Celestia stepped out of her throneroom standing tall, certain and full of strength the pinnacle of pony beauty and grace. Until the doors were firmly closed behind her and there was no chance of any of the day court ponies seeing her. Then she slumped like a beach ball deflating. Two nights ago she had ordered Princess Twilight to sleep before the eve of battle, but Celestia had not follow her own order. Nor had she rested in the two days since then. The days were wearing her down and she wasn’t able to see any light at the end of this tunnel.
One of her personal secretaries, a fair blond and blue unicorn mare named Check Mark, joined the Princess. She walked efficiently balanced on three legs, her remaining leg seemed to perpetually hold a clipboard with Celestia’s schedule.
Celestia gave Check Mark a tired look. “Are there any more propositions today?”
Check Mark’s cutie mark was four squares of a checklist, with the second to last checked with a red tick. She looked over her clipboard and said, “Oh dear oh dear, General Righteous sent me a memo asking if your schedule had a space now, but then didn't actually make an appointment. I could move up the trades guild tax review up?”
“No! Please no!” Celestia breathed in exasperation, Check Mark was one of the few ponies that she felt comfortable enough to let her mask slip so far.
“OK then.” Check Mark wrote down a note. “Then I’d say you have an opening now about three hours long and perhaps you should take some time to relax before your next meeting.”
“Which is?” Celestia asked.
“With Twilight Sparkle, she supposed to be back this afternoon with a report on how the treatment of the Cultists is proceeding and a demonstration of her new tracker gems. My understanding is she was working until late last night at the schools labs making them, and is now assisting the doctors at the hospital.” Check Mark read the relevant notes on her clipboard
“Hmm, Twilight?” Celestia mused out loud. “I expect she did another all nighter, not that I can claim to be a very good role model regarding proper rest over the last few days.” Celestia looked determined and made a decision, “Well that has to change, I’ll lead by example. Check Mark, please have the royal groomers join me in my spa.” Yes a hot bath and a proper grooming would let her shake off her tiredness.
“Very good Princess.” Check Mark noted, “If General Righteous does get back to me, should I send him to your spa?”
Celestia wrinkled her nose for a second, her personal bath was a very ‘casual’ spot for a formal meeting. But as the General had not actually made an appointment. Plus in common pony society there was nothing unseemly about such a location for a meeting, but it wasn't typical for ROYAL pony society, might be even scandalous in some of the aristocrats eyes. Celestia gave that all the consideration that it deserved and told Check Mark, “Certainly ask the General to join me, if he has any news.”
Check Mark gave Celestia a polite nod and with typical efficiency turned towards the official offices while the Princess headed towards her personal suite.
Once Check Mark got to the office she was a bit surprised to find the door already unlocked and the two royal guards who normally waited outside, missing. Opening the door with some caution she saw that General Righteous was inside sitting in the visitors waiting area, flanked by several of the Royal guards. While a bit miffed at the breach of etiquette, Check Mark let out a sigh of relief, as the mystery of the unlocked door was now easily explained. The Guards had keys to all the major areas of the Castle. The General probably had not wished to wait outside and ordered the assigned Guards to let him him.
Check Mark put on her best professional face, walked to her desk and said, “Good morning General. Is this regarding your previous query about the Princesses morning schedule?” She purposely did not tell the General that Celestia had already approved his appointment. Check Mark hated how ponies with swelled heads tried to get around proper procedure and decided to make him ask first.
To her confusion, General RIghteous didn't answer her immediately but turned to one of his guards as if asking permission. That guard turned to look at the others guards in the room and made a quiet hooves up gesture. Two of the six guards present walked to block the door and the other four moved back to a far corner of the room. Check Mark didn't like the vibes she was feeling in the room, but she knew several of these Guards and General Righteous was in and out of her office nearly every day. She tried to force herself to be calm, but mental alarms were firing off confusing signals. She waited patiently, letting the General speak first.
“Good morning Miss Check Mark.” The General spoke. “I will be needing to see the Princess in,” he paused to look at the desk clock, “half an hour, which should give us just enough time to brief you about some changes in government policy that we are about to enact.”
Check Mark asked, “Changes? What sort of …” she stuttered to silence and her eyes shrunk to tiny dots. She had just noticed that the four guards that had moved to the far corner had been stripping off their uniforms. Three of the four were stallions and were very stiffly standing at attention, but not in the way guards were supposed to.
