//------------------------------// // The Forever Knight Rebellion part 2 // Story: And Then There Were 10...Er...67 // by Grey Ghost //------------------------------// Trottingham was burning. Luna gazed on in horror as dozens of armored ponies marched down the stone streets, driving any non-pony out of town, slaughtering any who refused to leave and cutting down anypony that tried to help. A whimper pulled her from her trance, making her turn toward the source. A middle-aged griffon lay on his side, his fur stained with blood. He gazed upon her with terror filled eyes. She silently stepped over to him, giving him her best reassuring smile. “I know it hurts, and I know how terrifying death seems, but ‘tis merely a part of life.” She laid down next to him, draping a wing over him. “Go in peace now, your just reward awaits you in paradise,” she soothed as the movement of his chest came to a stop. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears as the world around her melted away, returning her to the void of dreams. A single day had passed and yet so many had died, needlessly so. The only time Luna had felt this helpless was when Nightmare Moon had possessed her. She opened her eyes, wiping her tears away. She had to stay strong, if she gave into the despair, Equestria would be doomed. She turned her attention to the dark orb that was Jason’s dreamscape, scowling at it. Why won’t you awaken?! she demanded, her eyes hardening into a glare. She had spent a good portion of the day trying to wake the sleeping human but nothing worked, something was keeping her out. Perhaps my focus is better spent elsewhere, she thought, moving away from the orb. She drifted through the void until she spotted a bright pink orb. Cadance! Of course! She moved over to it with haste, her soul filling with joy as she entered it. Of course, the younger alicorn was wide awake but that didn’t matter. The void around her melted away, quickly replaced by the war room. Standing around a map of Equestria were Shining Armor, Cadance and several advisors. From the sound of it, they were discussing the plight that had befallen their nation. “Cadance!” Luna shouted, starling said alicorn rather badly. “Aunt Luna!” Cadance said, looking at Luna with wide eyes. “Are you alright! I’ve read the reports coming out of Equestria, i-it’s barbaric!” “Caddy?” Shining asked, looking at Cadance with a frown. “Are you ok? You're talking to thin air.” “What are you talking about?” she asked, turning to him with a frown. “Luna is right here, can’t you see her?” “No Cadance, he can’t,” Luna said, moving over to her niece, “I am in your dreamscape, which means only you can see me.” She walked through the table, waving her hoof in front of Shining to prove her point. “Why didn’t you just send a letter?” Cadance asked, looking at her aunt with a pout, “Wouldn’t it have been easier than entering my dreamscape?” “Yes, but It's rather difficult to send a letter when one has been petrified. Blueblood saw to that,” Luna said, spitting his name out like bile had risen up her gullet, which to her, had. “Blueblood?” Cadance asked, looking and sounding rather surprised. “What did that idiot do? Let them in?” she suggested, rolling her eyes. “And wait what was that about ‘petried?” “He betrayed us,” Luna said, shaking her head, tears threatening to spill forth, “He petrified me, so now I am limited to the dream realm, though I don’t think they had that planned.” She looked at Cadance, who was staring at her in horror, “Stay thy worry dear niece, we have a country to protect...” she said, turning to the map. “Hopefully we can still save it...” Applejack didn’t like the hive. The walls were made up of a strange black substance, the torches gave off a sickly green light and various unnameable fluids dripped from everywhere, from all around her. That wasn’t even taking into account all the hollow-eyed drones that moved around her, completing various tasks. The drones themselves creeped her out the most, just one look at them made her skin crawl. Their shiny black bodies and pupiless eyes were just too alien for her to be comfortable around them. it didn’t help that their very nature went against not only her core values, but the very virtue she embodied. She pushed it out of her mind, continuing to her destination. The royal chambers, normally off limits, was now wide open. She peeked inside, curious. Laying on the bed was Jason, sleeping rather peacefully. Various machines, taken from the hospital, were hooked up to him, quietly monitoring his health. Sitting next to his bed was Chrysalis, who AJ guessed hadn’t slept at all last night, if her drooping eyes were anything to go by. “How’s he doin’?” she asked, startling the sleeping queen. “Oh...” Chrysalis said, turning to her and trying to focus her eyes, “Its just you... Jason’s doing fine by the way.” “Look, why don’t ya go get some sleep? Ah’ll keep Jay company,” AJ said, walking over to the bed. “Ya look like yer ‘bout to collapse.” “No... I’m okay,” Chrysalis argued, shaking her head, “Jason needs me...” “What he needs is his fillyfriend getting some sleep,” Applejack argued, giving her a serious look. “Just get some sleep ok? Ah got him.” “Ok... fine...” she said as she got up, wobbling a little. She