//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Awakening 
// Story: Pony Fantasy VI: The War of Chaos 
// by BeanyOne 
//------------------------------//

"...up...ake up...Hey! Wake up!"

The unicorn's eyes flew open. Her head felt like it was on fire, her whole body ached, and she couldn't remember anything about who she was or how she had gotten into this unfamiliar pony's home. She groggily rolled over in bed and looked upon her savior, a concerned-looking stallion clutching a strange tiara. For some reason, the mare seemed to recall this tiara, but her mind was a foggy mess.

Determined to get some answers as to who she was and what kind of predicament she was in, the mare tentatively climbed out of bed. She took no more than two steps before her legs buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the ground with a pained grunt.

"H-hey! Take it easy! You're still recovering from the effects of the Demon Tiara!" the stallion exclaimed as he rushed to help her up.

Rising shakily and sitting on her rear, the mare clutched her forehead in a daze. "Head...hurts. Everything's so...foggy...Who are you?"

The stallion seemed to consider his words before he responded. "I'm...a friend. You won't find too many friends here right now, though. The whole town's in an uproar because the two soldiers you were with seemed to herald the vanguard of an Imperial invasion force. The guard is out for blood, and I'm afraid your blood is the only thing that will quench their thirst."

The mare gazed forlornly at her savior. "A...friend?" she repeated. "I don't remember anything..."

"Likely because of this baby right here. I've heard stories of the Demon Tiara from our insiders in the Empire. They were using this to control you and force you to do their bidding." He placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "You're okay now, though. Your memory should return with time. Do you at least remember your name?"

The mare thought for a second. "I'm-"

"...ight...ark...Twilight Sparkle. Your name is Twilight."

The mare shook her head. Where had that voice come from? "I think my name is 'Twilight Sparkle.'"

The stallion breathed a sigh of relief. "At least you're starting to remember who you are. We'll take the small victories anytime."

Just then, somepony started banging on the door. "Open up! We know you're harboring the Imperial fugitive!" a guard demanded, flanked by his two barking dogs.

The stallion's expression grew grim. "Shoot, I thought we'd have more time. Looks like we have no choice." He hurried to his grandfather clock and grabbed a small flask from behind the pendulum, then he handed it to Twilight. "Take this. It's the Empire's Elixir. If you get hurt, a sip of this flask should perk you right up." He then motioned for her to exit out the back door. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to dally. You need to hurry through the back end of the mines and escape the city. I've arranged for somepony to escort you to Canterlot Castle; we need to keep you out of the Empire's hooves." With that, he shoved Twilight out the door and locked it behind him.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should trust the stallion. She heard the front door's hinges shatter, and the vicious ensuing argument between the guards and the stallion who had rescued her were all the convincing she needed to get going.

A long, rickety wooden bridge stretched before her. The bridge appeared to lead into the upper areas of the mine. To Twilight's chagrin, however, she discovered too late that it also ran right over the north end of the town square. As she tried to make her way across the tenuous footholds, a guard dog spotted her and began barking loudly, drawing the attention of the guards. "She's up there! Quick, intercept her!" barked one of the guards, prompting Twilight to break out into a gallop.

Why is everypony after me?! Who am I?! What did I do?! the panicked mare screamed in her mind as she reentered the mines. Inside, it was dark, still, and very cold. Twilight felt very alone and very vulnerable. She meandered furtively through the shafts, looking for any way to escape. Instead, she ran into the very guards that threatened to intercept her.

Panicked, Twilight turned around to run back the other way...but the guards that had broken into the stallion's house had caught up to her. She was cowering like a cornered animal, waiting for whatever the guards planned to do with her. As she backed against the wall, her rump brushed up against an irregular rock formation, which pressed into the wall...and suddenly the ground gave way beneath her.

Falling for what seemed like an eternity, Twilight landed on her hooves, but the impact knocked the wind out of her, along with any of her remaining strength. She tried to drag herself to the other end of the tunnel she found herself in, but only succeeded in falling face-first into the ground. As she lost consciousness, she began to dream...





A memory. She was in a cold room surrounded by steel and machinery. Barely clinging to consciousness, she beheld what she presumed to be her captor, a strange mishmash of various creatures. He had a goat's head, bat wings, a lion's paw, a bird's talon, a bull's hoof, and a dragon's tail and foot, among other things. Overall, he looked like a supreme being had just played mix-and-match with all the available animal parts he had.