Check Mark turned quickly to the General about to demand an explanation, part of her already thinking she should start screaming for help.
That part was unfortunately correct, but the thought was too late coming. The General stood silent as one of the other guard’s hoof reached out from behind and covered her muzzle. Something metallic tasting was forced between her lips, and before she could even think of trying to spit it out, it had already dissolved. Check Mark tried to scream and buck, but a firm hoof held her muzzle closed, and her legs were kicked out from under her. With her eyes shrunk to pinpoints of terror she could only mumble unheeded protests as the four naked guards descended on her.
The two guards at the door, watched their fellows pin Check Mark, but didn't break discipline and remained standing guarding the door. Likewise General Righteous watched with mild interest until the one remaining guard turned to him.
That guard was Crimson Peytral, now fully in uniform and with a serious look on her face. “General permission to speak sir?”
Righteous kept his eyes on the pony pile on the floor, licking his lips as one of the naked stallions lifted his hips and with a thrust, mounted Check Mark. The mare let out a choked sob but couldn't pull away. After a pause that lasted two beats too long, he addressed Crimson, “Of course Guardmare, what is it?”
Crimson sighed, “Sir, you can’t be seen deferring to me. You serve the Stone Heart best with your skill and authority, I could see Check Mark growing suspicious when she saw you look to me. If Princess Celestia notices a tell like that, when we approach her, I doubt she’ll give us a second chance.”
General Righteous stood up a little taller and gave Crimson a firm nod. “You are right of course. My hesitation was in error. It is just that I know you have received direct instructions from the Stone Heart elders and I must trust to secondhand instructions and insights the Blessing has given me.”
“No worry sir, the Elders are waiting in the shadows outside the castle and will take their proper place here by Celestia’s side when we complete our mission. Then you will be able to get your instructions directly from them.” Crimson gave her commander a crisp salute to reinforce her subservience to him.
Firming up his stance and constance, General Righteous, “Right then, thank you for your candor. Please assist the others and I will keep a watch for the signal from our agent.” It was a sign of how dedicated the General was that he was able to wrench his eyes from debauchery spectacle on the floor and turned to the window to observe Canterlot’s business district.
Crimson knelt down and comforted Check Mark whispering “Shhh, easy now, just a few more minutes and your eyes will be open to the truth of the Stone Heart.” The Princesses secretary was panting, her eyes wide and unfocused. She was still grunting and mumbling, but as the four, now with Crimson, five guards, worked her body like experts, Check Mark’s gasps became mews of pleasure than grunts of protest.
Crimson nuzzled Check Mark’s face, kissing and licking, taking the salty tears with relish as she licked them all away.
---------------------------
Half an hour later, Check Mark stood smiling, a faint rosy glow on her cheeks, she felt wonderful, relaxed and happy. She stood next to General Righteous, and ignored the guards who were busy cleaning up any evidence of their, ummm, educational procedure. She even managed to not react when one of the guards used a wet rag to clean up some telling fluids on her flank. With a breathy voice still warm from an endorphin high, she asked. “So General what is our plan?”
The General turned to Check Mark. “Unfortunately the Elders of the Stone Heart are still waiting for our sign before taking their rightful place leading us. But though Gardmare Crimson here, I have been briefed with what is expected of us.”
Check Mark, turned to Crimson and nodded her thanks to the other mare. Crimson blushed in acknowledgement but continued to attend to the clean up duties. “And that is?” Check Mark asked.
“While Princess Celestia was holding her morning court, our guards have opened the eyes of just about all the Castle’s staff who were not tied up in the court. You were the last that needed to be educated.” He explained.
“Thank you. But why did you honor me by taking care of me personally?” Check Mark wondered.
“Celesta is our next target, but while there are others in court with a higher rank, few other ponies have as much contact with the Princess as you do. You will be critical in our rescue of the Alicorns from the evil pegasus.”
“There are many of the foul creatures who sulk here in the castle. What about them? How are we to cleanse Canterlot of them?” Check Mark asked.
“Oh we’ll have to wait for instructions from the Elders before we can hope for a final solution to the pegasus problem. Still one of the cooks we engaged came up with a temporary solution. While you were in court, the feathered freaks found in their morning break rooms plates of pastries and cakes. They of course scarfed the treats down like the greedy savages they are.” The General chuckled, “Much to their later discomfort.”
“So you poisoned them” Check Marked asked casually.
