The Last Cutie Mark Crusader

by Jatheus

26 - Coup d'état, Part 9 of 9

Scootaloo was by Mane Crusher's side; no opportunity to get away and beat them to Shining Armor had presented itself, and the situation had only grown worse. The rebel forces had effectively secured Cloudsdale, and now they had prince’s headquarters surrounded. Scootaloo's heart was heavy as the updates came in. Mane Crusher looked as stalwart as ever.

"It's time," he said simply.

Two-hundred hoof-picked ponies followed the general inside the great doors. Scootaloo didn't think there was any way she could help now, but if she failed to save the prince, her friends in Ponyville would likely be the next to die. She felt a lump forming in her throat, along with a powerful sense of helplessness.

The war room was completely empty, which she guessed was normal this late in the evening. There was a great deal of information and paperwork scattered around. It was like CIC in Ponyville, but much larger. Each step was heavier than the last as they crossed several rows of tables; it was almost as if time had slowed nearly to a complete stop.

The two-hundred rebels easily filed into the room, and as they made it to the other end, they found Prince Shining Armor, standing at the top of the stairs in the great hall. His back was to them; Scootaloo guessed he was looking at the war map. The group of rebels came close, with Mane Crusher and Scootaloo leading them. As they drew near the bottom of the steps, the prince finally turned around.

He regarded the intruders, but his expression was impossible to read. He looked tired, but there was a stoniness to his features.

"General Mane Crusher, to what do I owe this, surprise?" the prince asked in a calm, but somehow severe tone.

The general halted and looked up at the prince, ”You are leading us to our deaths, and we will not let Equestria fall.”

"I do what I must to protect us all, but you didn't answer my question."

Mane Crusher sighed, ”I am here to take command of the EUP."

"To what end?"

The general turned his head a moment in thought. Scootaloo felt sick. She wasn't sure what she had expected of this moment, but it had already been far more cordial than she had anticipated. It only served to add to her dread.

"We are going to take a more aggressive posture and take the fight to the enemy," General Mane Crusher replied. "We can't sit back and hold what little gains we've made while the enemy looks for weaknesses."

"I have considered these options. Surviving the winter is our priority, and without food, we don't survive. Return to Ponyville at once," Shining Armor said.

Scootaloo could feel the defiance in the air. It was like a spring or a rubber band that had been stretched as far as it could. The energy of it was just begging to be released.

"No," Mane Crusher said firmly, "my forces are with me, and we are taking command."

"If you return to Ponyville now, I will forget all of this business,” there was ice in the prince’s voice that grew colder with each word spoken.

"With respect, you do not command here any longer," the general said with finality. "Either step aside willingly, or we’ll take you into custody by force.”

Prince Shining Armor sighed; Scootaloo thought it almost looked like sadness on his face. Then his eyes glowed red as he loudly declared, "So be it."

The next moment, the spring released, time sped up, and the tension in the room exploded into violence. From all around the edge of the room, the walls began moving as short spears sped through air and into the bodies of the rebel force.

“Shambulia!”

Cries of fear and confusion went up as the movement revealed the zebras that couldn’t be seen; Scootaloo remembered the invisibility potion that Zecora had given her squad in the Everfree Forest. Chaos erupted as the unicorns began firing back with their magical energies. The zebras leapt wildly into the rebel force, attacking with incredible ferocity.

"Take the prince!" Mane Crusher shouted over the noise of battle.

Hostile energy flew at Shining Armor, but his eyes glowed red as a magical shield came up in front of him and absorbed the blow. Several unicorns teleported to surround the prince, and then a wave of energy shot out from him, throwing them all back.

The rebels pulled into a tighter grouping, setting up a perimeter behind Mane Crusher to hold the zebras back. Arrows flew and spears pierced armor and flesh. The zebras redoubled the attack with reinforcements that entered the great hall. They were EUP. They joined the tangled confusion of the battle.

Scootaloo had been far too stunned to do anything as the situation unfolded around her. General Mane Crusher loaded his crossbow and aimed it at Shining Armor. Deciding that it was the only opportunity she’d have, Scootaloo vaulted herself into Mane Crusher, throwing off his aim.