gave Jason a nuzzle before stumbling outward the door. She ordered some drones to help her to a spare room, in case she passed out on the way there. “Ya got yerself one heck of fillyfriend Jay,” Applejack said with a chuckle, taking the now vacant seat to get a better look at the sleeping human. His face had lost it’s deathly pale color, and he was no longer thrashing about. Every so often, the Omnitrix would send a pulse through his veins, though it was neither as powerful or as often as it was before. She smiled, fluffing his pillow for him. “Ya’ll just get better Jay, Faust knows we need ya.” A soft noise caught her attention, and she turned, spotting a very downtrodden Twilight at the door. “Twi? Ya’ll ok?” she asked, her thoughts turning to worry for her friend. “No I’m not ok AJ... I’m useless...” the former alicorn whimpered, hanging her head. “Now what in tarnation are ya talkin’ bout Twi?” Applejack asked, looking at her, “Ya’ll are not useless.” “Yes I am!” Twilight shouted, starting to cry, “They took everything away from me! M-my magic! My wings! I’m just... a useless earth pony...” Twilight sobbed quietly, her tears dripping onto the floor, the once proud princess now looking rather pathetic. “Are ya sayin’ that earth ponies are useless?” Applejack asked, giving Twilight an unamused look. “N-No!” Twilight said, looking up at Applejack, though the orange mare just ignored her. Applejack moved to the door, stopping a passing drone. “You!” she shouted, causing it to look at her. “Umm... yes?” it asked, tilting its head. “Is there something you need miss?” “Go get me some dirt!” Applejack ordered, “And a pot!” “Dirt? Why do you want dirt?” “Jus do it!” she shouted, getting into his face. “Y-yes ma’am!” it backpedaled, before racing down the hall, not wanting to face her wrath. It came back with a jar of dirt, passing it off to her, “T-there you go ma’am.” “Good, now get!” she ordered, pointing a hoof down the hall. Needing no further incentive, the drone raced down the corridor and out of sight. Applejack went back into the room, moving over to a rather curious Twilight. “W-what do you have Applejack?” the purple mare asked, wiping at her eyes. “Ah got a jar of dirt,” Applejack said, sitting down, placing the jar between them. She popped the lid, exposing the captured earth to the world. “Why do you have a jar of dirt?” Twilight asked, looking at her like she was crazy. “Ah’m gonna teach ya somethin’,” Applejack responded. Reaching under her hat, she pulled out a small bag. “Take this,” she said, passing it off to Twilight. “Um... Applejack?” Twilight asked, looking into the bag. “Why do you carry around a bag of apple seeds?” “Don’t ya worry none ‘bout that,” Applejack said rather dismissively,” Now take one of those seeds and put it the dirt.” she directed, looking at her. “Ok,” Twilight said, doing so. “Now, as you plant it, focus on the seed, let your mind open, feel the soil in your hooves,” Applejack instructed, “Do ya feel it?” “I think so...” Twilight said, frowning a little, “Umm... is it supposed to do something?” “There ain’t no ‘I think so’!” Applejack said, causing Twilight to flinch, “Now, focus, put yer hooves into the dirt and feel it. Feel the soil, let it talk to ya, listen to the seed. What's it tell ya?” Twilight focused on the seed before her eyes went wide. “I-t wants water.” she said, rather surprised. “Good, give it some,” Applejack gestured toward the cup of water on the nightstand. Twilight nodded, using it to give the seed some water. “Now cover the seed up, and put a little bit of yerself into the seed.” “Ok...” Twilight said, covering the seed up with some dirt. She focused her mind on the seed until she felt a tiny bit of herself pull away. She stared in awe as the dirt shifted a little, a small seedling growing before her eyes. “I-I did that?” “Yeah ya did Twi,” Applejack said with a smile. “Ya ain’t useless Twi and ya still got magic, ya just gotta use it the earth pony way. Ah mean, it ain’t all flashy like yer unicorn magic but it’s still magic.” She paused for a second, collecting her thoughts, “Ya’ll just forgot that ya got pegasus and earth pony magic when ya became a princess, they didn’t take it all from ya.” Twilight returned the smile, giving her friend a hug, “Thanks AJ... I really needed this...” “Yer welcome Twi,” Applejack replied, returning the hug, “Ya just needed some encouragement. Now, we got some scared ponies who could use a princess, ya up for it?” “Of course I am AJ.” Twilight got to her hooves, now with a determined look in her eyes, “Wings and horn don’t make me who I am, I decide who I am.” She quickly galloped out of the room. “Ya got that right Twi,” Applejack chuckled, placing the jar on the night stand, making sure Jason was comfortable. “What have you done!?” Blueblood demanded, trotting into the throne room with a look of anger etched onto his muzzle. “What are you on about Blueblood?” the king asked, having replaced his helmet with a platinum crown, with several gorgeous rubies set into it, “Come to complain about the color of my tapestries or something like that?” “You know what I’m talking about!” “Actually, I don’t, so please, tell me what's got you so upset, or are you just going to keep playing word games with me?” the