“Alas no. At least not with deadly effect. But our friend the cook, laced the cakes with enough laxatives to empty the bowels of an army of elephants. I’d suggest not standing under any of their cloud houses anytime in the near future.’ The General started wheezing in laughter.
‘Once the ‘sabotage’ was detected, senior administrators sent all the pegasi staff home for medical leave. We still have to deal with the Pegasus Guards, and that’s what we’re waiting for.” He finished.
“Waiting for?” Check Mark asked, “but I thought you wanted to make sure the Princess’s schedule was free now so she could join us? If that’s what you want, you don’t have much more time. She’ll be finished with her spa…” Check Mark looked at her desk clock. “In and hour and a half.”
“That shouldn't be a problem” General Righteous said as he looked out the window down into the city, “The signal should show up soon.”
Even as the General said that, there was a flash of light, followed by a pillar of smoke and a low growling rumble of thunder echo though the Canterlot business districts canyons of buildings. Down below them Check Mark could just make out that that one of the large bank buildings had partly collapsed down into the busy street in front of it.
She gasped, “What was that!”
General Righteous nodded in approval. “That was our signal. Much better than a simple fire, our agent on the outside is clever. Hopefully not too many non pegasus were hurt, but still effective.” He turned to the mare, “Come we have a Princess to notify about a terrible terrorist attack.” he smirked.
Check Mark was still looking at the rising smoke cloud with horror, “Those Pegasus did this, didn't they?” her mind already rewriting the history so thoroughly that she could pass a lie detector spell, despite hearing the General talk of an ‘agent’ moments earlier.
“Come.” The General told her.
With a serious look, Check Mark took up her clipboard and motioned for the guards to follow them.
It took just a few minutes to walk from office to Princess Celestia’s personal suite. But even in those few minutes a wave of panic could be felt in the castle. No one would have disturbed the Princess yet, at least while the Stone Heart converted guards stood at the doors, but there was a palpable excitement in the air as rumors of the explosion spread quickly.
Check Mark let the General and the troop of guards into the private suite.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you Princess” Check Mark said as they entered.
Celestia was sitting in her large tub, half submerged while a team of three unicorn beauticians were wrangling magic brushes over her flowing mane. Check Mark wasn't sure the brushes were actually DOING anything, but the Princess seemed to enjoy the treatment.
The Princess first raised an eyebrow questioningly, then she saw the General walking in behind her secretary. “Oh General. good to see you. Please give me a minute to dry off and we can talk in my sitting room.” There was a slight hint of playfulness in her voice as the situation was a bit more casual than she was used to.
General Righteous shook his head. “I’m sorry Princesses, but this can’t wait. There has been an attack on Canterlot’s business district. I believe it was the Pe….” The General paused to catch his tongue, then continued. “I mean the Cult.”
Princess Celestia stood up in her tub, all playfulness left her face and voice. “WHAT! Has any ponies been hurt?”
Righteous knelt down in a compliant bow, “Sorry I don’t yet have casualty figures, if any. I received intelligence about the attack just moments ago. The explosion was in the business district and there are many ponies on the streets there.”
Princess Celestia nodded, “I want facts, I want every bit of intelligence you have brought to me immediately. Send troops to the site of the attack to aid rescue and recovery.”
“Yes Princess, but I have more news.”
Celestia waited.
“The report we received said the explosion was going to be just the first in a series. We need to find the other bombs before they go off.”
Celestia looked frustrated, “Yes of course. But I don’t think we have a bomb detecting squad in Canterlot. I know there is one squad in Manehatten to monitor shipping, but we have never had a bomb issue here in the capital.”
General Righteous kept his voice level and replied. “We need to search the entire city for suspicious packages. Ground troops will be too slow, with your permission I’d like to order out the Pegasus Guard for a full city sweep.”
Celestia nodded in agreement. “Yes of course. I will send word via dragon fire to the Mayor of Manehatten and have the trained squad reassigned.”
The General turned to the Guardmare Chrimson. “You heard the Princess. I want every pegasus out of the castle and in search flights over the city, NOW!”
Chrimson saluted and ran off at full gallop. Down the hall several Stone Heart Guards were already prepared and by splitting up to different points in the castle, the flying fiends would be evicted from the Castle in minutes. The General allowed himself a small grin, once he completed his mission, they would never be allowed back.
Check Mark then said, “I’ll be needed to help organize that.”
The General nodded and motioned for four of the remaining guards to say with him, while the others escorted Check Mark out. He knew that her role now as to go to the pegis dorms and lock them down. Her security codes would be needed to open the locks and seals of the pegasi weapon caches, but of course he didn't say any of this out loud.
