Unicornia

by Yukito

Chapter 10

Trixie and Sunset rushed through the hallway, down towards Midas' room, where Oasis' scream had come from. As they got there, Genesis and Oasis were waiting outside, the latter hyperventilating, and many other members of Unicornia began to gather to see what the commotion was about.

"What happened?!" Trixie asked, though Sunset did not wait for an answer. She pushed her way into Midas' room, gasping as she looked around the corner. Trixie peered inside and froze, her eyes widening. "W-Wha-"

"We have a pest problem," Genesis said, releasing Oasis and pulling Trixie back. "Oasis had a bit of a shock, that's all. Could you please wait out here for King Midas to return?"

Trixie tilted her head, but as she heard the mumbles of the ponies around her, she understood. "Y-Yeah. I'll wait here…" She turned to the crowd that had gathered and said, "Okay, nothing to see here! Just a parasprite infestation that Genesis and Sunset will take care of!"

The crowd began to disperse, slowly. Genesis thanked Trixie and entered the room, where Sunset Shimmer was already investigating the body that lay still on King Midas' bed. "Don't disturb the body. We'll need to perform an autopsy-"

"Is it not obvious how this happened?" Sunset asked, pointing to the knife sticking out of Midas' chest. "He was killed in his sleep. The question is by whom."

"Which is precisely why we need an autopsy," Genesis asserted. "Not to ascertain the cause of death, but who the culprit was and, more importantly, how he reached King Midas so easily.

"Don't worry. I won't touch him." Sunset's eyes sighted something sitting on the table next to King Midas' bed. She lifted it with her magic. It was a small slip of paper, folded, with some writing on it. She opened and read it silently.

"What's that?" Genesis asked.

"… A letter," Sunset told him.

"The crowd's dispersed," Trixie said as she entered the room. An unsteady Oasis walking in alongside her, gasping and starting to sob at the sight of Midas' corpse. "H-Hey, you shouldn't-"

Oasis shook her head. "No. I… I have to be here. I'm okay… I mean, this is serious, and we should all discuss this together, right?"

Trixie watched as Oasis forced herself further into the room. She wanted to protest, but she wasn't sure what to say. Instead, she simply closed the door and locked it with her magic. "So, you found anything?"

"I've found this letter, possibly from the assailant," Sunset declared, holding the letter up for all to see. "It details a clearing in Whitetail Woods, with a specific time listed."

"A time for what?" Genesis asked.

"It doesn't say. It just says the time and today's date."

"Perhaps King Midas was going to meet somepony there?" Genesis asked. "Maybe this is the contact he has been talking with?"

"No," Oasis said. "King Midas was scheduled to meet with a smuggler from the Griffon Empire to secure weapons, and the meeting was to be at Horseshoe Bay."

"Then the murderer may have called him out, but felt that he wouldn't show and decided to come here."

Sunset examined the table. Blood had splattered onto it from Midas' wound. It was starting to dry, so he had been dead for some time. She checked the note one more time, flipping it over to find blood on the underside.

"I think we should go to this meeting," Sunset said. "Whoever wrote this note will be there."

Genesis raised an eyebrow. "How can you be sure? If he already killed King Midas-"

"The note wasn't for Midas. It was for somepony else." She revealed the front of the letter. "See? No blood. Meaning that it was placed on the table after Midas was killed."

"But it was folded, wasn't it?" Genesis asked. "So it would have been safe from blood splatter."

Sunset folded the paper the way that it had been before, and lay it on the table. It slowly began to open up. "See? Even folded, it wouldn't have been completely safe. Somepony killed King Midas, and then left this note, possibly for their accomplice to find."

"Accomplice?" Genesis asked, putting a hoof to his chin. "Yes, that would explain how he got in here so easily. But then, if he's expecting this accomplice to show up, then I can surprise him and take him out-"

"It wouldn't be smart to go alone," Trixie said. "I'll-"

"I'll go with him," Sunset said. "Trixie, we need your talents to convince everypony that King Midas is simply ill for the moment. Oasis, bring Doctor Flatline here. He can be trusted to keep this a secret while we work things out."

