//------------------------------//
// Friends Disunited - Part One 
// Story: The People's Republic of Twilightlicious 
// by GeodesicDragon 
//------------------------------//

	March 3rd 2016

Twilight waited anxiously as she watched the plane come to a stop on the runway, its engines slowly winding down. As soon as the door was opened and the steps were lowered, she rushed over to greet the first two individuals who stepped out.

"Celestia, Luna!" she said, giving both women a tight hug. "I am so glad to see that you're both all right."

Celestia looked crestfallen. "We wanted to stay, but the people insisted that we and our staff evacuate. They said they would surrender once the GDA got to the city, but..."

"The bastards killed them!" Luna shouted. "As soon as the Apocalypse found out we had evacuated, one-hundred squadrons of Hurricanes attacked the capital. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people died, simply because we weren't there to be captured!"

Celestia put a hand on Luna's shoulder. "The people will be avenged, dear sister," she said. "The Apocalypse – and Geo – will pay for their crimes, but it will take time." She turned to Twilight. "What is the latest information you can give us?"

Raymond stepped forward. "The Apocalypse has taken complete and total control of the Paradise, turning it into their puppet state." he looked through his notes. "The people have been subjugated through fear, with the GDA troops promising swift and terrible reprisals for even the slightest hint of insurrection or disobedience."

Luna sighed. "And what of Insignificance?" she asked. "I heard that they were no longer offering military assistance?"

Raymond nodded. "Jock has declared Insignificance's neutrality, citing the fact that 'the horrors of our last war with the Apocalypse are still fresh in the minds of my people.' However, he has said that the country will take in any and all refugees the conflict creates."

"I don't blame him," Celestia said. "It is a bit upsetting to know that he won't help us win this, but I can understand his hesitation to get involved in another bloody and prolonged conflict."

"We have other allies, though," Twilight said. "Our friends in Tarbellville report that their hackers have severely weakened the Apocalypse's digital currency, while Mistyoceans are moving their own fleet up to assist them."

Raymond shook his head. "But the Talastentin Empire, the Azeertha Islands, Elyshia and Boom Beach have all pledged to support Geo," he said. "And with the Paradise under his control, he has access to plenty of troops, weapons and materials to use against us." He pointed towards the sea in the distance. "The Azeerthian fleet is blockading us, because Geo told them to, and Insignificance reported a day ago that the GDN is blockading their capital as well."

Twilight scoffed. "Azeertha's blockade means nothing," she said. "I can open a portal to Equestria any time I want, and the ponies there have pledged to support us with as much food as we need."

"That's good to hear," Celestia said. "But isn't this portal what Geo is after? The portal which started this war in the first place?"

"That is true," Twilight replied. "Because Geo managed to acquire a few strands of my mane, I figured that it was only a matter of time before the Apocalypse was able to open a portal of their own. My guess is they failed, so they started this war with the intention of gaining access to mine." She looked at her hooves and sighed. "I'm so sorry that you've all dragged you all into this."

"You are our friend, Twilight," Luna said sternly. "And friends always look out for each other. We may have lost our home, but we will still continue to support you in any way we can."

"Thank you." Twilight sniffed and wiped a stray tear away. "Your friendship and your support both mean a lot to me. Come, let us get to the Capital Building. I have rooms ready for you both."

Celestia and Luna nodded and followed Twilight to the bottom of the runway, where a motorcade awaited them. The two women quickly got into a car — but Raymond stopped walking and began looking around with a curious look on his face.

"Raymond?" Twilight asked from beside him. "What's wrong?"

Raymond looked up. "Can you hear that?" he said.

Twilight concentrated for a moment, then shook her head. "No, sorry," she replied. "I can't hear anything. Perhaps the tenseness of the situation is causing your mind to play tricks on you?"

She turned around to get into the car, only to be thrown forward as Raymond suddenly pushed her inside.

"Ack!" Twilight grunted. "Raymond, what are you—"

She screamed as something slammed into the ground nearby and exploded, scattering chunks of tarmac over the vehicles.

"HURRICANE!" Raymond jumped into the car and shouted at the driver. "Greg, get us out of here, NOW! The GDAF must be trying to accomplish what they started back in the Paradise!"

Greg slammed his foot onto the accelerator and the car screeched to life, quickly accelerating to over one-hundred miles an hour, while Twilight turned to look out the back window.

A hail of bullets from the now-pursuing Hurricane slammed into the back of the car, causing her to duck.

"It's okay, Princess," Raymond said. "This car is bulletproof."

The Hurricane launched another missile, which flew over the roof and slammed into the runway ahead. Greg responded by turning the wheel sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding the newly formed crater. Twilight glanced at Raymond worriedly.

"But is it bombproof?" she asked, at which Raymond looked away for a moment. Twilight growled and stomped a forehoof into the seat. "To Tartarus with this. Greg, open the sunroof."

"But, Your Majesty—"

"DO IT!" Twilight bellowed.

Greg opened the sunroof and Twilight poked her head out to see the pilot lining up to take another shot. But before he could, a highly charged burst of magic erupted from Twilight's horn and struck one of the aircraft's wings. Thick black smoke billowed from the point of impact, and the pilot quickly gained altitude to escape the line of fire. As the magic faded, Twilight slumped onto the back seat of the car while Raymond quickly closed the sunroof.

"Twilight, are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's just... I haven't used a spell that powerful for a while." She sat up and looked out of the window. "But I think our 'friend' out there has got the me—"

She stopped talking as she watched the Hurricane slam into the ground at high speed, sending a huge fireball into the sky.

"By all that is holy..." Celestia said. "Twilight, that... that was..."

"That was amazing!" Raymond said.

Twilight smiled weakly. "I didn't expect it to actually work."

"Well it did, and I'm glad it did." Luna pointed at an object in the distance. "Look, the pilot bailed out; he might have information."

"Greg, could you intercept that pilot before he lands?" Twilight paused. "Also, thank you for keeping us safe."

Greg nodded. "Just doing my job, Princess," he replied. "And sure, I'll get you to that son of a bitch, no problem."

He drove onto the grass as quickly as possible, past the blazing wreckage of the Hurricane, and stopped just under a shadow descending from the sky. The occupants got out and waited.

"You fools!" mocking laughter followed this statement, forcing the group to look up at the slowly descending pilot. "Do you really think that I'm going to let you capture me alive?" He pulled out his sidearm. "MY LIFE, FOR THE GLORY OF THE APOCALYPSE!"

Twilight watched in horror as the pilot put the gun under his chin.

And then everyone looked away as he pulled the trigger.

The grim silence which soon followed was finally broken by the soft thump of the pilot's body landing on the grass.