Chapter 30
Canterlot
Crushing Defeat?
Late in the evening one day several weeks ago, it was apparent that things weren't going according to plan. General Hoof, one of Princess Celestia's top generals, had been tasked to lead an assault on Princess Twilight Sparkle's domain. Early indications said that victory was assured, but as the day dragged on and evening came. Surprise after surprise and loss after loss mounted, climaxing with an unprecedented magical event. Inside sources say that even Princess Celestia doesn't know what happened! A flash of lavender light in the evening sky followed by an eerie stillness. Within two hours after the unidentified magical anomaly, Princess Twilight's forces routed General Hoof's forces, and General Hoof is presumed killed in action.
The soldiers under General Hoof's command were in a full retreat. Severe weather, along with undisclosed pegasi tactics resulted in staggering losses among the unicorn ranks. Sources close to the top of the Chain of Command say that the Cloudsdale Militia, combined with the Wonderbolts and Wonderbolts Reserve spearheaded the defense, dropping unstable, supercharged bombs, that when damaged, detonated releasing a burst of powerful lightning. Further reports from Cloudsdale seem to verify this claim of 'Lightning Bombs' as they were referred to as, citing a massive ramping up of production and undisclosed payments of large sums of bits.
Experts in the field of magic claim that the magical anomaly, as it is referred to as, was a product of Princess Twilight herself. The most damning piece of evidence to back up this claim? Unofficial, leaked reports put the death toll from this single spell at between 2,000 and 6,000 soldiers- A spell of that magnitude has never been seen on Equestrian soil before!
Furthermore, sources close to Princess Celestia claim that she has attempted to hide just how badly things are actually going.
Neither Princess Twilight Sparkle nor any of her spokesponies have said anything on the issue despite repeated attempts to reach out for comment.
Losing on All Fronts?
Recent news of the declaration of secession from the Crystal Empire, along with their pledge to "...support Princess Twilight Sparkle, the savior of the Crystal Empire... in all of her goals..." combined with the depletion of Equestrian military resources has left Equestria remarkable vulnerable. With the Crystal Empire prepared for war on the northern border, which is vastly undefended, and not having ample forces to fight on three fronts, things are not going well. Sources close to Princess Celestia claim that even she is concerned about this most recent turn of events. However, recent statements by officials contradict this claim, reaffirming Princess Celestia's commitment to peace, harmony, and protecting Equestria. Many ponies, however, are quick to point out that sending soldiers to war is far from harmonious, especially considering that many of them never had a choice in this war.
Furthermore, what was supposed to be a quick victory over Princess Twilight Sparkle turned into a total military defeat on top of the already demoralizing string of defeats suffered at the hooves of Princess Luna. Experts are worried that this string of defeats will continue unless drastic changes are made.
Official statements seem to offer some hope, however. While they acknowledge the disturbing trend of defeats suffered by Equestria's armed forces, they are quick to point out that nopony expected a civil war, let alone Princess Luna managing to take half of the Royal Guard with her in such a short time, nor was anypony prepared for Princess Twilight Sparkle's secession. According to officials, "...steps are being taken to ensure the rearmament... and preparation of the Equestrian armed forces for... victory."
"This is outrageous!" A whiteish-blue unicorn stallion shouted. He threw the newspaper onto the street and turned to the vendor. The vendor shrunk back under his icy glare. "You call that news? That's nothing but bloody lies!" He shouted.
"Now, now, I just sell what they p-print!" The vendor argued. "An-and the Canterlot News Network has always b-been a reputable source!" He glanced around at the small crowd gathering. One of the mares bent down and rubbed her chin with a hoof as she scrutinized the article. A few seconds later, her eyes widened and she snatched the paper up from the stand with her magic. She flung a couple bits on the counter, drawing the upset stallion's gaze to her.
"We're losing!? B-but h-how!? M-my c-colt just enlisted!" The pinkish mare cried out.