"This will likely be dangerous," Genesis said.

"Which is why it makes sense for me to go with you," Sunset said. "There's no time to argue. The assigned time will be soon, so we have to hurry."

"… Trixie will convince everypony that the situation is fine," Trixie said. "You two make sure to capture whoever did this. We need to question them later."

Sunset and Genesis nodded. "We'll take a chariot and ask the drivers to wait outside the woods," Genesis said. "Let's go."

---

The woods were a deafening silence as the two unicorns ventured through, both wearing cloaks to cover their identities and the swords they had sheathed at their sides. Sunset Shimmer look around the woods with a sorrowful look on her face. Critters ran past the two and the wind whistled a solemn tune.

"This is where Queen Platinum made her final stand," Sunset Shimmer said, breaking the tense silence between herself and Genesis, who was leading her towards the clearing. "She hid here with those that were still loyal to her, and when the location was discovered, the ponies fought to the bitter end."

"A fact that has been obscured from history," Genesis stated. "Princess Celestia would have us think that Queen Platinum happily hoofed over Unicornia, and that the rebellion that took place was but a small group of bandits."

Sunset Shimmer frowned. "'History is written by the winners', huh?"

"Indeed. But when we win, we can tell Equestria the truth."

Sunset nodded. "That Princess Celestia, and all of the alicorns, are nothing but thieves and tyrants, hiding behind pretty smiles."

Genesis hacked away at foliage with a machete. "We're almost there."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "How can you be sure?"

"Trust me. I know this area…"

Sunset narrowed her eyes, and asked, "Genesis, you seem to know this path very well."

"Yes. I do."

"And earlier, didn't you try to journey to this clearing on your own?"

Genesis nodded his head. "Yes."

"A rather odd move, considering our enemy is unknown. Or perhaps, they're not unknown to you?"

The two arrived at a large clearing, sunlight peering down from above and basking the two in its warmth. "You're right. I do know this pony."

Sunset heard shifting to her left, and she turned around to find a tall stallion approaching – his coat was black, and his long, grey mane draped halfway down his forelegs as he glared at the orange mare. "Genesis, what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry, Oblivion," Genesis said, turning to face Sunset Shimmer. "The body was found by somepony else, first. This one found the note, and insisted on coming with me."

Sunset drew her sword and glanced between the two. "What is this, Genesis?"

"This… is my brother, Oblivion."

"Your brother?" Sunset gritted her teeth. "So you were a spy?"

"Not exactly. I joined Unicornia for the same reason that I stated before – to dethrone Celestia and save Equestria from the sorry state that it doesn't even know it's in.

"However, unlike King Midas, I have no intention of engaging in a war with the alicorn tribes."

Oblivion's horn glowed red, and a golden chalice lifted into the air, carried by his magic. "Our family has been scheming against the throne for centuries, plotting and training its offspring for the day that we finally have an opening to strike Celestia." Oblivion drank from his chalice, which glowed red.

"My older brother, Oblivion, was trained in the arts of assassination and destruction," Genesis explained, "Whereas I have been trained an army against Celestia, and rule the country as its king.

"Thus, King Midas became an obstacle that needed to be removed."

Sunset Shimmer bared his teeth. "King Midas was a noble stallion!"

Oblivion chuckled. "Does a noble stallion keep secrets from his closest comrades?"

"Occasionally, yes. It is necessary."

"Occasionally, it is," Genesis agreed. "Unless those secrets are not in your best interests. For example, King Midas started his vast fortune that was used to establish Unicornia as a bandit."

Sunset gasped. "What?!"

"Oh yes. He mugged innocent ponies and killed those that tried to stop him. And then there's you. You show up out of nowhere, and he lets you into our circle in an instant."

"He saw my potential," Sunset said.

"Perhaps, but he had failed to consult with us. And then there's this contact that he had in Canterlot, with connections to the royal family."

"A contact with connections to the royal family?"

"King Midas was too secretive, and too powerful. He was a threat that had to be removed – though you are a different story."