The General turned back to Celestia, “Princess, I also think we need to raise a magic shield around the Castle. We can’t risk intruders when there are so many unknowns.”
To the General’s annoyance, Celestia didn't immediately agree. “I understand your concern General, and I have used magic shields in the past with other threats, but I was attempting to shield the entire city, not just the Castle. I do not see how hiding myself from the danger would aid My Little Ponies.” Celestia told him.
The General wrinkled his brow, he wanted to make sure he could control who got in and out of the Castle. In addition to the Pegisi there were royal guards that had been on patrol last night. There was an expectation that some of the deluded uneducated ponies might attempt some sort of misguided rescue mission. They needed time to secure the Castle and Celestia.
Delaying to give himself some time to think. “Unfortunately Princess, Shining Armor is still in the Crystal Empire and I do not know of another Unicorn that can cast another city sized shield.” Then he looked around the bathroom. “Perhaps we should move this discussion to a less informal location?”
Celestia nodded, “Yes, we must discuss strategy, yet I will not sit idly here in the Castle.” With a grace that reflected her long experience, she had been holding this entire conversation with royal dignity while standing up to her gasken in bath water. She now took the time to step out of the bath, and with a shimmer of magic dried off her coat and mane without towels.
The General followed her to the suites main foyer and onward to the adjacent wide balcony that overlooked Canterlot. “Meet me at the Hospital, I must see for myself my subjects injured in the explosion.”
Celestia started to open her wings to fly off, when in a panic, The General yelled “NO! Princess.”
Celestia paused in confusion, “No?” She asked in surprise.
“Princess, you were seen all day yesterday at the Hospital. The bombers probably expect you to go there.” The General replied quickly, his mind racing for some way to keep the Princess here. He was expecting backup from others once the Pegasus left. He need them before trying to educated the Princess. The handful of guards he had with him wasn't enough, not yet. A pony like Check Mark could be surprised and overwhelmed by a couple of cult members, but the Princess would need more trained guards to hold her even for the few seconds needed to make her swallow the Stone Heart Blessing. The General bit his lip, he had to buy himself more time.
The General motioned to the Princess to follow him inside, and curious about what he wanted to say, she followed. He told her, “Organized attacks like this are rare, but the military guidebooks say that normal strategy is to explode bombs in groups, with later bombs delayed just enough to harm the first responding rescue ponies.”
Even as he said this, a second explosion rolled out over the streets below.
The Princesses eyes were wide open in fear and wet with tears, “My Little Ponies!” She started moving back to the balcony.
But the General blocked her with his body, and with a desperate cry of frustration she stopped. “I have to help them!” She yelled.
“No! That second explosion could have been you! Had you been out there, what could you do that trained rescue ponies couldn't?” The General yelled back. “You’re the Princess, you ARE EQUESTRIA, you have to be kept safe.”
Meekly the Princess agreed. This was not the role she wanted. If she was injured in the attack, she would be giving the Cult a sweet victory. She need to plan a proper strategy and trust her subordinates to do the right thing.
The General and Celestia moved to her sitting room and he pulled out a map of Canterlot. They spent the next few minutes going over the map, and identifying likely bomb locations. While the General did this mostly as a delaying tactic, part of him was curious wondering where the little clockmaker pony had managed to hide all his bombs.
They had been at this for a while when there was a loud knocking at the suites main doors. The General turned to the doors with anticipation, his extra troops were arriving and they could move to the next step. He motioned for one of his remaining guards to open the door. While all the ponies eyes, including Celestia’s were on the doors, the General took the time to reach into his uniform pocket and pulled out a small silver metallic pill which he hid in the frog of his hoof.
Outside the door were two, out of breath unicorn guards. The General didn’t know them by sight and was disappointed it was only two. The Princess seemed to know them though and waved them into her suite, they hadn’t yet caught their breath to speak but bowed respectively.
Hiding his disappointment General Righteous asked them. “Are the Pegasus giving us any trouble?”
The two guards looked confused by the question, “No we didn't see many Pegasi in the Castle.”
The younger guard added, “Wait I did see some scuffling with some earth ponies in the garden, but with the bombs going off, we didn't stop to see what that was about.”
The Princess looked confused, “Earth ponies and pegasi fighting in the gardens!”
