“This is the way the world ended,” the words on the paper stated. The words, written in the diary, as if they had been placed there for no other reason than to record a posterity that even she couldn’t have imagined. I mean, who could? Nopony – no being – could have ever foreseen what was to come.
A colleague of mine at the University, Dr. Esteban Julían Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa-Ramirez (note: Spanish scholars’ names can be a hoofful), explained once that many cultures on Human-Earth had gone through such a trial, although not with the, ahem, “flashiness” that we had. Dr. Ramirez, in fact, stated that his own nation had gone through such an upheaval in the 20th century, with their king supplanted by a dictator, who upon his death reinstalled the monarchy. I suppose that was to be expected; reading from the Queen’s journals, she herself appeared to not be prepared for what actions were to come.
“This is the way the world ended,” was the lone line on that journal page. When the entry was revealed, she stated that she had been trying her hoof at poetry and that it had nothing to do with the trials that were to soon come afterwards. The sad part was that she suffered so much, watching her family, her loved ones suffer and while blessed with incredible power, felt like merely a mare that could do nothing more than to stand by the sidelines and watch as our world – Alter-Earth – went straight to hell in a hoofbasket.
I guess I’ll have to interview more of those who were alive at that time. I always wonder what it would have been like to live through what we call the Great War and what humans call World War III (a misnomer, given that this war never happened on their world), but I would guess on a day like this, a century ago, there was not a single individual who could have predicted what would come in short order.
- Dr. Ancient Annals
Chair, Department of Historical Studies
Royal University of Equestria at Canterlot
June 26, 2143
The Emergency Command Center, despite earlier indications, was a separate building away from both the main part of Canterlot Mountain Air Base and the palace complex. Located in a remote portion of the base, the facility was modeled based on the legendary NORAD complex on Human-Earth, complete with too many computers, military personnel hustling around like their life depended on it, and several human and non-human military dignitaries from other nations looking around in awe. It was said to be the most impregnable stronghold in Equestria short of the living spaces in the palace, and from the vault-like doors to the thick plating in places, it lived up to its reputation.
As she took it all in, DJ joked that pretty much the only thing missing was a stargate – and that a stargate-shaped portal would pretty much make the place complete.
As the three continued down the passageways of the facility, she looked around, wondering if she was actually authorized to be here. Aside from her noble title, she held no military rank nor position in the government. After all, Macintosh, Thunderlane and Noteworthy opted to watch it from the latter’s home in Westside, because they weren’t allowed in here, so why should she be cut slack? For that matter, why was Elusive allowed in here?
She watched as he breezily spoke to an REA officer, who was blushing furiously. While she didn’t think her brother was up to any canoodling, she did get the idea that the officer, a mare, would be more than happy to volunteer should that question ever come up somehow.
“Wow, I did not know she still had a thing for him,” Lyra said softly. DJ merely looked at her, as if expecting an answer.
She got an answer, but not from the person she was expecting it from.
“The mare’s name is Honeysuckle, and she was close friends with Minty; she also had a thing for Elusive. However, she was the daughter of Guard parents who got reassigned elsewhere, and that’s when your brother met Apple Butter. Times changed, the Guard became the military, and Honeysuckle joined the latter, returning to Ponyville to find your brother engaged.” They turned to see Spitfire standing there, looking at them both.
“Go on, Spitfire,” Lyra commented. “You probably know more than I do.”
The pegasus nodded. “She really hasn’t taken it well. She keeps trying to lure Elusive away, but he’s too much of a gentleman to even consider. If it wasn’t for the fact that she’s a friend of his sister’s, well, he wouldn’t even give her the time of day.”
“And how do you know this?” DJ asked.
“Rarity told me once, last time I saw her. She was concerned that Honeysuckle would try something, but I told her that if she did, we’d put an end to it. I think she’s talking to him though for a different reason.” Spitfire pointed with her wing, and looked to see Honeysuckle crying, with Elusive giving her a fraternal embrace.
Seeing the two there in a fragile moment, neither DJ nor Lyra spoke. The latter could see the pain clearly on her brother’s face, and she wished she could do anything to take it away from him. But that pain was tied up into a different sort of pain for DJ, one she really wasn’t in the mood to deal with herself.
“Well, time to break this up before she gets the wrong idea,” Spitfire said. “Lt. Honeysuckle?”
The mare turned to look at Spitfire. “Oh, General! I…I…um…I didn’t see you there, sorry!” The mare proffered a quick salute, which Spitfire quickly returned.
“Lieutenant, I need you to check on the status of the incoming attack helicopters we’ve ordered from the Russians. The first shipment should be here tomorrow and I’m quite sure REA Aviation will want to know the full details.”
“Uh, yes ma’am!” Honeysuckle squeaked, then rushed off, pausing only to give Elusive a not-entirely chaste kiss on the cheek. Within a few seconds, the young officer had all but vanished, leaving the others behind.
Spitfire went up to Elusive. “You okay, kid?”
“Yeah,” he said in a sort of melancholic tone. “I know what she wants, but we can’t ever go back to that, General. Time passes regardless of what you wish for, and nothing can change that, not even my dearest alicorn aunts.”
“Wise stallion,” Spitfire told him with a grin on her face. “Well, I need to prepare for what’s probably going to be a very long day. You three are welcome as long as you need to be – just don’t break anything, okay?”
“Yeah, sure, especially since my ministry is what got you the chance to get this stuff in the first place,” Lyra counter with a smile.
Spitfire just shook her head, chuckled and signaled at an REAF officer walking down the hall. Pulling him aside to explain the details, she then left them in the stallion’s hooves while she waved and walked off.
“My lord and ladies, if you’ll follow me, please,” he told them, “I’ll get you to the briefing room soonest.”
The ruins of the hospital loomed in the body of Canterlot like a wound, a shattered wreckage amongst the pomp and glitter that was the capital of ponydom. Along with the ruins of Cloudsdale and Fillydelphia, the hospital was a monument to the change that ponies had never wanted or asked for: a war, on a level that ponies had never seen before, that was nigh inbound. Worse, within the Canterlot ruins were the affected bearers, and possibly others – all heroes to the nation and ponies that had stopped those evils before…and were now powerless to do so this time around. Alongside them was a magical virus that was deadly to all but humans and changelings, and if it escaped into the general population the tolls on the residents of the capital city would be immense.
In the immediate environs around the facility, dozens of armed humans, ponies and other species stood around, poised for the worst. In a perimeter above, REA attack helicopters circled the neighborhood, all armed to the teeth and poised to rain down Tartarus on any attackers. Beyond that, a second line of steel enveloped the city, as REN and the remaining REAF fighters girded down against any attackers coming from that angle. Pegasi from all three branches dotted the sky, looking for any sign that their foes would be around. And the forces of Canterlot girded themselves for a potential fight.
Sitting by a tent housing the on-site command center, four males stood: two men and two stallions, all armed. All four were in working uniforms, and like the others around, were ready for what might come. The quartet were anxious for something to happen, though none were sure what exactly was to pass: their only purpose here was to ensure that the ritual took place, and none of them had been briefed exactly on what the ritual was.
Seated in a chair by the map table, Mike looked at his brother in law. “Never thought I’d see you in battledress, Sam.”
For his part, Sam laughed, and stretched out in his all-black fatigues. “These are actually police fatigues, and they’re going to be the REAL’s field uniform. While the day-to-day stuff we’re going to do in suits like the FBI and the REG, I do expect that we’re going to have situations where we’ll have a hostage rescue situation or other conditions where suits don’t cut it. Besides, from what Potato Chip told me, several of our personnel can’t wait to try out the uniforms.”
“Well, I’ll be the first to admit that these things feel way comfier than my old barding,” Silversteel noted with a chuckle.
“What, the heavy armor getting a little too much for you in your old age, Silver?” Soarin’ jibed.
“Hey, at least I could wear mine unaided. You pegasi had to have yours specially ensorcelled so you didn’t get weighted down all the time!”
A helicopter raced above, the thrum of the blades sending its vibrations through the air, a deep WHUP WHUP WHUP as it flew past. An ad-hoc company of airborne pegasi serving in the old squadron method landed, immediately replaced by another squadron. The system worked like clockwork, just as it was supposed to.
“Any idea when the show’s going to start?” Soarin’ asked the others, and none present had a decent reply.
“I don’t like this,” Silver stated. “We have no idea what’s going to happen, only that we need to protect the princesses and the Bearers at all costs. Even with all the troops and hardware that we have at hoof, we’re talking about the changelings – they’re masters at stealth and subterfuge. Then there’s Nightmare Moon and all her power – and the main forces we have against them, the princesses, are going to be tied up! Finally, we have those humans that are missing, and even if we took their toys away from them, a military-trained human is still a dangerous one.”
Mike looked at the others. “Wait – the Iranians are missing? When did this happen?”
“Day before,” Sam explained. “They were due to be transferred from military to civilian custody and the holding facility got hit.” He turned to Soarin’. “You guys might want to consider a revised protocol that will allow for a faster turnover.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Soarin’ replied. “As for right now it’s an Equestrian government need to know, but the Foreign Ministry intends to brief our allies as soon as we can. Admittedly we should have our allies who are in country briefed as well, but you know how things are in the military, Commander.”
“Look, anyone who is not present here is on the manhunt for them,” Sam informed them. “My second-in-command has every agent we can spare at the moment. Additionally, the Guild has offered to assist as well, and they’ve sent a number of personnel, too.”
“In any case, we have two flight perimeters, armor on the streets and a battalion worth of soldiers from different disciplines here,” Soarin’ added. “EQMILCOM and the MGEC are probing for any sign of any enemy, and Celestia notified NATO that she may invoke Article 5. Short of Spitfire putting on a Power Ponies costume, I’m pretty sure we’re covered.”
“Yeah, we have all these lovely toys and nobody to play with,” Silver grunted. “I wish Celestia would’ve given us some clue.”
“Operational security, Silver,” Mike reminded them. “Loose lips sink ships and all that. I don’t doubt Celestia was thinking about that when she decided to keep it close to her vest. In any case, we do know that Twilight’s determined it’s the only way to save them all, and I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“I want my wife back, guys,” Soarin’ told them. “I know Silver does as well.”
Just then a US Marine came in and whispered something to Mike who acknowledged it. “Looks like we’ve got some extra problems: apparently the media wants to set up cameras and the like just outside the perimeter.”
“Well, the public has the right to know,” Sam commented. “That being said, we probably should keep the message under control. I’ll detail a couple of my folks to ensure that we have no journalist adventurers running around. Things are already tight, and the last thing we need is an unaccountable running around here.”
“Good idea, Director Martinez. Please see to that,” Soarin’ commented.
“General, if I may, perhaps we need to gather all the senior hands on deck and go over everything. They’re going to need to know some of this stuff as well and we still have some unanswered questions, like who has priority at what point – when is it a law enforcement issue and at what point do we turn this into an outright military operation.”
“This isn’t like home, Mike,” Sam reminded him, as he poked his head out of the tent to flag two of his people. “Here in Equestria, military has gendarmerie authority, so long as they turn over suspects within seventy-two hours.”
“Okay, then we also need to know at what point you’ll have to redeploy any of your folks from police operations to keeping the populace clear of the battlezone, should it come to that.”
“Now that’s a good point,” Soarin’ admitted. “I’m afraid my previous Guard knowledge isn’t going to help here. Okay, we’ll go with it. Everypony gather up your senior personnel who need to know and meet back here in ten minutes. Director, I’d like you to have a couple of your senior personnel on site join us as well.”
“On it,” Mike and Silver said as they departed the tent, while Sam got on his radio and called for a couple of personnel to report for briefing.
Even in war, pilots have always had an interest in the adversary’s aircraft; it is one thing to fly a craft you’re familiar with, but to take to the sky in another aircraft you are flying is a chance of a lifetime, especially when it belongs to the other side. Even though he was now a former IRIAF pilot, he had no love for the Western nations, even as he’d appreciated their aircraft. Even as a child he could remember the American F-14, once the mainstay of their navy as well as the IRIAF air force. Even now, mainstays like the American F-22 or the Russian T-50 held some intrigue for him.
So it was a surprise that today, he was in a ready room, along with all of his surviving pilots and dozens of several others, both male and female, and none of which he knew. They were all dressed in black flight gear, which looked a little fanciful, colorwise. “And you guys are?”
A man approached him and shook. He had short black hair with streaks of white. “Name’s Stormy Night. We work for you, Colonel. Those are our orders.”
Khalid was about to say something, when two individuals came into the room: Di Tacco, as well as a second one. “Greetings, colonel. I see you’ve met the other members of your wing?”
“My…wing?”
“Yes,” di Tacco said affably. “I believe it’s time to show you a little project that we’ve been working on, alongside our patron. It’s taken a while to find the right mixture of qualified personnel, but I believe you can handle it.” He looked at a woman that had been sitting by a computer. “Dark Velvet, if you please?”
The screen at the front of the room turned on, revealing a fighter aircraft that didn’t look like anything he was familiar with. “These are yours now, Colonel, and your pilots will follow your orders. This is the SAF.1 Privateer, built by the finest engineers all over both worlds.”
“Both worlds, eh?” Khalid laughed. “They’ve been taking engineering from us, not creating it.”
“Oh, I think you’d be quite surprised,” the newcomer told them. “Did you know, for example, that one of the more…interesting problems facing your economy is that many of your technical experts and engineers have been put out of work by those from our world. So when we offered them an opportunity to build a new type of aircraft usable by both ponies and humans, well….” The stranger smiled. “Let’s just say they aren’t complaining about the pay, either.”
Khalid turned to address the newcomer. “With all due respect, the best technology in the world means nothing if the aircraft will not be effective against our opponents.” He looked at the image. “It looks advanced, but how advanced?”
“I think a demonstration is in order, shall we?” Di Tacco gestured to a door, and as one, the new pilots exited the room, followed shortly afterwards by the newcomers. “Trust me, you’ll want to see this, Ibrahim.”
Khalid sighed and signaled to his pilots. “This had better be interesting.”
“I’m sure you’ll find it quite interesting.”
As they stepped out of the building, Khalid was immediately hit with a blast of hot, familiar air. “Wait, are we in the desert? But to my knowledge, Equestria has no desert.”
“Who said we are in Equestria?” the stranger said. “There are many lands that have ponies aside from Equestria, and not all of us dance to Princess Celestia’s tune. I can assure you, when the time comes, we will aid you in taking down Canterlot.” He then looked at the skies. “And it is time to see exactly how we will aid you.”
Above, a number of fighters, mostly older fourth-generation models such as F-16s and Hawk 200s, raced above. They were painted in gray and orange livery, the markings of targeting drones.
“You’d think that the Americans and British would actually pay attention when Equestria claims to want to purchase one hundred fighter drones each that they would actually check where the money is coming from, as well as whether the ferrying pilots were legitimate,” the stranger chuckled. “Fortunately for us, greed seems to be a more common human trait than common sense.”
“So I fail to see how that the image of the earlier fighter would—” The colonel’s words were cut off by a massive explosion above. Immediately he saw as the older fighters engaged what clearly looked like the fighters from the image…and they were clearly on the losing side. One of them detonated directly above them, courtesy of a missile, and a magical field activated above them, the wreckage crashing above them.
“Drones?” one of the former Iranian pilots asked.
“In a sense,” one of the newer pilots said. “Those pilots above knew they would not succeed, yet they did their duty regardless.”
Khalid looked at them in shock. “The training units are being flown by live pilots?”
Another one of the new pilots shrugged. “They’re Old Brood, stupid and useless. Not as smart or cunning as us.”
A second one, who looked a lot like the pilot that just spoke added, “Someday soon, they’ll be replaced. After all, we have no need for simple beasts.”
Khalid looked at both di Tacco and the newcomer with surprise. “And you knew about this?”
Di Tacco grinned. “Did you think our alliances was only with Nightmare Moon?” He turned to the newer pilots. “Show yourselves, please.”
“At once, my lord,” they said as one, before green fire enveloped them, revealing strange pony-like creatures that also seemed like what Khalid had heard about changelings at the same time. But that wasn’t possible, given that the two species weren’t even remotely related. Ponies, as he recalled, were mammals or at least mammalian; changelings were heavily advanced arthopods. And yet these looked like a combination of the two.
“Are these…?”
“We are the pepsis, Colonel.” The one that had been identified as Stormy Night approached; odd that he somehow seemed the same regardless of species. “We are our mother’s finest creation. I suppose you could refer to us as Changelings 2.0, but that would be somewhat of an insult – the Old Brood is a throwback, an error that the world needed to correct. We are the superior beings of this realm. And we,” he said, gesturing to the other pilots, “serve you as part of your command, sir.”
“And you’re qualified?”
“Many of the subbroods represented here were taught from before birth on how to fly human aircraft of a variety of types. Additionally, we have some from another clutch who were taught how to maintain and prep these aircraft for flight. And we have been directed to follow no orders save for those of yourself and Mr. di Tacco’s.”
Somewhat accepting, Khalid turned to their new benefactor. “And what of you?”
The benefactor laughed and lit his horn. “Oh, I am just a unicorn, I assure you. Or rather, I should say I am Prince Artemis, ruler of Saddle Arabia under the aegis of my aunt—” he said that part with a grunt, “Princess Celestia. And with your help, I will finally realize my dreams.
“With your help, I will be king.”
The trio followed the young officer as they continued down the hallway. A lot of the hallways were filled with technology and magical gear, making for an odd look; the sleek and electronic up against the ancient and arcane. To DJ, the area started to look less like a military facility and more like the props room of a film studio.
Lyra, on the other hoof, looked at the place with a growing interest. “Maybe I should think about having the Embassy upgraded if we’ve already got this sort of tech in Equestria,” the unicorn said, more to herself than anypony in particular. “In fact, I may have to recommend that all the senior embassies be equipped with situation rooms.”
“You don’t already?” DJ asked. “I’d think the State Department would’ve insisted or something.”
“Why would they? The State Department has one of their own, and situation rooms fall squarely under the Triumverate Treaty.”
“The Triumverate? I think I’ve heard that term from Uncle Mac before.”
Lyra nodded. “Since the appearance of Equestria on the geopolitical scene, the close bond between us, the US and the UK, well, around some circles, we’re called the Triumverate. Or, depending on whatever country doesn’t like us at the time, the Axis. Took me a long time to get that latter reference, and well, not happy about that, but people are allowed to criticize.” A thought came across the unicorn’s face. “Oh, and for the record, the official name of the treaty is the Anglo-Equestriani-American Cooperation Treaty.”
“Lyra, no offense, but I couldn’t give two shits about that right now,” DJ commented. “I’m a little too concerned with the goings-on at the moment.”
“Wait – did I just hear you say that you’re worried about Rarity?” Lyra teased her.
“Lyra, I love you dearly – you mean a lot to me,” DJ said sincerely, “but just fuck you, okay? Seriously, can we just dispense with the jokes for a change?”
Lyra looked at the younger mare oddly. “You know, this isn’t really like you, DJ. You’re usually the one making with the gallows humor. I’m wondering if we should have you checked out for poneumonia.”
Elusive, despite not having been in conversation, finally decided to speak up. “Lyra, as much as I agree with you that my sister is somewhat…out of sorts at the moment, I also agree with her that we should focus on other things.” He then turned to the officer that was with them. “Maj. Spearflight, how much longer do we have until we get to this room?”
“Not much farther, my lord and ladies.” The military pony seemed out of sorts.
“Is everything okay, Major?” Lyra asked.
“Of course not, ma’am,” Spearflight dutifully replied. “The Bearers are in the ruins of the Infirmary fighting for their lives. The center of Canterlot itself has been attacked, and both Fillydelphia and Cloudsdale have been destroyed. We are beset upon by our oldest foes and now we have humans, who in the past we have thought of as monsters, now proving themselves to be so! Even now we are preparing for an assault on the Southwestern Continent, where all the changelings reside. And then there’s Nightmare Moon to consider! So, nothing is okay at all, major…but we are ponies. We will endure.”