She attempted to restrain him, but he was surprisingly spry for such an older stallion. He twisted free from her grasp and punched at her face. Scootaloo ducked, bringing the hit onto her helmet, which absorbed the impact but made the world spin for a moment.

She pushed forward, hitting back hard, but the general deflected her blow. He caught her left fore-leg and twisted her around. Feeling a burning in her shoulder, Scootaloo pulled her knife and jammed it hard into Mane Crusher's leg. He grunted as he dropped to the ground, wrapping around her body and head in a tangle of legs and pulling her fore-leg with all of his strength. Scootaloo had never experienced a pain quite like it, and she screamed as her appendage was pulled from the socket. The general released, spun upright, and pulled her knife from his thigh. He was bringing it down to make the kill when a magical blast struck him in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Scootaloo's shoulder burned with a fiery pain. She was about to stand up when a zebra ran upon her suddenly and put a spear to her throat. She laid back down in submission, but he stayed there, unwavering in his intent. Metal scraped through metal, and savage cries filled the room, fewer than before.

As the sounds of fighting died away, an eerie silence fell upon the room. It was only punctuated with moaning and other sounds of pain. Hoof steps were heard coming down the stairs, and in a few moments, Shining Armor was standing above Scootaloo. The scent of smoke and charred metal was permeated with that of freshly spilled blood.

"No need to guard this one," he said to the zebra, which nodded and walked away. To Scootaloo, he asked, ”Are you alright?"

“He understands you?”

“They all do well enough,” he replied with an enigmatic grin.

Scootaloo felt like she was going to throw up. She felt the need to tell him what she knew, "There are more outside. Three-thousand strong in Cloudsdale, and they've taken Ponyville.”

"I know," he said, helping her stand.

“It's about a thousand in Ponyville, and they have agents all over the EUP."

Scootaloo felt somehow hot and cold at the same time, and she was sweating.

"Your shoulder looks bad; we need to get you to a medic," Shining Armor said calmly. Reading the distress on Scootaloo's face, his eyes glowed red, as if with a kind of sick delight as he said, "Don't worry about the rebels. I’ll explain the details in time, but suffice it to say, they’ve already lost.”

Scootaloo was confused as to how Shining Armor could have so soundly outmaneuvered the conspirators, and any relief she felt for Shining Armor’s safety was overshadowed by the dread of what was unfolding in cities and outposts all across the land. She could only trust to hope that Sparklefly’s mission had been successful and that reinforcements could rescue her platoon before the rebels killed them all. She shuddered at the thought.

Comments

[truebuckshot]

Shining Armor with red eyes? I smell changeling doppelganger

[Blaster M]

And so the plot thickens

[Jatheus]

8220837
Yes, the thicker the better!

[Jatheus]

8219190
Okay, if that's your final answer and you're right, you get a cookie. However, if you're wrong, I get a cooke.

[Emperor]

Red-eyed Shining Armor? Well, I doubt it's a changeling, because fandom normally associates them with green eyes. Red eyes is obviously bad in lots of fiction, but in MLP, even Sombra's were red-and-green.

[Jatheus]

8237510
I'm glad my not-so-subtle hints are caught but not too obvious!

Thank you so much for all of your comments today! You have made my evening!

[OmalleyCaboose5]

The war room was completely empty, which she guessed was normal this late in the evening. There was a great deal of information and paperwork scattered around. It was like CIC in Ponyville, but much larger. Each step was heavier than the last as they crossed several rows of tables; it was almost as if time had slowed nearly to a complete stop.

Their will be no fighting in that room

[OmalleyCaboose5]

"Your shoulder looks bad; we need to get you to a medic," Shining Armor said calmly. Reading the distress on Scootaloo's face, his eyes glowed red, as if with a kind of sick delight as he said, "Don't worry about the rebels. I’ll explain the details in time, but suffice it to say, they’ve already lost.”

At first I thought changeling but it is probably some sort of zebra potion to make him more powerful
Or maybe the alicorn amulet.

[Jatheus]

8741763
1) No fighting in that room? Hah! Wrong!

2) One of those guesses... is correct...