No pony spoke as the train thundered towards Canterlot, each of them locked in their own thoughts about what had just happened in Ponyville. Rarity sat cradling Fluttershy, the demure mare still crying despite it being over an hour since the tragic event had happened. The unicorn was gently running a hoof through her mane in a motherly way but it was more an instinctive reaction than one performed with thought. Rarity’s eyes were lifeless and sullen, the spark that usually resided within them extinguished. Across from the pair sat Pinkie Pie, the party pony sitting on her own looking at the floor. Her mane and tail were still flat and lifeless, there was no need for parties right now. Spike sat next to the pink pony, curled up on his seat with his mind dancing back and forth over what had happened but more precisely where Twilight was. Applejack sat on her own away from the rest as sharp scowls and glares flashed across her face. She had always been a pony who was committed to helping anypony with anything they needed done, but this time there was nothing she could do. The realisation was more than upsetting, it was heart breaking. Finally there was Rainbow Dash; no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t stop her mind going back over the events that she had witnessed. She should have done something, anything! More than anything she felt guilt; guilt over the fact that she hadn’t done anything, that she couldn’t have done anything...but mostly guilt that, unlike Bon Bon, she was still alive.
All around them other ponies sat in silence, each shocked by the events that had just happened. It was as if all the life had been drained from their faces, the horrific realisation that it could have been them that had died. Such events were vastly unheard of in Equestria; deaths were usually by either natural causes or freak accidents. This had been neither but no pony knew exactly what it was.
As the train approached Canterlot nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Banners still fluttered in the wind, the tall towers of the castle looked unscathed and the royal guards flanked the train like sentinels...
Applejack was the first to notice, snapping to attention as she looked out of the window. On either side of the train pairs of Pegasus royal guard flew in perfect formation. What was going on? As the train started to slow the guards moved in, almost touching the carriages as they flew along. Applejack starred at them hard, their faces unreadable and their eyes gazing into the middle distance as if they were sleep walking. By now other ponies on the train had also started to notice, murmurs circling the carriage as ponies started asking questions.
As the train finally came to a stop in the station the scene had escalated greatly. It was like the Canterlot wedding all over again. Guards stood everywhere, each doorway and arch flanked by a pair of them. Even more guards stood on the station platform, each of them looking as vacant as the Pegasus knights that hovered around the train. For a moment there was silence but eventually this was broken as a single earth pony guard stepped forwards.
“All passengers will disembark the train immediately,” he said flatly, his voice as lifeless as his eyes appeared.
No pony moved, each of them unsure on what was going on.
“All passengers will disembark the train...immediately!” repeated the guard, his voice raising in volume as he spoke the last word but still holding no sign of emotion.
Slowly a few ponies began to move, nervously making their way towards the exit doors. As the doors opened a passageway of guards greeted their vision, speechless statues that lined their path towards the station exit. Slowly the train emptied, each pony casting nervous looks around them as they walked down between the lines of guards. The five friends all had different reactions of their own.
“What in tarnations is going on here,” asked Applejack as she looked from the face of one guard to the next.
“It’s...it’s like they are in some sort of trance,” whispered Rarity in reply.
“They all look so scary,” added Fluttershy as she tried to hide herself behind Rarity.
“I’d say they look more sad than scary,” mused Pinkie Pie sullenly as she examined each guard carefully.
“It…it sorta feels familiar,” said Spike slowly as he rode on Fluttershy’s back, “You know, like I should know what is doing this.”
“Who cares what is doing it? Why are we just sitting here doing nothing? Something is obviously going on!” hissed Rainbow.
“Well obviously Rainbow but we don’t know what,” replied Applejack, “Ah think it would be better to sit tight and try and find out some information first, that’s what ah’d reckon Twilight would do.”
“Fine, you do what Twilight would do, I’m going to do what I would do...”
With that Rainbow spread her wings and shot upwards into the air. She was going to find out what was going on and nopony would stop...
“Aaaaah!”
Rainbow screamed as something solid impacted her side close to her wing. Spinning to the side she came face to face with a Pegasus guard, his spear out and pointed towards her; now she knew what had hit her. She backed away slightly but stopped as she felt the pointed end of another spear jab her in the back. Turning again she found two more guards hovering behind her.