“Well, spoken, Major,” Elusive said with appreciation.
Finally, after several more minutes, they reached a long hallway where several REA soldiers lined the walls. “This is one of the most secure locations in the facility,” Spearflight explained. “VIPs mostly use this one, which is why we have the contingent of guards protecting the room twenty-four hours a day.” Something about what the stallion was saying set off some of DJ’s nerves, but she wrote them off due to her being through one mess after another.
“Makes sense,” Elusive said, nodding in appreciation.
“I dunno,” DJ voiced. “Kinda weird.”
“No, this is perfectly normal,” Lyra told her. “You don’t want your critical infrastructure somewhere that can be taken out instantly. You want something as safe as this location.”
As they approached the door, Spearflight looked at one of the sergeants by the door. “How are the other VIPs, Sergeant?”
“They’re doing fine, sir,” the sergeant said as she opened the door. It was a thick metal door, the kind that sealed vaults as opposed to being a simple portal gate. Holding it open, he said, “If you’d go in, please.”
The trio walked into a well-appointed room with a table, monitors showing various information and a large screen by the far wall showing a camera view of the ruined hospital and the troops present. The room looked as though it had been occupied for a few minutes, but then whoever had been here had departed.
“You said someone was here earlier, Major?” Lyra asked him.
“Yes,” he said, as a wicked grin came over his face and green spellfire surrounded him. “And now we have three more victims.” As the changeling came into clear view, Lyra, DJ and Elusive gasped in shock as Queen Chrysalis appeared before them. Before they could react, however, the monstrous queen blasted all three of them with a magic bolt, dropping them like flies.
“Get that door shut!” she ordered, and the soldiers burned with green fire, becoming changelings as well, save for one.
“Looks like your plan worked so far, Mother,” Blood Armor told the queen, “but we’re far from done, so don’t rest on your laurels.”
“Far be it from me to do so,” she told him. “And if you ever address me like that again, I will rip your lungs out. You may be my treasured son, but even your ambitions will only carry you so far, son. Now that we have our dummies trapped in there, how do you intend to keep them pacified?”
“Oh, don’t worry, Mother,” he told her in a “you should know by now” attitude. “Unlike you – I know what I’m doing.”
The three alicorns of Equestria met at Cadance’s balcony. There, on the table was a tea kettle, its stores mostly exhausted by the trio, as was the tray of tea cakes…and the second tray of tea cakes that were for the other two.
“Are you sure about this plan, sister?” Luna asked Celestia. “This is a huge risk, not just for us, but for the girls as well. There’s a good chance that none of us will survive if anything goes wrong.”
“I’ll have to agree with Luna here,” Cadance added, a cup of tea floating before her lips. “Have all the variables been thought out?”
“This is Twilight we’re talking about,” Celestia insisted. “You both know as well as I that when it comes to Twilight, there is no finer in spellcraft. Luna, you’ve known her for years! Cadance, even longer than that!” The look in Celestia’s eyes was stern. “Even if we didn’t owe Twilight the benefit of the doubt, she is a national heroine! She has given so much – shouldn’t we trust her?”
“I do, you know I do,” Cadance replied. “And I’m not backing out! I’m just…I’m just thinking about my son. If this goes sideways….”
“It won’t, Cadance. You have my word.”
A hesitant look came over Luna’s face as she spoke, “Then I think it’s time I spoke about my reservations, too.”
“Go ahead,” the older sister prodded.
“If we succeed, I intend to reach out to Robin once more, and if he’ll have me, I will take him as my husband.” The other two alicorns looked at her, and Luna sighed. “I’m tired of the solitude, and my heart has never wavered all these years. Plus, Robin is mortal and though we’ve been apart all these years, I strongly suspect his feelings have not changed either.”
“Are you sure?” Cadance asked. “Granted, you two know more about humans than I, but they tend to love more, well, intensely than we do, rumors to the contrary. Plus, it’s natural for any being not to want to be alone forever. Have you considered that he has taken another mate?”
“He already has, twice. Both times ended in divorce, because he couldn’t get over our time together.” Luna looked at both of them, an ache in her heart that read clearly on her face. “I don’t want the next time I see him to be at his funeral after he dies of old age! I want to marry him, love him and have a life together! And I am tired of being a slave to this damnable crown!”
Celestia and Cadance looked at each other. “Is this because of Shining?”
Luna’s face softened. “Cadance, you know I would never hold that against you. He was a member of our family and I loved him dearly and was heartbroken when he passed. And he has given you joy in the form of your son. There would be no possible way I would have any reason to resent you for anything.” She then looked at Celestia. “You, however, I am cross with.”
Celestia knew this would happen. “Is it because I have a lover now?”
“Yes,” Luna growled. “Because as always, you feel what is best for Celestia does not work for anypony else!”
“Luna, I don’t feel that way.”
But Luna wasn’t done yet. “You’ve gone without a love life for so long, you think it’s natural for ponies to idealize their white, virginal princess! Just because you have the same coat color as Mother doesn’t mean you’re in the same category!”
“Luna, you’re being unreasonable,” Cadance interjected.
Unfortunately, shots had already been fired. “Leave Mother out of this,” Celestia insisted.
“Why? You’ve never told me anything about our father – assuming we even have one! Maybe our mother gave birth parthenogenetically? Maybe we were never actually alicons when we were born and she just turned us into them!”
“Okay, now you’re just being silly,” Cadance told Luna. “There’s no proof at all that alicorns can just be ‘made’, like something by a glassblower or in a factory.”
“I DON’T CARE!” Luna screamed. “For the sake of our family, I’ll perform this risky endeavor – I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened to the others. But after that? I’m done, mares. Personally, I like being Cyndi Hanover more than I like being Princess Luna right now!” To illustrate her point, she assumed her human form.
“Luna, no. Our ponies need us. Now, more than ever.”
“And what about your lover?” Luna accused. “From what I gather, he’s not a pony.”
“Oh, yeah, you betcha he’s not a pony,” Cadance replied.
Luna wheeled on her niece. “What do you know.” It was not a question.
“Luna, I can’t tell you. I promised I wouldn’t.”
Luna looked at her sister with sad eyes. “Well, what do you know? An alicorn that can actually keep a promise.”
“Luna, please. Our ponies need you. Our family needs you. We need you.”
“Yes,” she said coldly, “and the last time I did that, I chose to listen to you over my heart, and I paid the price. I will not do so again.” Celestia turned away, and Luna felt as though she’d breached something she hadn’t intended. “Sister…this doesn’t mean I don’t care about the realm or our ponies. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about our family, or even you.” She walked over and hugged her sister’s neck, given that she was still I her human guise. “It’s…it’s about me this time. And this time, there’s no Nightmare. There’s no anger or hatred or jealousy. There’s just love.”
“Except that she is out there still – and we need to stop her for once and for all.”
Luna agreed. “Then she is my…what’s the human term? Ah, yes – she’s my cross to bear. And just because I intend to abdicate doesn’t mean that I won’t be around, sister. I won’t leave you alone to face the Nightmare. You have my word.”
“Okay. Then let’s go save the girls.”
The Taj Mahoof was the palace of Saddle Arabia, and the center of this part of the world. Even though it had been reduced to being nothing more than a colony for Equestria. But that had not always been the case, Prince Artemis knew.
His father, Prince Helios Apollo, had told him the story of their ancestor, Sultan Wolfram, and how he’d foolishly begged the alicorns to come in during the Discordian Era, and House Tungsten had paid the price, dearly. This was a land of hardy pegasi and unicorns that had banded together to form this land, away from the strife of the Warring States Era. Even now, the tradition still held: when a unicorn was prince, he took pegasi for his brides, and vice versa.
Such now was the case: approaching now was his first wife, Gold Lily. Though he wasn’t supposed to pick favorites in his harem, he had to admit that if he was limited to one bride only, she would be it. She had been raised in the Crystal Empire and so technically she was much, much older than he. But after seeing the modernization travesty that ‘neo-tyrant’ Princess Cadance had forced upon the citizens of the Empire (which, technically was now just an empire in name only) and had moved to Saddle Arabia, whose customs had fortunately stood the test of time. He had been entranced by her beauty, so much so that when his father announced that he intended to take her as his seventh bride, he had parleyed with his father to reconsider.
That had been a wise investment, as Goldie was possessed of a smart mind, and with the right persuasion, had turned out to be quite the princess. She ruled alongside him wisely, and the public loved her dearly. It had been her that had chosen his second, fourth and fifth wives, and they respected her as the first amongst equals.
He would never say it aloud, but while he was fond of Sunstripe, Merriweather, Paisley Pop, Moonlit Night and Desert Jade, the only one he truly loved was his Goldie.
“My husband?” The graceful pegasus approached him. A flawless coat of sunglow, deep blue eyes that said so much without her uttering a word and a mane of light blue and copper. She stepped up to him and nuzzled him. “The delegation from Canterlot just departed.” She sighed. “I know you mean well, my love, but I wish you would leave Harmonia and Galaxis out of the negotiations. I…I just do not believe that they have our nation’s best interests at heart.”
He said nothing, though he certainly agreed with her. Twins, Harmonia and Galaxis were the foals of his father’s fourth wife, and thus not eligible to rule; as per custom, neither were given royal titles but simply addressed as Lady Harmonia and Lord Galaxis. Sadly, they had not inherited their father’s courage and wisdom, but instead the pathetic nature of their mother, and as a result, they were more like Cadenza than he would’ve preferred. The sole reason they had not been exiled from Saddle Arabian lands was that he could not think of a valid reason without triggering an inquiry from Canterlot.
Finally, he rubbed his chin and nodded. “You’re right of course, dear. I should encourage their patronage of the arts; they seem to prefer that anyway. But you were saying about the delegation?”
“Oh, as per your wishes we agreed to the alliance with Prince Blueblood and his wife. Supporting their little ‘purehooves’ plan, as distasteful as it is, may just work. It’s just….”
“Yes?”
“Their envoy, that mare – Sunset Shimmer. There’s something about her that rubs me the wrong way, husband. She reminds me too much of Blueblood’s wife, Champagne Dreams.” She clucked her tongue. “Even if we have an alliance with your cousin, I don’t trust her at all.”
“What’s to trust about her? She’s vain and flighty, according to everything our spies have uncovered.”
“It’s just…well, this will sound silly, but for a moment, when I was talking to Miss Shimmer, I swore I was talking to Champagne herself.” She looked at the beach from the veranda they stood on. “Well, nevermind that. Why are you standing out here, watching the seaside?”
“Freedom,” he said, summoning two goblets of wine. “Our first round of dividends is paying off.”
As if to underscore his words, sleek metal objects took to the air, their engines roaring as they blazed past the city of Maredina and the Taj Mahoof. Nearly as one, they banked towards the left, off towards their destination.
He smiled and gave his wife a kiss. “This will be the first strike across Celestia’s face. May it be the first of many until I am rightfully king.”
“General Soarin’, sir!” One of the senior enlisted ponies flagged the pegasus down. “I have EQMILCOM online, sir. They say they need to speak to you at once.”
“Thank you, sergeant,” Soarin’ replied. “Please send it to my headset.”
“Will do, sir,” the soldier replied, tapping a few buttons on the communication console. “Ready when you are.”
With that, Soarin’ slid the headset over his ears and reached up to make sure the mic was in place. “EQMILCOM, this is Senior Site Officer, over.”
A junior communicator answered the line. “SSO, stand by for EQMILCOM Actual, over.”
The line briefly went silent before a second voice came online. “How are things down there, Soar?”
“Oh, you know, we just set up the wine pavilion and are waiting for the cheese delivery from the royal stores. We did have an emergency earlier, though: we ran out of napkins and I had to have one of my airponies make a run to the supermarket.”
“Well, aren’t you the comedian?”
“I try, Spits, I try. What’s up?”
“We just got word that Kindness and Laughter are enroute. Once they touch down at the palace, the princess will likely brief bothe beforehoof and once that’s done, then the show’s going to start. I estimate about another thirty minutes to an hour, tops. Make sure your forces are good to go.”
“Well, we have everything locked tight for the moment and all troops are in position. We’ll be able to catch any issue within seconds.”
“Soarin’, don’t get cocky. That’s a disadvantage you don’t need, and one they’ll use against you.”
“Yeah, Silver was just commenting about that a few ago.”
“That’s because he’s a smart stallion. Maybe you should listen to him,” Spitfire gently admonished. “We have to be ready for anything, from the changelings to militant cybernetic parasprites, got that?”
“Yeah, I got it,” he laughed. “You know, there are times you remind me of my wife.”
“Well, we are cousins, so that shouldn’t surprise you,” Spitfire reminded him, chuckling. “Besides, flycolt, you had your chance to party with me when we were both single. Don’t blame me because you decided to stick with the second best.”
Thankfully, she couldn’t see him roll his eyes; though they had never been an item when they were both in the Wonderbolts, she often liked to tease Rainbow about that to no end. “Save it for Rainbow, Spits. After this is all over, you two will have all the time in the world to get on each other’s nerves.”
“Looking forward to it. Anyway, I need to get going; we’ve got some VIPs running around here – apparently Lyra wants to start throwing around that authority she recently was given.”
“Lyra’s in town? Didn’t you used to have a thing for her?”
“No, I used to flirt with her just because it was fun. Anyways, major Spearflight says he hasn’t seen them in Conference Room 7, so she’s probably wandering off causing mischief. Not too worried about it, but I really don’t need unauthorized ponies running around during such a sensitive time you know? Anyway, you take care down there, Soar. EQMILCOM, out.”
Removing his headset, he turned his attention to the map table, one of those fancy Microsoft Pixelsense tables that had been purchased in the last round of tech upgrades. Personally, he didn’t care for it; the digital surface of the table never worked right with his hoofspace, and besides, he preferred the old papery feel of old-style maps that they used to use in the old days. Unfortunately, time marched on whether or not a stallion wanted it to, and the same went for technology as well.
The table reflected the hospital, in the center of the map, as well as the armor and ad-hoc companies that had been assembled from all the troops present. Beyond that was the helicopter and aircraft perimeters. All civilian air traffic was being redirected to Ponyville International Airport, the closest city available to pick up the pieces. Civilians were being asked to say indoors, and the Foreign Ministry had worked out agreements with the various embassies to cover selected areas in case things got out of hoof.
All he could see was blue everywhere – the sign of allied troops – and not a sign of red, that of the enemy. But these were changelings. Subterfuge and stealth was their bread and butter, and over the years, they’d gotten better at hitting their targets when they were least suspected. He’d heard a legend once on Human-Earth about ancient warriors called ninjas who were masters of stealth and assassins supreme. While he didn’t believe the stories and knew the changelings weren’t assassins – you can’t kill what you feed on, after all – the rest of it rang all too true.
“Come on out, you nags,” he seethed softly, looking at the map, a moment of time that would look very different soon enough. “I’m going to make you all pay for hurting my Rainbow.”
Slowly, DJ came to consciousness, her head screaming. As her vision cleared, she looked around and saw that Elusive and Lyra were still out. What happened? The last thing she remembered, they had been escorted by some military personnel into a conference room, and…
Her head throbbed. “Owwww….” she whined. Using the table as a crutch, she forced herself to her feet, then leaned against it for a bit to stabilize herself, taking deep breaths. After a few seconds, she felt okay enough to help the others. Dropping down to her knees, she shook both Lyra and Elusive. “C’mon, get up! We’ve got problems!”
Elusive was the first to open his eyes. “DJ? What happened?”
Lyra rubbed her face as she sat up; it looked as though she’d been clocked in the face and a black eye was developing. “Changelings,” she growled, before wincing. “They got the drop on us and hit us hard – me, specifically. How’d they get on the base?”
“We need to warn the others! Is there a phone in here?” The trio got up and looked around, seeing nothing.
“Dee, try the door,” Lyra told her. “Elusive, you good enough to throw a magic blast? I still feel a bit woozy.”
DJ started jiggling the door handle, to no avail. “Hey!” She then started banging on the door, with the only response being the clang of the metal. “Hey, there’s someone in here, dammit!”
“Sister, stand back,” Elusive said, charging his horn. He then loosed a magenta blast of energy against the door, only to watch it harmlessly dissipate. “Looks like the door has preacher’s iron in it,” he added.
“Preacher’s iron?” DJ asked.
Lyra groaned. “It’s an isotope of iron that’s found, ironically, on Human-Earth. It’s called preacher’s iron, because the majority of previously known objects tend to be religious objects made of iron or an alloy of same. It doesn’t impact us normally, but it will dissipate any magic used against it. I don’t know the specifics; I think the Guild was researching it.”
“Well, if it’s in the walls, there’s no way we’re getting out,” DJ groaned. “In any case, we should assume we’re trapped until further notice. Fuck!”
Elusive’s ears flickered. “Wait, did you hear that?”
“From behind the table. Be careful; it could be a trap.”
He nodded, then slowly made his way to the other side of the table, charging another spell just in case. But as he did, he noticed two others also just coming to: one a unicorn mare slightly older than him, the other a human woman. “Hey, we’ve got two over here!” He immediately started to administer first aid spells, while Lyra did the same for herself. Once that was all done, the unicorn mare was the first to respond, giving their rescuers a smile. The woman, on the other hand, eyed them warily.
“Looks like they got you, too,” the mare spoke. “You three okay?”
“As much as we can be,” Lyra told her. “Who are you?”
“Oh! Sorry about that! My name is Sunset Shimmer. I’m here on behalf of my employer, Princess Champagne Dreams, to observe the situation from here. But as I said, looks like they got to you as well. In any case, we’re trapped in here: there’s no outbound communications, and the room is lined with preacher’s iron, so we can’t blast or teleport our way out.”
Lyra whistled appreciatively. “Teleport? You must be an accomplished mage.”
Sunset blushed. “Actually…I dropped out of the Magic Academy. I really don’t know what my power level is measured at. I think I’m fairly good, but every unicorn does, I guess.”
Elusive then noticed the other person. “Cerise? What are you doing here?”
“Lord Elusive?” the blonde gasped, as if finally noticing he was in the room. “What are you doing here, your grace?”
“Here with the acting Chancellor and my sister,” he said, gesturing to Lyra and then DJ in turn.
Cerise’s eyes suddenly hardened. “What is that…thing doing here?”
Lyra’s decades of experience as an ambassador taught her when to defuse a situation and this was no different. “Well, I think we should take the time to introduce ourselves,” she said, interrupting. “You obviously know Elusive, and as for me, I’m—”
Cerise briefly smiled. “I know who you are. Lyra Heartstrings, Viscountess Morgan. It’s an honor to meet you, your grace.” The smile vanished as she turned to glare at DJ. “And I know who you are, traitress.”
“Excuse me?” DJ asked.
“You’re the ungrateful brat that abandoned your family!” Cerise snarled. “Lady Rarity is a saint, and you’ve been backstabbing her all these years, you…you harridelle!”
“I’ve been what?” DJ said, dropping her tone, a sign that she was not happy – and was about to show said person just how not-happy she was.
“Your own mother! That mare is the most generous soul I’ve ever met!” Cerise said, getting into the humanized pony’s face, “and you had to go dump all over her and your family! Your grandparents, sisters and so many have died because of your selfish, uncouth ways!” But Cerise wasn’t done yet. “Lord Elusive, how could you stand to be with this betrayer?” she asked him. “She stepped in the way of everything you and your family stand for! And you’re with this…this…human?”
Elusive looked at the woman, finding it more than a bit ironic that she would use her own species’ name as an epithet towards DJ. “Cerise, I don’t believe this is any of your business. Please don’t confuse your working relationship – and I presume friendship as well – with my mother for actual permission to get involved with my family’s affairs.”
“But, Lord Elusive! I—”
“Okay, I don’t know – or care – who you are,” DJ snarled. “I think we’re going to have a nice chat, you bitch. At full fucking volume!”