king asked, raising his eyebrow. “You’re slaughtering citizens! T-this is barbaric!” Blueblood shouted, glaring as hard as he could at the impassive monarch, “This is beyond even what Sombra did to the empire!” “Oh please Blueblood, you knew what you were getting into when you decided to back me,” the king said with a snort, “Or are you as stupid as the servant ponies say you are?” “You said you’d remove Luna and Celestia from power, not commit genocide! I-I won’t stand for this!” Blueblood shouted, brandishing a dagger and making a mad dash for the throne. The king just rolled his eyes, firing off a spell at the enraged prince. Blueblood let out a scream of pain as his body contorted, shifting under the guidance of the spell. “W-what did you do to me?” Blueblood asked, gasping at the higher pitch of his voice. He crossed his eyes, trying to look at his nose, to see if it was shorter now. “What's it look like?” the king asked, moving over to her, lifting her head up with his hoof, “I made your body match your mind,” he smirked, looking her over, “now, princess, try that again, and I’ll let my knights have their way with that sexy little flank of yours, understand?” Blueblood just nodded, her eyes wide and full of fear. “Good, now get out of my sight, before I decide to take you myself!” he ordered, pushing her away. She scrambled to her hooves, galloping out of the room as fast as her legs would take her. He just shook his head, returning to the throne, “What an idiot.” He got comfortable, clearing his throat, “Charmcaster!” A moment later, she walked into the room. Bowing, she asked, “Yes, your highness?” “How goes the purge?” he asked, reclining on his throne. “One moment,” she said, levitating a scroll out of her bag. She unfurled it, scanning it quickly, “Trottingham is currently burning, a knight got rather stupid with a torch, Baltimare is taking longer than we thought. Cloudsdale is currently out of our reach, with the Wonderbolts putting up one hell of a defense. Rainbow Falls fell rather quickly, as did Dodge Junction. We’re uh... still moving toward Appleloosa, place is way out of the way.” “What of Ponyville and the Crystal Empire?” “The empire closed its borders rather quickly, no surprise there. As for Ponyville, they evacuated to the Everfree castle after my uncle took care of Discord.” “Send a message to Hex, to convey to Twilight, I want Jason before me by the end of the week, or Celestia dies.” the king ordered, watching as she scribbled on a scroll, sending it to her uncle via magic. “Good, you may go,” he said, watching her rear as she left. He relaxed, debating on the pros and cons of taking her as a concubine. “Stop,” Hex ordered, holding up a hoof. At his order, the unicorns ceased their lightning spells, giving the changeling a brief respite. He picked up the scroll that he had received. “Looks like the king has finally decided to do something about the hive,” he said with a chuckle. “Animo.” “Yes?” an earth pony with a sickly yellow coat asked, looking up from some machinery. He had a cutie mark composed of two horns crossed over a brain and an artificial horn jutting from his head. His eyes were hidden by a pair of red tinted goggles. “You got orders?” “Yes, he wants me to tell them to bring Jason to Canterlot or he’ll kill Celestia,” Hex said, crumpling the scroll up and tossing it into the trash. “You’re in charge until I get back, and no mutations.” Animo sighed, shaking his head, “As you wish Hex,” he said, turning to the changeling as Hex walked out of the building, “Now, Slash, are you going to tell us what we want to know?” Slash just growled and spat in his face. “Give him another shock,” Animo ordered as he wiped his goggles off, ignoring the screams of pain that emanated from the changeling. Chrysalis sat quietly by Jason’s bed, watching him sleep. Since the day before, she and Applejack had been taking shifts watching over Jason. Her current shift had only started a few minutes ago and all she could think was what that unicorn had told them yesterday. “Jason,” she said, reaching out and stroking his cheek gently, “Jason, please, you have to wake up!” As if on cue, he let out a groan, opening his eyes. He blinked a few times, looking at her. “Hey babe... what's up?” he asked drowsily. “Oh thank Faust!” Chrysalis shouted, pulling him into a tight hug. “I thought you were never going to wake up!” “Hey uh, Chrissy,” Jason started, taking a look around. He frowned, looking at her, “Why are we in the hive?” “It wasn’t safe there anymore,” she said looking away, “We had to bring everypony here when we evacuated the town.” “Wait, what!” He looked at her, shock evident on his face. “Why the hell did you evacuate Ponyville!?” “Those knights that attacked you,” Chrysalis looked back at him, a worried look on her muzzle, “They launched a full scale rebellion several days ago. I managed to get you and the town into the hive before anypony could get hurt.” Jason just stared at her dumbly. “N-no way...” “I’m afraid it has... their king wants you in Canterlot in a few days... or... he says he’ll kill Celestia...” Jason just stared at her for a for moments longer before throwing his head back. “Fuck!!!!” he shouted, his voice reverberating through the hive for all to hear.