As she took in the visual chaos of his appearance, the creature turned to Twilight and grinned wickedly. "Magic, my dear. You possess enough of it to level a city, and I'll be damned if I let a girl like you get away," he said in a deeply masculine, sinister voice. He presented a familiar-looking tiara, one the mare was sure she'd seen somewhere recently. "With this, I can ensure you will do exactly as I say. Oh, the glorious chaos we shall wreak!" His inflection had shifted from deeply sinister to gleeful, almost childlike. This man clearly reveled in destruction.

He placed the tiara upon Twilight's head, and suddenly her mind went dead. She couldn't think. Everything around her sounded hollow and distant. All she could focus on was her captor, who was still grinning like a madpony. He began cackling sardonically, which discomforted some part of Twilight that was still aware of what was going on. It was a fiendish laugh, one that would be forever ingrained in her psyche.

The creature led Twilight to the next room, where a strange contraption awaited her. It appeared to be a bipedal armored tank, piloted by a pony that would sit in the open cockpit. He commanded her to enter the armor, and as she did, she intuitively started it up. She wasn't sure how she knew how to operate the armor, but something was driving her will and commanding her to move it forward into the soldier training grounds.

Outside, a bewildered platoon of fifty soldiers stood waiting. They did not know who this strange mare was piloting the armor, but they had orders to engage her in combat as soon as she'd arrived. Before the first soldier could ready his weapon, however, Twilight instinctively pressed a trigger. The armor's chestplate opened, and a flamethrower emerged, charring the first column where they stood. Their screeching screams of agony were burned into Twilight's mind, and the remaining soldiers started to flee.

Her captor-turned-trainer began to cackle again. "Hee hee! Chaos! Burn everything!" Unable to resist, Twilight did precisely that.





Remembering still further, Twilight gazed upon a crowd of ponies, all dressed in military attire. They were cheering on a griffon, who seemed to be addressing them. The Emperor, perhaps...? She didn't know, but she was compelled to listen.

"Listen up, all you candy-ass ponies! It's time for us to show the world the true might of the Empire! Nopony deserves to rule the world but us, and we're going to show them just what it means to tangle with the Empire's unstoppable magical might!" A cheer erupted from the crowd before she continued. "Those totally lame rebels can't possibly resist us. We have the greatest power in the world on our side!"

The ponies began chanting fervently. "Long live Emperor Gilda! Long live Emperor Gilda!"





"Aw horseapples, Ah'm so late!"

A lithe young mare with a bright yellow coat and a crimson mane tied in a ribbon burst through the door of the house in front of her. Inside, she greeted the stallion in her customary country drawl. "Sorry Ah'm late! Ah got held up again treasure huntin'!"

The stallion sighed. "Applebloom, you do realize that stealing from other ponies doesn't qualify as 'treasure hunting,' right?"

Applebloom stared at him, aghast. "Who the hay said I was doin' somethin' like that?! Y'all jump to conclusions too much! Ah'm on the side of justice. Don't think Ah can't do it just 'cuz Ah'm a blank flank! Ah'm almost as old as you!"

Applebloom had not yet earned her cutie mark despite being old enough to be called an adult. It was an especially sore point for the pony, since so many ponies decided she was not truly mature without that infernal butt mark. Still, she had talents. She was a whiz with machinery, and she was even better at, er, appropriating somepony else's valuables.

The stallion slammed the door behind her, then peeked outside to see if anypony was within earshot. "Listen, Applebloom. The mare the Imperials brought with them is on the run in the mines. I called you here because I want you to escort her to Canterlot. Princess Celestia should have some idea what we should do with her."

"Ya don't mean...that creepy unicorn?! But Ah thought she was with the Empire!" Applebloom retorted.

"She was being controlled. She doesn't even remember who she is. Please, go help her! If Neighshe or the Empire gets hold of her, we can't be sure of what will happen! Now, go!"

Applebloom nodded in determination, then ran out the back door towards the mines. As she entered the mines, she noticed one of the Neighshe guard's trap holes had been triggered. Jumping down, she spotted the unconscious body of the mare. "Hang on, girl, Ah'm gettin' you outta here!"

No sooner had she said this than a regiment of guards blocked the cave's exit. "Halt! Surrender the Imperial officer or die!"