The stallion beside her scoffed. "You don't actually believe that dribble, do you? Insolent foal, it's nothing but propaganda!"
"Hey, leave her alone," a tan stallion said. The whitish-blue stallion turned on his hooves and pressed his nose into the other stallion's nose, then snorted.
A small colt carefully walked over to the discarded newspaper laying on the street, then quickly read through the article, only to pause after reading a small section. "Hey, wait a second... This article said Princess Twilight Sparkle just killed six thousand ponies with a single spell!"
The colt jumped in excitement. "She-"
"We're losing?" Another stallion shouted. "B-but-"
"How are we supposed to be safe if the Crystal Empire is ready for war and the northern border is undefended?"
"Princess Celestia doesn't care about us! She's sending us to die just to hold onto power!"
"What!" several ponies called out. Their distress and concern only grew as their numbers grew, and as more ponies took notice of the crowd and how concerned they were, they stopped to investigate.
"Princess Celestia is a tyrant! Look at what she's-"
"Oh, shut up!" a stallion cried out, then swung his hoof at the offending crier. His hoof struck true, and the crier fell to the street, dazed. "Serves you-"
Said stallion found himself clutching his side after an earth pony's hoof knocking the wind out of him. He gasped and leveled his gaze on him. "Leave her alone you coward!"
"Stay out of my business you-" He quickly jumped out of the way, wincing with every movement of his muscles. A second later, a pair of hooves hit the pavement where he had lain. The earth pony winced and grunted, jerking back onto his hind legs to nurse his forehooves from the jarring impact.
The stallion stared at the imprints left in the pavement, then looked back up at the stallion. "You could have killed me..." The crowd grew silent. A second later, the unicorn jumped at the earth pony, horn first. The earth pony lost his balance and fell backward. He kicked out with his hind legs and caught the unicorn off guard, throwing him back into the newsstand, then he jumped back onto his hooves.
"H-hey!" The vendor shouted.
The colt bit his lip and stepped back, wincing as the adults around him grew angrier and more discontented. His ears folded back and he tucked his tail in between his legs, adults weren't supposed to fight like that. It was scary.
The earth pony disregarded the vendor, then charged at the unicorn laying in the debris. The unicorn lifted his head up and immediately paled. He scurried to his hooves to get away, only to cry out in pain. He glanced back at his leg and found it bent at an awkward angle. As the earth pony rushed him, his fear got the better of him and he lit his horn.
The earth pony skidded to a stop, but it was too late. A jagged, broken plank of wood surged to him, then embedded itself in him. Several ponies gasped as the earth pony staggered back, then fell down.
The colt whimpered and scurried off as fast as his hooves could carry him, the image of the earth pony with a chunk of wood sticking out of his neck and crimson slowly covering both the wood and his chest stuck in his mind.
Things only got worse from there.
Princess Twilight Sparkle
Well, that certainly wasn't an experience I ever wanted to repeat.
Getting hit by a spell meant to kill wasn't fun, but anypony could probably tell you that. Getting hit by a spell meant to kill at the base of your wing, partially breaking through your armor and surging into your body was in fact, very unpleasant. The pain was so fresh in my mind, I was afraid to try to move my wing, but I had to know. I braced myself, then twitched my wing. No pain. I felt relieved to know that my wing was still attached to my body and functional.
'Right, I'm an alicorn... I've healed.' I owed it predominantly to that magic surge. The magic had left me after a few seconds, but it was long enough for me to combine several spells which weren't supposed to be combined and then cast that spell. Thinking about the spell I created and cast left an empty feeling inside me, followed closely by a deep feeling of dread. I could have killed Rainbow and the rest of the ponies with me...
I might have already been responsible for their deaths. And I was still alive.
I shivered and suppressed the fear.
