Equestria."

The door opened, and a yellow earth pony mare with a braided, bright green mane ushered him inside. "You're late," Verdant whispered.

"Sorry," Twocolt answered. "I had something else to do."

Verdant unlocked the trapdoor at the center of the small room, the house's sole feature when viewed by somepony who didn't know what it was for. Twocolt knew better. This unassuming house served as a meeting place for the Order of True Equestrians, an order dedicated to staying true to the oaths sworn by all ponies of Equestria since the founding of the realm. Twocolt had once believed that Prince Terrato and the Equestrian Legion as a whole remained dutiful to those oaths until just a year ago. His eyes had been opened since then, and he saw the movements that the prince made underneath his show of loyalty. The Legion was about to rise up, and seize power over all Equestria. It was up to the order to put a stop to it.

He descended a narrow tunnel into a large, stone-walled chamber where several ponies were gathered. The order itself was a small group, especially when compared to the Legion. Several candles by the walls cast everything in the chamber in a flickering orange light.

"It's good to see that you made it through your first battle, Twocolt." 

Twocolt's eyes widened at the sight of the pony who had just spoken to him. He swiftly recovered. "Thank you, Lady Bright Flame," he said. He bowed low. Standing before him was a beauteous unicorn mare with a white coat tinged with gold, and a flowing, golden mane to complement it. He was surprised to find Lady Bright Flame, leader and founder of the Order of True Equestrians, in Bastion City. She was the one who had laid out their purpose to remain faithful ponies of a one true Equestria, not just the Barrier Lands, and to continue to recognize Princess Celestia as their true monarch. Prince Terrato was commander of the army and Princess Luna was Celestia's second. It was Lady Bright Flame who had also discovered the correspondence between Prince Terrato and the Northern Legion Commander that detailed a plan to allow the wolven to break through and set into motion a coup that had been centuries in planning. Now that Lady Bright Flame was here, Twocolt found grew worried. With the wolven at their doorstep, to have their leader here was dangerous.

"Do you have anything to report, Twocolt?" another pony asked.

"I do," Twocolt replied. "After spending time with one of them, I've come to believe that the chosen remain faithful to Princess Celestia. One of them is even her student! I've contemplated bringing one here, but I decided to let the order make the decision."

The ponies murmured among themselves. The chosen had been a subject of discussion for some time. They were worried that these chosen were criminals that Prince Terrato would easily convert to his cause. For Twocolt to make such a bold statement…

"Your prudence is to be commended," Bright Flame said. "We will arrange a meeting with them as soon as possible. Gaining the support of these ponies will be beneficial for the order." Twocolt remained bowed even though he was beaming inside. "Return to watching the chosen. Make sure that they are safe from Prince Terrato's so-called traitors."

"Yes, my lady," Twocolt said. He stood up, and left, Bright Flame's compliment lending some spring to his tired legs.





"My lady, is it wise that we trust Twocolt's judgment on the chosen so readily?" one of the remaining gathered ponies asked.

"Twocolt has ingratiated himself well with the one called Applejack," Bright Flame said. "Given some more time, he can be used to move them about in some ways, especially if they are as loyal to Princess Celestia as he said."

The other ponies murmured among themselves again. How Bright Flame knew the chosen by name went ignored. After all, she must have ways to gather information with ease.

"That is all well and good, my lady," the pony continued. "But, perhaps, you can tell us why you have come to this dangerous place?"

Bright Flame smiled. "I came here for three reasons: the first is to personally thank all of you for the work you have done for the Order of True Equestrians. Your vigilance, and your reports on all of the Legion's movements will ensure that Prince Terrato's rebellion will not succeed."

The murmurs took on a pleased tone.

"The second is to tell you that we have successfully sent one of our own to the Heartland. By now, Sun Gazer has made it to Princess Celestia's palace to warn her of her brother's intentions."

"Praise be!" one of the gathered ponies exclaimed. "Now, Princess Celestia can take steps to put a stop to her brother!"

"Things won't be so easy," another pony said. "The princess will be loathe to believe that her own brother is planning on attacking her."

"I believe in Sun Gazer's ability to convince her!" a third pony exclaimed. "Lady Bright Flame wouldn't pick any pony to undertake such an important mission!"

"That's true," Bright Flame said. "Sun Gazer's task will be fulfilled regardless of whether the princess believes him immediately, or simply begins to harbor suspicions. Now, for the third reason…" The doors to the chamber glowed, then slammed shut. One pony tried to open it only to find it held fast. "Unfortunately, while Twocolt can still be used, the rest of you have become rather detrimental towards Equestria's unification. The Order of True Equestrians' Bastion City group will only serve to hinder the remainder of my plans here, and must therefore be liquidated."

The murmurs turned to confused and alarmed cries.

"Liquidated? What do you mean, Lady Bright Flame?"

"Is this a joke?"

"The door won't open!"

"I'm afraid it's not joke," Bright Flame answered. The chamber's floor started to glow and hum, arcane symbols, unfamiliar even to the unicorns in the group, flared. "The best way to get a pony to lie for me was to convince him he was telling the truth. Bringing up Sun Gazer was your last task. Thank you again for all your hard work."

All it took was a single flash of black magic bursting from Bright Flame's horn to silence all the cries. The circle of symbols burst into a glare, then dimmed. There were no death screams or agonized moaning. When the magical light faded, the chamber was empty, and a mana battery was floating before her.