"Aw Celestia, these guys ain't messin' around! How'm Ah supposed t'fight off all of those guys by mahself?!" Applebloom pondered. It certainly seemed like she was outnumbered.

"Ba-caw!" A series of chicken clucks echoed throughout the mine. Applebloom spun around towards the source, her face scrunched in bewilderment. A bunch of diminutive orange pegasus ponies with stubby wings scrambled through the tunnel, clucking like chickens the whole way.

Applebloom's face lit up in recognition. "Hey! I remember hearing about y'all! You're the Scootles, ain'tcha?!" Her question was answered by a series of cheery clucks. "Did y'all come to help me get her to safety?" In response, the orange pegasi lined up protectively in front of Applebloom.

"All right! Y'all keep the grunts busy while Ah take out their commander!" Applebloom deftly maneuvered through the melee as the Scootles intercepted the advancing guards. Having broken through their lines easily, she stood face-to-face with the commander.

A gruff-sounding officer, the commander sneered at Applebloom's approach. "Oh, did the blank flank come over to play? Don't worry, I'll make this quick. I'll see you hanged for collusion with the Empire-huh?!" Reaching for his weapon, the commander suddenly realized it was not in his sheath. He glanced back to Applebloom, who was grinning widely and twirling a mythril knife adeptly in her hoof.

"Lookin' fer somethin', Officer?" she taunted before entering a battle stance. The commander, flustered, ordered a hasty retreat, leaving his regiment confused and directionless. The Scootles easily trounced their adversaries with the lack of their command structure.

Returning to the mare, Applebloom thanked the Scootles one last time. "Ah swear, Ah'll repay the favor somehow!" Waving goodbye, she hoisted the mare onto her back and hurried through the previously blocked shaft. At the end of the tunnel, she set the unicorn down on the ground while she fumbled around on the wall for a hidden switch. Turning back to the mare, she noticed a small flask in her saddlebag. "That's an Elixir! Ah should probably give her some," Applebloom reasoned. She picked up the flask and poured its contents down the mare's throat, helping her swallow.

Shortly thereafter, the unicorn awoke with a coughing fit. "Ah, yer finally awake, are ya? The Scootles'n'Ah had a pretty rough time savin' yer hide! Ah hope yer okay." The mare nodded in response. "All right, now, we ain't got much time fer introductions, but mah name's Applebloom. What's yers?"

The unicorn looked down for a second before replying, "My name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. I...can't remember anything else."

Applebloom recalled her earlier conversation with the stallion who'd rescued her. "Yeah, Ah thought ya might be havin' amnesia. Don't worry, yer memory should return with time. Right now we got bigger apples to buck, though! Ah promised Ah'd get ya t'Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia oughta know what all we should do!"

Applebloom beckoned for Twilight to follow her out of the cave, then showed her a hidden switch on the outcropping. "Remember where this switch is, Miss Twilight. It opens this here secret entrance that only we resistance members know about." As if to prove her point, she pressed the switch, and the rock face itself seemed to push out and seal itself. "All right, let's go. It's a long trot to Canterlot, and we don't wanna run into th' Empire like this."

With nary another word spoken between the two, they set off together.





Canterlot Castle rose through the desert majestically, the only sign of civilized ponies in the hot, dry wasteland. Its cold steel surfaces and mechanical outcroppings stood out starkly against the blistering yellow sand and scorching sun. It was like nothing Twilight had ever seen before, and she was further impressed that Applebloom apparently knew the princess of the castle.

As they approached the front gate, a guard pony blocked the door with his hoof sternly. "Halt! Nopony may enter without Her Majesty's permission."

Applebloom smirked at Twilight, then turned back to the guard. "Ah can't believe y'all keep fergettin' what Ah look like! It's me, Applebloom! I have somepony to introduce to the princess."

The guard stared for a second, confused. He whispered something through a nearby speakerphone installed on the wall outside, then appeared quite flustered. "O-of course, Miss Applebloom. I apologize; I am new around here. Of course, you and your guest may proceed."

As he stepped out of the way, the giant steel gate of Canterlot Castle opened before them, revealing a small room with regal décor. Applebloom tugged Twilight's hoof, compelling her to follow. After a brief walk through the castle, they came upon the throne room. Applebloom turned to Twilight and directed her to a spot in front of the mare on the throne. "Wait right here, Miss Twilight. I'll tell the princess who ya are."