My body felt off, it felt different. My magic felt different too. I would have to investigate why my body felt different. My first hypothesis was nerve damage, but because of my alicorn status and alicorn magic surge, that immediately ruled out any kind of damage to my body or mind. I would have healed, even if the damage was substantial. Solving what was causing my magic to feel different was easy, I was an alicorn and had just experienced a surge of alicorn magic. Even if the magic surge quickly left, depending on how much time had passed since I had the magic surge, the alicorn magic could have taken hold, and it likely did.
I would have to investigate just how much alicorn magic I had now. The prospect made me giddy. Princess Celestia could move the sun with her alicorn magic. It had taken several powerful unicorns, along with amplification spells to have enough magic to accomplish the same task before. I had moved the sun before, and that feeling was indescribable- reaching out with your magic and touching a star, a massive celestial body of compressed gas so hot that its atoms were dissociated into plasma, where the atoms had so much energy they overcame atomic repulsion and fused into heavier elements.
'How am I supposed to prevent Princess Celestia and Princess Luna from using that magic after... if I win?' That would be a problem. Magic suppression rings could only do so much, and the violent failure of one under too much stress could kill.
'Then again, I already have the answer for that, don't I?' It would take some doing, but I could adapt some crystals to store their magic. Of course, I would have the problem of figuring out how to drain their magic from them. 'I should let them keep just enough magic for basic levitation spells.' That would be useful. 'Then again, both of them might try to fight me if I did that.' I needed more information to make a conclusion.
'What time is it? How long was I... asleep?' My body felt very different, that was something that wouldn't happen over night, and my magic felt much stronger- I could feel the alicorn magic inside me, almost like it was begging for me to use it.
I had a magic surge of alicorn magic. The power I wielded during those few seconds would have been enough to rival Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, but I didn't want to repeat the conditions that caused it. 'General Hoof pinned me to the ground and... and... he... stabbed me... twice... in the neck! He severed my artery!'
'Okay, don't panic, you're still alive, that much is clear!' As if spurred on by that thought, I noticed a beeping in the background picking up. Judging by the rhythm, it was a heart rate monitor, and judging by how it was quickening, it was tied into me.
I felt a little calmer at that knowledge. 'So, I'm still alive. And... the magic surge, I could have... I could have killed them... Rainbow, please don't be dead.' Another sound met my ears. I remained still and listened. A door had been opened, and somepony walked inside. The door closed. Whoever walked inside walked around beside my bed to my right. They were definitely a pony, their hooves clopped against the tiled floor. I was definitely in a hospital.
The pony slowly relented and walked away.
'Wait, I had an alicorn magic surge because General Hoof stabbed me in the neck twice? He severed my artery, I... I felt so cold and... and... oh... buck me. I-' I bolted upright and fought against the restricting blankets, startled by the realization. "I ALMOST DIED!" I shouted.
I heard a peculiar squawking sound coming from my left, followed by the beating of wings. "Whohuhwha?" Unmistakably Rainbow's voice.
The nurse didn't fair much better. She screamed and jumped. As she hit the ground, she clutched her chest with her hooves.
Rainbow was still alive, that was good to know. It relieved me, especially considering that I almost killed her along with the rest of my team when I cast that spell. The fact that it didn't kill them... I shivered, then struggled against the blankets. Somewhere along the line, I must have fallen out of the bed since I found myself groaning and sprawled out across the floor, my limbs tangled in the blanket. I was pretty sure my leg was still caught up in the sheets and pinned against the side of the bed.
Needless to say, it was not the most elegant position I had ever been in. I groaned and closed my eyes.
"Twilight! You're awake!" Rainbow shouted. A second later, the pegasus' arms wrapped around me, squeezing me. Her arms and body felt off, but I pushed the thought aside, she was okay, I wasn't responsible for killing my friend.
"Yes, Rainbow, I'm okay," I said. 'Why is she so concern- oh, right, I almost died.' I grunted and lit my horn with my unicorn magic and I carefully untangled myself from the blankets.
"Princess?" The other pony asked.
