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// TCB: The Stand Part 1 (Tragedy) 
// Story: Oneshot Grab-Bag 
// by Banchoking 
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	Celstia, broken and battered from years of war, stood with the last loyal ponies and new foals she had managed to gather under her in the center of the New York city ruins against the horde of soldiers that blocked their path to the new seat of human civilization. In the final years of The Conversion Wars, her barrier had driven humanity to make a final stand on this continent, with this very city as their metaphorical 'line in the sand.'

Victory had been all but served to her on a silver platter, the salvation of humanity was at hand. Then the barrier fell.

There had always been those who had disagreed with her political policies. From taxes to the conversion bureaus, there was always somepony who was dissatisfied but she never expected what happened. As ponies who had been deceived by humanity's way of thinking spread anti-diarchal propaganda, her citizens' loyalty began to falter. She didn't blame them; they were no more at fault for their foolish behavior than the humans they pitied.

She was shocked, however, when nearly her entire country revolted against her. She felt ashamed that her panicked attempts to console her little ponies had distracted her from her duty of monitoring who entered and, more importantly, left Equestria. She never noticed her citizens fleeing for Earth in droves. With the help of the ponies and other Equestrian refugees, humanity shattered the barrier and, despite their apparent disadvantage after having been nearly fully converted, they went on the offensive.

Without the barrier to retreat to, the guards and PER could no longer use the hit and run tactics that had worked so well in the past. The humans and their allies cut a bloody swath through Equestria, killing the Royal Guards and imprisoning anypony still loyal to the diarchy. 

The final blow came at the Siege of Canterlot. The Elite Guard, ponies trained in warfare from the moment their cutie-marks appeared, were torn apart like wet paper dolls. The princesses became so desperate as to send the Elements of Harmony themselves into battle, despite knowing that the death of even one of the bearers would mean being unable to return home as the Elements had powered the dimensional jump spell.

They fought bravely but could not win through their strength alone. They used the Elements in an attempt to end the battle, intending to ponify the human invaders all at once. But alas, their time in the human world had corrupted even the ancient Elements of Harmony. Though the rainbow of harmonious magic shined more vividly than ever before, the humans were unaffected.

The bearers were forced to run for their lives, but Rainbow Dash, in her bravado, chose to go out in a blaze of glory. She charged the human's ranks and fought as hard as she could.

A tear ran down Celestia's cheek as she recalled her beloved student in an inconsolable depression. Twilight had gone back to try and convince her friend to abandon the city in order to fight another day. By the time she had found Rainbow Dash, the brash young pegasus had lost the strength to fight. 

Twilight had watched in horror as her friend was dragged to the ground and was stomped to death beneath the jackboots of the invaders. She looked around for help, surely the ponies that lived here would never allow this, ponies were too kind to ignore one another's pain. But none of the Canterlot ponies that had been hiding in their homes made any motion to help. The only proof they could hear the screams of their would be defender was the muted sound of doors being barricaded and curtains being drawn tighter.

The bearer of the Element of Magic shook her terror away and tried to run to Rainbow Dash's aid but skid to a halt at the sound of gunfire and the end of her beloved friend's cries.

There was no more resistance. Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor surrendered, as did the remaining Element bearers, save for Twilight. Celestia was forced to take her still grieving apprentice and flee from Canterlot and into the Everfree.

Twilight swore to make the humans pay for killing Rainbow Dash and to restore her homeland to its former glory.

And now, Celestia looked up at the scene unfolding on the rooftops in despair. Her beloved student, who had held her head high throughout the battle to reach this place, was obviously conflicted. The unicorn looked at the face of her opponent, a single figure on the roof across from her, and felt unsure of her mission.

The enemy Twilight now faced was the one being she never expected to see again. "Rainbow Dash," she whispered, as if trying to convince herself of the reality of the situation.

There she was, the very same pegasus that Twilight had thought of as a sister. The pony who's memory had driven her, against all odds, to the heart of human territory. Though her appearance had been radically altered; human machinery had replaced most of her body which was now covered in red metal armor and left only her muzzle and the right half of her face untouched. Twilight could tell from the look in the mare's remaining eye that this was without a doubt Rainbow Dash, standing between her and the humans.

She looked down towards Celestia, seeking answers. Her heart sank when the princess looked away in shame, unable to meet her eyes.

Celestia bit her lip in an attempt to quell her guilt, 'You're trying to understand. You thought that your friend had been killed. Yet here she stands, fighting for the very beings you came here to destroy. You came here to avenge her death. You came here to destroy mankind. You see now....you cannot do both.'