Upheaval: Breaking Point
Chapter 41: The Last Straw
For Breeze Wing, and Gale Heart, patrolling the inner halls of the Royal Palace had always been an onerous task. While it was an honor to guard the home of Equestria's princesses, patrolling the places where the public didn't go seemed…trivial. For hundreds of years, there hasn't been a single case of trespassing, robbery, or anything that would require the attention of guards.
"What's with the sweating?" Gale Heart asked. "This boring route making you tense?"
"No," Breeze Wing replied. "I accidentally passed too close to one of those flaming…things on our way here. You saw it."
"I was too busy covering my ears," Gale Heart said. "The last time I checked up on him, Bronze Mane was still complaining of headaches."
"Still don't see why Princess Celestia needs a bunch of flaming creatures. Or why they're sticking to Princess Luna like glue."
"I'm more worried about Princess Celestia herself. Captain Bright Shield says she's been real skittish these past two days."
They rounded a corner when Breeze Wing stopped. A dark shape darted at the end of the corridor out of the corner of his eye. "Hey!" he called out. "Did you see that?"
"See what? I didn't se--"
Something struck Gale Heart's head so hard that he flew back for a few feet. Breeze Wing ran over to help him up only to discover his partner's head pierced by a shaft of wood. Gale Heart's eyes stared out vacantly as Breeze Wing backed up. "What's going on?" Breeze Wing cried out. Dark-garbed ponies had suddenly surrounded him. He could only cry out as a final attempt to warn the others before the ponies closed in.
As the day came to an end, Luna concentrated on one of the few things she was still allowed to do in Equestria. She had no pony guards, just the Equi Ignei. The presence of enforcers meant that she couldn't interact with other ponies just to keep them safe. Celestia was almost impossible to talk to. It had been worse for the past two days. Something had happened that had Celestia incredibly distracted, and worried. The barrier must have been breached, or it had something to do with Terrato.
None of the Equi Ignei said anything about it to her, as if she was some traitorous mare who would relay any information she got to her brother. More and more, she felt like a prisoner in the Heartland. To fulfill her promise to Applejack, she resorted to sending letters.
Luna focused her magic, and willed the very moon to a steady rise. It was a delicate, and important task, one that she had taken for granted over a thousand years ago. Raising the moon required not just a great deal of raw magic, but patience, and a sense of timing, carefully coinciding with the sun's setting, and gently making the transition required--
A long drawn out scream came from outside.
Luna winced, and redoubled her efforts. Ever since the Royal Guard moved back into the palace, screaming across the halls had become an occasional annoyance. Some guard would make the mistake of wondering if it was alright to touch the Equi Ignei, or to stand around when they spoke to one another. Despite admonitions from the captains, incidents still occurred.
The moon was properly in place when Luna heard a second cry. Now, that was strange. Two in quick succession? Surely the guards weren't that foalish? She stepped out of her chambers, and looked around. The Equi Ignei guarding her door remained perfectly still. "What is going on out here?" she asked.
One of her jail keepers responded in its language.
Luna frowned. "Intruders? Who would dare to enter the castle at these times?"
The Equi Ignei didn't speak again, but the lack of reaction told Luna something already. The intruders were of this world. Otherwise, they would be rushing about already. While she pitied the poor ponies who accidentally heard the Equi Ignei speak, Celestia's "precautions" were forbidden from attacking, or even interacting with ponies of this world. She had to see what had happened for herself. The two Equi Ignei followed like clockwork. They maintained perfect formation, and remained exactly ten steps behind her. It didn't matter if she decided back up abruptly, or stop, there was no shaking them out of place.
A nearby explosion reverberated across the halls, spurring Luna to an urgent gallop. The palace was indeed under attack. From the sound of things, there were intruders within the Chamber of Harmony itself. As she turned a corner, her hooves slid across something thick, and slippery. She skidded several feet before righting herself, glad to keep some form of dignity. She turned to look at the Equi Ignei irritably. They were still exactly ten steps behind her. She then looked at what exactly she had slipped at. The palace's maids were still adjusting, but that was no excuse to leave puddles of slick liquid around. Her indignation turned into horror. She left behind a red trail, having slipped on a puddle of blood. The limp bodies of a couple of royal guards were crumpled by the darkened corner of the hall.
'What happened here?' Despite her revulsion, Luna walked over to inspect the dead guards. Both of them had taken a crossbow bolt to the neck. These were the same ones used by the Legion. 'Big brother, when I said you had to act soon, I didn't mean this…'
She looked ahead almost gagged. More dead guards were strewn across the hall, each one dispatched with a bolt to the neck or head. One of them had large gash across the neck. She shook her head. Celestia's royal guards were brave and strong, each one hoof-picked from hundreds of candidates. They were well-trained and well-equipped, each one was motivated to serve Equestria as best he could. But Terrato's legionnaires were battle-hardened warriors, exposed at a very young age to a world of violence with years of experience fighting the monsters that threatened Equestria. Even during times of respite, they were pitted against each other, always honing their fighting skills. The difference was far too great.