Lyra, knowing exactly what was about to come next, immediately stepped behind DJ and grabbed both her arms. “Okay, we’re cutting this off before it goes nuclear,” she said in an all-too-weary tone.
“I think I agree, your grace,” Sunset said, encircling Cerise in a silver bubble and pulling her to the other side of the room.
Meanwhile, Lyra and Elusive dealt with their problem. “Look, Dee, she’s not worth the hassle,” Lyra insisted.
“She won’t be – after I knock her fucking block off!” DJ snarled.
“Sister, please!” Elusive said. “We’re all trapped in here for the nonce and we have a bigger issue than Cerise’s accusations right now. For example, we need to get out of here and let the authorities know the base has been compromised!”
Meanwhile, Sunset was doing the same in her corner. “Cerise, what in Tartarus do you think you’re doing?”
“Don’t you know who that is?” the human told her.
“I would’ve if you hadn’t interrupted the introductions!” The amber mare looked at her friend oddly. “Seriously, what has gotten into you?”
“What’s wrong with me? Sunset, what’s wrong with you? Last month you were all about how much you hated humans and how you’d wish they’d all go back to their world and that Celestia would throw away the key!”
“When did I say that? I don’t hate humans – I barely know any, aside from you!”
“Yeah, and you know I wish I was a mare,” Cerise reminded her. “As it is, you said it at my roommate’s birthday party last week, when you were flirting with that stallion? What was his name again?”
“Okay, now I know you’re joking – I don’t go visit you because your roommate hates me!”
“No she doesn’t. She’s just kinda sad that you didn’t return her affections,” Cerise explained. “Besides, you sure you don’t remember him? He asked you out and you kissed him.”
“I would say I had one too many ciders, but I rarely drink, you know that. Besides, my boss has me so busy I don’t have time to date,” Sunset explained. “Besides, this isn’t about me, and we have bigger things to worry about. We have to get out of here and warn the princesses that the base has been taken over by changelings – this could be the first step towards outright war!”
“Okay, okay, I get your point,” Cerise grumbled. “Because we’re friends, I’ll knock it off. But promise me you’ll keep that freak away from me so I don’t have to deal with her.”
“Fine, fine, but you’re buying me lunch later got that?”
“Deal.”
That done, the two sides returned to where they were. “I, um, apologize for the tension, all,” Sunset said. “I hope we’ve managed to sort things out. Anyway, again, I’m Sunset Shimmer, and apparently you already know Cerise.”
“Well, I guess we should try again on our end,” Lyra began. “I’m Lyra Phillips, Viscountess Morgan and the Equestrian Ambassador to the United States. Apparently you both know Elusive, and as for the other one here, she’s Daisy Jo Martinez, officially Countess Faroe, but technically not a part of the normal standing nobility.”
“That sounds interesting,” Sunset said, offering a hoof to DJ. “Do tell, your grace.”
“Please,” DJ replied, “Just call me DJ, Ms. Shimmer.”
“Then please, just call me Sunset.” The unicorn suddenly had a thought. “You know, I get this strange feeling that we’re related. I know that’s a weird thing to say, but….” She shrugged.
DJ chuckled. “Do you say that to everyone or am I just lucky?”
Sunset waved it off. “No, just an odd thought. Please just forget about it.”
Elusive smiled, trying to put on his mother’s charm. “Well, now that we know one another, would you care to tell us how you ended up here?”
“Sure,” the woman said, pulling up a seat, followed soon by the others.
Sunset began. “Well, my employers, Prince Blueblood and Princess Champagne, requested that I be an official observer on their behalf, as the two have a vested concern in both the condition of the hospital and the bearers.”
“Any reason why they’re not present in-pony?” Lyra asked.
“They started a goodwill tour of the Hoofalulu Islands,” Sunset explained. “Furthermore, Princess Celestia requested that all minor houses relocate out of the capital for the nonce.”
“That’s right,” Lyra pointed out. “In emergency situations like this, it’s important to have somepony in the line out of town. Something like what the Americans do with their designated survivor program.”
“In any case,” Sunset continued, “I was willing to stay behind and observe on behalf of the Prince.”
Elusive nodded. “And what about you, Cerise?”
“No official reason,” the human replied. “I guess if you want to know the truth, I’m just worried about Rarity. She’s not only my employer, she’s a friend, too.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet!” DJ snarked. “So, fucking or 69?”
“DJ….” Elusive sighed.
“Fine, fine. Look, you just stay on your side of the room and I’ll stay on mine, okay?”
The woman huffed. “Fine!”
“DJ, stop acting like a child,” Lyra admonished. “In case you forgot, we’re trapped by changelings, who apparently have taken over the base as far as we know, and we need to get out of here!”
It was then that the screen in the room came on, with the face of Chrysalis filling up the screen. Behind her was a group of changelings, as well as adult version of the type of pony that Cadance’s son was. None of them looked affable. “Well it’s good to see that you’re all comfortable,” the changeling queen replied.
“What do you want, Chrysalis?” Lyra snarled.
“Oh, is that you? I don’t recall your name, but I do remember having you under my collar. You and those other two mares, well, we could’ve had some fun times. Regrettably, I was too busy at the time plotting the downfall for Canterlot…a plan that had sadly failed due to the meddling of that little purple tail-lifter. But now, you see, I have her and that harridelle Cadenza out of the way, and there’s nothing that will stop me from taking over Canterlot!”
“Bullshit! You want to bet? First word that Canterlot goes down, NATO will be all up in your ass, bitch!” DJ shouted.
“And I see you haven’t learned to control that mouth of yours. I suppose the Nightmare was right. I have no idea what she sees in you, but she wants you alive, so we agreed to corral you. The rest of you are just…what’s the term the humans use? Ah, yes – collateral damage.”
“Wow, how did you get to be in charge of anything other than a fry cook? That’s not to say that fry cooking is a bad job, but rather that you seem too much of a retard to even figure out that much.”
“Watch your tongue, foal. The Nightmare only insisted that you be alive – not that you be intact.”
“Kiss my ass, okay, you freakstick fuck? You can rim me, run your tongue around—”
Lyra knew what was coming next, descriptionwise. “DJ, I don’t think the rest of us need to hear that.” DJ merely turned to face her old friend and shrugged.
“However, I thought I’d share a little something with you, namely, as I destroy Canterlot once and for all. You get to be the last survivors of both ponydom and humankind in this abattoir, and when I am done, you will beg for death. And if you are lucky, I will grant it. But for now, I have other things to do, so…taa!” The visual onscreen changed from where Chrysalis was to the hospital grounds, where the forces present had been prepped for what was to come next.
And the camera was clearly centered on what was both Mike and Sam.
“YOU BITCH!” DJ screamed, slamming the table in anger and cracking it with the force of her blow.
The helicopter landed at the castle helipad and the two Knights stepped out, saluted by those around. The airponies present had a feeling something big was about to go down, especially with the tension that was said to be in the palace right now. That then became magnified as the three princesses appeared, striding over to the two Knights. Not a single one of them, not even Pinkie Pie, had a smile on their face. The airponies watching knew that had to be significant, but what the significance was? Of that, they had no clue.
“Hello, girls,” Celestia said, as she looked at Pinkie and Fluttershy. “I trust the flight was okay?”
“No,” Pinkie said, a guilty look on her face.
“Pinkie,” Luna said, knowing what was going to come up. It always did. “It wasn’t your fault. None of this is your fault.”
Pinkie’s hair wilted. “I should’ve tried harder to grab the other girls. I let them all suffer because I wasn’t fast enough.”
Candance went over and hugged the smaller mare. “It wasn’t your fault. It was Chrysalis’ and Nightmare Moon’s. They did this, and now you have a chance to break their hold on the others.”
“I take you two read my brief?” Celestia asked them.
“On the way over, Celestia,” Fluttershy explained. “I’d be lying if I said I understood the whole plan, but given that it’s something that Twilight came up with, I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising.”
“Let’s go in and discuss this for a bit. We still have an hour to go before we need to be there, so I want you to know your parts in detail. From what I understand, we only have one shot at this, and if we fail….” The sun alicorn didn’t want to finish her statement.
“Then let’s do this,” Pinkie said immediately. “I…even if it’s not my fault, I can’t stand to see ponies I love so hurt by this meanie jo greenie of a virus! Then once we do that, we stop Chrysalis and Nightmare Meanie for once and for all! And theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen I’m going to throw the biggest party there ever was!” With a slight jump, Pinkie’s hair, as well as her, was back to normal buoyancy.
“Glad to see you’re back, Pinkie,” Luna said with a smile.
“I’m always back! And forth! And sideways, too! Now, we need to go over this plan. Oh, and cake, cake too! Very important.”
Despite the situation, Celestia laughed. “Of course, Pinkie. There are few things in life more important than cake. So, shall we go attend to that?” With that, the five mares headed back towards the castle, leaving the airponies watching, even more confused than before.
Sixty of the Privateer fighters raced in the air, all armed to the teeth and piloted by the best available. Tearing apart the distance between Saddle Arabia and the Equestriani mainland, the aircraft and its pilots were ready for war.
In his pilot’s seat and very comfortable with how his unit was performing, Khalid spoke to his troops. “You have your orders: Group A will commence to Canterlot and take down the fighter and attack helicopter screens. Group B will move down the coast and engage and sink their aircraft carrier, as well as any other Equestriani ships. If there are any other nation’s ships in the area, do not engage unless they are firing at you. The fewer nations assisting Equestria, the better.”
“Now you have your orders. Good hunting and may we make it all back alive.”
The two groups of fighters banked away from one another, headed towards their targets of opportunity.
A pepsis seated at a communications station turned to look at di Tacco. “Sir, the fighters are halfway to Equestria and should be arriving over their airspace within the hour. We have not appeared on any of their radar systems, even the ones our advance unit has disengaged.”
“Good,” he told her, before turning to Prince Artemis. “Any particular requests that you would like aside from Celestia and Luna’s deaths?”
“Yes, ensure that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is dead at all costs, whatever it takes.”
“Of course, but I’m wondering why you prioritized Cadenza over Celestia, who apparently is holding you back from declaring independence.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Artemis told the man. “Cadenza is my sister…and she was a mistake that should never have lived. Saddle Arabia will suffer no more under the hooves of the alicorns. Even if one is of my own blood.”
Tied up in a chair and her mouth gagged, Spitfire glared at Chrysalis, who looked like the manticore that ate the cockatrice. “Oh, did you want to say something?” the changeling queen asked, removing the gag.
“Well, for starters, how did you get on base? This is one of the most secure locations in the world!” Spitfire demanded.
“That’s easy. We didn’t have to get on base…because we were already here. This building sits right atop one of our backup nests, and so it was easy to gain access to a facility that was compromised from the very beginning. After that, we had changeling laborers, disguised as construction ponies, build a hidden subbasement where we have had access all this time. After all, why would a non-technological species like us be able to outwit you at every turn?” She gave a toothy grin, filled with fangs and malice. “Because we are not the primitives you ponies think we are…and you ponies are not the vaunted species you think you are, either.”
“I should let you know, you’re not going to get away with this. We have alarms and changeling detectors all over the place!”
In response, Chrysalis transformed into Spitfire. “Well, it’s a shame that they’re down at the moment because I ordered the equipment repaired, and the contractor informed us replacement equipment won’t arrive from Japan for at least another three weeks.” She changed back to herself, and laughed. “Besides, I don’t have to worry about ‘getting away with this’, as you say. All I have to do is just make sure that the obstacles are out of my way. Then my allies will turn Canterlot into a memorial.” She looked at her pepsis. “Get into position and keep the enemy busy while we take down the defenses.” She then turned back to Spitfire, adding, “And what to do with you, I wonder?”
Chrysalis walked over to where the weapons had been confiscated from the remaining ponies still alive in the room. Picking up a pistol, she cooed, “You know, I’ve always wanted to know how these things work. They are vastly different from the bows and arrows you ponies were using just a few decades ago. And to think that you had a chance to stop us with those? Well, with these,” she said, as she slipped one in her hoof and cocked the hammer, “you actually do. And I’m afraid I cannot allow that at all.”
With that she aimed at a pony, and pulled the trigger. The gun gave out a bark and a lick of flame, and a second later a pony had a hole in its head where it wasn’t supposed to be. However, Chrysalis, unused to the recoil, stepped back in surprise. “Interesting, a weapon that bites back. These humans are very interesting, are they not?”
“Go to Tartarus,” another pony shouted.
“You first.” Chrysalis pulled the trigger once more and there was a second pony that would never speak again.
She then pointed the gun at Spitfire. “You know, I could just mesmerize you and get the information out of you that I need. But no, I think I’ll have a little fun here, what do you think?”
One of the pepsis approached her. “Mother, may I?” To Spitfire’s surprise, he looked like a nightmarish version of Shining Armor.
The look on Chrysalis’ face suddenly became maternal. “Why, Cold Armor, dear, what did you ever have in mind?”
“Let’s just say she’s going to tell me everything I want to know, and she won’t live to see the end of the day.” Spitfire glared at the pepsis, who casually spit in her face. She was about to complain about something, but then she suddenly felt something very wrong with her.
Cold’s horn lit up. “Oh, Spitfire, dear, I need to talk to you.”
“No, you bastard, I’m not talking!” she said, fighting against what she knew was a changeling compulsion spell. “I’m not telling you shit!”
“Oh, but dear,” he said, continuing to channel his magic. Slowly, he started changing color to a bright yellow, with a short blue and red mane and building blocks for a cutie mark. “I need to speak to Princess Celestia, and I can’t find her. She said there was a plan for me to find out where all the alicorns are, because they wanted me to provide games for the victory party.”
Her eyes now glazed over by the spell, she tried to reach out for her husband, but found she couldn’t. “Klick? What’s wrong with me?”
“You…were injured in a flight accident,” he told her. “You’ve been given medicine to prevent you from moving so you don’t injure your wings further. That’s why you asked me to talk to the princesses, remember?”
A soft, loving smile came over Spitfire’s face. “Yes, I remember. That’s so sweet of you to do that.”
Cold gave a cruel smile, though that’s not what Spitfire, in her reverie, saw. “I’d do anything for you, dearest. But I need to know that information. I don’t have a lot of time left before I have to set up.”
“Okay,” she said. “The princesses will all be flying above the hospital, encircling it.”
Got you. “That sounds pretty weird, hon. Why would they do that?”
“Because…because they’re absorbing an immense amount of power from their three aspects, and then channeling it down to the Knights, who will then destroy the curse, or so I’m told. It didn’t make much sense to me, but you’re the unicorn, love, not me.”
“Right. But I still don’t see why they’re up in the air.”
“Because it’ll be safer and easier than on the ground. If they’re on the ground, it makes it harder to absorb mana from their aspects. If they’re in the air, it’s easier. Plus, they’d be harder to keep safe while on ground; ironically, in the air, all the troops have to do is just shoot down any opponents. And between the two perimeters and all the troops on site, there’s no way Chrysalis will be able to attack us.”
The malicious grin on Cold’s face was one of enjoyment. “Yes, I don’t know what would happen to Canterlot if the changeling queen were to show her face again. But I wonder why the princesses must not be bothered? That part doesn’t make sense.”
“Sure it does – you tell me all the time about magical overload, right? I remember you telling Hopes that it’s a physical law, Second Law of Thaumodynamics. The princesses said if they absorb too much energy and can’t channel it, they’re subject to it as well.” She looked at her husband. “I feel…sleepy all of a sudden.”
Chrysalis looked at Cold. “That’s perfect. Now get rid of her.” She hoofed him the gun. “You know what to do.”
He smiled and said, “Oh, thank you, nurse. Oh, honey, the nurse is here, and she brought a new medical serum that will help. Straight from the human lands – supposedly it will speed up your healing.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You just put the item against your head and when you’re ready, you just pull the trigger, and there you go.”
“Sounds like a gun.”
To her, Klick Klack leaned over and kissed her. “But they have all sorts of guns in the human world, and not just weapons. You know, radar guns, staple guns, water guns, you know, that sort of stuff. This is a medicine gun.”
Spitfire put the gun to her head. “You sure?”
“I promise that once you pull the trigger, you won’t feel any further pain.”
She smiled and said softly, “I love you.”
And then pulled the trigger.
Green fire burned around Chrysalis, and a second later, Spitfire was alive once more, in a matter of speaking. “Establish contact with their senior officer,” she ordered, “and draw away half their troops. While we have more than enough changelings to throw at them, I want Equestria’s forces to be made inconsequential.”
The pepsis at the station nodded. “SSO, this is EQMILCOM. Stand by for EQMILCOM Actual.” She paused the line and said, “Pick up that unit over there, Mother, and speak into the bottom.”
“I know how to use a phone, you idiot,” she snarled before picking it up and speaking into it. “This is EQMILCOM Actual.”
“Yeah, I’m here, Spits. What’s up?”
“Intelligence just got a report that there’s a changeling group building at the base of the mountain. We need to strike while the iron’s hot. How many troops can you spare?”
“Did the princess authorize this? I thought she wanted all available troops on station?”
“I spoke to Luna about twenty minutes ago. She wants troops down there, soonest.” In order to keep up appearances, “Spitfire” sighed. “Yeah, for the record, I agree with you, stallion, I do. I told her that it was a waste of time and that it was probably just a diversion. But Luna doesn’t want to take chances. You know how she is.”
“No argument. So, I can send a quarter of our troops down there, light infantry. They’ll move fast and in the event of an emergency, we can have them back up here soonest.”
“Luna’s not going to like that. Send a third of the total troops, plus some armor. It’ll be slower, but in the event that the intelligence is correct, we can put those bugs down for good.”
“A third of the troops is more than I like. Plus, those tanks’ll take forever to get back here.”
“Do you really think tanks will be effective against changelings? And be glad Luna gave me discretion to choose the amount of forces rather than just ordering us. Then we’d really be underponied.”
“Okay, you have a point. Okay, a third of our troops, plus all but a couple of the tanks. A show of force should scare them silly.”
Oh, you stupid stallion. If you only knew. “Sounds like a plan. Make it happen.”
“Roger that, Spits. Anything else?”
“Not on this end. You take care, okay?”
“Roger that. SSO out.”
The moment the communication was done, she said, “Send a message to both Nightmare Moon and di Tacco. I want that fighter perimeter down and once it is, I want everything in the area taken apart. As many changelings as it takes.”
“Mother, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” She turned to see Blood Armor approaching her. “While taking down the fighter and attack helo screens is a good idea, having them attack in coordination with the changeling wave is only going to get valuable warriors killed! And while we have millions of the Old Brood, it does take a toll on morale. We pepsis are superior, but we understand that the Old Brood are worth something.”
“I don’t care,” she said. “I want Celestia’s, Luna’s and Cadenza’s head on bucking pikes outside the palace walls. I want each of the Bearer’s skins carved up and made into capes for my personal amusement! And I want all of ponydom to burn.”
“And I thought you wanted more than just that.” Both turned to see Nightmare Moon approach them. “You know the rules. We make this fast, efficient and brutal. You get what you want, I get what I want, and the human world is wide open for a coordinated strike from all of us. We will split the treasures of two worlds, and all you want is revenge?”
“As if you’re one to talk,” Chrysalis countered. “I’ve had my brood in position for months, waiting for this moment. I was the one who supplied troops for both your strike and that damnable human’s. Don’t forget who the most important ruler in this agreement is.”
As Chrysalis turned her attention back to her brood, Nightmare narrowed her eyes. “Take care, Chrysalis. You may find that even you are not indispensable.”
“All things considered, sir, this is stupid.” Maj. Sable Loam watched as the tanks and several companies’ worth of troops pulled off. “We’re supposed to protect the alicorns at all costs for this operation and they’re peeling off a third of our forces?
“I’m really not sure tanks will be of much use unless changelings can turn into massive things that require the need for armor,” Mike told him. “As it is, unless the information we have is wrong, when in battle don’t changelings prefer to fight with overwhelming numbers?”