I turned to her. "Yes?" I carefully brought my leg down to the floor, then pushed myself up. I paused to blink. She didn't look like a fully grown mare, she didn't have the stature, but at the same time, her features put her in her late thirties. 'Strange, why would-'
"Woah, Twilight." Rainbow's voice came out surprised, and she pulled back from me.
"What?" I asked as I turned to face her. I was a bit surprised when instead of coming face to face with her, I found myself staring at her mane. I blinked again at the puzzling development. I looked down at her and blinked again. She looked as shocked as I felt. I looked down at my body. 'Well, no wonder my body feels off.' Yes, growing to about the size of Princess Cadance would do that, wouldn't it?
Rainbow scrutinized my body. I felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and fluffed my wings. Eventually, she looked back up at me. "The doctors said you were growing, but uh... wow. I didn't expect you to be that tall. I mean, I could tell you were growing, but since you were laying down in bed..."
I nodded slowly. "Yes," I said. I looked down at my neck, chest, and then legs. I frowned. "A lot of alicorns height seems to be in our necks and legs..." I trailed off. 'This is going to take a while to get used to,' I mused. I found myself grimacing. My new body was almost certainly superior to before I had the growth spurt, but I also knew what caused my growth spurt. I shook my head, then brought a hoof up to my temple and massaged it. It felt oh-so-good. "I almost died..."
"Uh... yeah..." Rainbow said hesitantly. "We um... we were all worried about you, Princess..."
I sighed and slowly lowered my hoof back to the floor. I turned to the nurse. "Can you give me a few minutes and check me out? I... have things to take care of."
The nurse quickly bowed. "Y-yes, of course, Princess!" She quickly rose from the bow and scurried out of the room, almost like she was afraid.
I watched the door close behind her, then turned to Rainbow. She shifted her weight and ran her hoof in circles over the tiled floor. She avoided my gaze and hung her head as if in shame. I frowned. "Rainbow?"
She glanced up at me but if anything else, she shied back. "Y-yes, Princess?"
I sighed, then looked around. The room was so spartan, but it was clear Pinkie Pie and the rest of the girls had been present since there were balloons and a get well soon card on the table beside my bed. I sat down on my haunches, it was going to take me a while to get used to my new stature. "I..." 'I remember what happened, but what happened?' It was strange, remembering everything that happened leading up to getting stabbed in the neck, and what happened afterward. My neck itched a little and felt a little cooler than I thought it should have. I lifted my left hoof up and placed it against my neck. I could still remember the blade being stabbed into me. I could almost feel it.
I rubbed my hoof up and down, feeling my neck and trying to reassure myself that my injury had healed, despite remembering the feeling of my magic repairing the injuries. Rainbow glanced up and shrank down from me. I could feel two scars where the blade had pierced my neck, but my coat had grown back and concealed it. If my alicorn magic had failed to heal the scars, then the scars were permanent.
I slowly lowered my hoof back to the floor, the knowledge that I had a permanent injury lingering in my mind. It had healed, but the evidence of what happened remained. I shivered. "I have... so many questions, but... I remember too..." I couldn't decide on how to approach the subject, there was just so much to talk about.
"I'm sorry, I should have tried harder or done something! I could have stopped it but I didn't!" Rainbow closed her eyes and barred her teeth.
She felt responsible for it. I closed my mouth, then stood back up and closed the distance between us. I hesitated, then wrapped an arm around her. I could still see it, in my mind, General Hoof pinning her to the ground. If she had tried anything, he would have killed her. 'I almost got one of my friends, one of the Elements of Harmony killed...' My blood felt like it had chilled and turned into liquid nitrogen, and a deep-seated fear gnawed at my stomach. "Rainbow, I remember what happened. It wasn't your fault. I screwed up. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings..." I trailed off and swallowed, feeling the icy feeling in my veings spreading into my body. "That unicorn... got lucky..." One lucky shot by a unicorn nearly killed me. 'I'm an alicorn... if I wasn't, then that would have... I... I would have died...'
