//------------------------------//
// Final Preparations 
// Story: Terror In Equestria 3: Twilight's Conquest 
// by StormLuna 
//------------------------------//

Twilight and her forces had been preparing for one month.  Twilight calls another meeting at the base of her tower to give them some big news regarding their plans.  Twilight walked out onto her balcony with a huge smile on her face.

Twilight said to her forces, "Alright everypony, we have all been doing a great job preparing for this.  I want us to have a couple of days rest before we head out to the east coast of Equestria.  Once we reach there, we will rest for a night and then after we eat breakfast we will head east across the Alicorn Ocean towards the Equine Empire."

Colgate asked, "Twilight, won't it be an awful long, tiring flight out across that ocean?  Don't you think maybe we should sail across the ocean instead?"

Twilight replied, "Colgate, the Alicorn Ocean is much smaller than the Pegasus Ocean.  The distance from our coast to the west coast of the Equine Empire is the same distance as it is from Equestria to Alicorn Island, which makes it a perfectly flyable distance."

Fluttershy asked, "Twilight, are there any relics you will want to take with us once we conquer these territories?"

Twilight replied, "No.  Once we conquer these territories they will be ours.  If there is anything I want brought back to Ponyville I will do it after we conquer the world.  I have read many books about past conquests and the armies that took things from places they already took as their own with them to the next battle always wind up losing somewhere along the way."

Fluttershy said, "Really Twilight?"

Twilight replied, "Yes.  If anypony would bother to actually study things in all disciplines they would know this.  You know what I am talking about, right Shining Armor?"

Shining Armor said, "Yes, I do.  I think we should rest before we head out in a couple of days."

Twilight replied, "I agree.  Meeting adjourned."

Twilight headed to the throne room very ready for this battle.  She was so ready that if it were to take place that day she would have been ready for it.

Two days later after breakfast Twilight and her forces were ready to go when Shining Armor realized one thing.

"Twilight, don't you think you better cast the duplication spell so we will have forces here to protect Equestria?" asked Shining Armor

Twilight replied, "Yes, we better.  Thanks for reminding me.  I completely forgot that."

Twilight ordered all of her forces to gather together so she could not just double the size of her forces, but quadruple them.  She wanted to leave a normal sized army in Ponyville and take forces three times the size of what she had with her.

Twilight's forces gathered together as she recited, -"From one to two, two to four and so much more, when one is simple mere, more and more shall appear."

Twilight ordered her troops to stay in place while she cast it again.  Suddenly she had over 20,000 dark Alicorns and over 40,000 changelings.

Twilight said, "Ok, I need 5,000 dark unicorns and 10,000 changelings to stay here and watch over things.  Shining Armor, because you are the second in command and first in line to the throne, you need to stay here in the event I am killed in battle."

Shining Armor said, "Ok, I can do that.  Personally I think I should be going as well because of my immense military knowledge."

Twilight replied, "Ok, you're right.  Colgate, I need you to stay here and keep an eye on things and watch over our forces.  That way you can keep seeing patients as well."

Colgate said, "Really?!  Thank you Twilight, Thank you!  I will keep an eye on everything and I won't let you down!"

Twilight added, "Oh, and I think it would be best if you moved into the tower during my absence.  You can sleep in my bedroom.  That way you can go out on the balcony and look out over town and look off to the south to check on the base.  Besides, I think you will like how comfy my bed is."

Colgate flew up to the balcony and hugged Twilight thanking her over and over.  Never before had Colgate been so happy.

Twilight said, "Colgate, if something were to happen to my brother and myself, you would become Queen of Equestria.  I don't think anything will happen but you know what you are doing and I know you would make for a great leader."

Lyra asked, "Why does Colgate get to watch over things while the rest of us are off conquering the world?  What makes her so special?"

Twilight replied, "Not only has she written her own magic she has proven herself to be a good commander, which probably means she would be a good leader as well."

Lyra knew better than to question Twilight's decisions.  She figured that if she just went along with what Twilight wants, that perhaps she would let her be part of the forces that return to Ponyville than making her take a position in a foreign land.

Twilight shouted, "Ok, the time has come.  Everypony that is going, follow me.  We need to fly to the east coast.  I want to get there by the middle of the afternoon so we can rest before heading out tomorrow morning."