The double doors that led to the Chamber of Harmony were wide open when Luna approached them. Inside stood her elder sister. Celestia was visibly shaking. Her horn was still glowing and her face was a mixture of rage and disbelief. "Big sister…" Luna said. She took a step into the chamber.
"Stay where you are, Luna!" Celestia said. The chamber was empty and the doors that led to the Elements of Harmony were closed. Smudges of gray were scattered throughout the floor. It was ash. The floor was covered with fine ash, as were the stained glass designs all around the chamber. At one part of the chamber were the charred -but still whole- remains of a pony.
"Big sister, what have you done?"
Celestia looked at Luna, guilt spreading across her face. "They forced my hoof, Luna," she cried. "They stormed in to steal the Elements of Harmony, and they slaughtered every guard that got in their way! You should have seen them. Even when I faced them, they uttered no sound, and moved with no hesitation!"
Luna raised a hoof to her face. The remains of a dead pony were clinging to her silver shoes. Celestia's white coat was covered with a fine layer of gray. "You burned them, big sister," she said. "There's nothing left of those ponies but ash!"
"They were not ponies," Celestia replied, her voice dropping low. "I don't know what they are. I tried to stop murderous, unfeeling creatures that wore the faces of ponies from stealing the Elements of Harmony. These are…these are what Terrato has let his legionnaires become!"
The answer struck Luna like a physical blow. She gaped Celestia for a moment before saying anything. "We're not even sure if these ponies were working for him!"
"Who else has the power to send so many through the barrier? Who else can scramble my spells so that I couldn't tell where in the Heartland they were sent?"
"I've been trying to tell you all this time! It's not our brother! Black Rose--" Luna stopped. Celestia looked at her so suspiciously that there was no point in explaining anything.
"Why won't he answer my summons?" Celestia asked. "Why won't he return Twilight and her friends to my realm?"
Luna held herself tall and looked Celestia in the eye. "If I answered your questions, big sister, are you going to believe me?" she asked.
"There is only one question I would like you to answer to my face, Luna," Celestia said, her voice hard. "I am going to confront Terrato about his actions. If the worst comes to pass, will you side by me, or him?"
Luna's eyes widened. "Side by…have you gone mad? I was foalish enough to break that rule, big sister! Surely, you won't follow in my hoof-steps!"
"I have rebelled twice against the King and Queen's edicts," Celestia replied. She looked away. "For the sake of my little ponies, I will not hesitate to do so a third time."
It was Luna's turn to start shaking. "You foal…" she whispered. "You stubborn foal. All you had to do was visit our brother once, and you could have seen for yourself what sort of ponies served with him to protect Equestria. You could have seen how he ran the Legion, and how faithful he has been to the laws you laid down. You had more than a thousand years to spare a day to see him, and you didn't. This must be so easy for Black Rose."
Celestia stomped a front hoof. "That is enough, Luna!" she cried.
"You're right for once, big sister," Luna replied with the same intensity. "This is enough, My answer is no. I will not help you start the sixth rebellion!"
"Then it is just as Sun Gazer said!" The walls of the Chamber of Elements shook at Celestia's cry. "You two have turned against me!"
Sun Gazer: the pony who was spouting all those lies. He must surely be an agent of Black Rose. If Luna could capture him, and bring him to Terrato…she backed away. Celestia stepped forward, and looked to the Equi Ignei still standing behind her. The pony-shaped flames surrounded Luna, their wings outstretched. She tried a teleportation spell, and failed. 'Dimensional Lock,' she thought. It had likely been put throughout the palace the moment she arrived.
Luna threw up a defensive spell, then flapped her wings hard. She flew through the Equi Ignei blocking her path before anypony could react. Her shield broke almost immediately as she burst through the otherworldly fire. Searing pain washed over her from head to tail. She nearly fainted, and slammed into a wall, but she managed to turn at the last moment. The enforcer she burst through had temporarily discorporated as she made a dash for it. "Stop her!" Celestia cried out.
There was little time to think extensively. The dimensional lock spell that extended to who knew how far would prevent anypony from using teleportation spells, leaving Celestia, and the Equi Ignei as magically "grounded" as Luna was, so it all came down to flight speed. She beat her wings fiercely, making her way to Sun Gazer's quarters. She hoped to capture the pony, then escape to the Barrier Lands to find out more from him. She gasped upon noticing that the door to Sun Gazer's room was open, and the guards stationed by there were dead. All she could do was fly by swiftly. The bloodstains on the bed told the story. The pony intruders had made a stop here. How long had they been in the Heartland, and what sort of activities had Black Rose made them do?
A furious, otherworldly neigh from behind told Luna that the Equi Ignei were catching up. She shattered the glass of a nearby window with a force blast, and flew out as fast as she could. The cool night breeze was soothing against her burns. The only thing she could hope to do now was fly out of the dimensional lock's range, then teleport to the Barrier Lands. That was going to be very difficult. She was slowing down despite her best efforts. The Royal Palace was a good distance behind her already, but Celestia and the Equi Ignei were coming even closer.
"Luna!" Celestia called out. The genuine concern in her tone hurt. "You're injured! Cease this running, for both our sakes!"