The General thought to himself, ‘The feathered devils probably figured out something was wrong and started to fight back too soon.” He decided there was no more time to waste. “Don’t worry Princess, you’ll understand soon.” He directed his attention to all the remaining guards and the two new ones. “Sorry ponies, there’s less of us than I wanted, but for the good of Equestria we have to do this NOW!”
With smiles on their faces, the four remaining guards that came with him stepped forward in anticipation while the Princess looked back and forth with growing confusion. “What going on!” She started to stammer.
The General Jumped across the sitting room table and before Celestia could react jammed his hoof into her mouth. She immediately threw Righteous across the room where he hit the wall knocking pictures and books off the furniture as he fell down. That didn’t matter, the deed was done.
The Princess screamed “Poison!” tasing the metallic taste in her mouth.
The General who was only mildly shook up by his short flight across the room, stood up and brushing himself off. “No my Princess, not poison but a blessing!”
He then turned his attention to the guards. “Ready boys, but show some respect, you have the great honor and pleasure to teach an Alicorn the magic of the Stone Heart!”
The Princess eyes opened wide, now in a brief flash of insight she understood! “NO!” she tried to light her horn, call on her magic. She would incinerate every living thing in this room if necessary to escape, but this brief moment of clarity passed. “Uhh! Dizy!” She cried out unable to channel her magic.
The General started to loosen his belt, seeing several of his guards doing the same. Two were already fully out of uniform, two others nearly so.
But then he realized with a sudden chill, the two new guards, the ones he hadn’t recognized, they weren’t stripping. Instead they were holding back, looking side to side in confusion.
“Your eyes are still closed!” He realized as he pointed to them. But their expressions of confusion were quickly firming up into determination. The elder one was starting to bend his knees, to spring. The General could read in their body language how this would unfold, they would attack the naked guards while still fully armored. Even with the advantage in numbers the General would lose that battle.
“Nooo! Not when we’re so close!” Instead of continuing to strip, he pulled out his sword. It was mostly used ceremonially, but it was real, solid and sharp. He ran between the cult guards and the two new ones. Stopping them from springing forward.
“Stay back” he warned them. Then over his shoulder he told the naked four. “I got these two, you have to teach the Princess the pleasure of the Stone Heart before the blessing wears off!”
With his back to the Princess he had no idea how effective his loyal guards were going to be against an Alicorn by themselves. The Blessing would make her physically and magically weak but no pony knew for how long and by how much. No time to worry about that now. He held his sword in his magic and saw the two new guards stand back wary. The General tried to assess them, clearly they were Royal guards,probably back from an over night patrol and had not been blessed. They hadn’t taken their spears with them, giving him the advantage with his sword. He had to take them out before they could gang up on him.
“What’s your names?” He asked, not really interested, but wanting to ease them into letting him have an opening.
The younger guards stammered, “Guard Stallion Spring Kicker, Sir.” clearly mixed emotions on his face, wanting to be polite to a superior office holding a weapon, but also seeing whatever was happening behind the General and wanting to aid the Princess.
“Shut up!” The elder guard, Solid Star, barked at younger. “The Cult got them! We have to rescue the Princess!”
General Righteous, made a choice, the older Guard clearly was the more dangerous. With years of experience, he swung his sword, and simultaneously used some of his magic to trip up the guards hooves.
Solid Star was no foal and saw the attack coming. He managed to duck enough to avoid the first swing of the sword and turned his magically tripped hooves into a roll that brought him to the Generals left side. The side the sword was moving away from. Sold jammed his weight on his forelegs and rear kicked the General hard in the side.
Unfortunately the General’s armor was more than sufficient to absorb Solid Stars buck. The only effect was that the General skidded on the smooth floor tiles about four feet. The General turned and bucked back. Solid Star again ducked easily enough but had to roll again when the General’s sword smashed the ground, exactly where Solid had been a second before.
Both the General and Solid started circling each other. Each trying to gain an advantage, but both had been trained in the same fighting skills and were more evenly matched than either would like to admit. Both their horns were glowing, canceling out each other spells, but not letting up for a second or risking letting the other gain an advantage.
Swish! The General’s sword kept making Solid Star dodge, but the heavy ceremonial sword wasn't very fast. To Solid it was more of an annoyance than the main risk. Without a sharp weapon of his own, he need to get close enough to grapple. He kept trying to dodge in, but the General was too wary.