The stallion nodded. “If I recall correctly, there was a news reporter tracking down the approximate numbers of changelings the last time they approached Canterlot, and if the number crunching was correct, there were close to 200,000 of the bugs in the air. And now if the reports of Chrysalis making runs down south where most of the hives are? Not good.”
“How ‘not good’?”
“Conservative guess? There are, what close to 10 billion humans on your Earth? There are probably just about that many changelings on this one. Even all the ammunition available can’t do enough to take down that many. We would literally have to empty the magazines of all Human-Earth’s armies in order to deal with them.”
Mike shook his head. “Wow, aren’t you cheerful?”
“No sir, just a realist. I’m REA – we’re the last line of defense between the princesses and the things that go bump in the night. I just happen to bump back first.”
Mike laughed. “Well, I’m not going to argue with that sentiment. I just hope that we don’t have to worry about that right now. Or at all, for that matter.” He noted as Sam spoke to several more of his agents, then slowly made his way over. “So, what’s the word?”
“The princesses and the bearers have concluded their briefing,” Sam told both Mike and Sable, “and they’re due inbound in a few minutes. We don’t know if they’re going to helicopter in or teleport, but we should be prepared for anything.
At that point, several REA troops, backed up by US Marines, started to secure the hospital’s helipad, seated in the practical center of the grassy field. At the same time, Soarin’ took to the air, floating just above all the troops present so that they could see him as they addressed him.
“ATTENTION ALL PRESENT,” Soarin’, his voice enhanced via a spell, spoke. “You are here to represent your nations in one of the most important events in Equestriani history. In just a few minutes, our princesses, alongside the other two Knights, will attempt to use a complex and intense magic spell in order to rescue the remaining Knights from their curse. Your duty is simple: we must protect the princesses at all costs. The fate of the nation – possibly even of both Earths – may hinge on the success of today’s operation.
“As you know, Equestria has been under attack by several factions in the recent past. We face Chrysalis and the Changeling Kingdom, who were directly responsible for the destruction of Fillydelphia, causing numerous deaths and injuries and the displacement of countless ponies, as well as an assassination attempt on our princesses while they were in Singapore. Cloudsdale was destroyed by humans from the Islamic Republic of Iran, who then later stormed a peace summit in Belgium, costing the lives of several Dutch and Syrian citizens working to gulf the divide. And lastly, there is the monster that has tormented our very own Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon, whose intent to destroy all of Equestria is well-known. These are the monsters that intend us harm, and may very well attempt to disrupt the situation.
“Make no mistake: all of you present – pony, human, gryphon, minotaur and others – are in possibly the most crucial moment we have. Already we’ve split off a part of the force present in order to investigate a potential changeling advance force at the base of the mountain. That means that the rest of you must – and I do mean must – maintain vigilance in order to protect our princesses. They are relying on all of you to ensure that this mission goes smoothly and so am I.
“So best of hunting, and may Harmony guide your steps and your aim. Make me proud, all of you.” Nothing more to say, Soarin’ returned to the ground, ready to lead the troops on-hoof into battle if need be.
Ibrahim Khalid had always considered himself a devout Muslim, though he thought the ruling class of his former nation was more than a little extreme. That being said, he would admit to having some issues throwing in with creatures that looked more like the concept of demons than the horse demons did. However, di Tacco assured him that the changelings and pepsis worshipped no false gods; though the two were infidels and Nightmare Moon herself was close to djinn, they did not worship the alicorns in any way, shape, or form, which made them better than the horse demons.
Besides, he reminded himself, in war, one does not always get to pick and choose their allies.
As they cruised along, Khalid smiled. The Privateers, as the fighters had been named, flew like a dream. He remembered all the times he’d spent in a simulator and how simplified some of them were in comparison to actual airtime; the Privateer felt very much like that, without the drawbacks of a simplified fighter. The engines were purring along as they were supercruising at Mach 3, and everything read green. This was truly a marvel of human hands, though he could see where the horse demons had added their touch – so much of the coloring in the cockpit was the pink and purple shades they seemed obsessed with.
Now as for the current situation, well, that brought a grin to his face as well. They’d crossed into Equestrian territory an hour ago and so far, there were no sign of interceptors, and the only aircraft of consideration they’d seen to date was a British Airways flight headed south, likely towards Mareami. In any case, it didn’t matter: within a few minutes, the first group would be hitting the REN base at Norflank and the only considerable threat left. The REAF was in shambles and at this point the only serious threat would be that Canterlot fighter screen, which was outnumbered by far. Once that was down, his allies would have a straight shot to victory.
Once again, the old maxim held true: the formula between success and failure danced on the edge of a knife, and only who surprised whom would win this day. So far, they held the advantage, which would pave the way for Nightmare Moon and the utter threat she represented.
He almost felt sorry for the horse demons.
Almost.
After this was over, he relished having the chance to see his wife and children again – di Tacco had informed him that all of the families of those who had defected along with him were being repatriated to Saddle Arabia as welcomed guests of Prince Artemis. The prince himself had been an interesting contrast; though he was a pony and ostensibly the nephew of the princesses, he held no truck with them and indeed found them to be as reprehensible as Khalid did himself. Furthermore, his lands were very reminiscent of Mecca and Medina (Saddle Arabia’s capital, in fact, was called “Maredina”) and it was a beautiful land. Khalid could easily see himself settling down there.
All he had to do was to live long enough to survive what could end up being World War III.
A scroll, scented with chamomile, suddenly popped into existence. “Mom?” Shining Dawn spoke, moving to Twilight Sparkle’s side to help her up. “The sign’s here.”
Twilight, despite feeling exhaustion and the searing pain roaring through her body, forced herself to her hooves. “Thank you, Dawn. Wake the others while I read this message, and ask your aunts to wake up Rainbow.” As Dawn went to go do so, Twilight opened the letter, waiting to see how Celestia would execute her part of the plan.
Twilight,
This plan of yours…it’s madness. Not even Star Swirl the Bearded would have suggested such a plan. And yet, you’ve done the calculations and the preparations, and you’ve done it in your state. And I must admit: if anypony else aside from you would have suggested it, I would have sadly declined. But you are not merely anypony. Not to the others.
Not to me.
Once you are done reading this, tear the paper in half and place each half on the location where you wish Fluttershy and Pinkie to be. They will be teleported to the locations. Once that happens, Luna, Cadance and I will teleport into position and begin our portion. As you said, timing is critical and we only have one shot at this.
We are putting all our lives in your hooves, Twilight.
We believe in you.
- Celestia
“Twi, we’re ready.” Twilight turned to see Applejack and Rarity standing there, with Sweetie and Dawn helping an unsteady Rainbow to her hooves.
“Should we go over the plan one more time?” Twilight asked and the others nodded.
“I can barely remember anything right now, Twi,” Rainbow said in a woozy tone. “So, yeah, go over it again, will ya?”
“Okay,” Twilight said softly, using her magic to draw a diagram on the ground. “We Knights will be in the magic circle, with me as the focal point. It is imperative that you keep your Elements focused on me at all times; we cannot afford to break concentration at all.” She turned to Sweetie and Dawn. “While we’re doing that, you two will have to keep any attempted attacks away from us. Switch between offense and defense, because we don’t know what to expect.”
She then drew a second diagram in the air. “Above us, the princesses will be drawing power from their aspects and channeling it down to me. If it works correctly, then the energy from the aspects should supercharge the Elements and literally burn away the curse.”
“And if not?” Rarity asked, thinking of the foals she might never see again – of the grandfoals she could never see again. Of the husband who had been through so much thick and thin with her, and of everything else.
“Don’t worry, Rares,” Rainbow said, weakly giving the unicorn a wink. “We’ve been through all this before, and we came out on top. Why stop the lucky streak?”
“Are we ready?” Twilight asked. “The moment I tear the paper and summon Pinkie and Fluttershy, it begins.”
Rarity looked at Twilight. “Rainbow’s foal needs her father. My husband, foals and grandfoals need me. Do it.”
“Mac, honey…it’s time.”
“Please, hon, be careful,” Macintosh said, nuzzling Fluttershy. “Ah don’ know what we’d do without ya, darlin’.”
“I’ll be as careful as I can,” Fluttershy told him. “Please, take care of our daughter. I don’t know how she’ll react if I—”
He gently placed his hoof on her mouth. “You’ll come back, an’ we’ll talk about what comes next, darlin’. Just….” He hugged her, his body shuddering. For her part, she hugged him back as tightly as she could, not wanting to let go, her silent tears saying all she could. Eventually, it was time to go, and she reluctantly let go of the love of her life.
“I’ll be back soon,” she told him, tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, her Elemental torc blazing with green energy. “I’ll be back.”
Then she disappeared into nothingness.
Pinkie got out of bed, where she’d been loving Thunderlane in the best way she could. Now, it was time to go.
“Pinkie….”
She moved back to the bed and looked at her husband, the father of her foals. The pony she never thought she’d end up with, and now the pony she couldn’t live without.
“Thundie…I love you. I love our foals. I love our family. I love this world.” She gave him a smile filled with love and joy, the essence of what she was and what she always would be. “I’ll fight for all of this, because the world needs me to.”
“I love you,” Thunderlane told her.
“I know,” she said with a smile and tears in her eyes as she put on her Element, the blue gem glowing like a star. “And I’ll be back.” Tapping her torc, she said, “Twilight, one to beam up!”
And then she vanished in motes of azure sparkles.
Two mares appeared in the circle. “We’re ready, Twi,” Fluttershy told them, trying not to look away from the ragged, haggard individuals before them. Her heart broke to see her loved ones like this, but she had to remind herself that once it was over, they would be back to normal and able to get regular medical care to take care of any remaining issues.
“Let’s do this!” Pinkie chirped, flaring the power of her Element into being. Immediately, four more mares did the same in concert.
“That’s our cue,” Sweetie said, wrapping a shield around the group despite the fact that doing so caused her excruciating pain. Looking at Dawn and trying not to wince, she ordered, “You are the first line of defense in this room, Dawn. Remember what your mother and I taught you, and remember that we’re all counting on you.”
The look on Dawn’s face was once again reminiscent of her father’s. “I won’t let you down,” she intoned with utter gravity. “I won’t let anypony down, ever again!”
Sweetie coughed; the spell was starting to take a hard toll on her. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s save the day!”
In both everywhere and nowhere, the Nightmare looked at her current host. “Are you ready for this confrontation?”
I am, the host spoke without speaking. I am ready no matter what the consequences are.
“Are you sure? This could – and possibly will – end in your death.”
You have your wrongs that you need addressed, as do I. We fight together, as one.
Nightmare smiled. “Good to know that.” With that, she winged off into the air, headed for her target.
As one, the alicorns stood on the balcony, looking at the sky. “Are we ready?”
Luna smiled. “No pressure, right, girls?”
Cadance went up to Celestia and kissed her on the cheek. “Once again, what I said before still applies.”
Celestia beamed proudly. “You both make me so proud, you know that?”
Luna nodded. “Save the speech for the press after this is all done, sister. For now, we have family to save.” No more words passed between the three princesses as they took to the skies, lancing their way towards the ruined infirmary and the loved ones trapped within. They rose majestically into the air, and as ponies around Canterlot watched their rulers soared above, for the first time in what felt like a while, ponydom had hope for a better future, that the dark skies would pass and Celestia herself would let the sun rain down joy and peace on the land of the ponies once more.
The moment they reached their destination, they started to fly around it in a circle. When sure of their path, the three nodded to each other and started to speed up.
Mach 1.
Mach 2.
Mach 3.
The three became nothing more than a purple ring enveloping the space above the hospital, their speed so fast that their coat colors ran together. And as they felt the time was right they called to their aspects.
Celestia sang, “Huc venit sol!”
In the skies above, the sun blazed mightily, sending down a pure stream of energy towards her, both blinding and yet at the same time dazzling in its intensity, until the magical tether made Celestia appear almost as luminescent as the sun.
Luna then canted, “Puer adhuc vivit lunam in corde meo!”
On the other side of the world, the moon flared with intense energy and shot a line of power that arced across the surface of the world until it impacted with the dusky alicorn, turning her into a silvery ball of energy.
Finally, Cadance completed the spell: “Amor est medicamento ego cogito!”
In the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Heart spun and sang faster than it had ever done before. To the amazement of those around it, it blasted a beam of glistening rose power across the sky, lancing into Cadance and creating a pink match to the other two blazing auroras.
The three aspect magics burned together, rose into the air and created a tricolor column that bored down into the very depths of the hospital. The skies shimmered with music and light, as a spell never before seen anywhere began to commence – the very essence of magic, sent to wage war against its darker counterpart, striking down to reach towards the Elements in the hopes the two forces would defeat the darkfire destroying the Bearers.
Thanks to the former cave network within Mt. Canterhorn being converted into a highway system, the group made it down to the base of the mountain in a record amount of time. The moment they arrived on location, the local officer commanding, a burly stallion by the name of Sky Diamond. He was one of the REA’s best infantry commanders, and right now, he’d been placed in charge of a situation that hadn’t been around since he was a foal: an imminent attack on Canterlot by the changelings.
At the moment, they were at the former Guard facility at the foot of the mountain that was soon to play home to the headquarters of REAL. However, as the base was still mostly behind lock and key, it was empty – and a perfect place from which the changelings could launch a brutal attack against the capital.
Well, that’s not going to happen, Diamond thought to himself. I didn’t make colonel just to watch the world fall apart!
“Fan out!” the colonel said, hovering above most of the troops. “You find so much as a bug hoofprint, I want it wasted, understand?”
“Colonel, we’re getting ready to hit the building. Orders?” That came from the second in command, an Equestrian gryphon by the name of Gordon Graystorm, an REA Lt. Colonel. He’d grown up as part of the community of gryphons in Cloudsdale, and as far as Diamond was concerned, he was probably more pony than some of the other ponies he’d served with. He’d known Graystorm for years and if there was a being out there he could trust to do the job, it would be him.
“You heard me, Colonel. If there’s anything in there that looks like a bug? Exterminate it.”
Graystorm flipped him a salute. “Roger that, sir.”
Diamond looked his old friend in the eye. “Seriously, Gordon, take care, okay?”
The gryphon laughed. “If I don’t, my wife’s never going to let me hear the end of it. You just do what you gotta do, Sky.” With that, Graystorm then turned to his troops. “Okay, we go in and we hammer them, got that?” He led the troops in out into the courtyard of the building before entering the facility proper.
Silence reigned for a few minutes while the troops inside the facility swept the area for enemy. Outside, the tanks sat, while the various troops present were itching for a fight and on their guard. Still, Diamond had a good feeling about this. Between the might of the M2 Powell tanks present and enough troops to run roughshod over just about any threat, he knew that the changelings down here didn’t stand a chance.
“Yo, everyone!” Diamond called out, “when we crush these things and get back to base, cider’s on me!” A brief cheer went up for that one, and he grinned. Still got the touch.
That smile fell as he started to hear the echoing chatter of automatic gunfire going off within the building. Keying his headset and quickly slipping it on, he barked out, “Frontline 6 to Chaser 1. Come in, do you copy!”
He heard a voice over the line, but it wasn’t Graystorm’s. “Get…of…! Contact with…! Repeat,….” The line abruptly broke as quickly as it connected. Meanwhile, the gunfire got louder.
“Chaser 2, get your unit in there!” Diamond ordered and another group of ponies responded and began their entry. The moment they reached the front door of the building, however, the whole facility flickered with magical energy before it exploded. The windows and doors shattered and vaporized as flames defenestrated from the building. The sound of gunfire turned to the sound of screams as the troops inside were burned alive in the detonation.
All present looked at the building in shock as a group of large sabertooth tigers made out of molten rock and flame. They growled, and started to prowl around the front of the building.
“Lavacelots?” a sergeant to the right of Diamond gasped. “But they’re supposed to be in Draconia, not here!”
“Well, tell them that!” Diamond argued, as the flaming creatures started charging. “Tanks, open fi—” He was suddenly thrown backwards, and only the quick deployment of his wings saved him from being slammed into a nearby tree. As he got back to his hooves, he noted that the four tanks that had come with him had all been shattered, and below them were the burn marks of incendiary magical circles.
“Well, well, I guess Hearth’s Warming came early!” Diamond turned to see something he’d never seen before: a stallion and a mare, strange hybrids of both pony and changeling. The mare’s horn was glowing the same color as the explosive circles. “Looks like Mother sent us some toys to play with, brother.”
The look in the stallion’s eyes was cold and unforgiving. “Well, my pets did need something to chew on,” he commented drily. “And if not, well, the Old Brood could use some practice.”
That’s when Diamond noticed the hundreds of changelings behind the two strange ponies. The fact that the changelings did not move indicated that these two commanded them.
The mare smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “I’ll tell you what: if you surrender, I’ll make this quick and painless....” She shrugged. “Well, at least for the unit commander. The rest of you? Oh, you’re going to die horribly.” She gave them all another grin. “So, ladies and gentlestallions and others whose species I couldn’t care less about – what’s it going to be?”
The answer came as the mare was shot straight in the head by one of the soldiers. The pepsis fell to the ground, dead.
The strange stallion, meanwhile, sighed. “And here I thought you’d accept her kindness. That just shows me why you all need to be wiped off the map.” He lit his own horn and ordered, “Leave none of them alive.”
The order given, the lavacelots rushed towards the soldiers, leaving burning footfalls in the wake. The soldiers, without needing to be prodded, immediately started opening fire. The changelings rushed into the air, and then down on their enemies. Screams of all types rent the air and the smell of burning flesh, blood and melted metal poured into the skies.
Though those above in the shining city did not know it yet, the Second Battle of Canterlot had begun, and the results of it would change ponykind forever.
In the immediate grounds surrounding the hospital, all present watched as the alicorns once again proved their divine nature. The ponies, touched at a spiritual level, instinctively kneeled before their holy rulers. The humans and other species present stood in utter shock, unable to believe that such a thing was possible – while many had heard of the legends and some had even seen the alicorns use their skills, to see them in full glorious display was a thing of incredible wonder.
Standing there, practically slack-jawed, Mike watched the incredible power on display, as the alicorns began their work. Knowing what he now saw before him, he had to wonder why anyone would have been insane enough to attempt to assassinate the princesses a few weeks back. Yet it happened and as he saw the trio channel power that no human could ever do, he realized another superpower the three alicorns had as well: restraint. They had let him deal with the issue, when they could have merely just blasted their attackers into component atoms.
How powerful are they? he wondered. Maybe the story about them truly being divine, their protests to the contrary, was true after all.
As for Sam, he looked at the blazing orange blur and knew who it was in an instant. Decorum prevented him from blowing her a kiss, but he was sure that she knew. Sure enough, he felt a tap of warmth on his cheek, almost as if a gentle kiss. He continued to watch the miniature sun as it continued to whip around the circle faster and faster, and he knew that part of that awesome strength was bolstered by something that she now knew as fact: she was no longer alone, and she would never face another night solitary.
The soldiers began to cheer as the magical circle began to build, a pure torus of purpure energies, sparkling and shimmering and vibrating with the vitality of both the alicorns and their aspects. The very air tingled and sparked with a sort of static electricity, yet not quite that at all. Ambient magic filled the air, and it passed through every living soul present, and the species of Alter-Earth felt recharged and refreshed. Even the humans, with no magics to call their own, knew something had changed at the elemental level, though they could never quite explain.
As the energies began to build, the forces present relaxed their positions. It seemed as if the forces of light would finally see the day victorious.
“I HAVE YOU NOW!”
Two blurs of black lanced through the sky and slammed into the ring. The torus detonated with a massive sonic boom strong enough to jolt the ground as if the very bones of the mountain shook. Windows detonated, objects were flung around as if toys and people of all species were thrown off their feet, practically flattened by the radiating blast wave. One helicopter in the path of the wake of the white noise blast lost control and plummeted, crashing into a nearby building, though fortunately the pilots, both pegasi, managed to eject in time.