"No, Genesis," Oblivion said. He inhaled, and then breathed a rope of fire towards Sunset Shimmer. She teleported out of the way, clearing the fire and staring in shock at the stallion. "This one dies. She's too close to Celestia."

Genesis frowned. "Very well, Brother. If that's what you want…"

"Hold it!" A flash of light turned into a blue mare in a purple hat and a cape standing before Oblivion, holding a sword in a magical aura as she grinned at the three gathered ponies. "Seems that Trixie was right to come along."

"What-" Sunset began.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie got a bad feeling about Genesis," Trixie explained. "She finished her task and ran to catch up with you, and it seems that I was right to do so."

Sunset smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Now the odds are a little better!"

Genesis turned to Oblivion. "W-What do we do now?!"

"Run," Oblivion said. "I'll deal with these two. You get out of here. Return to Unicornia and claim that you avenged their deaths."

With a hesitant nod, Genesis turn around and fled through the woods.

"Oh no you don't!" Sunset shouted, chasing after the stallion.

"I won't let you leave!" Oblivion drank from his chalice, which, this time, glowed blue. He sprayed a trail of ice towards the mare, but it was blocked by a magical shield. Sunset escaped through some trees, and Oblivion turned to Trixie, whose horn was glowing. "It's a shame that I must now kill you, too. My brother was fond of you."

"Then fret not, for Trixie shall not be falling today!"

---

Genesis had clearly mapped out the woods prior to agreeing to meet with Oblivion there. He was nimbly navigating between trees, over bushes and thorns, and taking dark paths to throw Sunset off, whilst she struggled to keep up without tripping over.

Sunset glared at the fleeing traitor, pulling her knife from her belt with her magic and throwing it. It grazed Genesis' leg and he skidded to a stop, turning to face her. Sunset grinned triumphantly as she stopped before the traitor, drawing her sword.

"You're persistent," Genesis said. "I get the feeling that I won't be able to shake you."

"There's no way I'd let you escape after what you did," Sunset said. The two ponies charged magic into their horns. "King Midas was an honourable stallion, and your brother murdered him in cold blood, thanks to your help!"

Genesis unleashed his spell, shaking the ground around Sunset and catching her by surprise. Her own spell faded, and he charged, his sword pointing towards Sunset's neck.

Sunset teleported, appearing behind Genesis and swinging for his flank. Genesis ducked, dodging the sword, and spun about, parrying a second blow. He saw an opening and took it, thrusting his sword and bring it around to cut off Sunset's neck.

Sunset grasped his blade with her magic, grunting as she struggled against his strength to keep it at bay. "What did you hope to achieve by killing me here?! Return with claims of avenging my death and become leader?!"

"You were never meant to come!" Genesis shouted. "That note was meant for me to find! That fool Oasis discovered the body first, and then you picked up that note and insisted that you come with me!" Genesis surrendered his attack, instead kicking Sunset's gut and forcing her to back off. "You brought this on yourself! If you had just played your part, you would have been able to serve under me and keep your life!"

Sunset glowered, her horn flaring to life. "How dare you? You do not know your place, Genesis!"

Genesis swung his sword, only for Sunset's magic to block it as she thrust her sword, narrowly missing his shoulder. "My place? For generations now, my household has deserved to stand at the top, but we are always denied our place by those with more wealth!

"That is why I joined this group. Not for equality, or to wage war against the alicorns. It is to ensure that my household finally takes its place at the top!"

"You scum!" Sunset shouted as she thrust her sword again. Genesis jumped back, charging magic into his blade. "So you've been deceiving us this whole time!"

"I truly do value you all as comrades, and I have even come to like you and consider you my friends," Genesis admitted. "But for the sake of my clan, I must end your life, if you get in my way!"

Genesis swung his sword, unleashing a wave of energy towards Sunset. Sunset fired her own magic towards the wave, parting it and allowing it to pass her on either side. Trees fell, and bushes exploded, but the mare remained untouched.

Sunset's horn flared as flames sparked to life around her and Genesis, startling her foe. She launched balls of fire at her enemy, who spun about with his blade outstretched, slicing the balls before they could touch him.