The pony on the throne was like nothing Twilight had ever seen before. She had a long horn like Twilight, but she also had large, majestic wings like a pegasus. Her mane flowed in the wind and reminded Twilight of all the colors she'd ever witnessed in the sky blended into one smooth wave.

The mare bade Applebloom to approach her, and Applebloom began exchanging terse whispers with the princess. The mare's expression went from interest to consternation, then abject surprise. "She's the one?!" she blurted out, loud enough for all assembled to hear. The princess walked circles around Twilight, seemingly appraising her, before turning away.

Twilight was very uncomfortable at all the sudden attention. "Um...Excuse me? What's going on here?"

The princess' ears perked up, and she turned around to face Twilight. "Oh! Terribly sorry, My Little Pony. I seem to have forgotten my manners. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Celestia, and I am the princess of this Canterlot Castle." As if to drive the point home, she winked at Twilight coquettishly, causing the lavender mare to blush deeply in response. Celestia merely giggled at this, then turned to Applebloom.

Applebloom, for her part, was grinning mischievously. "Haha, looks like you made a new friend there, Princess. Surprised Ah know royalty, are ya, Twilight?" Celestia and Applebloom exchanged a rapid series of hoofbumps and back pats in what Twilight could only assume was some kind of secret hoofshake, then Applebloom galloped out of the throne room. "Ah have some stuff Ah gotta take care of. Ah'll see y'all later!"

Celestia commanded her guards to leave, then waited until she was alone with Twilight. She breathed a deep sigh. "So, my dear. You're a unicorn, are you not?" Twilight averted her gaze to the ground once more. Celestia placed a hoof on her chin and raised her head up. "It's okay. You're safe here, I promise. I care deeply about all my subjects, and I would never abandon you when you're feeling vulnerable."

Twilight looked like she was lost in thought. This was all a lot to take in for the mare, and she wasn't sure who really had her best interests at heart. Finally, she decided to speak up. "Princess...with all due respect, why is everypony so obsessed with me? What's special about me? Are unicorns really that weird?"

Celestia smiled warmly at Twilight. "Please, call me Celestia. No need for formalities around here. My dear subject, I sense great magical potential in you. We have all the resources in Canterlot you could possibly need to engage in intense, focused study. We even have the most advanced library in all of Equestria!"

Twilight's ears had perked up at the mention of a library. "You mean...all the books I could ever want?! And you'd actually let me stay here?"

"Why, of course, My Little Pony. You do need to understand, however, that the Empire will probably stop at nothing to retrieve you. We will do all in our power to keep you safe. In the meantime, please cooperate with us." Celestia began to walk towards the double doors leading to the throne room. "Now, if you'll pardon me, I have some things to take care of. Please feel free to look around."

With Celestia gone, Twilight was alone again. "This is all too much to take in. Why does everypony want to protect me or kidnap me? What's so special about little old me?" Overwhelmed by her thoughts, Twilight began wandering aimlessly around the castle. Before long, she stumbled into a very regal bedchamber which was being cleaned by a maid. The maid's young filly was playing in the corner, saying something about somepony's wings being "so pretty," but Twilight didn't pay attention. She was entranced by the sheer majesty of the sleeping arrangements.

The maid noticed Twilight's appraisal of her surroundings and smiled. "Oh, I haven't seen you around before. Might you be the princess' cherished guest?" she inquired. Twilight nodded, prompting her to continue. "How wonderful! It's been ages since I've seen new ponies in Canterlot that weren't threatening to have our heads on a pike."

It was then that Twilight noticed that there were two beds side-by-side. "Wait...isn't this Princess Celestia's bedchamber?"

The maid nodded. "Why, yes it is, dear. Whyever would you ask?"

"Well, it seems strange. Why are there two beds? Surely the princess doesn't roll over in her sleep that much?"

The maid's expression grew somber. "Yes...well. Princess Celestia has a younger sister. Her sister was always much more traditional and rigid than the princess you see today."

The maid proceeded to tell Twilight of the royal sisters.





Celestia was studying in the library. She bore a pained expression, forcing herself to concentrate on her royal studies. The door opened, and a mare with a deep blue coat, a dark starry mane that flowed in the wind, and a horn and wings like Celestia walked in. She approached Celestia, who acknowledged the mare by gazing into her eyes. "My dear sister Luna, why have you interrupted my studies? What is on your mind?"