"I didn't do my duty, though! I'm supposed to protect you, and you still-"
I squeezed her, silencing her. "He would have killed you if you tried to... do something."
"I still should have!" Rainbow argued.
Another shiver ran down my spine. I clenched my jaw. I was afraid to think about what she meant by that phrase in the context that it clearly was in. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I almost killed you all with that spell I cast while... almost dead."
Rainbow tensed up. The silence filling the room was deafening, and for several seconds, I was afraid she wasn't going to say anything. "You wiped out the entire camp, Twilight... The doctors said you had a magic surge, and you used it to level the camp."
It was my turn to tense up. I held myself in check, tensing my body and keeping myself close together. 'T-the spell... worked.' "H-how... bad... w-was it?"
Rainbow tentatively pulled back. "They said you... would have died if I hadn't carried you back... I... I've never been so worried in my life..."
I pursed my lips. "You... carried me back?"
Rainbow shifted her weight. "I was the fastest, and everypony was worried that you would die before we got you back... Twilight, the doctors were convinced that you weren't going to make it!"
I studied Rainbow's haunted expression, then took a deep breath. "I... would be dead... if I wasn't... an alicorn..." I was born a unicorn, and Princess Celestia ascended me. Princess Celestia saved my life. I owed her my life. I would have died if I was still a unicorn. It didn't change that she and her sister needed to be dethroned.
'I almost died... If I had died, then... then Celestia and Luna... one of them.' The thought left me haunted. I had fought to protect ponies, and I almost died for the same reason, but if I had died, I would have condemned Equestria. I took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
"How... how long was I... out? I couldn't have grown this much in a single day... and the way you make it sound..." I trailed off gravely.
"Almost two months..." Rainbow answered.
I shivered again. Part of me was begging to investigate my growth rate as an alicorn. With as much as I grew in as short a period of time as I had, my mind raced with ideas and concerns. But at the same time, another part of me was struggling to process what she said. I remembered the battle clearly, I remember falling down, feeling so cold from blood loss, and I remember the spell I used, but I had no memory of what happened after that until I woke up. "Almost... two months?"
Rainbow nodded. "W-well, um, more like a month and a half..."
I groaned and leaned backward. "I'm going to have a mess to deal with, aren't I?"
Rainbow visibly winced and shifted her weight. "General Spitfire is um... not happy."
I sighed. I glanced back at the hospital bed. It looked inviting. I could already picture talking to Spitfire. It wasn't going to go well. I had half the mind to pretend that I never woke up and that I was still unconscious, but I couldn't just do that. Even if I did almost die, ponies depended on me. If I didn't lead them, then they'd suffer. I had no choice. "Well... I guess I need to go talk to her..." I tentatively stood up, then stretched out. I closed my eyes and moaned, stretching had never felt so good before in my life. My entire body felt like it melted with pleasure as I stretched out. Laying in bed for over a month, plus growing as much as I did must have taken a toll on my body. Eventually, I sighed and stood back up. I glanced at the balloons again and froze. "They... the rest of the girls... I almost died..."
"Y-yeah," Rainbow said cautiously. "Spitfire... she tried to stop them from finding out, but..."
I slowly clenched my jaw and grimaced. "I'm going to have a busy week, aren't I?"
"I wouldn't know, Princess," Rainbow replied quickly.
I shot her a glare. "Walk with me," I commanded.
Rainbow scurried over beside me and rigidly stood at attention. "Y-yes, Princess!"
I felt bad about pulling rank on the small pegasus, especially considering what she had to have been through. I sighed. "Rainbow, can you just... be my friend right now?" I asked softly. "I'd really appreciate it..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say first.
Rainbow looked at me uneasily and then hesitantly nodded. "Sure, Twilight... what's up?"
I grimaced and bobbed my head. "I just... what do you think is up?"
Rainbow chuckled nervously. "Sorry."