"L-lady Bright Flame?"

The door had opened to reveal one more pony still alive. Verdant stared in horror as Bright Flame's yellow-tinged coat slowly turned a lustrous black, as if ink was being poured all over her. There was another flash of black magic and Bright Flame was completely alone.





While the rest of her friends were heading to bed, Twilight Sparkle walked towards a different location. The streets leading to the Grand Meeting Hall encountered frequent traffic so it was among the well-lit places of Bastion City. She had decided to pay Princess Luna a visit before turning in. She had to admit to herself that she was avoiding turning in. She didn't know how much sleep she would be getting tonight, especially with the image of those burning wolven still in her mind.

Two pairs of heavily-barded guards stood by the entrance. As she approached, the doors opened, and a familiar pony stepped out. "Vanguard!" she called out.

Vanguard seemed surprised to see her. "Here to talk to Princess Luna?" he asked.

Twilight nodded. "Just going to see how she is. I also wanted to ask her about this moonless night. It's supposed to be a full moon."

"I wouldn't recommend disturbing her at the moment," Vanguard replied with a shake of his head. "She's in the main hall, focusing on some spell. My guess is that she's blotting the moon out with her magic, and it's taking a lot of concentration."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Why would she want to blot out the moon?"

"The wolven are especially crazy during the full moon. Even I feel a little different during these times. Blotting the moon out will lower the chances of them trying something tonight."

"I'd better not bother her then," Twilight walked next to Vanguard as they headed for their quarters. "So what were you doing there?"

"I made my report to Commander Dreadstep," Vanguard answered. "Special Operations has been pretty busy."

Twilight wasn't sure what to say to that. Applejack didn't want to talk about what had happened when Vanguard asked her out. She tried to talk about something else. "S-say Vanguard…" she mumbled.

Vanguard looked at her, concern already on his face. "Something on your mind?"

Twilight could barely match that look. "When you first killed a wolven, what was it like?"

Vanguard looked to the sky. With a moonless night and only a few streetlights for illumination, his red eyes did seem intimidating. Especially when she thought of the hundreds of hungry wolven eyes staring at the city this moment. "Frightening," he answered. "And it's not just because I was fighting for my life."

"Frightening?" Twilight asked. "Why?" She had imagined Vanguard's first kill to be a matter of course for him. She couldn't imagine him afraid, or horrified after killing a wolven. The ponies of the Barrier Lands certainly made it seem as if doing so was just another task to them. Indeed, it was hard to imagine Vanguard being afraid or horrified at anything. He projected such a stoic and unflinching image that it seemed that nothing could possibly shake him.  

"You killed your first wolven today," Vanguard replied. "I imagine that it must be the vilest thing you've had to do."

Twilight looked away. The scene with the burning wolven kept playing in her mind. She could smell the horrid stench that wafted towards her and hear the last whimpering sound the wolven made before falling still.

"I envy that revulsion," Vanguard said. "It means you're a good pony, and acts of violence take you out of your element so your body protests."

It was Twilight's turn to stare at Vanguard. As always, he sounded sincere, but how could anyone feel envious of what she was feeling right now?

"When I first killed a wolven, I felt invigorated," Vanguard went on. "My first instinct was to find another one, and kill it too."

"Then it wasn't a problem to you," Twilight said. She had somewhat expected such an answer. Vanguard was, after all, a high-ranking legionnaire. He must be used to killing, and was prepared for it since he was a colt. He must think of her as pathetic for being so weak-kneed over this.

"It was," Vanguard said.  He paused for a moment, and his gaze went far away. He snorted, and looked back at Twilight before speaking again. "I was terrified for feeling that way. I wanted to feel guilty and sick. Instead, I enjoyed it. You were reminded that you were a pony when you had to kill those wolven, Twilight Sparkle. Take solace in knowing that you won't turn into a savage beast so long as you feel that way."

"Is it because you're part wolven?" Twilight asked.

"I would love to blame it on blood," Vanguard said. "But I'm responsible for my actions. That's why I have to control myself at all times. Right now, I'm thankful that Princess Luna is blotting out the moon. I wouldn't want to have to deal with it while doing what I have to do right now."

"And what's that?"

"Killing other ponies."

Twilight remembered Cold Hoof lying on the hard, rocky ground with a knife he put in his own chest. "Are there more ponies like Cold Hoof out there?" she asked. "I thought that only a few ponies bore that kind of grudge."

"I was naïve," Vanguard said. He let out a sigh. "I wish you could have seen the Legion during some other time. Back when we all seemed to stand together. Right now, you're seeing it at its worst. I'm starting to agree with you about this division."

"Is it that bad?"

"The Legion cannot stand like this forever," Vanguard replied. Though his gaze was still on Twilight, it was as if he was looking at something else, recalling some other event. "I've been thinking about it, and I've realized that this couldn't have happened overnight. The Legion has been in danger ever since the division was created. We've been complacent for too long by thinking that this is the way it should be."

"It shouldn't be how things should be," Twilight said.

"And now we're paying for it." 

"What do you think will happen now, Vanguard?"

"I haven't cared much for anything save doing my duty, but that's not going to be enough to pull the Legion through this. The prince will be arriving soon. I hope he has a plan."

Twilight looked up at the moonless sky. She had seen new moons before, but Equestria's sky seemed even darker than usual tonight. "I hope so too."