Luna seemed distraught, on the verge of tears. "Sister! Why has nopony told me our father has fallen ill?! Why is everypony talking about a coronation soon to take place?! Whatever is going on?!"

Celestia sighed. Her sister still was not wise in the ways of the world. "Sister, our father's time is running out. Somepony has to lead Canterlot, and I'm afraid the task must fall to us."

Luna immediately broke down, shrieking at her sister. "What is wrong with you?! Have you no compassion?! Is there truly nothing we can do to remedy Father's health?!"

Celestia hung her head in response, abandoning her book at the table and walking away. Luna immediately felt a twinge of guilt. "Sister, I'm sorry..." she whimpered as Celestia tearfully exited the room.





The maid sighed. "Princess Luna, how she took after her father! We know not what has become of her, for she left the kingdom shortly before Celestia's coronation. I do hope she's okay. We all miss her vibrant personality."

Twilight thanked the maid for the story, then wandered off back towards the throne room. Goodness, she must feel so lonely...kind of like I do right now, she thought to herself with a heavy sigh. She'd been dragged into a conflict she never wanted to be a part of, and she still didn't have any clue who she was or why anypony cared what happened to her.

As she walked through the castle, she happened upon the chancellor, a businesslike pony with a pink coat. "Oh, hi there, Miss Twilight! Celestia said she was looking for you in the throne room!"

Twilight nodded, then thought of something. "Miss Chancellor?"

"Please, call me Cadance."

"Okay, Miss Cadance? Princess Celestia is the ruler of Canterlot, isn't she?"

Cadance scrunched her face in confusion. "Why, yes, she is. Why do you ask?"

Twilight averted her gaze. "Well...if she's the ruler, why isn't her title Queen Celestia?"

Cadance sighed. "Oh, that. When Celestia was crowned ruler of Canterlot, she explicitly turned down the title of 'Queen.' We know not whether this is out of deference to her father, respect for her sister, or some other reason, but she insisted on being a princess."

Twilight nodded, then continued towards the throne room silently. As she opened the door, she noticed Celestia sitting on her throne once more. Celestia gave Twilight another flirtatious grin. "Why, there you are, Twilight! So, what did you think of the accommodations? Pretty nice, eh?"

Before Twilight could answer, the throne room doors burst open. One of Canterlot's messengers rushed through the doors to Celestia's side, breathless. He held a hoof up as if asking for a reprieve, then spake frantically. "Your Highness! Somepony from the Empire is en route to the castle! I think they want to speak with you!"

Celestia's voice lowered to a venomous growl. "Discord..."





A short distance from the castle, a strange creature with a goat head and myriad other animal parts traipsed through the scorching sands surrounding Canterlot's seat of power, escorted by two of the Empire's finest soldiers. He wore a strained expression on his caprine face, and he frequently stopped to brush sand out of his eyes.

"Why in the name of all that is chaos would somepony live way the hell out here?! This is positively barbaric! I should not have to babysit this asinine entourage of rebellious ponies! This is clearly a waste of my talents!"

He held out one of his mismatched legs. "Gentlecolts, I have more sand stuck in my feet. Make yourselves useful and clean it out!"

The soldiers hastily saluted. "Y-yes, sir, Discord, sir!"

As they cleaned his legs off, Discord laughed a very sardonic laugh which echoed across the desert.





"What was that laugh?! I know I've heard it somewhere before!" exclaimed Twilight, suddenly very nervous.

Celestia looked at Twilight sternly. "Stay here. Do not under any circumstances leave the room or make a sound until I retrieve you. Am I clear?"

Twilight nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Celestia hurried out the doors and intercepted Discord near the front of the castle.

"Discord! Canterlot and the Empire are allies! What is the meaning of barging into my kingdom with an armed escort?!" she demanded.

Discord smirked. "My dear Celestia, you're so adorable when you're flustered. However, I'm here on business. The Empire has it on good authority that you are harboring a fugitive."

Celestia remained unfazed. "This is one hell of a strongarm you're pulling here, Discord. Why so much force for one pony? And what makes you think that pony came here, of all places?"

Discord's visage hardened. "Princess, lying is not a very becoming habit. Royalty should be above such petty practices, should we not?"