Twilight took off to the east.  Her friends, other recruits, 15,000 dark Alicorns and 30,000 changelings followed her.  It was a sunny day with light westerly winds that pushed them along the way, making the trip a bit shorter.  Finally around 2:30 they arrived in the coastal city of Cape Stalleratus.  There was plenty to eat there and there were good sleeping quarters.

Once they arrived there Twilight called a meeting.  "Alright everypony, we have flown a great distance and tomorrow we will make a much longer flight.  There is a small island about 10 miles to the west of the city we want to attack that we will be landing on.  There we will be able to rest and regroup after a long day of flight."

Applejack asked, "So what will we all be doing besides resting once we get there?"

Twilight replied, "We will be eating, naturally.  There are a lot of those small apples that grow along Equestria's west coast that grow there.  There are also plentiful fresh water lakes a couple of miles inland.  This will be the perfect place to launch our attack."

Rainbow Dash asked, "Twilight, where do they keep their military?  Don't we need to know that?"

Twilight replied, "I already know where they keep their military.  They keep them in the capitol city of Maredrid.  Before you go asking how I know that I have used the eye to check out all our enemies and oddly enough, every empire on the planet keeps their military in their capitol cities.  Therefore, that is where we will launch our attacks.  We can pound them into submission, I will cast the loyalty spell on all of them and then we don't have to worry about anything."

Dark Night said, "Twilight, I thought you were going to use duplication spells and leave some of us with whoever you decide will be a steward for that country?"

Twilight replied, "I am going to.  I just figure that if we have very few if any showing dissent, that will make our lives much easier and it will make the lives of the steward and their military much easier.  After all, who wants to go around crushing rebellions all the time?  I sure wouldn't and I wouldn't think anypony else would either."

Lemon Hearts asked, "Twilight, so those who you give stewardship to, will they have total power over that country or will they still answer to you?"

This question irritated Twilight greatly.  She shouted, "WHY WOULD I BE DOING THIS IF I WEREN'T THE HEAD PONY IN CHARGE?  TELL ME THAT LEMON HEARTS, WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT IF I WOULDN'T BE THE SUPREME RULER?"

Lemon Hearts shied back and said, "I'm sorry Twilight, I was just wondering."

Twilight replied, "I take it you want stewardship somewhere?"

Lemon Hearts said, "I think it would be really nice since I am helping you with this."

Lyra asked, "Why didn't you bring Colgate and give her stewardship somewhere since you think she is this super commander?"

Twilight replied, "I didn't because Ponyville needs a dentist and she is the only dentist most everypony trusts.  Alright everypony, let's get some food and let's get some rest.  We need to get up early tomorrow.  I want us to have an early breakfast and head out to that island early."

Everypony got a decent amount of sleep that night and was ready to get going after breakfast the following morning.  Twilight shouted at her forces "Let's get going.  I want to get to that island before nightfall."

Twilight and her forces flew all day as there were no islands to land on for lunch.  Finally they reach the island that Twilight discussed to her forces before leaving Ponyville.  It was exactly as Twilight had described it.  It had fresh water lakes a mile or two inland and it was covered by apple bushes.  This brought a smile to everypony's face.

Applejack said, "Twilight, these are just like those bushes we relocated from the west coast to my apple farm!  These things are mighty tasty!"

Twilight replied, "Yes, they are.  Everypony, I need you to come over to the beach, I have to show you something."

Thunder Rage said, "Twilight, what do you have to show us?"

Twilight replied, "Ok, you see that faint dot there on the horizon?  That is Maredrid.  That is where the entire army of the Equine Empire is located, along with their king and queen."

Pinkie asked, "What are plans for their king and queen?"

Twilight replied, "Well, they are earth ponies so dealing with them will be very easy.  All I will need to do is cast a high power loyalty spell on them and they will be in service not just to me, but to the steward here.  Their earth pony army will return to civilian life while our forces will take over."

Fluttershy asked, "You have this really planned out, don't you?"

Twilight replied, "Yes Fluttershy, I do.  I watched everything with my green eye and had everything planned out before we left Ponyville."

Darkness descended upon the island and everypony tried to get some sleep.  Twilight was thinking to herself, "Tomorrow it begins.  First the Equine Empire, then the world!"