"Taste my wrath!" Genesis hold his sword aloft. It glowed before he brought it down, unleashing a wave of magical energy. Sunset erected a barrier, grunting as it struggled to hold back Genesis' attack. "You can't push this one back, Sunset Shimmer!"

Sunset glanced at Genesis' hooves and threw a knife. Genesis gasped and stepped back, but doing so gave Sunset the opening that she needed to deflect his attack into the air, allowing it to explode high above the trees.

Genesis faltered, stumbling backwards and Sunset charged towards him. With gritted teeth, he thrusted his blade to counter her swing, but a sweep from Sunset's leg tripped him, giving her the opening that she needed to bash his hoof with the hilt of her blade.

"Ah!" Genesis reached for his sword, but was knocked onto his back by a powerful blast of magic. He attempted to get up, but found his hooves being bound by roots rising from the ground. He struggled against the hold, until a shadow cast itself over him, bringing him to freeze in terror.

"I'm truly sorry that it had to come to this," Sunset said as she rose her sword into the air. The sun's light reflected off of it, blinding Genesis as he squinted to keep his eyes open. "I must admit, I respect your boldness. Your skills and your abilities are formidable, and your motives… I can truly sympathize with. But you made one fatal mistake.

"You betrayed me."

Genesis grunted. "You think highly of yourself, to take it so personally. I betrayed all of you."

"Oh, but you see, with King Midas gone, there is now a vacant spot. Somepony has to fill it, and naturally that would be me. That would mean, Genesis, that you have betrayed your queen!" A cloud covered up the sun, allowing Genesis to see clearly once more. What he saw was the scowl Sunset's face as she pointed her blade towards his neck.

"W-Wait, whatever happened to taking me prisoner?!"

"'Prisoner'? Don't make me laugh! You are a traitor, and for traitors, there in only one punishment!"

---

Trixie charged Oblivion, her sword aiming for his right foreleg. A barrier blocked it, and the stallion lifted his chalice and drank from it. It glowed red.

"Burn." Oblivion released a spray of fire from his mouth, which Trixie narrowly avoided as she jumped backwards. As the fire dissipated, she charged again, this time swinging her sword for his right foreleg, whilst also firing a blast of magic towards his horn.

The spell shocked his horn, destroying his barrier and allowing her sword to reach his leg… had he not retreated backwards before it could connect. Trixie charged after him. Oblivion drank from his chalice as it glowed blue, and he sprayed ice at the ground beneath Trixie's hooves.

Trixie slipped and fell onto her flanks with a pained cry. As she looked up, she found Oblivion drinking his chalice, which was glowing white. He jumped, reaching a very high altitude, before crashing down towards Trixie's location.

Trixie teleported away, and watched as the stallion crashed down hard enough to smash the very ground beneath his hooves.

"Y-Your chalice is something interesting," Trixie commented as she tried to catch her breath. "A magical artefact?"

"Indeed, though not cursed, like your old Alicorn Amulet."

Trixie growled. "It's too bad you're such a vile murderer. That power would've been great in the coming war!"

Oblivion chuckled. "It's such a shame that you decided to be our enemy. Sunset Shimmer is one thing, but you… your ideals are very similar to our own."

Trixie raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"We both feel that this country is neglected and weak. We both seek to replace its leaders with ones that can rule it appropriately. That can protect it, not lead it to weakness or wage war against a force far more powerful than our own."

"Well, motives can still be noble, even if your actions sure aren't." Trixie pointed her sword towards Oblivion. "You killed our leader. There's no way that Trixie would follow you after that."

"That really doesn't matter. Dead or alive, your value is about the same." Oblivion drank from his chalice. It glowed green, and his horn glowed the same colour.

Trixie felt the ground shaking beneath her hooves, and quickly jumped back as she felt something rising towards her. A spire shot up from the ground, followed by another, and then another. After dodging six more, and firing a blast of magic towards Oblivion, the spires finally stopped.