"She's not here, Discord. We've only heard rumors about an Imperial fugitive escaping Neighshe. If she'd shown up here, believe me, you'd be the first to know."

Discord stamped the ground impatiently. "Let me put this in terms even you can understand, Princess. Give us the girl, and I can personally guarantee no unfortunate disasters will befall your precious Canterlot Castle."

"Are you threatening me, Discord?" Celestia replied indignantly.

"I'm just saying, if you don't give us the girl, something may or may not happen," Discord sneered.

"I want you out of my castle this instant. Any further threats will be considered an act of war, and we will not take such acts sitting down."

Discord grunted, then turned around to leave. "Fine. I hope you're up to the task of explaining to all the orphaned little foals why their parents are no longer around."

With that, Discord and his escorts left. Celestia waited until they had left the castle proper, then turned to walk back to the throne room. Applebloom had been guarding the door. "Nice show, Princess! You really know how ta put the vise on that Discord freak o'nature!"

Celestia smirked at Applebloom's frankness, then grew somber again. "Where is Twilight? Is she safe?"

Applebloom nodded. "Yep. She hasn't left the throne room at all. Ah made sure of it."

Celestia heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. Take her to her room. I must consult with the chancellor about our next move." As Twilight opened the door, Celestia immediately perked up. "Oh, hello there, Twilight! Applebloom will show you to your bedchamber. Royal duty calls, and I'm afraid I can't have anyone watching me do my duty!" She chuckled at her own pun, then walked towards the throne room.

Twilight followed Applebloom down a side passage. Before long, they entered the castle library. Twilight had never seen a more beautiful room in all her life. All of Canterlot's...no, the world's knowledge, gathered in one towering room. Twilight could get lost in bliss for hours here.

"Like books, do ya?" Applebloom said, startling her out of her reverie.

Twilight nodded, smiling. "Yes, I do. I'm not really sure why, but there's something incredible about all this raw knowledge that just makes me want to absorb it all. I don't remember much about myself, but I would absolutely love to be a librarian."

Applebloom slapped Twilight hard in the back, causing her to wince. "Hah! And here Ah thought you didn't have any expression besides that awful sad puppy look yer always sportin'! It's so nice t'see ya smile!"

Twilight blushed. "I don't always look like that! I'm just..."

Applebloom waved her hoof. "Whatever, it is what it is. Don't worry about it. Here, yer room's down these stairs."

They walked down a staircase into a small, relatively modest bedroom with a desk and a single bed. Compared to the rest of the castle, it lacked much of the grandeur, but Twilight felt more at ease sleeping in a plain room than one adorned with garish decorations.

Applebloom beamed at Twilight. "Here ya are! Home, sweet home! We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so ya better rest up!"

Twilight sighed. "Applebloom...What's going on? I overheard Celestia talking to that...that thing. She said Canterlot and the Empire are allies! What's going to happen to me?!"

Applebloom stuck a hoof in Twilight's mouth to quiet her. "Listen. Celestia is only pretending to support the Empire. As long as she maintains a front of alliance with the Empire, her citizens are safe from Imperial incursion. But really, she's with the New Lunar Republic. Ah'm her contact with the NLR. We're dedicated to seein' Canterlot, and perhaps the rest of Equestria, returned to peaceful and sound rule. That stallion you met in Neighshe is one of us, and he's the one who told me about ya."

Twilight frowned. "But what does any of this have to do with me? According to everything I've heard, I'm an Imperial officer! Why does everypony want to help me?!"

Applebloom slapped Twilight across the face. "Listen. We're here to help. We're yer friends. All that nasty Empire ever did was enslave ya and use ya to get at that Esper in Neighshe. No matter what happens, we want to prevent that from happenin'."

"But what am I supposed to do? I'm not a soldier, at least I don't think so! I don't have any stake in this."

Applebloom lowered her head. "Guess Ah can't really convince ya mahself. Look, at least stick with us fer a little while. If nothin' else, Ah promised ya Ah'd protect ya, and Ah don't renege on mah promises. Now please get some rest, Miss Twilight. We'll be leavin' for the NLR hideout in the mornin', most likely."

Twilight nodded. "Okay..." With that, Applebloom left the room, leaving Twilight once again alone with her thoughts.

But...if everypony is fighting, which side is right? Where do I fit in?