“WE”RE UNDER ATTACK!” Soarin’ shouted, though it was hardly necessary; the troops were immediately scrambling to their feet and to find cover from where the attack had come. Above, the sky began to darken and move like thick ink, and for those who had been alive back then, remembered the scene once more as countless changeling rushed towards the site.
Explosions ripped through the sky and without warning, fighters of an unknown make roared through the space where the helicopters had been just seconds ago. The aircraft quickly fired, loosing missiles at the remaining helicopters, before pulling away. Some of the soldiers began to fire at the agressors as they vanished into the distance, but it was a futile gesture.
Unencumbered, the changelings made their way to the ground and the drones did what they did best, sowing chaos by changing into duplicates of many of the creatures present and blasting away with green spellfire. But the defenders immediately began returning fire, and “unarmed” troops fell, their bodies reverting to the original changeling form once they died. The drones knew that disguises would now be useless, so they switched to their alternate tactics: swarming and brute force.
“EQMILCOM, we are under attack, repeat, we are under attack,” Soarin’ said into his headset. “Notify the advance group to return immediately!” Silence was his only answer. “EQMILCOM, we are under attack, repeat, we are under attack!” Still nothing. “Dammit, Spits, answer the Faustdamn call!” The pegasus ripped off his headset and as he did, a green energy blast hit it, turning it into so much cooked electronics. He immediately dived for the ground and started to return fire.
“What the hell is going on with EQMILCOM?” Silver, who was maneuvering behind him to get to some of the troops, asked.
“They’re down. Don’t know what the hell the deal is…” Soarin’’s words were cut off as he let his weapon, an H&K MP8P, roar. “…but we’ve got our own problems here!”
Silver nodded. “Hold my gun,” he told his friend. “I’m going to out there to show them what a real earth pony can do!”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Soarin’ asked, but by then, Silver had dropped to all four legs and dashed off towards the enemy at a full gallop, ignoring the inconvenience of his body armor, the blasts being thrown at him by the changelings and the general chaos of the battlefield. As a soldier, that last one was something he was at least used to.
After what felt like a second’s worth of grueling minutes, he reached a group of changelings, back to back, fighting the enemy in the coordination only due to the hivemind they shared. Silver knew he had to stop this and cut loose with the full power of his Monolith ability. Having been born a super-strong earth pony, he and his brother Diamondplate were incredibly powerful and could cause immense destruction when it came to it.
He certainly hoped that would be the case now.
Leaping into the air as high as he could, he slammed right into the middle of the changeling group, all four of his hooves hitting the earth. The ground cracked beneath him and exploded, and any changelings that weren’t pulverized by his landing were crushed by the impromptu ground tsunami he caused. Then the blast wave from his groundslam radiated out, shredding any changelings that were in the immediate vicinity. Finally, in a feat that would’ve impressed most humans, he got back up to his hindlegs, withdrew his pistol and shot the remaining two changelings, who had looked at him with something bordering awe.
Soarin’ and his troops approached him. “Just had to show off, didn’t you?” he chuckled as he handed Silver back his rifle.
“Hey, I’ve been cooped up in a hospital until recently,” Silver joked back. “Had to stretch my legs, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah, now get back to your unit and get them back into the fight, okay? Time’s a wastin’.”
Mike and the others rushed into the safety of a place that, hours before, had just been a café. They immediately got by the windows and started returning fire. They then watched as one of the enemy fighters, attempting to do a strafing run, got hit by something and exploded, crashing into the hospital remains and causing more damage as its weapons cooked off.
“You know, I’d say we needed to hang out more often,” Mike told Sam as they started firing on the enemy, “but somehow I didn’t think this was what I had in mind.”
“That’s okay,” Sam laughed, despite the situation. “I really don’t like fishing, anyway.” His face then hardened as he added, “Besides, once the changelings showed up, any chance of this being a law enforcement operation went out the window. I’m not a military guy, but I’ll do what I have to protect the populace.”
“Sir, those enemy aircraft…they look familiar to you?” Sable Loam was setting up shop by the other window, what looked to be a sniper rifle. But it glowed in certain spots and didn’t look like a normal sniper.
“Major, what’s that?”
Loam grinned. “Oh, this thing, sir? It’s the Hoofington Blastworks MCR-47 Magical Accelerator Firing System. It’s a sniper rifle based on the concept of human coil rifles, except that it runs off of magic. High speed, serious impact.” He patted the plastic side. “Not every modern piece of military equipment we have is built on Human-Earth, Commander. In fact, from what I understand, a modification is being made for humans where it will be a standard coil system.”
“Odd, I hadn’t heard of that.”
“Well, with all due respect, sir, you said you came from the surface warfare community. This is more along the lines of special warfare, at least for now.”
“How powerful is that thing?” Sam asked. While he wasn’t too concerned about the power right now, as a cop he knew that eventually all military weapons somehow managed to find themselves in the hands (or even hoofs, claws, etc.) of criminals and gangs.
As if to answer, Loam slapped a magazine into the well, aimed, and fired. A blast of bluish-white energy flared from the muzzle, and two changelings in the path of the shot practically vaporized into nothingness before the round finally impacted against large flower planter on the hospital grounds, where it detonated from the blow. “As powerful as the usual kinetic blast, I’d say.”
Everyone present looked at Loam’s sniper before finally Mike spoke. “Well, targets of opportunity and all that.” Nothing more was said as they began raining gunfire at their enemy.
The three alicorns picked themselves off the ground in the middle of the huge crater they’d made when they crashed to earth. “Everypony okay?” Celestia asked them.
“Fine,” Luna said, brushing off her coat.
“Not happy though,” Cadance added, as she spat out some dirt that had lodged itself into her mouth.
They looked up to see their ancient enemies hovering above, glaring down at them. “What’s the plan, sister?” Luna asked Celestia.
“You and I will deal with the gruesome twosome,” Celestia said. “Cadance, you will have to maintain the ring until we can assist you.”
“Let me go after the bug,” Cadance seethed. “She and I have a few scores to settle.”
“All the more reason why you shouldn’t,” Luna told her. “Please, let us handle this. You save the girls. You’re the fastest flyer of the three of us – only you can do it.”
Without further ado, the three launched into the air. Cadance immediately used the energy she was drawing from her aspect to boost her speed, while Celestia and Luna summoned their old armor from the past, ready to do battle once more.
Luna and Chrysalis were the first to collide in battle. “Charming,” the queen cooed. “Who’s your tailor?”
“Your reign of terror ends here, monster!” Using the extra power within her, Luna threw a massive blast of burning red energy through the space the changeling queen was, only to find she’d moved just barely out of range.
“My,” Chrysalis cooed, “Looks like you’ll be some fun.”
Luna rushed towards her. “The only fun you’ll have is in the afterlife!” Luna swore as she slammed against the changeling queen, barely missing a direct hit on her foe. Even still, the blow was enough to daze the tyrant queen, sending her spinning through the air.
“You aren’t getting away that easily!” Luna thundered as she raced after Chrysalis.
“Look to yourself, nag!” A blast of green spellfire smacked the lunar alicorn across the face and she briefly lost altitude as she tried to recover. Swinging back up, she steadied herself in the air and charged the changeling queen once more.
While Luna and Chrysalis were slugging it out, Celestia and the Nightmare dove and parried each other, using both magical blasts and weapons. Celestia’s broadsword, Sol Invictus, sang as it burned through the air, only to repeatedly collide against the Nightmare’s hammer. Each blow was a detonation of solar magic, creating a fireworks display of explosions in the sky to anypony witnessing it from a very safe distance.
“YOUR DAYS ARE OVER, NIGHTMARE!” Celestia roared with the full force of the Royal Canterlot Voice.
The Nightmare smirked. “So says the fat, useless politician. When was the last time you truly were a warrior, I wonder? I practically live in my armor. Yours is in a glass case in the Royal Museum, I’m sure.” Pirouetting out the path of Celestia’s swing, the Nightmare struck back, aiming down towards the solar regent’s head.
Celestia immediately blocked and slashed forward – with another sword, a burning flamberge. She followed it up with a strike from a blazing rapier, and as the third blade scored across Nightmare’s barrel, she screamed in utter pain. Celestia moved back, her blades dancing around her as if they were attack drones commanded by a battle platform.
“Did you think I fought only with Sol Invictus?” Celestia laughed as golden power encircled her and her armor began to form from the extra energy her aspect was feeding her. “I also have my other sword, Dawn’s Light – and I’m sure you’re familiar with this one,” she said, bringing the rapier before her.
Nightmare’s eyes narrowed. “The Inkbrush of Wonder,” she snarled. “Faust’s blade.” The dark alicorn brought her hammer to the ready. “Your aunt has taught you well.”
“I have no other forebears, save for my mother,” Celestia said as she lunged forward, striking at Nightmare repeatedly.
“She never told you, did she?” Nightmare spun as quick as a top, putting all her energy into a blow and slammed away Celestia’s swords. Her second blow hit the solar alicorn straight on the barrel, sending her careening towards the ground. Nightmare matched the falling alicorn’s speed and laughed. “You probably thought you came from her twat and sucked at her dugs, didn’t you? And I thought I was supposed to be the monster!”
“What are you talking about?” Celestia snarled as she tried to get control of her descent.
“Isn’t it obvious, Alicorn of the Sun?” Nightmare smiled, her fangs giving an eerie cast to her rictus. “You think me a creation of Luna’s madness, but that was never true. I existed long before either of you. I came into being at the same time as my sister: your aunt, Faust.”
“Whatever trickery you’re trying, it won’t work!” Celestia snarled, firing an energy blast at the Nightmare’s head, but the demon alicorn merely moved her head slightly, letting the beam pass.
“Such a naïve little foal, thinking because the lone surviving alicorn raised her that she must’ve spat her out of her cunt.” The Nightmare laughed cruelly. “Listen, little princess, for I will tell you a True Thing: You’re not Faust’s daughter…
“…you’re mine.”
Both alicorns pulled up at the last second, tearing up gouts of dirt and gashes in the earth as they avoided a potentially cratering impact. The loam sprayed everywhere, brief agrarian roostertails filling the sky. At other times, Celestia would’ve found the general idea amusing; as a filly, she used to dive bomb the lake near Castle Everfree and bring up huge waves as she blew past. But now, she wasn’t focused on that little slice of happy nostalgia.
No, she was focused on the Nightmare’s words and her repeated insults of her mother, infuriating the Princess of the Day to no end. Not only could Nightmare’s statements be completely ludicrous, she knew her mother. Faust had always been there for her from day one and had never shown her anything else than complete and total love, as a mother should. She and Luna were Faust’s daughters, born from the Avatar of Imagination, and any other words were utter falsehoods.
With a movement that bored on balletic, Celestia flipped in mid-air and slammed down onto Nightmare’s back, crashing her to the ground with a scream of rage. This was immediately followed by the solar alicorn raking a massive energy blast across Nightmare’s back, making her scream further.
The dark alicorn got back to her hooves and glared at Celestia. “You’ve been a naughty filly. Mommy spank.”
“If you keep claiming to be my mother, monster,” Celestia seethed, “then perhaps I should consider matricide!”
From her vantage point in her fighter, Scootaloo flew above the remains of Cloudsdale while the rebuilding was going on. She knew she still wasn’t rated for flight duty, but right now she didn’t give a damn. She needed to help, because so many ponies had died in a senseless battle against humans that even the human world wanted to get rid of.
“Colonel, it’s pretty quiet out here,” one of the pilots spoke over the line.
“Reduced communications, colts and fillies,” she reminded them. “We need to keep the channels open in case something happens.”
“Request permission to speak,” an all-too-familiar voice spoke.
“Private channel, Sunsinger 13,” she told him, then switched over. “What is it now, Blitz?”
“This is bullshit, Aunt Scoots,” Rainbow Blitz told her. “Why the hell are we here to protect a place that’s no longer strategically viable? There’s better things to do with our time, like turn the Southwestern Continent into a black glass parking lot.”
Scootaloo knew that term. “Seriously, Blitz?”
“Okay, maybe not that far – we have alliances with the Jaguars, I think. But the point is, we have to do something!”
She said nothing but silently, she had to agree. From the report she got from Lightning Dust this morning, the bulk of the REAF’s fighters had been destroyed, and bombers were useless for what was going on now. They were relying on reinforcement REAF wings to come in from the western portion of Equestria, but the fact was that with the way things were now, the bulk of the useful air force…belonged to the REN.
And she couldn’t disagree with her nephew regarding the intelligence about the south Continent. REAF Intel had reported the vast majority of the changeling strongholds were now based in the Southwestern Continent, and while they had always been down there, from what she knew, the majority of those hives had always been peaceful. But if they had all decided to bow to Chrysalis, that could make things incredibly problematic.
Besides, doing something meant that she could protect her loved ones, like Rainbow, who was trapped in that destroyed hospital. Or her husband Featherweight, who was on the “ground” in Cloudsdale, interviewing survivors of the whole mess. Even Blitz, though he was complaining. She wanted to defend all her family members, all of which could potentially be in danger.
But she was in command right now, which meant restraint. And if she had to do circles around Cloudsdale as a show of force to calm the populace (the real reason they were there) then she would do that.
A new voice came over the line. “Hey Colonel, when’s the tanker getting here? I’m nearly bingo, and we’re due to pull in.”
“He’s right: it’s 1610 – they’re nearly thirty minutes late.”
“Roger that,” Scootaloo replied. “Calling it in.” She then toggled over the channel and began. “EQMILCOM, this is Sunsinger 6. Requesting status on refueling tanker, over.” Silence. “EQMILCOM, this is Sunsinger 6, requesting status on the fueling tanker – it was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, over.” Still nothing, and Blitz tried a different frequency. “EQMILCOM, this is Sunsinger 6, request response, over.”
A voice came over the line, but it wasn’t one he was expecting. “Sunsinger 6, this is MGEC. EQMILCOM is believed to have been compromised. I say again, EQMILCOM is believed to have been compromised. We will be handling all communications at this time, over.”
“MGEC, Sunsinger 6. What the hell’s going on?”
“EQMILCOM went dark about an hour ago and we are in the middle of a pitched battle with an army of changelings. Defense screens are down and the princesses are in the middle of a battle with Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis. We need you inbound, immediately!”
“MGEC, we are near bingo, though we have weapons onboard. We can head to Canterlot soonest, but we’re gonna need a gas station and quick, over.”
“Sunsinger 6, this is Vice Magus Raspberry Blast. Proceed immediately to Canterlot. We will find a way to get you all fueled up before you arrive on scene. We’ll think of something, but we need you here right now.”
“Roger that, we are inbound. Standing by on channel for further updates, Sunsinger 6, out.” Switching channels once more, she ordered. “All units, Sunsinger 6. Canterlot is under attack and we have orders to assist. Furthermore, EQMILCOM is believed to be out of commission; all traffic will come through MGEC until further notice, got that?”
“What the hell’s going on?”
“Not a clue, but we have our orders,” Scootaloo replied as she winged away from Cloudsdale and kicked in the afterburners, headed towards Canterlot. “Canterlot’s under attack and we’ve been sitting here, tapping our hooves. I don’t know about you all, but I’m not going to be happy until I get some bug squishing done!”
Flying overhead, Celestia saw, with horror, that the battle had expanded well beyond the hospital and there was now fighting in the streets, moving beyond the center of the town and headed both westward and northward. The Mage Guild entered the fray, blasting away with arcane powers and mystic energies. Even some of the citizenry marched out into the streets, fighting alongside their pony brethren. Bodies of various species littered the ground and many went to the Great Plains, or whatever their belief systems allowed. Orders were barked and a variety of martial sounds went through the air.
“Take them down!”
“I’m hit!”
“Keep the pressure on! Unicorns, full range magic blasts, now!”
“Weapons free, weapons free, repeat, weapons free!”
She looked frantically for Sam; last she saw, she had been with Mike and some other troops, but she lost them in the middle of her battle against Nightmare Moon – and right now, there was a lot of that going on as well.
The dark alicorn rammed her directly into the palace complex, ironically destroying her own wing of the venerable building. Before Nightmare Moon could follow up, however, Celestia spun and bucked her opponent as hard as she could, sending her flying through the walls. She took off after her opponent, but paused to see REG personnel evacuating the floor.
“Evacuate the whole of the complex and get the staff to the safety of the basements,” she commanded.
“The whole complex?” the pony gasped.
“At the rate things are going,” she told him as she launched after Nightmare Moon, “there might not be one standing!”
Having moved several buildings to the south, Mike, Sam and his group met up with Master Chief Khan and his contingent. They had moved into the worst of the fighting and, sadly, encountered the remains of a family of ponies that had been killed in the battle when part of the building collapsed.
“They didn’t deserve this,” Mike growled.
“No one does, Commander,” Khan replied, finding a blanket in the ruins of the apartment and covering the family.
“Any word from anyone?” Sam asked.
One of the soldiers with Khan’s group spoke up. “Nothing yet, sir. We have reduced communications and EQMILCOM has gone dark. MGEC has stepped in to back up, but they don’t have the full spectrum of gear we need and we don’t know completely what the status is. We don’t have casualty estimates for either side and the fighting doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon, sir.”
“Wonder what the hell’s going—” He never finished his sentence as the back caved in and changelings started to boil through the wall.
Khan turned and fired, killing the trio instantly. However, the shots didn’t come from his service-issued XM-29, but instead a revolver in his hand.
Sable looked at the hand cannon, then at the perfect-hit shots from it. “Nice shooting.”
He nodded. “It was hand cannon given to me by my father, who served in the Gulf War,” the man said. “I’ve been using it since I was a kid, and while it’s not standard-issue, it still kills the bad guys dead.”
“Well, we can’t stay much longer,” Sam told him as they looked outside. “We’re going to have to move on from this location.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mike replied. “Master Chief, you take your unit and see if you can find one of the generals. Director Martinez, the XO and I will remain here and see what we can do to keep the changelings away from the hospital.”
“Think you can do that, sir?” one of the troops asked Mike.
“Well, given how things are, I don’t think it can get any worse,” Sam replied.
“Director, trust me,” Khan replied. “In all my years in the fleet, I’ve found one truth: it will always get worse.”
Cadance had always loved flying. As a young filly, she’d proven a hoofful and a half for her governess, Cozy Hearth, as well as her Sentinels, the guards who had come with her from Saddle Arabia and sworn to protect her. As she was older, she often flew with her foalhood friend, Quick Draw, and some of her guards. And through the years, she’d flown, often times wondering if she should’ve been a pegasus instead of an alicorn – oftentimes it felt like that was the magic she used most.
So now she used that ability for all it was worth, and then some. Mach 1? No problem. Mach 2, 3? Eh, even the fastest pegasi could do that when it came to it. Mach 4? Rainbow and her family did that regularly.
So here she was, pushing Mach 6, absorbing all the ambient magic from her own flight, while fending off changelings trying to stop her by the dozen. And on top of that, she was absorbing all the magic that was being blasted into her by the Crystal Heart, all the way in Empire City. It was more than any alicorn was used to dealing with and certainly, more than she, the youngest of the alicorns, had ever had to contend with.
Yet, despite the burning, the hits from the changelings and the soreness in her wings that was kicking in, she continued to push. She had to do it, or else Twilight and the others would die. Without them, the Elements would go inert. Without those, they were powerless against Nightmare Moon and other magical evils and ultimately, Canterlot would fail. Her family would rupture and her son would be in grave danger, not to mention the subjects of Equestria.
So, she had no choice – she kept on going.
Around her, she could hear the blasts of magic and the staccato of gunfire. She herself was throwing out the occasional punch or magic blast to keep the changelings away, though she was using speed as her main weapon.
I wish Celestia or Luna would have taught me how to create an aetherial weapon like they have, she thought to herself. Maybe once we survive this – if we survive this – I’ll have to talk to them about that.