“You will return to the others and do as you are instructed,” said one of the guards, his voice as flat and lifeless as all the previous ones, “This will be your only warning.”
Rainbow looked around her; more Pegasus guards were joining the three that surrounded her. First two, then another three, then one more; all of them forming up in a sphere around her. Whichever way she went she was confronted with readied spears and blank expressions. She snorted to herself, frustrated that her escape attempt had been thwarted so quickly, but eventually decreased her wing beats as she let herself drop towards the ground below.
“Find anything useful?” asked Applejack with a hint of annoyance as Rainbow landed next to her.
“Yeah, this whole situation sucks!” fumed Rainbow as she reluctantly re-joined the pack of ponies.
Silently the five ponies and one dragon followed the crowd, each of them still completely baffled by what was going on. As they passed through the streets of Canterlot you could have been mistaken in thinking that nothing was wrong had it not been for the complete lack of ponies populating the streets. Every shop and building looked just the way it always did; various windows advertising upcoming events or special offers. Outside a café the tables still held the remains of the lunchtime rush; daisy sandwiches and other such treats sat alongside cups of coffee that had long since gone cold. It would have been like a ghost town had it not been for the numerous royal guards that stood on every street corner like silent statues.
“W-Where is everypony?” asked Fluttershy quietly as her nervous eyes darted left and right quickly.
For a moment nopony answered her, each of them looking back and forth as well as they walked.
“Can’t say I know,” replied Applejack, “but I’d say we’ll find out when we get to wherever it is we’re being taken.”
Rarity gave a small nod, “I think you’re right Applejack…but this situation is certainly getting stranger by the moment.”
The ponies fell into silence once more as they continued to walk. Before long though it became clear as to what their destination was. The streets were all heading uphill and all the while one structure stood out amongst the backdrop. Canterlot Castle soon grew larger and larger, its tall towers glinting in the sun and its banners fluttering in the slight breeze. As they got nearer they caught sight of another lot of ponies being lead in the same direction as them and before long a large group came into view as they entered the castle grounds. Now they knew where everypony in Canterlot was at least. As the group came to a halt in front of the castle there was a communal whisper that was starting to float around the assembled mass; what was going on?
“Something really odd is going on here…” commented Rainbow as she scanned the crowd of ponies.
Before any pony could reply though a sudden call from a number of trumpets split the air with their musical barrage. Everypony looked round and up at the sound that had come from one of the castle balconies above them. A single unicorn guard stood at the front of the balcony, his expression the same as all the other guards they had seen that day.
“Her royal highness, Queen Twilight Sparkle!” he announced loudly before stepping back.
“Queen?!” came a collective response from the group as they watched Twilight step up to the balcony edge.
None of them could say she looked much like she had before. On her head was a large crown that seemed more like protective headwear than it did a decorative feature. Down her back was slung a long red cape with golden trim and the horseshoes she wore extended up her fetlocks almost to her knees. She was smiling slightly, the edge of her lips curled upwards in a way that seemed to distort the expression into one of complete madness.
There was a silence amongst the assembled ponies, each one trying to work out what was happening. As the seconds ticked by though the expression on Twilight’s face seemed to twist into one of annoyance. She glanced to her side and nodded at one of the guards. The message was quickly passed from one guard to the next until it reached those surrounding the group below.
“Bow before your Queen!” announced one of the guards.
The ponies near to him looked confused and hesitant as they looked at him. This confusion didn’t last though as several guards stepped forwards brandishing their spears.
“Bow before your Queen!” repeated the guard in a more forceful tone.
Afraid of the spears and what might happen if they didn’t the nearby ponies all bowed starting off a chain reaction across the crowd. Only a few of them hesitated for a moment, each glancing at the guards around them before complying. Out of all of them Rainbow resisted the longest, her eyes fixed on Twilight until Applejack smacked her around the head and forced her to bow as well.
“Just play along you dimwit!” she hissed at her.
“Play along? We don’t even know what’s going on!” replied Rainbow.
“I’m sure we’ll find out very shortly,” cut in Rarity as she glared up at the balcony.
For a moment Twilight was silent, the twisted smile returning to her face as she surveyed the bowing ponies below her.