Celestia tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't sleep. Something was really bothering her about Discord's threat earlier. He wouldn't really do anything that rash, would he? she pondered. Deciding she wouldn't be able to sleep, she decided to roll out of bed. It was then that she heard the commotion. "What the...what's going on?!"

Fearing the worst, she ran outside to inspect the castle.

As she did, she spotted Discord with a small platoon of soldiers. The soldiers were armed with flamethrowers, and large sections of the outer wall were aflame. Celestia seethed as she approached Discord. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Discord bowed in front of Celestia in mock reverence. "Oh, my dear, sweet Princess Celestia! I simply could not stop this unfortunate, heinous act! If only you had given me the mare sooner, this all could have been avoided!"

Celestia felt like bucking Discord right then and there, but she restrained herself. Quickly, she ran to the chancellor, who was standing guard near the throne room. "All right, get ready! We're putting the plan into action now!"

Cadance saluted. "Yes, Your Highness! We're ready!"

Cadance disappeared into the throne room as Discord approached. "You know, Celestia, you're not a very cooperative ruler. You know how to end all of this," he said, dripping with condescension.

Celestia faced Discord and grinned mischievously. "All right, Discord. If you want to play, let's play." With that, she juked to the side, jumping off the castle wall onto an awaiting yellow birdlike creature below. "The name of the game is 'Catch Me if You Can!'"

Two more birds followed behind as she circled the castle. Discord furiously taunted her as she escaped. "What's the matter, Princess?! Leaving so soon?! Perhaps I can redecorate your castle with the blood of your abandoned subjects!"

Ignoring Discord, Celestia steered under a walkway where Applebloom and Twilight were waiting. "Quick! Jump onto the Chocobos! We'll make our escape while he's busy!"

Not wasting any time, Applebloom and Twilight did as instructed. The three rode their Chocobos past the outside of the castle, with Discord screaming at them from the front gate. "What now, Celestia?! Are you really doing this?!"

Celestia grinned. "I trust my subjects far more than you seem to trust anypony else." She raised her voice to a commanding royal shout. "Everypony, now! Dive!"

Canterlot Castle began to rumble as all of its citizens scrambled to get inside. Discord was knocked off his feet, falling outside of the castle walls. As he looked up, the castle began to retract its towers and sink into the desert sands. He caught a glimpse of the chancellor atop the castle's keep. She smirked at Discord. "Nopony can touch the citizens of Canterlot!"

Within a couple of minutes, Canterlot Castle had completely disappeared beneath the sands. Discord uttered a stream of enraged curses. "Hunt them! Disembowel them! I WANT THEIR HORNS!"

Applebloom glanced behind them. There were two bipedal armors advancing on them with alarming speed. "Uh, Princess, Ah think we got a fight on our hooves!"

They jumped off their Chocobos and turned to face their pursuers. Twilight yelped when she recognized the armors in front of them. "Hey! What are those things?! I could swear I've seen them before!"

Celestia grimaced. "Magitek armor. The shock troops of the Empire. They use artificially conjured magic to lay waste to towns and bring them to bear under the Imperial hoof. We're in for a rough fight."

Applebloom pulled out a gigantic repeating crossbow. "Good thing Ah pilfered this from the royal stores before we left, then!" As Celestia stared slack-jawed at her, Applebloom fired several steel-shafted bolts into the core of one of the armors, causing it to explode on the spot. Before Applebloom could celebrate, however, the other armor charged up an Ice Beam, firing a frigid blast straight for where she stood. Celestia shoved her out of the way moments before the ground became encased with frost.

Celestia fumed at Applebloom. "You didn't have to steal that stuff! You could have just asked!"

Applebloom blushed. "It's kind of a moot point anyway...Ah forgot to steal any extra ammo."

Celestia's face collided with her hoof so forcibly that it knocked her tiara clean off. Now they had no way to damage the other armor. Their options were running out, and-wait, Twilight's horn was glowing. Celestia did a double-take. She'd never known unicorn or alicorn horns to glow. What could she be doing?

No sooner had she pondered this than a magical stream of flame erupted from Twilight's horn, striking the core squarely. The heat from the impact caused the armor to overheat, prompting its emergency systems to eject the protective plating surrounding the core itself so it could vent.

As Celestia tried to process this, her body jumped back in total shock. Applebloom, noticing this, inquired, "Um...Princess? What's wrong?"