She vaguely recalled what Twilight’s plan was: to use their magic to create a sort of tokamak, drawing in the various energies of the aspects to blast down to the Elements. She’d gone over this plan in her head a dozen times, and still it didn’t make sense, but she didn’t have the science and magical background that Twilight had. Regardless, it was blatantly obvious that if this didn’t work, they were all doomed.
So she flew, hoping she would see her loved ones again.
Outside the perimeter of Canterlot, a new fighter screen had been put up, but this one was intended to keep the forces of Equestria out of the city. From his position above Canterlot, Khalid pulled away from a heavy strike on Canterlot Mountain base. With most of the facility heavily damaged, even if by the impossibility that they could lose, it would be a long time before the ponies rebuilt.
One of his pepsis pilots spoke up. “Sir, shall we begin strike runs?”
“No,” Khalid told him. “We are as likely to hit our own troops as we are the enemy and it wouldn’t do that much good. Besides, news that Canterlot is under attack can’t last much longer.”
Sure enough, his alert radar went off, followed shortly by one of his pilots shouting, “Incoming REAF fighters, angels 5, coming in from the south!”
Khalid rolled his eyes; when this was over he was going to “Understood. Turn and engage fighters; Units 8 through 14, hit those gun emplacements. The rest of you will engage and strike the enemy, am I clear? How many contacts do we have?”
“We have twelve fighters inbound, sir.”
Khalid laughed. Like lambs to the slaughter, little ponies, like lambs to the slaughter. “On my mark, engage and fire, do you understand?”
The targeting signal went off again. They’d already fired!
“Break, break! Drop countermeasures and engage!” Khalid ordered. The fighters pulled away, with only one unsuccessfully doing so and taking a missile full-on. The fighter broke apart and exploded, and the burning remains fell and crashed against the side of the mountain.
The Privateers immediately returned fire, launching missiles against their enemy.
In her cockpit, Scootaloo was about to target the unidentified fighter. Glad that the Guild were smart enough to come up with a refueling plan – Fly to the Lonely Spire, then have mages teleport the fuel into our tanks; that’s a new one – she’d never seen them before and she didn’t know what their qualifications were. However, the moment most of them managed to avoid their first strike, she knew it was bad. “All units, break, break! Drop CMs and take ‘em to the roof! We can’t let them take Canterlot!” she ordered. At once the REAF fighters rocketed into the air, all barely dodging the missile barrage. They headed for the cloudline and pushed through it, eight miles up.
The enemy fighters cut along and followed, just as Scootaloo hoped. “Alpha flight, follow me. Sunsinger 13, you have command of Bravo flight. Everypony, break them apart, choose your targets, cut them down, but more importantly, stay alive.”
“Roger that!” Blitz told her over the line.
As she looked out of her canopy, she could see his fighters banking right, drawing off half the fighters. Now it was just a two against one ratio. Now all we have to do is just outfly them. We’re pegasi – we rule the skies, so it shouldn’t be a major issue.
The fighters began to dance through the skies, aiming for each other’s backside, a sadistic and dangerous mating game of sorts. All sorts of alarms sang out in cockpits and the battle pushed on.
Scootaloo dropped behind one of them, and called out, “Fox Two, Fox Two!” An AIM-10B Desert Adder lanced away from her aircraft, streaked across the void and slammed into the back of the enemy aircraft. It detonated into a fireball, and Scootaloo banked to avoid the wreckage. “Scratch one bandit!”
“Got one on my tail!”
“I’m on it, I’m on it! Guns, Guns, Guns!”
Too la—”
She could hear the explosion behind her and knew one of her own was lost. “Who was that?” she demanded.
“Sunsinger 17.” Blitz sounded as though he’d taken a mortal blow. She didn’t know the pilot well, but she knew that he was Blitz’ wingman – and that was more than enough.
“Okay, he’s gone but we can’t do anything but get revenge, ponies. Let’s get back in the furball!” Like angry wasps, the F-23s burned their way against the enemy aircraft, two sides throwing immense tons of metal at each other.
In her seat, Scootaloo was angry. These were cutting-edge aircraft that no other nation had ever seen before…but they were up against the REAF, pegasi that since even before Equestria were masters of both flying and war. And as the enemy’s heat-seeking missiles came towards them, she swore that she would show the enemy just how big of a mistake they made by crossing her.
Within seconds, the two sides had engaged once more, earnestly trying to kill one another.
DJ slammed on the door, but to no avail. “LET US OUT OF HERE, YOU TOOLS!” she shouted, also to no avail.
Lyra sighed. “You may as well give up, Dee. If they haven’t opened now, they’re not going to open for anybody.”
Elusive nodded. “I’m afraid she’s right – if anypony who could have helped us were in a position to do so, we’d have been freed already.”
DJ, however, was not going to give up. Leaning against the door, she groaned, “Great, just fucking great. One of the few times in my life I wish I had the full abilities of an earth pony and here I am, being me. Fucked up world, huh?”
“Wait.” The three turned to look at Sunset, who was looking at DJ with surprise. “You’re not an earth pony?”
“Well no duh, Sunset,” Cerise replied. “She grew up on my Earth, where there’s no magic. She’s probably picked up some here, but whatever strength she has is likely just due to genetics. Otherwise, she’s just a garden-variety useless traitor to her own kind.”
“I heard that,” DJ replied.
“I don’t care if you did.”
“Well, bitch, let me show you just how weak I am!” DJ stomped over to where Cerise was with murder in her eyes, until Sunset stepped in-between them. “Sunset, I don’t have an issue with you, so get out of the way,” DJ warned.
“Look, Cerise can be insensitive as hell, but she’s my friend, okay? And I like my friends intact,” Sunset told her. “Besides, you haven’t answered my question: You seriously don’t have magic?”
“Why should I? I’m genetically an earth pony, but I’ve lived on Human-Earth all this time, so I didn’t have exposure to any kind of magic at all until I came here. As it is, I really don’t know if I’ve picked up any and I really don’t care…well, until now, that is.”
“I see,” the amber unicorn replied. “I don’t know if you know this, but I think you’re a Monolith.”
Lyra sat up immediately. “How the hell do you know about that?” she asked. “That’s heavily classified!”
“How do you know, your grace?” Sunset replied in turn.
“State secrets are what I deal in,” the celeste unicorn replied. “But you’re just a secretary.”
“Not quite – I’m the secretary for Princess Champagne,” the unicorn explained.
“You’d better have a more satisfactory answer. How do I know you’re not a changeling?”
“Seriously?” Cerise rolled her eyes. “Changelings can’t change into the human form – that’s a known fact!”
“Except there are two changelings in the custody of the Singaporean government,” Lyra countered. “They attempted to assassinate the princesses – and they did it in a human form!” Lyra didn’t voice the rest of the report: that they’d escaped and there were no signs of how they had done it, another indicator that they could assume human forms.
“Your grace, we are not changelings,” Sunset repeated, trying to assure them. “What would give you proof?”
“For starters, you could tell me how you know so much about the Monolith program,” Lyra said, a stern look in her eyes. “That’s some of the highest classifications in the government and only the princesses and a few select others know about it!”
Sunset sighed. “I’m an Adept.”
“A what?” DJ and Elusive asked at the same time.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you two,” Lyra explained. “You especially DJ, given that you hold dual citizenship.” She turned to Sunset. “Give me a better answer than that.”
“I’m from Adept family,” Sunset explained. “I’m originally from a town south of Oatmaha, little forest town out of the way. My parents didn’t have much in the way of bits – my mother is a housewife, and my father is a lumberjack. So, when I got an all-expenses paid scholarship to the Academy, I jumped at it.” She sighed. “Something went wrong, and I was expelled.”
“Are you talking about the crystal incident?” Lyra asked. “That happened the year before I attended the Music Conservatory! And you don’t look as old as I was.”
Sunset laid down and charged her horn with a white glow. “I’ve readied the sharing spell. You know changelings don’t have that ability, as far as we know. You will see everything.”
Lyra looked at DJ and then Elusive. “Elusive, charge a stun blow. I’m going to do it.”
“Lyra, don’t. Please.” DJ asked. “This is my fault.”
“This is only something unicorns can do, DJ. Elusive is probably better trained at magic blasts than I am, so it has to be me.” She smiled. “Besides, I’m no stranger to this.” She smiled. “Besides, I’ve done this once before.” She sat down pony style, commenting, “Haven’t done this in ages.”
The two crossed their horns, and the white glow shifted from Sunset’s horn to Lyra’s. As with the last time, Lyra looked at the information giver with sorrow and sympathy. She went over and hugged Sunset. “I’m sorry that you had to go through all that. And I’m sorry you found out that way.”
There were tears in Sunset’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Lyra got back to her feet. “It’s okay,” she said to her companions. “She’s real, which probably means Cerise is real as well.”
“A real bitch,” DJ muttered.
“Dee….” Lyra sighed. “Anyway, Sunset, are you sure about this?”
Sunset nodded. “I shared that information with you, your grace. That’s why I think what I know about DJ here.”
“Please, just call me Lyra.”
Sunset grinned, nodded, then turned to DJ. “I have reason to believe that you are a super-strong earth pony, if you had magic.”
That made DJ look at her oddly. “How so?”
“From what I know, you’re much bigger than most mares. Seriously, have you realized this?”
“Well, I know there’s at least a foot or so difference between DJ and when we’re upright,” Lyra said, “but I thought that was just due to her living on Human-Earth and all that protein.”
“You know what? You’re right.” Elusive looked at his sister. “DJ, would you stand on all fours, please?”
She looked at her brother oddly, but complied. “I don’t know why, but okay.”
Elusive gestured to Sunset to stand next to him, as well. You are much taller than her, sister.” Elusive eyed his sister, stroking his chin while visually measuring her. “In fact, if I had to take a guess, you’re three inches taller than Uncle Mac.” A thought then crossed his mind. “Actually, now that I think of it, so are Father and Uncle Diamondplate. Minty was a regular-sized mare, but…you’re much taller. Larger around the barrel, too.”
The humanized pony huffed. “Are you calling me fat?” she snarled.
Elusive facepalmed. Way to walk into that one. Trying to take the higher ground, he said, “No, sister, I’m calling you the heir to our father’s legacy.”
DJ stood up again and started waving her arms dismissively. “Look, okay, I admit it! I probably eat more cheeseburgers than I should. I think I’m thin for my bodytype,” she replied, muttering, “though I’d kill for looking model thin like some I’ve seen.”
“Look, guys, whatever Hulk thing you say she is? Doesn’t make a damn difference if she can’t use her magic,” Cerise interrupted. “She’s useless as is! Not that she was much better to begin with, but now she’s extra-special useless!”
“Not if we can force charge her,” Sunset replied as she addressed her fellow unicorns. “Do either of you remember what we were taught about corneal impact-based magic overload in Magic Kindergarten?”
“That we shouldn’t do it at all,” Lyra said. “Why?”
The amber mare grinned. “Your gra…nevermind, I’m just going to call you Elusive, if you don’t mind. Anyway, do you know why?”
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Elusive replied. “As for why we shouldn’t, I remember them explaining that in biology back in high school.”
“Ah, that explains it,” Lyra blurted. “Back when I was in school, biology really wasn’t part of the post-mark education system. I presume now it is?” When Sunset and Cerise nodded, Lyra added, “Okay then, I’m going to say for the sake of argument that I could use a refresher.”
“I’d be happy to,” Elusive said, and all present listened to the young stallion’s explanation. “It tends to happen only with unicorns, hence the ‘corneal impact’. What happens is there is a massive discharge, followed by a brief backlash and side effect. But it doesn’t last very long, as I recall. But the big concern is that it creates a massive amount of magical energy and if the ponies involved don’t take care, they could get scorched or shocked by the discharge as the thaumic half-life vaporizes it.” He looked at Sunset. “That about it?” Sunset nodded in response, and he smiled. “Glad I recalled a few things from those years.”
“Yes, but I don’t see what any of that has to do with me,” DJ asked.
Sunset looked at her. “I can use an essence transference spell to rebuild your ley nerves and mana bloodcells. I won’t lie, it’s going to hurt – for them and for you, but it’s the only way we can get out of here: if you break that door down.”
“What? But you saw me hit that door! I’m stronger than a regular human, but I’m not strong enough to take that thing down!”
Lyra stepped closer and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Look, Dee, I get what she’s saying: basically, if your brother and I hit each other with our horns, we could create a magical discharge that Sunset can use to jumpstart your magic! You’ll finally have earth pony magic!”
“Yeah, because this doesn’t sound like a deus ex machina,” DJ groaned, rolling her eyes. “Guys, I’m an author, so I come up with a lot of stuff for my books, and let me tell you: this is clear as mud! It makes no sense whatso-fucking-ever! It’s like you gave Pinkie some mescaline and told her to write the principal laws of magic or something!”
“Look, Martinez, let’s get something straight,” Cerise said. “I hate your guts. You pissed on your mother and you’re a stuck-up little fuck. But let’s be honest: the next time they open that door, we are all done for. If we take control of the situation, then we have a fighting chance. And I’d much prefer my chances having to owe you one rather than all of us getting very, very dead.”
“DJ, you’re the only one who can do this,” Elusive told her. “Not even a regular earth pony could pull this off.”
“Dee, please,” Lyra asked. “I want to see my children again, and so do you.” Lyra took her friend’s hoof in her own. “You and I are special: we’re the first two that have given birth to hybrid children, the first who have children as special as ours. And I don’t want mine or yours to grow up without mothers.”
Despite how much Lyra meant to her, DJ glared at the unicorn. Damn you for hitting me at that weak spot! But she knew her old friend was right. “Fine. Make my nightmares come true.”
“Your nightmares?”
“Did you forget what I told you the day we first met, Lyra?” DJ asked.
“No, I didn’t,” Lyra said with a soft, maternal smile, hugging the younger humanized pony. “This is different. You have always been afraid of your strength hurting others.” Lyra’s smile then turned into a wicked grin. “Now? We’re asking you to.”
DJ merely gave her a grin.
The two unicorns in the room were about to get ready to do this when a sudden thought came across Elusive’s mind. “Wait – Sunset, are you really sure that this can be done? My aunt Twilight has said before that mana transfer is a form of thaumic therapy and that you need to be licensed.”
The look on Sunset’s face was that of the manticore that ate the phoenix. “I’ll figure it out. I hope.”
The first to feel the overload was Cadance. While rocketing around the circle and While blazing through and holding the spell in place, she began to feel queasy and wobbly, and it was becoming harder to ignore the changeling blasts, such as they were right now. Her whole body became numb as the Crystal Heart continued to feed her energy, a force she was now straining to absorb. She bit off the scream, however, and kept moving. Her loved ones – her family – was counting on her to keep going, and it was now a do or die situation.
As Luna pushed her strikes towards Chrysalis, she began to burn with an intensity that was not just her anger at work. Finally, she felt as if her insides were exploding, and she screamed before falling.
Chrysalis paused and hovered above the plummeting alicorn. “Awww, what’s the matter?” the queen cooed. “Can’t hold your power anymore?” She charged up a blast and hit Luna as hard as he could. “LET ME HELP YOU DOWN!”
The lunar alicorn crashed against a building, bounced off and slammed into a street, leaving a small impact crater. She could feel her skin start to burn from the energy she was absorbing from the moon, but she couldn’t stop. To do so would be to end that part of the spell, and as it would take forever to recast, it would ultimately mean the death of those she loved. She couldn’t abide that.
She would just have to fight through the pain. Luna grinned with malice – all it meant was that she got to return the pain to Chrysalis.
She blasted back into the air, aiming straight towards her opponent.
The moment Celestia heard Luna’s scream, she knew what was happening. Starting to feel the intense power of solar magic burn into her, the day alicorn adjusted, pouring more and more into her attacks against Nightmare. The beams became stronger and more intense and her swords became glowing stars of light. Still, as much as she was putting out, the sun continued to dump into her and she knew she would hit her limit. Luna was already at that point, and as much as Celestia wanted to help her sister, fighting two combatants at once would be a very calculated risk. Furthermore, with Luna at her limit, she knew that Cadance had to be there as well, and was likely still going through via sheer willpower.
The sun alicorn parried another one of the Nightmare’s hammer blows and the nemesis chuckled. “You feel it, don’t you? The energies that you can’t shake or absorb anymore. An elemental burn, just like when those little shits hit me with the Elements!” she seethed. “Now you will feel all the pain you deserve, foal, and best of all, it’s self-inflicted!”
The solar alicorn finally began to sweat, lather building up around her armor as she began to feel tired. “This isn’t over yet, Nightmare! Not by a longshot!”
“Oh, I know,” Nightmare said, blocking one of Celestia’s sword blows with magic before slamming her with the hammer. “If you’re lucky, you’ll get to live long enough to see the end. You just won’t like it.”
“How’s…how’s it coming, Twi?” Rainbow looked barely conscious, and to the casual onlooker, she appeared afraid – which Rainbow would say wasn’t true, because she was the kind of mare who wasn’t afraid of anything. After all, she’d faced down Nightmare Moon, Tirek, Sombra, Chrysalis, the Storm King, and so many others during her life, so there was no reason to be afraid at all.
“I’m still not getting enough energy for the spell,” Twi said, worriedly. Again the ceiling above them then thumped, as loud noises came from outside and dust rained down upon them. “Something must’ve happened.”
“Queen Chrysalis is attacking,” Dawn told them. “If they don’t stop the aboveground portion of the spell, then you all get out and can counter her. She knows that, so she’s probably throwing both the Old and New Broods against the princesses.”
“Well, dontcha worry none, sugarcube,” Applejack began, before anything she wanted to say was dissolved into a coughing fit. She looked unsteady on her feet, barely able to stand despite the magical assistance her Element was rendering. She finally got a hold of her breath again, and finished. “We got Celestia, Luna an’ Cadance up there – they ain’t gonna give up until we’re out of this mess, you sure ya betcha.”
“I for one, completely agree with Applejack,” Rarity said, giving the young flutter a smile. “If you fear that the changelings have come for you, that isn’t true at all. You are family now, and we do not give up on family.”
“Really?”
“It is…a lesson that we all have to learn some time or another,” the unicorn replied, less to Dawn and more for the sake of the others. “It is a lesson that I feel sometimes I am still learning myself.”
The ground around them shook hard and rubble continued to fall. Part of the ceiling in the back portion of the room caved in, though thankfully it was a distance enough away that they were all still safe. “It’s like there’s a war out there!” Pinkie chirped.
“You don’t have to – cough – sound so happy about it!” Rainbow snarled.
They then heard an all-too-familiar buzzing. “Shields up!” Twilight ordered. Sweetie immediately complied, putting all her power into a domed shield around them, with an opening at the time for the spell energy to continue making its way down.
“We’re all counting on you,” Sweetie said through clenched teeth to Dawn. “You’re our point defense, Dawn. Make it happen.”
The answer to that was Dawn letting her magic slip around her, changing form until she had the shape she intended to fight in. The moment they all saw it, they all looked on with approval, except for Twilight, whose slack-jawed gaze at her daughter’s new form surprised her.
“I think she looks perfect,” Fluttershy said, encapsulating all their thoughts.
“Better, even,” Twilight responded, her heart bursting with pride.
After all, it wasn’t every day that one got to see oneself as an alicorn, majestic, powerful and ready for war.
Digging noises sounded, and the moment the changelings broke through, Dawn slammed a hoof on the ground, then reared. “BEGONE! I AM TWILIGHT SPARKLE, THE GREATEST MAGE THAT HAS EVER LIVED! FACE ME AT YOUR PERIL!”
If changelings were capable of having a horror-struck look, these ones mastered it, just in time for Dawn to hit them with a force barrier, sending them flying back into the pit before blasting the wall shut with a second shot. Wiping her hooves off, she said, “Well, that’s round one to me. Next?”
“That’s my filly,” the real Twilight Sparkle said with utter joy.
There was a hard slam against the door, followed by a second one.
Blackest Night looked at Faded Sparkle. “What the hell is going on in there?”
Faded shrugged. “One guy, four girls, you figure it out, stupid. Wish I could be in there – could probably get my rocks off.”