Oblivion dodged the magical attack easily, and took another drink of his chalice. This time, it glowed purple, and as he drank, his body lifted up and hovered over the ground. His chalice then glowed red, and he pulled it away to breathe fire towards Trixie once more.

Trixie screamed as the flames enveloped her body, turning her body and her clothes into mere ash before the stallion. The screaming stopped, and Oblivion gently touched down. "How disappointing. I thought that she was stronger than that."

A lasso wrapped around the chalice, startling Oblivion. He pulled against the rope as it attempted to steal his chalice, and he looked over to the other end of it. Trixie was still alive, and she was grinning. "An illusion!" Oblivion used his magic to cut the rope, and then brought the chalice to his mouth. As he did, though, he noticed that both the rope and Trixie had become transparent, and were beginning to fade away.

"Guh!" Oblivion felt a sharp pain down his back, and looked over his shoulder to find Trixie standing behind him, her sword in the air after having cut across his skin. With a roar, Oblivion bucked Trixie, sending her on a journey that stopped with her at the base of a nearby tree, groaning as she held her head.

"What are you made of?" Trixie asked as she stumbled to her hooves.

Oblivion's chalice glowed white as he drank from it, and then he charged towards Trixie, moving fast enough to reach her in mere seconds.

Trixie gasped and dodged a series of kicks, narrowly avoiding the powerful attacks each time as she backed away. She failed to put any distance between herself and the enraged stallion. A hoof connected to her gut, pushing her back with a great force as she coughed up some blood.

Oblivion charged again, his opponent no longer able to move. He closed the distance on Trixie, his horn flaring as he prepared to-

"OOF!" The world around Oblivion shook and distorted. He narrowed his eyes and tried to make sense of the situation. Had he just collided with… the air?

"Did that hurt?" Trixie asked as she rounded the large tree between herself and Oblivion. A grin crept on her face. "Good!" She fired a beam of magic towards Oblivion, expecting to strike him whilst he was down. To her surprise, the stallion was able to right himself and fire his own magic back, the two beams colliding in the air. "What?!"

"You underestimate my powers!" Oblivion yelled, grunting as he pressed forwards, overpowering Trixie's magic with his own. "And you overestimate your own!"

Trixie lifted a hoof and stomped, planting it firmly into the ground as an anchor. She could feel Oblivion's magic drawing closer and she started to panic. "I'll… stop you!"

Oblivion felt something tugging at his right foreleg, and he looked down for a moment to find a root shooting out of the ground, coiling up his leg in an attempt to stop him. He snapped it with ease, simply by walking forwards, but the root continued to grow.

"What is this?" he asked as he stopped to examine the snare growing closer to his shoulder. "Another illusion? That won't stop me."

"But maybe this will," Sunset said as she approached the two, throwing her sword at Oblivion's head.

The stallion ducked back to avoid it, but doing so cost him his focus, and his spell fizzled under Trixie's. He could only watch as the mare's magic washed over him, sending jolts of pain through his body, before allowing him to fall to his knees.

"Now!" Sunset shouted.

Trixie was already running the moment her spell was freed. As Oblivion fell, she took out a small ring from her cape and clasped it onto his horn. The stallion kicked, pushing Trixie onto her back, but Sunset Shimmer was ready to hold him back with her magic.

Trixie took out a pair of hoofcuffs and slapped them onto Oblivion's forelegs, nodding to Sunset safe to let him go.

"It's okay now. We got him."

"We're not going to kill him?" Sunset asked as she released her spell, cautiously.

Trixie shook her head. "No need. And we can get more information out of him if he's alive." As Oblivion roared and flailed his legs in an attempt to free himself, Trixie looked around the clearing. "Where's Genesis?"

---

Queen Platinum and Commander Hurricane stared out into the great, endless ocean that sat before them. Behind them, almost one thousand soldiers stood with their weapons at the ready. The two stood tense, sweat dripping down their brows despite the cool breeze flowing through the air.

"There's a shadow in the distance," Platinum said, earning a nod from her friend. "They are here."

"Just as they said, they're attacking with an entire army. They intend to take the docks before anymore ships can be built."