Trying to reply would only take from Luna's fleeting strength, so she kept on flying. Her horn was aglow with constant effort for a teleportation spell, searching for the edges of Celestia's dimensional lock. She was flying towards the edges of Canterlot already, but the lock was still there: a testament to Celestia's magical might.
She stopped at a sudden spark of blackness just ahead. It was as if shadows were gathering, forming the shape of a pony. "Need help, dear sister?" the shape said in a soft, silky tone.
"Who are you?" Luna asked. The shadow form materialized into a unicorn mare with a long flowing mane of crimson that billowed in the breeze. She had a coat of lustrous black darker than the night sky itself. A pair of pegasi wearing the Legion's barding also appeared next to her. 'No,' Luna thought. This unicorn had wings. An alicorn like her? That was impossible. She would know if somepony from the Eternal Herd made their way into this world. She concentrated on the pony. The wings seemed so real, but she still noticed the faint aura of magic. The wings were partly magical constructs, and partly real. Here was a unicorn on the verge of transforming into one of her kind.
"I trusted her too much and allowed her access to knowledge she shouldn't have."
Terrato's words struck Luna. 'Big brother…you didn't," She clenched her teeth. Her brother was a foal as well. All he needed to do was speak out, and confront Celestia. Instead, he had resorted to something like this. Things were worse than she had imagined. It was likely now that it wasn't the sixth rebellion she had to stop, but the seventh.
"My apologies," the unicorn said. "We haven't been introduced yet. My name is Black Rose, and I'm here to help you." Before Luna could reply, a swirling aura of blackness surrounded Black Rose's horn. A wave of shadows, like a thick bank of smoke, billowed towards Celestia, and the Equi Ignei. The smoke engulfed as they flew into it. "This is the end of her dimensional lock," Black Rose said. "Please use my distraction to escape, and return to my beloved."
Luna hesitated. She did need help. She was about to pass out. But this was Black Rose! This was her brother's former student, the rebel who wanted her Celestia dead. How else could she interpret this aid other than one more step in Black Rose's dark plans? "What are you planning?" she asked. She winced. Even talking took much from her.
"I plan on helping you," Black Rose answered. "Then, I plan on helping all of Equestria. Even Princess Celestia. Please escape, Princess Luna. I don't want you to get hurt any further."
The sheer sincerity of Black Rose's tone frightened Luna. Could there be such a pony who could lie so well that even she felt convinced? Or was it possible that Black Rose really was acting on behalf of Equestria? Which was worse? That was not even counting the power that Black Rose had at her command. It was no small feat to penetrate Celestia's barrier, and Black Rose managed to do so for herself and several other ponies.
"I understand that you may not have enough strength to make such a long teleportation," Black Rose said. "Let me take care of the rest then."
"Wait!" Luna cried out. Black Rose's swirling black magic surrounded her as well. The teleportation spell was already taking hold. She tried desperately to break the spell, but the pain of her injuries slowed her casting. In a blink, she was gone from the Heartland.
When magical darkness surrounded Celestia, it took her but a few seconds to break the spell with a burst of dazzling white light. "Who are you and what have you done with Luna?" she demanded. To see this...unicorn was unnerving. It felt as if she was in the presence of a fellow alicorn...that wasn't. What had her brother been up to? Had he been trying to create alicorns?
"It's a shame that the Elements of Harmony could not be taken by stealth," the unicorn said, "but we have rescued Princess Luna, and Sun Gazer has been punished. Enjoy the last gasps of your reign, Celestia. My prince will take his rightful place soon enough!"
"Your prince…rightful place…" Celestia's eyes narrowed. "More of Terrato's agents! Can't he face me himself? Why does he send his subjects to murder my ponies, and steal from me in the dark?"
"You will get your wish soon enough, 'your highness'," the unicorn replied with a sneer. "Since we cannot take the Elements of Harmony in secret, the Legion will have to burn its way to Canterlot, and take it by force. Farewell until then."
Celestia's eyes widened. Her worst fears had come to pass at last. Terrato, the same Terrato who proudly called himself her most loyal defender, was attacking her. Luna, for all her remorse over becoming Nightmare Moon, had turned against her once more. She had precious little time to prepare against an invasion of these unfeeling monsters that her brother had made an army out of. If Terrato shattered her barrier, and the Legion entered the Heartland, war would consume all of Equestria. Her only option was to reinforce the barrier, then meet Terrato with the Equi Ignei by her side. If she drove him away, the sight of their prince on the retreat would demoralize the Legion. She looked to the north, and steeled herself.
Another spell was cast. Celestia turned her gaze back towards the unicorn, only to find herself flying alone with the Equi Ignei.
At the end of Black Rose's teleportation spell, Luna crashed in the middle of a stone chamber. "Luna!" Terrato cried out. So she had made it to the Barrier Lands after all. She crashed on the floor, the jarring impact hurting her even more. She had to tell him. Black Rose and her agents were in Celestia's realm. The Heartland was under attack.
"Big Brother…the Heartland is…the Heartland…"
Luna's vision blurred, then failed completely.