“You sure you’re not one of the Velvet subbrood?”
“Meet me in my bunk tonight and you’ll find out,” she told him. “Either way, we need to investigate that. You go be the big strong stallion and check that out for me, will you?”
Blackest sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll go risk my neck while your pretty little tail waits here.”
“This tail will be lifted just for you tonight,” she cooed.
The door started to buckle.
“Wait – that’s not just—” Faded started.
It was the last thing she ever said.
The door immediately flew off its hinges, slamming hard into both pepsis, and a sickening crunch could be heard from the other side as it collided, cracking the wall. A greenish-gray ooze dripped out from the other side.
Across from the ruined wall, an earth pony stood bipedally, an electric blue corona dancing around her. She was breathing heavily, but it was the breathing heavily of someone enraged rather than due to exertion.
“I am der lurgh,” she said in a guttural voice.
“Not even going to ask what that means,” Sunset replied as she stepped behind her. “Must be some human reference.”
“Hell if I know,” Cerise replied. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a reference from Sylvester Stallone, an old Hollywood actor,” DJ explained, “and—”
“Look, we don’t have time for that,” Sunset interrupted. “You and I have to deal with the changelings in EQMILCOM. You ready for a fight?”
DJ felt the energy coursing around her. Was this how it felt to be an earth pony – a true earth pony? That door had to have been a couple of tons, something she couldn’t even dream of dragging around before, and given that she was the kind of person who changed the tires on the car by lifting the car and just putting it on sans a jack, that was something completely shocking to her.
“DJ, we gotta move!” Sunset shouted, breaking her from her reverie.
“On it!” she said, following behind Sunset and after a few seconds of falling really behind, opting to switch to four-wheel drive.
“Cerise, you stay here and take care of the others until they’re okay!” Sunset called back.
As the two ran down the hall, Cerise looked at them and said, “Yeah, no problem!” She then sighed, adding, “As if I know what the hell to do here.”
“Get me some clothes!” Lyra argued.
“You’re a pony! You’re normally naked!” Cerise countered.
A nude woman stood in front of the younger one. “Not when I’m a human!”
Cerise looked at her. “Wait, you’re in your sixties, right?”
“And?”
“You have a better body than I do. Fuck my life.”
“Hey, down here!” a tiny voice shouted. “I got shrunk to nothing!” They both looked down, and had to get on their knees to actually see Elusive.
“You okay?” Lyra asked.
“I’m an inch tall!” he squeaked. “What do you think?”
As they approached the command center, Sunset told DJ, “All I need for you is to provide backup, okay? Let me handle the main brunt of the attack. You weren’t combat trained, so I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“And you were?”
“Part of the Guild training,” Sunset answered. “Plus, I spar with Chammie…that is, Princess Champagne. She likes to keep the both of us in shape.”
“I see,” DJ replied.
“No, not like that! I went through some trauma a few years ago, and I grew up with her – she’s just making sure that I recover and that she looks good for her husband!” Sunset raced up some stairs and approached the door, with DJ close behind. “Okay, here’s the plan: I’m going to ensorcell the code into the door here. Then we’re going to sneak in and—”
“That’ll take too long.” To Sunset’s confusion, DJ slid back down the stairs, stared at the door, then called back, “Be ready to move when I do this!”
“What are you doing?”
“Let’s just say this isn’t my first dance with something as big as a fridge that wanted to have its way.” With that, DJ took off at a gallop, and just as she was about to connect with the door, she leapt to her feet and rammed it with her shoulder – or technically, her withers. “HULK SMASH!” she roared as it hit, and the door went flying across the room, crashing into the giant monitor on the opposite end of the room, surprising all the changelings and pepsis present – and smashing the one that had been unlucky enough to be in the path of the door.
“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO?!” Sunset shouted at DJ the moment the door fell, but the humanized pony, completely empowered by (and at this point, possibly drunk on) magic, wasn’t even close to done yet.
With an insanity that came from who knew where, she leapt into the air, shouting, “FEEL THE PAIN TRAIN!” and came down into the center of the room. The moment she hit the floor, a blast of energy radiated from her as the floor buckled. Bodies were thrown in every direction, which provided a convenient excuse for Sunset to magically blast them all. DJ then started going hoof-to-hoof with the changelings and pepsis while Sunset blasted as many as she could.
A second later, the two were all that was left. DJ’s magic continued to swirl around her, and Sunset gingerly stepped around all the broken and damaged equipment that had been “modified” during the fight. “Minotaur in a crystal ball shop much?” the unicorn accused.
“Hey, Fist of Panic. Works every time,” DJ said with a grin.
“You’ve done this before?” Sunset asked, incredulous.
“Uh, sorta? I mean, there’s the Destiny remake that Activision Blizzard put out a couple of years ago, and my main is a human Titan Striker. My husband likes to play a pegasus Gunslinger Hunter, but between the eight species, I kinda go with human for obvious reasons.”
Sunset tried not to do a facehoof. “Look, that’s not important right now. Right now, I need to get these computers up. Check the closets and other rooms to see if there’s other changelings we missed.” The unicorn went over to sit down by one of the computers that that was both mercifully still intact and had power running. She immediately placed her hooves over the hoofboard, getting to work.
“What, there’s no magical repair spell or something?” DJ asked, looking over the unicorn’s withers.
“I’m sure there is one, but I really don’t know it,” Sunset replied, not taking her eyes off the screen. “And remember what I said about the changelings? You’d better start looking.”
“Got it.” DJ went over to the table where the guns were – where were the weapons’ owners? – and picked up the most familiar one, a MN-23E. Checking the weapon, she slung the strap over her neck and said, “Be right back.”
Sunset gave DJ a brief look of confusion. “Uh, do you know how to use that thing?” As if to answer, the door nearest Sunset slammed open, and a manticore in full rage charged at her. Caught off-guard, she instinctively flinched and covered herself.
Three shots rang out and the manticore fell to the ground, dead, before green flame enveloped it and one very dead changeling lay in a pool of its own ichor.
Sunset looked at DJ with utter shock.
“You know what one of the best parts of being an American is?” The humanized pony just rested the gun against her shoulder. “Two words: Second fucking Amendment.”
Sunset finally facehoofed and didn’t even try to figure out what the hell that meant before getting back to work. As she continued to type on the hoofboard, she added, “I have no idea what I’m looking for. I mean, I’ve got a decent clearance of my own due to having to work for a princess, but this is well above my paygrade.”
“I see you’ve been busy,” Elusive said as he came through the door. He’d been restored to normal size, and behind him was both Cerise, and Lyra, who was still in human form – and thankfully dressed, courtesy of Elusive.
Lyra looked at DJ. “You just had to go full redneck, didn’t you?”
“Love you too, Lyra.”
Lyra flashed her friend a grin, then turned her attention to Sunset. “What’s the situation?”
“Hey, had to do what we had to do,” DJ said.
“Minotaur. In. A. Crystal Ball. Shop,” Sunset grunted. “Seriously though, Lyra, all I can get are basic functions on this thing. I don’t have the authority to get more than just the basic stuff up.” She added in a few more commands, and the computer screens came alive with the situation in Canterlot – and things did not look good.
Seeing the fighting in the streets onscreen, Elusive said just about what was on all their minds: “Lunadammit.”
“Cerise, you help Sunset –I’m sure you know how to use hoofboards, right? Elusive, as repulsive as it is, I’ll need you to clear the bodies. Throw them in that supply closet for now.”
“That’s…rather distasteful, but better than seeing these monsters,” he admitted.
“I guess I’m security, then?” DJ asked.
“You’re probably the only one who knows how to use a gun properly, so yeah,” Lyra told her. “Now as for me, I’m going to go into the commander’s office and see if I can find something that will allow us to get higher level access. Maybe a keycard or something.” With that, Lyra strode into the EQMILCOM Commander’s office…and then screamed.
DJ was there in a flash. “Lyra, you okay?”
And then she saw the bodies.
Lyra bent down, and cradled the dead body of Spitfire. “I knew her, a long time ago. She…she used to come by Bonnie’s old shop to get chocolates whenever she was in town and…. She used to flirt with me a lot, and it always annoyed Bonnie. She was straight, though, so nothing ever happened.” Lyra laid Spitfire down and placed her in repose. “She didn’t deserve this. None of them deserved this.” Lyra turned to face DJ, and her eyes were tearstruck. “My kind – your kind – are being hunted by those monsters!”
“Lyra…” DJ bent down and hugged her friend and mentor. “It’s not over yet, Lyra. Trust me.”
“How do you know? You weren’t here when Chrysalis hit Canterlot the last time! And the Knights are in worse shape than last time!”
“And we will be fine, I know it.”
“Why?”
“Because they pushed us, Lyra,” DJ said, and when the mint unicorn looked up, she saw her friend’s face change. Gone was the empty bluster, the devil-may-care attitude. This was just deadly seriousness, but with a bit of the old DJ style. “Now it’s our turn to push back.”
Cerise shouted from the other room, “I’ve got the Guild online!”
Lyra and DJ rushed out to see the large screen, which had been bisected, and on the left side of the screen was the Magic Guild’s situation room, with Raspberry Blast online. Lyra looked at the gentle, wizened face of the unicorn mare with a short raspberry-hued mane, eggshell coat and deep, penetrating blue eyes that nonetheless showed a friendliness in them.
“Lord Elusive, it is good to see you,” Blast spoke in her native Scoltish brogue. “You as well, Miss Shimmer. I’ve heard you’ve excelled in magic studies despite your status at the Academy. I am impressed.” She then saw the two humans and the unfamiliar earth pony behind her. “I would take it that at least one of those behind you is the legendary Lost Foal?”
“I don’t like being called that,” DJ growled.
“Apologies, Miss Sandalwood, or whatever you may call yourself now. I never kept up on the history, and so I am woefully uninformed, so I mean no offense. And who are the two humans?”
“Blastie, it’s Lyra Heartstrings,” the celeste-haired human said. “Long story as to why I’m in human form at the moment, but it’s me.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll be the judge of that,” Blast told her. “When we first met, what was going on?”
Lyra smiled. Memory test. Smart, Blastie. “It was supposed to be your first day at the Academy, and you accidentally showed up at the Conservatory instead. You went through all the same classes as I did until music class when only then did you realize that you had gone to the wrong school.”
Blast chuckled. “Yes, and fortunately, the Guild and Academy shared common courses at the time, so I didn’t miss anything on my first day. It’s good to see you, Lyra. I take it EQMILCOM is back in our hooves?”
Lyra nodded. “It was interesting experience. Remind me to tell you about it sometime.”
“Okay, standby for teleport. I’m sending some ponies there immediately.” Multiple lights winked into existence, which immediately turned into unicorns. “They’ll operate the systems until the military can get back in there. Until then, you have command.”
Lyra looked at Blast oddly. “I do?”
“Weren’t you given acting prime minister authority?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then you are in command, Lyra,” Blast informed her. “I know this is a little out of your depth, but if you’re going to be a leader, we need you to lead. So do it.”
“Okay.” She looked at the unicorns around her. “Let them know that EQMILCOM is back online.”
Across all the communication channels came the simple call: “All units, this is EQMILCOM. We are back online. Repeat, this is EQMILCOM. We are back online.”
Sitting in a burnt-out building, Soarin’ smiled and grabbed a headset from one of his subordinates since his had been destroyed. “About damn time, Spits!” he called out. “What in Tartarus has been going on over there?”
“Stand by for EQMILCOM Actual.” He did, and was surprised to hear the next voice. “Soarin’, this is Lyra Heartstrings. I need you here on station.”
“Lyra? No offense, but this is a military operation. You’re a diplomat. You don’t have authority here. Where’s Spits?”
“Soarin’, I have been given special authority by Celestia herself. I am now in command of the national authority until this is over. I need you here, now. Tell your subordinates to take over down there, because you’re being teleported in.” Her tone indicated that she wasn’t going to be denied.
“What the hell?” Regardless, he turned to the colonel at his side and said, “You’ve got command. I’m about to be teleported out of—”
“—here,” he finished as the teleport field finished. He found himself standing in front of a bunch of Guild personnel running the operations, and an eerily-familiar human standing in front of him.
“Welcome back to EQMILCOM,” the woman told him.
“Lyra? Is that you?” he asked.
“Long story,” she told him, “but yes, it’s me.”
“Where’s Spitfire and the rest?”
Lyra turned away. “You don’t want me to answer that, Soarin’,” she said in sad tones, and the stallion understood immediately.
“I see,” he replied glumly, but straightened up. “What do you need me to do?”
She gestured to the commander’s chair. “Take command, of course. In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s hell out there.”
Flying around, Celestia looked at the situation. The battle had grown out of hoof, and was claiming far more lives than before, mainly because the city was far larger than before. She was going to have to even the odds, even if it was going to take a lot more lives than she wanted. But at this rate, the civilians—!
Despite being in the middle of a battle with the Nightmare, Celestia reached out with her mind to her fellow alicorns. Ladies, I think it’s time for Shining’s Shield to be activated.
Luna, on the other side of the city and still battling with Chrysalis, shouted back, Just do it! We don’t have time to for this!/i]
Cadance, not surprisingly, was the Tirek’s advocate. But if we do that…?
I agree, Cadance, but what choice do we have? Luna told her.
There’s always a choice, sister, Celestia reminded her. And we’re running out of them. With reluctance, I recommend Shining’s Shield be activated.
I second it, Luna replied. Now, if possible!
Are you sure about this? Cadance asked her elder aunt. There won’t be a way to take it back. And I’ve already been heavily criticized over the strike I ordered on the changelings in Fillydelphia. The public will pillory you, Celestia.
I know, but it’s the only choice we have, or we will lose Canterlot and all its ponies.
Then so be it, Cadance sighed mentally. I authorize the deployment of Shining’s Shield.
A scroll immediately popped in front of Lyra. She grabbed it and opened it, reading. “What is Shining’s Shield?” she asked.
Soarin’s eyes opened wide. “Is she serious?”
“What is it, Soarin’?”
“A last-ditch weapon, specially designed for the event we had an enemy incursion, specifically changelings, in Canterlot.” The look on Soarin’s face was haggard. “The princesses can authorize it, but we have to activate it.”
“How?” Lyra asked as Soarin’ went over to a hoofboard and typed in a series of commands. A portion of the floor in front of the main screen slid away, and a golden yellow crystal slide out of the room. Three sides of it started to pulse with electric blue coloration.
“Touch the crystal on one of the glowing sides,” he told her as he went over and placed a hoof on one. “Don’t worry about magic; if you have a high-enough authorization, the crystal will read your essence and match it up against a list.” He looked at Elusive. “Luse, either you or your sister will have to come here and touch it. We set it so that the foals of the Knights should be able to access it as well.”
DJ looked at Elusive. “I’ve got security, bro. You’ll have to do this.”
“If it means saving Mother, I’d sacrifice myself to it.” Elusive walked over and placed a hoof on the second area.
“Guess it’s my turn then,” Lyra said, walking over to the machine and placing her hand on it. The moment she did, all three spots turned a warm, white color, except for Lyra’s, which turned a deep red. “What the…?” she voiced.
SYSTEM OVERLOAD. MALFUNCTION, a voice stated. SYSTEM OVERLOAD. MALFUNCTION.
“That isn’t good,” Elusive voiced.
STANDBY FOR DISCHARGE. PLEASE STEP OUT OF DISCHARGE ZONE IN 10…9….
DISCHARGE INITIATING.
As the system has warned, a blast of electrical energy pulsed out from the obelisk, but it had done so far too early for anyone present to react. Elusive reflexively brought up a shield that could protect him. As a pegasus who was an expert with lightning magic, Soarin’ was partially immune to lightning and all he felt was a brief burning sensation.
Lyra, however, as a human, had no defenses. The bolt hit her full force and she screamed, before the discharge slammed her backwards, into a smoking body on the floor.
“LYRA!” DJ dropped her gun and raced over to her friend. The blast had burned through Lyra’s shirt and the woman was motionless. DJ, as much as she could remember, immediately started CPR, desperate to save her friend’s life.
Meanwhile, the obelisk changed to a white, electric blue and deep blue hue – a sign that Shining’s Shield was ready.
DISCHARGE COMPLETE. BEGIN REBOOT.
REBOOT COMPLETE.
DEPLOYING SHINING SHIELD IN 3…2…1.
DEPLOYMENT COMMENCING.
If there was one thing that ponies had been the most jealous about humanity, it was that they’d journeyed to the stars. No being on Alter-Earth, with the possible exception of Princess Luna had ever been to their moon. So when they heard about NASA, Roscosmos and other human space agencies, they developed their own: the Government Administration for Lunar Landings and Outerspace Programs, better known as GALLOP. It was a fairly new agency, so much so that it wasn’t well known to the public. One of its principal responsibilities was to launch communications satellites, so that modern telecommunication could be used all over Equestria, not just in the major cities. The other nations of Alter-Earth didn’t invest in this as much, seeing the sun and moon – and thus space – as the domain of the princesses, despite their protestations to the contrary.
But just as humanity had done with their space, so ponies had done with theirs, too. In 2032, the United States Air Force deployed MOUNTAINTOP, a kinetic bombardment system. Working in tandem with the Russian Foothold system and the Chinese Second Great Wall, the human-designed systems were never to be used against humanity, but instead in the event that a catastrophic-level enemy reached their Earth and had to be dealt with. When the various Alter-Earth nations were informed, most reacted with disinterest or mild irritation that they humans would consider anything from their world a threat.
Reputedly, the only one who had not, was the then-Minister of Defense of Equestria, Prince Shining Armor. As part of his plans to protect the land he loved, the very first satellite GALLOP had launched into space was officially a communications satellite for the military. In time, the plan had been to set one of these over every major city in the realm, but the plan had only managed to launch ones over Canterlot, Empire City and Ponyville before he passed away. In time, all but the most senior of the military had forgotten it.
Today, however, would be a different story. Doors opened on the satellite, and arms extended, each carrying rocket pods. But they were not loaded with rockets. Instead, each was fitted with a magically shielded and guided rod of tungsten, a meter in length, that was ejected from the pods, heading into the atmosphere. The magical shielding was designed to ensure that the rods would get through atmospheric entry. Once within a couple of kilometers of Canterlot, the additional guidance spell would activate, specifically a heat-seeking spell.
All in all, it was Shining’s last gift to his people: a shield that would protect them when he could not. It was also revenge against Chrysalis and her kind for what she’d done to him: taken a part of his soul and ultimately, his life. And so, from space flew hundreds of meter-long tungsten rods, what humans tended to call “Rods from God.”
Officially, Equestria referred to this system as the Shining’s Shield Kinetic Defense System. But those in the know had a different, more macabre, name for it.
They called it the Orbital Friendship Cannon.
Above all, a massive sonic rainboom roared, the spectrum flaring out to the world. From the center of the ring, blasts of rainbow light bulleted down towards the invading horde, slamming into whatever changeling they could find. Normally, this is where the kinetic discharge would occur, causing a massive explosion burning away everything in the vicinity. However, as these were imbued with magical force, the moment they hit, they vaporized the changeling, while sending out rainbow-hued lighting in every direction to vaporize every changeling within a meter of the initial hit. Where the magical lightning impacted something not a changeling, it either passed through harmlessly, or if needed, had a beneficial effect – the last being an ironic twist on the changeling’s feeding habits.
And as countless rainbow blasts rained down on Canterlot, dozens of changelings began to go down in waves of prismatic energy, annihilated before they could even react. The strike continued to tear paths through the changelings, each blast worth its weight in platinum.
Seeing what was happening, Chrysalis screamed. “NOOOOOOOO!!!” One rainbow blast hit a group of changelings before her and the blasts reached out to her; flying backwards, she managed to get out of the damage radius in time. Still, that was no comfort to the changeling queen as she saw hundreds of her brood go up in flashes of magic – and the assault continued to come from skyward.