"The griffons broke the treaty. Show them no mercy."

"I won't. They killed my cousin's son, after all."

It was only two days ago that Commander Hurricane had broke the news to Queen Platinum. The griffons had suddenly attacked the ponies fishing off of The Eastern Coast, breaking the ceasefire as they declared that fish no longer satisfied their hunger.

Many ponies died and were left in the ocean until a rescue squad was able to recover the bodies. Some managed to escape and swam to shore. And then some… had been taken by the griffons as 'snacks'.

"Archers, ready!" Platinum ordered. "Mages, light the arrows and ready the defences!"

Shields rose, and arrows were set alight. "Load catapults! Ready ballistae!" Commander Hurricane shouted. "Weatherponies, prepare the storm!"

"We'll knock them out of the skies and show these barbarians that Equestria is not defenceless!" The ponies rallied behind Platinum's speech, just as the griffons finally became visible to all. "Archers, hold steady! Hold… Hold…" A griffon roared in the sky. "FIRE!"

Arrows flew, lighting the sky with dazzling flames. Some of them hit the approaching chimeras, but many were knocked back as the beasts beat their wings, blowing them away.

"Fire the ballistae!" Hurricane shouted. Large bolts fired towards the griffons that had stopped to blow the arrows away. The griffons flapped their wings, but the bolts were too heavy to be stopped in the same manner as the arrows. Some other griffons dodged, but the ones that did not were skewered, and fell like bricks into the ocean.

The ocean splashed as many griffons fell, but many more still survived. "Reload! Cannoneers, provide support!"

"Discharge the storm!" Hurricane ordered to her troops above. "Zap them out of the sky and blow out their eardrums!"

Canons fired, but the blasts were barely heard over the roaring thunder that suddenly blared from above, accompanied by bolts of bolts of lightning that reached for the griffons in the air.

"Gut them and leave their heads as warnings!" one griffon shouted, flexing his claws as he nimbly navigated the cannonballs fired his way and raced towards Platinum and Hurricane. "Whoever gets the queen's head gets a promotion!"

The griffon hit a barrier erected by Queen Platinum, falling to the ground as he stared confusedly at the two leaders. "Does this idiot not realise that we can harness magic?" Platinum took out her sword and thrust forwards, slicing the griffon's head off. "It won't be my head that is lost this day!"

Hurricane took out her own sword and turned the pegasi troops behind her. "We're goin' in! Attack from their flanks and leave a path for our archers' arrows!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers replied as they followed their leader into the skies.

"Clover the Clever, raise your barrier!" Platinum ordered. "Surround our troops so that their spears and arrows cannot reach us!"

Clover nodded, and closed her eyes. Several unicorns around her, all dressed in purple robes, also closed their eyes. She drew energy from them, levitating and glowing as her horn sparked. A barrier formed around the Equestrian ponies and flashed.

"Do not falter!" Queen Platinum ordered. "The barrier works one-way! Nothing can get in, but our attacks can still get out!"

An explosion sounded in the distance, causing Platinum to gasp and scan her eyes across the water. In the distance, a ship was approaching, its flags bearing the colours of the Griffon Empire, and its cannons bigger than anything Platinum had ever seen.

One of them fired, and a large metal ball struck the barrier, startling the queen. "I-I thought that they were limited to aerial combat!"

"I thought they were!" Hurricane shouted as she downed three griffon soldiers into the water. She watched as cannons fired, and shouted, "Get down! Incoming fire!"

Pegasi ducked to avoid the incoming steel balls, but doing so left them vulnerable to the enemy soldiers in the air.

"This is bad," Platinum mumbled to herself. "I thought that being on the ground and near water would give us a tactical advantage, but if they have the means to fight on any terrain… No, so long as the barrier holds, we can still-"

Three more balls struck the barrier, and it began to shake. Clover grunted as she began to descend down. "I-It's too strong! I need more magic to hold it!"

"Point your cannons towards the ship!" Platinum ordered.

"It won't work!" Hurricane responded. "It's too far out there!"

"But they're hitting us just fine!"