Another kick and this time Solid managed to get on top of the General. Bucking and kicking he tried to get past the armor, and get some solid blows in. The General’s nose was bleeding now and Solid was certain he had cracked one of the General’s ribs. But Solid had taken some blows too.
Solid tried to take a deep breath and give the General another round of blows, when the General got his hooves below them and kicked hard into Solid’s underbelly, throwing the guard clear across the room.
“No!” suddenly the younger guard, Spring Kicker was there, kicking and pounding at the General. But he lacked the experience and the skill of Solid. Spring’s blows were all absorbed by the General’s armor. Also Spring forgot to guard himself with his magic, the General grabbed the younger guard by the neck in his magic and started lifting him off the ground by that grip.
“You annoying brat!” The General Spat, he forced Spring’s neck up, exposing his throat, the younger guard hung there in the air, his hooves flailing, his head forced up to look at the ceiling. The General held his sword up to the young stallions throat and noted how his sword was sharp enough to cause a thin line of blood to flow from even this light tough. “Don’t worry kid. I’ll make this quick!” The General boasted.
Lifting his sword high with his hoof, the General brought it down hard on Springs neck, more than hard enough to be a killing blow. Hard enough to spit the ponies neck bones and decapitate the boy.
Hard enough that it should have killed Spring Kicker instantly.
But it didn't. Because Spring was no longer in the General’s magic grasp, the young guard was knocked away and out of the Generals magic so hard he flew through the door and landed on the adjacent balcony.
It didn't because Solid Star had knocked his partner out of the General’s grasp in a flying leap.
A leap that left Solid Star in the path of the sword rather than Spring Kicker.
The Sword passed through Solid Stars skin with no resistance. Cutting between his ribs, breaking several then out the other side. Passing through Solid’s lungs, heart and just about every important artery all at one.
Solid’s face gave off a shocked look, it couldn't even be called pained, more like surprise. He landed on the ground and collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Spring Kicker saw all this, saw the light leave Solid Stars eyes and called out “Nooo!”
Spring ran, not away, but straight at the General who was already retrieving his sword.
The General saw Spring approaching and the bastard smiled. His horn starting to glow to launch another spell but Spring who was too distraught to realize he should have doing something, anything different.
All he could do, was to run straight at the General, all instinct all anger, and he cried “Nooooo!” the entire time.
The General was all confidence. He could already see how the next few seconds would play out in his mind. Spring would leap at him, and the General would easily cut off the young guards legs, his sword already gaining momentum and in motion towards where he calculated where Spring would leap at him.
Then at the last possible second, the General realized Spring Kicker wasn't the only pony yelling ‘Noooo!’
The General only started to turn his head a little to look towards the second source of the yelling. He had just enough time for his eyes to focus, on a pillar of fire shooting straight at him. His pupils shrank in fear, but only for a moment. The fire bathed him, blasted him, his brain and body burnt even before it could process what was happening to him. The General was a smudge of ash on the wall.
Spring Kicker found himself running at now an empty spot. He turned around in confusion his eyes spotted Solid Star’s body first. They locked on the bloody shape, and would have stayed locked there had he not heard a new cry of pain.
Spring turned to look back to where Celestia had been dragged by the four cult guards. For a moment he saw all four guards clinging to Celestia, trying to hold her, trying to drag her down. Then in slow motion the were blown back, burning up like paper lanterns leaving nothing but smoke behind.
Celestia, Princess of the Sun, stood up, her eyes glowing white, heat flowing off her body in waves.
Once again she spoke, “No! I will not fall!” but even as she said this she stumbled.
Not knowing what else to do, Spring Kicker ran up to her, to help hold her up. Her head swung quickly towards him, her white bright eyes aggressive and angry. For a moment Spring felt her heat and wondered if he was also going to be blasted to ash. Then her eyes softened and Celestia Lowered her head to nuzzle him. Spring felt her tears and for a long moment both ruler and guard turned to look at the bloody pile that was once Sold Star.
Celestia then turned towards the window, facing the other tower across the castle complex. She lit her horn, and words could be heard, loud and clear, though the Princes did not say them with her mouth. “LUNA! Flee! The Castle been taken by enemies! Don’t trust any of the guard! Even ones you think you know. Meet me at the usual spot!”
Celestia then spoke, her voice a whisper and full of pain, “There will be more of them. We have to go, and I don’t have the magic left to teleport.” The Princess paused for a second. “Climb on my back.”
Without a further word, the Princess and her guard jumped off the balcony and flew over her city, as it was burning with even more explosions.