My children! she shouted through the hivemind. Take to the ground and get out of the range o— Her speech was interrupted by a blur of midnight, tearing into her and knocking her senseless.
“I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!” Luna reentered the fray, landing blow after blow against Chrysalis. She then went for the kill, summoning her own weapon, a battleaxe she called Moonstone, and started harrying her enemy for all she was worth. Chrysalis, however, had no advantage of a weapon and was reduced to dodging and calling up shields.
“DAMN YOU, YOU HORRIBLE NAG!” Chrysalis could start to see a change in the shift of the battle. The new attack had bolstered the defending forces and all she had left on her side was the Nightmare. The human aircraft had disappeared, and no reinforcements were forthcoming. At the rate things were going, assured victory was about to turn into crushing defeat.
The assault from above drove the changelings to the ground, where the troops, already overwhelmed, were still fighting on, though they could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Guns and magical blasts blazed away at the changelings, who returned the volley, but for every defender that fell dozens of changelings were now being destroyed. Most of central Canterlot had been ruined by the battle, and the conflict stretched on to the north and west. Still, there was a change in the air, courtesy of what most were deeming “Celestia’s special attack”, and that change was a slow, but steady decrease in changeling numbers.
For his part, Mike felt wiped. The fighting had only gone on for what was probably an hour, but felt like a whole day. He wondered if this was what special forces, or probably just more likely your everyday Marine on the battlefield felt like. Part of him wished he could be at sea; at least then he could get what the hell was going on. But here, where it was a land battle, he felt like the proverbial fish out of water. As it was, he’d already emptied the rest of his rifle’s magazine into a changeling who had tried to kill them by changing into a manticore and lashing out with its tail.
As it was, the bodies were everywhere, human, pony and other alike, and he’d seen more than a few good men cut down, including one of his own – Lt. Vasquez had been killed and Master Chief Khan had been seriously injured. He hadn’t heard from the rest of his officers, save for his XO, who was laying down cover fire for a group of Marines who were bringing the fight to the enemy.
“I’m dry!” he shouted, and to his side, Sam threw him a clip.
“Last one, make it count!” With that, he turned and opened fire, his gun cutting down two more changelings. For his part, Sam was trying to keep calm. He’d been in a firefight before, back when he was a Honolulu PD officer; he’d responded to a call in Pearl City where a drug deal had gone sour and as a result, there had been a pitched fight between the HPD and several gangbangers. Back then, that had gotten his adrenaline up followed by the inevitable thoughts of mortality when the fight was over. But this was a thousand times worse – here, he was serving as a soldier, not an officer of the law, and there was no quarter to give or take. And what was he going to do, anyway? Arrest whatever changelings there were left?
Meanwhile, Gy.Sgt. Ribbontrop made his way over to them, several of his own men in tow. “Hey, skipper, like the place you picked. Nice view of the hospital ruins and everything. Hustle and bustle of all the enemies shooting at us – maybe after this we should all have a barbecue here?”
Despite the situation, Mike laughed. “What’s the word, Gunny?”
“Combat mage in the middle of the situation over there estimates that between us and the guns that just kicked in, we’ve probably hit about thirty-five percent of tangos. There’s a whole lotta bugs that ain’t coming back.”
“And ours?”
Ribbontrop’s smile went away. “Closer to sixty percent, sir. Plus, it’s spread into the city proper – the other embassies are now sending out their spare troops to assist, but this is…well, it’s a literal world-class shitstorm, sir.”
Mike sighed. “Not what I wanted to hear.”
“Sorry, I’m just here for pickup and ammo dump – you want the good news, go find a chaplain, sir. In any case, the way the battle’s shifting, you’re going to be exposed, and you really don’t want to be around what they’re slinging.” He pointed up.
Above them, the alicorns and the changeling queen continued their fight, while on the other side, Cadance continued flying in a circle, generating the power for the spell while trying to fight off a group of changelings on her own.
“Looks like Cadance might need a little bit of help,” Mike said. “Let’s give her a little breathing room.”
“Are you sure, sir?” one of Ribbontrop’s subordinates asked. “Looks like we could hit her if we’re not careful.”
“The alternative is stopping whatever the hell she’s doing,” Sable told the corporal, “and from the briefing, it involves the Knights. We cannot let her fail!”
“Well, that settles it,” Mike ordered. “Target the changelings harassing Princess Cadance. Sable, you cover our backs against whatever might come, got that?”
“Roger that, sir.” Sable picked up his sniper once more, ready to hit what may come.
“Okay, gut the fuckers!” A stream of gunfire opened up, taking out the changelings around Cadance, hitting with as much precision as they could with their weapons.
“Twi, we gotta help ‘em! They’re getting overwhelmed!” Applejack shouted.
“Don’t you think I want to? That’s my daughter out there!” Twilight shouted back. “But we can’t! We have to hold this in place no matter what! If we don’t, we die!” The others, looking at her, thought the same thing as Applejack, but knew Twilight had the point. This was now a winner-take-all situation.
Just outside the shield she’d created, Sweetie was stained with ichor and panting heavily. Keeping the shield up was draining her magic, and fighting off the changelings that had come in had flagged her strength. “Hey, kid, how you holding up?”
“Could be worse,” Dawn, still in an alicorn’s form, said. She’d used that, along with magic and subterfuge, to fight the drones that had come her way by the dozen. Now standing practically atop a pile of drones she’d downed, privately she felt shame at that. Though she’d chosen the side she would stay with, as a former pepsis princess, the changelings, even changeling princesses, were to bow down to her…and she was to lead them into a brighter tomorrow. But all Chrysalis, their queen – the supposed queen of queens, now – had led them to was failure and death.
There would be a reckoning, someday, she knew. She would face the queen of the changelings and would stop her from her crimes. What would happen to changelingkind Dawn had no clue, but she would make sure that it would never suffer under the hooves of a tyrant like Chrysalis ever again.
Carrying a P-90E, Silver and all his troops continued to battle the changelings in the streets of Canterlot. A lot of damage had already been done, far more than the last time. Moving from building to building, he and his forces tried to contain the damage, but it was too late. Though EQMILCOM had been recovered and the OFC had been activated, there were still too many changelings around for his taste. In the end, it didn’t matter; the city was on fire and he had to serve as the fire brigade.
As they moved towards the west side of the city, he could already see some homes burning and even regular civilians fighting off the changelings. It was a mess, and unlike last time, he wondered if the city would survive.
He wondered if any of them would survive.
A Guild mage read off a report to Soarin’. “Sir, we’re getting reports of civilian casualties in the eastern district.”
“Send a medical team to the district. Make sure they have a trio of mages to back them up – we can’t spare the military or REG.” The pegasus stallion rubbed his eyes; it was a long day and was already magnitudes worse than the last time the changelings showed their carapaces in the city. As of now, he had all emergency assets within the city reporting to him; MGEC was now handling everything outside of Canterlot, for the time behing.
Still, all things considered, he was doing as best as could be. There were others in worse shape than her. He knew finding out about Spitfire’s death was going to break Rainbow’s heart. And she was one of the ones that nothing could be done for. He turned to look at Lyra, who was near death, getting healing spells from both Elusive and that amber unicorn who’d accompanied him (whose name he couldn’t recall) was trying to keep her alive. She was in enough of a condition right now, that she couldn’t be moved, and they could lose her at any moment.
But if anything, he empathized with the look in the eyes of Rarity’s estranged daughter. There was a very human look in her eyes right now – if human meant cool rage. Given the weapon she had in her hooves and the fact that she was staying close to Lyra as if she was the last line defending Canterlot…
…well, he didn’t want to be in her blast radius if the worst came to.
Nightmare looked around the battlefield. Things had changed and the idiot changeling queen hadn’t really noticed how bad. Whatever it was that hit the changelings, it was destroying them wholesale, and while there were still significant numbers amongst their forces, that wouldn’t last long. Plus, there was the issue of that little candy-colored alicorn that nopony had bothered to deal with.
Whatever she was doing, she was sticking to it at all costs, and whatever that was, it was directly above where those six idiots bearing the Elements were, which meant it had something to do with something she didn’t want. And as always, if she wanted something done, apparently, she had to do it herself.
However, it was clear that Chrysalis was definitely going to be a thorn in her side, because of her limited thinking; whether that was due to changeling nature or because she couldn’t face forward into an era where there were new horizons to conquer and new peoples to pacify was up to interpretation. Likely, it was the former, given that everything tied down to feeding her broods and her hives; always feeding and conquering. A very insectile way of life for a species that was more related to them than ponies.
She would have to be dealt with…fortunately, plans were already in motion.
But for now, she needed a distraction to keep Celestia busy while she attacked Cadance. As she continued to combat the white alicorn, she looked around for a potential distraction, and soon found one: a group of troops, sweeping the changelings off the circling alicorn.
Yes, they would do perfectly for a distraction.
Focusing a major blast towards Celestia’s barrel, she sent the white alicorn crashing into a nearby building, giving her the time to do what needed to be done.
The humans continued focusing on taking out changelings, until they heard Sable’s scream from behind them. They then turned to see the stallion, held up in Nightmare Moon’s magic.
The demonic alicorn brought the earth stallion up, face to face. “Ah, a brave defender of Equestria! Quite a bit of difference from the days of wooden arrows and metal armor, is it not?”
“Yes,” he said, aiming his rifle. “And these hurt so much more than arrows.” He pulled the trigger, letting the roar of the gun speak for him. At this range, there was a greater danger of him being hit by a ricochet against her skull than her killing him. And yet, each of the bullets impacted against her maliciously grimacing face…and melted into nothingness.
“Did you really think those would hurt me?” she told him. “I have been studying the human world for decades. I know everything: their economies, their civilizations, their history, everything. And do you know what?” She smiled. “They had a German man by the name of Adolph Hitler, who tried to rule the world. Instead, he let the government run roughshod, and countless millions of people died, either directly by his hand, or by his incompetence. Eleven million people died who didn’t need to. And those numbers do not count the military deaths, or the civilians caught in the crossfire.”
“And?” Sable seethed, wriggling in the Nightmare’s grasp, unable to break free.
“Because I’m not interested in killing eleven million innocents. I will make sure this world – perhaps both worlds – are mine. And if I don’t get what I want?” She reached out and used her nose to boop him. “I’ll kill eleven billion.” Seeing the look of horror on his face, she said, “And let’s start with you, shall we? Nothing personal, of course.”
And with that, she twisted his head and let the body fall to the ground.
Mike watched as his XO fell dead to the ground…and they were going to be next. “Guys, take her down!”
“Take her down? She just shrugged off 7.62mm rounds, sir!” one of Ribbontrop’s men stated. “We need to retreat!”
“Sounds like a plan!” Mike shouted, just before they were wrapped up by Nightmare Moon’s magic. “SAM!” he bellowed as the younger man was lifted into the air by the dark alicorn.
She inspected her new captive as if he were a plaything. “Ah, a human defender of Canterlot. Would that I would see the day.”
“Actually, I’m a cop,” Sam told her. “And you are under arrest. Give yourself up, and you won’t be harmed.”
Then the black alicorn laughed so hard that she had to wipe her eyes. “Oh, what a lark!” she said, still giggling. “To think that you could arrest me? Oh, I haven’t laughed that hard in years! I have not heard such a joke in a long time! Thank you, thank you!” she said to him and it almost sounded sincere. “For that, I think you deserve a quick and painless death, young man. It’s the least I can do for the joy you’ve given me.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” he said.
“You should be.”
“No, I’m afraid of her – and what she’s going to do to you.”
And that’s when a freight train impacted into the dark alicorn.
Picking herself out of the remains of what had been the Ministry of Agriculture’s main building, Celestia shook her head to clear it. She hadn’t been hit like that ever before, not even by Luna. Whoever the host was, he or she was filled with a brutal, unsettling rage that extended even to Celestia herself.
And then she saw the dead earth stallion on the ground – and the person in the Nightmare’s grasp.
From where she’d stood, Celestia became light and rocketed forward, slamming into Nightmare and sending both careening into a building diagonal from where the group were. She continued to hammer the Nightmare, stronger than she’d ever hit anypony before in her life. The blows thundered and caused shockwaves as they went through building after building.
“YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH HIM!” she roared. “YOU WILL DIE, HERE AND NOW, FIEND!”
“My, did I hit a nerv—” The black alicorn never finished her words as Celestia turned and bucked her hard enough to make her neck snap back. It would’ve vaporized a mortal pony. It could have done serious injury to Luna or Cadance, in theory. It could have even killed Chrysalis. But to the Nightmare, it merely hurt. A lot.
“That is the last thing you will ever do to me,” Nightmare Moon snarled.
“No,” Celestia seethed as she slammed the evil creature through another building. “This is.” Using the power she was still absorbing from the sun, she fired a massive blast of energy, more powerful than she had ever done before, right into the Nightmare.
The Nightmare screamed as the power hit its mark, and she could feel herself burning like never before. This wasn’t just Celestia’s power in force, this was her aspect, her charge – the sun, a ball of nuclear fusion that was a primal law of nature on its own. Facing the alicorns was child’s play. Facing the very nature of the universe that had created her…that was a different thing.
The Nightmare screamed in agony as her side imploded from the blast. She could feel her host suffer a critical injury. Without her host, she was lost. She did the only thing she could to save her unnatural life: she departed the battlefield.
Chrysalis saw as the Nightmare fled the scene, her telltale dark smoke rising into the air as it retreated.
“YOU COW—” she meant to scream, only to be slammed to the ground by Luna’s buck.
“You have your own problems,” the night alicorn thundered. “Like how you’ll survive this next blow!”
To answer the challenge, Chrysalis rocketed up to meet Luna, murder in her eyes.
Just as Luna had predicted.
“KNOW YOUR PLACE!” Luna roared as she used her extra power to hit Chrysalis with an energy blast, nearly as powerful as Celestia’s, burrowing her into the ground.
Both Celestia and Luna saw Cadance flagging and knew what they had to do. Immediately, the pair joined her in the magical tokamak, being careful as she was pushing the limits of speed. The three of them became a purple blur once more, flying faster and faster, the magical energies from their aspects transferring from them and blasting down the center, boring through the hospital and colliding into the targets below.
Just as Twilight had planned.
The massive column of energy slammed down on the Knights and the Elements met it, absorbing it, channeling it. Black marks burned away from the mares. Wounds healed, scars vanished. The weakness of infirmity, age and injury vanished in the awesome power thrust upon them.
“Girls, I can feel it, can’t you?” Twilight said softly. “Everything all for this moment. Everything we’ve done, it’s come to this.”
“Wow, Twi, can you see double rainbows? How about the silvery moon and the stars that flicker in June?” Pinkie asked.
“I think she’s high,” Rainbow commented and got a glare from the others. “Well, she sounds it!”
“No, I think I know what she’s saying,” Sweetie spoke up. “We had to get to this point – all the pain, all the suffering…” She looked at her sister and added, “…all the loss. We needed to go through this to become stronger.”
“What doesn’t kill ya makes ya stronger?” Applejack offered.
“Exactly. We had to be reminded of what we all are: a family. We’ve been through so much, and I don’t think it’s over yet. But you all fell apart because you lost trust in each other. You can’t let that happen again, and not just because you’re the Knights.”
It was Rarity who answered. “It’s because we’re family.” She looked at the others. “I have so much to make up for, don’t I?”
Fluttershy nodded. “You do. But right now, we have other things to worry about.”
“Exactly!” Rainbow said. “So let’s get to it! I’m a pregnant mare, I’m hungry and I feel like I could eat a dozen hayburgers right now!”
The six looked at each other, and there was a love in their eyes that hadn’t been seen in the longest time.
“Okay, ready?” Twilight asked.
“Ready!” the others shouted.
Six magical gems charged with energy. Then their wielders charged.
“What’s going on?” Dawn asked.
“Victory,” Sweetie said with a smile.
Cadance was the first to fall. Exhausted, she crashed to the ground, completely spent. Luna moved to her side immediately. “Are you okay?”
The pink alicorn forced herself to her hooves. “I-I can’t give up!” she stammered. “We have to save the othe—”
Cadance was interrupted by a titanic column of energy rising into the sky, prismatic in nature, thundering in its movement.
“I think we’ve already done that,” Luna said, hugging her niece.
The column split into six alicorns of pure energy: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, each blazing like a star. The sextet each flew to a corner of the capital, then reared, each singing a song of harmony. Aetheric energy built around each being as the song continued. The soldiers present that were injured were healed. Ponies looked up into the sky and felt comfort, knowing the Knights were back.
Finally, the world exploded in light and force as a blast went out from the hole that was once the hospital, a very familiar blast to all changeling. Chrysalis, climbing out of her own hole, looked at it in terror. She screamed, but there was no sound as she could feel herself being ejected once more from Canterlot, just as she had a half-century prior.
Flying above it all, Celestia looked on with a heavy heart as the blast wave once again pushed the invading hordes out of Canterlot. Like then, there were countless dead on both sides, and a ruined city left behind. And then she saw eight ponies climb out of the wreck of the hospital. Happy as a lark, Celestia flew down to meet her loved ones.
Twilight looked up. Mentor and mentee looked at one another.
“I’m back,” Twilight said as Celestia wrapped her wings around her in a tight embrace.
Out of the fighters that had accompanied Scootaloo and Blitz into the fighter, only one remained. They’d given as good as they got, expending all their missiles and having gone to guns, but it was over. It was now three against seventeen, and they circled them like timberwolves looking for their next meal. There was nowhere to run.
Scootaloo keyed the comms for the last time. “Sunsinger 13, Sunsinger 27. It’s been an honor serving with you both.”
“Sunsinger 6, private channel, please.” It was Blitz, and in this case, she couldn’t deny him.
“Go ahead, Blitz.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do better, Aunt Scoots.” His voice seemed broken, and it hurt her to hear that in his voice.
“We did the best we could, Blitz. I’m proud of you…and I know your parents would be, too.” Scootaloo looked at the threat still outside her canopy. “Get ready to ram them. If we’re lucky, we can take out a few of them with us!”
“Roger that!”
Scootaloo adjusted her HOTAS, making a beeline towards what she thought was the leader. Maybe if she could get past its guns, she could end at least one threat to Equestria, for once and for all.
“Break, break!” A new voice came over her comms and she did as ordered. In the space where she’d been a fusillade of missiles burned through the air and slammed into the three of the enemy fighters, making them peel off.
“This is Adm. Flash Sentry, Commanding REN/REAF Ad-Hoc Wing ONE. You will stand down or we will blow you into oblivion!” Eighty-seven fighters roared above the three original, and the remaining enemy fighters now found themselves on an imbalance greater than the advantage they originally had. They did the only thing they could do and boosted away, angling back towards where they came.
A squadron of fighters broke off and headed after them. “Chase them until they’re in international waters, then meet us in Canterlot.” He then switched channels and said, “Okay, who is in command of the other flight?”
“Col. Scootaloo, 23rd Fighter Wing, commanding 14th Fighter Squadron…or what’s left of it.”
“Well, Colonel, you’re in good luck. We’ll get you home, safe and sound.” He chuckled. “Last thing I need is for my wife to chew me out because she heard from her cousin that I let one of the Sisters Royal be injured.”
“Roger that sir. Lead the way, we’ll follow.”
DJ looked at the EMTs. “You damn well better take care of her, or else I’ll—?”
The gryphon waved her off. “She’s in good hooves. We’re getting her to Canterlot General immediately.” He turned to his partner. “Okay, she’s got priority care. Contact ICU and let them know we have a VIP, code blue.” The unicorn with him immediately sent a message off before both, with Lyra in his telekinetic field, teleported towards the hospital.
“Listen, I’ve got to go,” she said to Elusive. “You let everyone know where I went, okay?”
“Of course! I’ve got to get to the family anyway.”
“DJ!” She turned to see Mike. He was covered in dirt and grime, and looked like he hadn’t showered in weeks.
She ran over to him and cried into his chest, while he held her and told her how much he loved her.