“Citizens of Canterlot and indeed of all Equestria,” she started, “Today is a day that will be remembered in the history of our race. Today the tyranny and lies have come to an end. Today the truth has been revealed and a new order has arisen. From this day hence forth Equestria is no longer ruled by the traitors Celestia and Luna, today Equestria is MINE!”
There was a silence, not even a blade of grass rustling in the breeze as everypony simply stared at Twilight. Her friends below could hardly believe what they had just heard. Twilight let out a faint chuckle to herself as she watched the reaction of the crowd with glee. Her eyes narrowed, the former princess licking her lips slowly.
“And if anypony would think of disobeying I would watch very closely what is about to transpire,” she added before waving a hoof.
Two earth pony guards walked up beside her but it was not they who the crowd was now staring at, it was the turquoise coloured Pegasus mare that was being held between them. She looked a mess; bruises and cuts covering her body and thin lines of blood streaked through her fur. Her golden yellow mane was torn and ripped and her eyes were red and bloodshot from tears. She cowered between the guards, afraid even to look up from the floor. Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide, she knew the Pegasus.
“Lightning Dust…” she whispered to herself.
“This piece of filth attempted to escape,” announced Twilight with a gesture at the cowering Pegasus, “Not only that but she assaulted three of my guards and even dared to attack me!”
Twilight swung her gaze round at Lightning Dust, the mare cowering back even more in a pointless attempt to hide. Twilight’s horn lit up, Lightning Dust finding herself encased in her magic and lifted into the air. It was a testament to how scared she was that she didn’t even attempt to resist. She was levitated out over the edge of the balcony where everypony could see her, her eyes closed as she shook in fear.
“Let this be a lesson to any who would dare defy me!” finished Twilight.
With an ear splitting crack Twilight’s magic wrapped itself around Lightning’s wings and pulled. Lightning’s previously closed eyes were wrenched open in screaming agony as he wings were ripped from her body. Blood showered down to the ground below, spurting from the stumps that used to hold her wings. For a moment she didn’t react, her body frozen in shock and pain, but eventually the scream came; a blood curdling scream of absolute pain. As it rung out several of the assembled ponies below threw up, others turned white and looked away…some just continued to stare, locked into a death stare with the scene they had just observed.
“Does it hurt?” cooed Twilight like a mother addressing a child, “Does the poor little Pegasus have a boo boo?”
For a moment Lightning was unable to speak but eventually words returned to her, each one punctuated with a heaving gulp of air and a sob, “I’m…sorry…I won’t…fight…anymore…please…please let…me go…I’m sorry!”
“Let you go? Let you go you say?” replied Twilight, her grin returning slightly, “Well maybe you have learned you lesson…alright I’ll let you go.”
Through Lightning’s tear streaked eyes a faint glimmer of hope seemed to spark into life. As Twilight’s grin expanded though the spark faded quicker than a match in the rain. The magic holding Lightning aloft faded to nothing, gravity finally taking its normal course as it took her body in its grip and sent her plummeting towards the group. Her scream came anew, the terrified Pegasus flailing frantically in mid-air as she fell.
It was at this moment that another cry sounded from the crowd, a long defiant cry of resistance, a single word; no! Rainbow Dash surged forwards over the crowd, the mare’s wings beating a thousand times a second as she soared towards the falling Pegasus. The distance closed, Rainbow straining against her own limits as the ground raced up to greet Lightning.
She was only a few feet away when Lightning’s eyes finally locked with Rainbow’s. Time seemed to stand still, a silence occurring between the two of them that seemed to last a lifetime. Determination and desperation flashed across Rainbow’s eyes whereas Lightning’s only held a single word; sorry.
The sickening splat sound echoed through the area like a bomb shell. The sound of breaking bones and squelching organs filling the air for but a split second before silence fell once more. Rainbow’s legs refused to hold her weight as she collapsed next to the dead body of her former Wonderbolt Academy partner. She had been mere inches from catching her, mere inches from saving her life. Instead Rainbow found herself covered in the blood of her former kin turning her blue coat a ghastly shade of purple.
“Well well well,” announced Twilight from on high, “If it isn’t my dear friends from Ponyville. So good of you to come and see me.”
She turned away from the crowd of ponies and headed back towards the castle. As she did she stopped momentarily to relay her next order.
“Round up the five elements and bring them to me. The rest go straight to work, I suspect it shan’t be long before we have company and we need more supplies if we are to wage a war.”