I rolled my eyes and started toward the door. She stayed close beside me. "Well... I'm going to find out sooner or later, but I think walking and talking will be beneficial. What... did I miss?" I asked as I opened the door with my magic.
I eyed the door to Spitfire's office warily. Twin guards flanked the door and stood stoically, but they did eye me expectantly. To my right, Rainbow stood unsurely. To my left, two additional guards stood beside me. Looking down at them was one of the weirdest things I had experienced since the war started. Knowing that they were full grown ponies but still being a good head taller than them was offputting. Although the guards did a good job at hiding it, I was sure I looked intimidating simply because of my height. All I was really missing was the flowing ethereal mane. Maybe my regalia and tiara too.
I pushed the thought aside, standing there at the door for the past ten minutes working up my courage to talk to Spitfire wasn't helping me feel any more courageous. I swallowed and tentatively stepped over to the door. I lifted my hoof, then hesitantly knocked.
"Enter," Spitfire's voice called from the other side.
I swallowed and quickly looked myself over, making sure I looked as good as I could. I took a deep breath, then lit my horn and opened the door with my magic. I cast a sideways glance at the two guards at my left. Both of them remained silent and strode over to the left side of the door, then turned around, facing down the hallway. I ruffled my wings as I walked inside.
Spitfire's gaze immediately fell on me. I fully entered the office, then closed the door behind me. I glanced at Rainbow and I was eternally grateful for her presence, even if she couldn't help me, I was glad she was at least there to support me. I looked back at Spitfire and swallowed. The mare looked equally parts happy and mad. "General," I acknowledged evenly.
"Princess," she acknowledged coolly.
'This isn't going to go well.' I realized. I grimaced at Rainbow and regretted bringing her, she didn't need to be here.
Spitfire sat up a little straighter and took a deep breath. "What in Tartarus were you thinking?" She demanded.
I winced and forced myself not to shy away from her verbal assault. "General, we had no choice. We both agreed that me leading a strike force to attack General Hoof's command was the best option available to us to ensure victory. There was no viable alternative."
"That's not what I'm talking about," General Spitfire replied evenly. I shifted my weight. "You almost got yourself killed. Yes, we agreed that you leading a strike force was the best option. You hesitated. I read that report. You were struck by a unicorn's spell. It penetrated your armor. That alone is unacceptable that a single spell penetrated your armor. You shouldn't have had a fashionista make armor! You were injured, and you hesitated. Your hesitation almost cost you your life! If that had happened, we wouldn't be having that conversation and this would be over."
I swallowed. "Rarity's armor worked!" I countered. "Your analysis team needs improvement. The spell grazed the edge of the armor, but the majority of it hit me below my wing." I shivered at the memory of the pain lancing through my body. "I've never felt anything as painful as that before!"
"And you hesitated!" Spitfire retorted. "You aren't cut out for combat, Princess. Your inaction almost resulted in the deaths of all your strike team. As it is, Lightning Strike and Storm are K.I.A."
My mouth was dry. Her words hung in the air. 'They're... dead? But...' As much as I tried to stop it, I couldn't prevent myself from looking away from Spitfire. Two of my own ponies were dead, directly because of my actions. Their lives were in my hooves, and I failed. I failed them, and they were dead. Countless others had suffered the same fate, my ponies had won the battle, but every death we suffered was squarely and solely on my hooves. Their blood was on my hooves.
"As it stands, it wasn't a total loss," Spitfire continued. I tried to find the will to match her gaze, but it eluded me. "Because of what happened, because you almost died, you had a surge of alicorn magic according to-"
"Yes, yes, I know, I remember. I remember everything that happened," I said, cutting her off. I forced myself to look back up at her and I took a deep breath. "And I used that magic while I had it..."
"You leveled the camp," Spitfire commented.
"Rainbow told me," I said weakly. "How... bad was it?" I closed my eyes, fearing the answer.