Celestia turned to Applebloom sheepishly. "Forgive me, Miss Applebloom. I had...never witnessed anything like that before, and was frankly doubting it was possible."

"Seen what? That flame? She was doin' that to monsters on the way over. What's so special about it?"

"Applebloom, don't you see? That was magic. Real magic. Not this pseudo-magic the Empire uses. You know, conjured fire, instant healing? Magic."

Applebloom stared at Twilight, unable to articulate anymore. "M-M-M-M-M-M-MAGIC?! That was MAGIC?!"

The two walked off to the side and began to whisper to each other. Celestia looked up from their huddle. "Twilight, dear, does that just come naturally to you?"

Twilight frowned and cast her gaze groundward. "Oh, I'm sorry...everypony seems to treat me like an outcast any time I use my magic. I guess I should have known better..."

Applebloom rushed to her side. "No, no! Ah'm sorry. Ah didn't mean to make such a big deal out of it," she offered hastily.

Celestia joined the two. "Why, I don't think I've met anypony with such raw potential before! You're a pretty special pony, Twilight!"

Applebloom glanced behind them. While not especially mobile yet, the Magitek armor that remained had almost finished its cooling cycle, and the pony at the helm was glaring at them for ignoring him. "Uh, not to sound impatient or anything, but shouldn't we be finishin' our business here before we get too caught up?"

Twilight grinned. "You're right. We should probably finish this fight before we get too carried away. Thanks, both of you." She winked at them coquettishly, trying to mimic Celestia from earlier. It was such a hilariously awkward yet cute gesture that both Celestia and Applebloom became wobbly-kneed, collapsing where they stood in hedonistic pleasure. "H-hey! Stop that! We're just finishing the fight now!" Twilight shrieked, suddenly awash with embarrassment.

Applebloom perked up. "R-right! Just leave this ta me!" She pulled out the mythril knife she'd acquired earlier from the commander in Neighshe. Before the pony in the armor could react, she dashed up to the core and jammed the knife into the reactor, causing the second Magitek armor to explode as well.

Celestia whispered to Twilight. "Aren't you glad she's on our side?" Twilight giggled in response as they hopped back on their Chocobos, running past a flabbergasted Discord.

Discord, foaming at the mouth, tried to think of something, anything to vocalize his abject rage. All he managed to muster, however, was "SON OF A SEAPONY!"





Off in the distance, the trio began making their way towards the caves that led to Canterlot City. Twilight became pensive once more, riding in silence for a few minutes before saying anything. "That...that thing. He's the one who put that tiara on me...I'm frightened."

Celestia pulled up alongside Twilight. "Twilight, there's somepony I'd like you to meet. We're members of the New Lunar Republic, and our organizer, Mayor Mare, would most certainly like to meet somepony of your unique talents. We're going to need magic to win this upcoming war, and you are the key to unlocking it, my dear Twilight."

Twilight stared vacantly forward. "Magic...?"

Celestia nodded. "You have quite a unique gift, dear Twilight. We can't stop the Empire without using such a crucial tool."

Twilight was shocked. "Unique?! I'd always been treated as an outcast, but I didn't think I was the only pony who knew magic! It's...it's so natural for me, almost like breathing!"

Celestia stroked her chin with her hoof. "That's rather unusual that nopony told you how rare that is these days. Real magic has not existed for hundreds of years. Did the Empire teach you those spells, or-"

Twilight had slowed to a stop. Realizing this, Celestia and Applebloom reined in their Chocobos to pull alongside her.

Twilight's vision was marred by tears. She couldn't take it anymore. "Why?! Why me?! What am I going to do?!"

Celestia sighed grimly. "Twilight, if the Empire catches you again, there's no reason to believe they won't enslave you on the spot. They are very singular in their goal, and they don't care who gets harmed in the crossfire. If we allow you to fall into their hands, we may as well kiss the whole of Equestria goodbye. Even if you choose not to fight, at the very least come with us and allow us to protect you. Come, let's head towards the NLR hideout. Mayor Mare will know of a way to hide you from the Imperials."

Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. She had little choice but to be swept up on the wings of destiny.

Celestia perked up almost immediately. "Well then, enough of this somber silliness! We're heading to Canterlot City en route to the NLR headquarters. Let's try to have a little fun, shall we?"

The others agreed. It might be a long time before they got another chance to breathe.