"There weren't any bodies left, so it was hard to get a proper estimate, but the best we can come up with is between two thousand and four thousand casualties," Spitfire's voice droned off.
I blinked slowly and looked down at her desk. Her voice echoed in my mind, her words repeating. In one single, swift strike, I was responsible for something the likes of Discord and Lord Tirek didn't match. With one spell, I just committed mass murder. My stomach churned at the thought, and I felt cold. My face felt numb, and my heart ached like it was being crushed by a massive weight, or compressed under the force of an alicorn's magic. The crystalline floor felt harsh and icy on my hooves.
I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, trying to place it. The touch was so soft and faint, almost like it wasn't there. I turned to my right. Rainbow's expression was unreadable, or at the very least, I couldn't decipher it. I turned further and looked at her hoof on my shoulder. After what felt like an eternity, I turned back to Spitfire and closed my eyes again. "And... what about... our losses?" My voice came out monotonous, almost lifeless. I felt shocked that it was my own voice, but it was undeniably my own.
"Approximately eight hundred casualties in all," Spitfire answered.
'How many deaths are already on my hooves?' I couldn't count them all. 'How many parents did I take away from their foals?' I was a mass murderer. But the worst thought of all, 'How much more blood will be on my hooves?'
As if everypony knew what I was thinking, the office was completely silent. You could have heard a paper hit the crystal floor.
"Total casualties on General Hoof's side?" I asked absently.
"We believe the number to be somewhere between six to eight thousand," Spitfire answered. "The lightning bombs did their job, and you did a number on them, Princess."
Several seconds passed in silence.
"You saved more lives than you took," Spitfire's voice pierced the air.
I looked back up at her, then swallowed. I pressed my eyes closed, then took a deep breath. I nodded firmly, then opened my eyes. "I..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. "Schedule a full briefing tomorrow... I need to know what I've missed in my absence and how my kingdom is doing," I ordered.
Spitfire sat up straighter and saluted me with vigor. "Yes, Princess!" she affirmed. I glanced around the room. My eyes fell on a crystal on her desk. I studied the crystal for a second, then looked up at her. "The Crystal Empire seceded and pledged their allegiance to you in your absence, Princess."
The domination of silence returned. I swallowed as fear plagued my mind. "W-what about Cadance and my brother?"
Spitfire's expression maintained neutrality. "They were expelled from the Crystal Empire and sent to Canterlot. We're still awaiting more intelligence on that situation."
I nodded slowly. "I want a full report that I can go over before tomorrow morning," I stated. I didn't wait for her to reply, I simply turned around, opened the door in my magic.
"Princess?" Spitfire called, her voice had taken a much warmer and softer tone. It sounded wrong. I paused and turned back to regard her. She looked at me apologetically. "I'm glad that you're awake. We all are. We... thought we had lost you there, Princess."
I idly nodded, then turned back and looked out the door. I wanted to say something, but I had a lot on my mind. I studied the crystal wall for a few seconds, then shook my head and stepped out into the hallway. Rainbow scurried after me and matched my pace. I closed the door behind us and cast a glance at the two additional guards beside the door. At my look, both of them stood up straighter and calmly walked over to my side. I hesitated a few seconds, then took off down the hallway. I had one destination in mind, although several others nipped at the back of my mind, begging for attention. I wasn't ready to face the rest of the girls yet. How could I, considering what I was responsible for? Pinkie and Fluttershy would hate me, they would be devastated if they found out that one of their closest friends was responsible for thousands of deaths.
I shivered and closed my eyes.
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keep up the good work man
How am I supposed to prevent Princess Celestia and Princess Luan from using that magic after... if I win?'
WOW A NEW PRINCESS (but I THINK that should be Luna)
other than that little typo, this chapter was the chapter that I have been waiting soooooooooo long for. Thank you!
Can't wait for next chapter!
Pinkie and Fluttershy have zero right to hate twilight. What else would they expect in a war?