Hurricane gritted her teeth. "Such range. How do they do it?"

"Our scouts were useless," Platinum muttered to herself. "… What good was it? All that surveillance, all that information, and we had no idea that the Griffon Empire even possessed a naval fleet!"

The canons continued to boom in the distance, forcing pegasi to dodge and testing the limits of the barrier. "Your Highness, we can't hold it much longer!" Clover the Clever cried. "Those cannons are too strong!"

Platinum looked around the pier for any boats that were available. 'There is only one boat we possess that is suited for combat. It would be sunk before it can even get close! Maybe we could use it as distraction?' Platinum shook her head. 'That would only buy us mere seconds. We need more-'

"Platinum, this is hopeless!" Hurricane shouted.

"Charge!" Queen Platinum shouted. "Clover the Clever, keep the barrier raised just a little longer! We will board our own warship and prepare to fire at them!"

Commander Hurricane peered out into the distance. She gasped and retreated back towards the barrier. "That won't work! There are more ships behind that one!"

Platinum's jaw dropped. Her legs began to shake. "W-We weren't prepared for this!" 'Perhaps… Perhaps we should have just given the griffons their land back…'

"We need to fallback! Abandon the shore and secure ourselves in the castle!"

"We'd be drawing them to our capital!" Platinum argued.

"We'd be safe! There, we can keep this barrier up, and they won't be able to hurt us, but we could hurt them. It'd give us a chance to regroup."

Platinum considered her options as she watched the fighting above her. More soldiers were coming than she had anticipated, and the ship's cannons were still firing. The barrier flickered, and Clover touched the ground.

Spinning around, Queen Platinum ordered her troops to withdraw. "Everypony, we will go back to the castle and-"

One final blast from the sea was followed by the shattering of the barrier around the ponies, leaving them defenceless to the flying soldiers and the bombardment from the ships that began to draw closer.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry!" Clover shouted as she rose. "Everypony, use whatever magic you have to-"

Clover's words were silenced as a cannonball collided with her face, sending her body flying across the battlefield, before it slammed onto the ground in a heap of blood.

Queen Platinum watched with horror as her beloved advisor lay limp on the ground. Her eyes grew wet with tears, and burned with rage as she turned back towards the soldiers in the air, firing magic to down them one-by-one. "YOU BARBARIANS! I will see to it that your entire race pays for this travesty!"

"Order the troops to retreat!" Hurricane shouted.

"We can't raise the barrier without Clover's guidance!" one of the unicorns behind them announced. "We can only raise a crude one that would block attacks from both sides!"

"Then we'll fallback just far enough to avoid their cannon fire!"

Platinum stayed her relentless assaults long enough to give the order. She and Commander Hurricane led the troops back from the shoreline, drawing the griffon soliders further into Equestria. Soon, they stopped, turning back to fight once more.

"Their ships cannot reach us here!" Queen Platinum cried. "Bring those oversized birds down and slice their throats!"

"Take no prisoners!" Commander Hurricane shouted as she flew into the air, thrusting her sword into one griffon's gut, before pulling it out and slicing off another griffon's wing. "Ground units, finish 'em!"

Earth ponies rallied and threw spears into the air, bringing many more griffons down to where they could be finished with swift thrusts.

The unicorns used their magics to deflect attacks, heal their allies, and injure the enemy soldiers. The battle carried on, many numbers on both sides falling, but the griffons seemed to have an endless supply.

Suddenly, something rose in the distance that made Commander Hurricane's blood freeze. "You've gotta be kiddin' me…"

In the distance, two ships were approaching. Each one was fitted with wheels, and was being dragged by ponies in chains, with blindfolds around their eyes to prevent them from seeing where they were dragging the enemy ships.

"Those are the ponies that went missing when the griffons attacked," Platinum whispered. "I thought that they were lost to the sea!"

"Those bastards! They're using our own ponies to bring those warships onto land!"

Platinum raised her sword, and cried, "There are but two ships! Pegasi, you are swifter than cannon fire! Board the ships and slaughter the crew!" Platinum grinned. "The fools don't even realise that they have delivered their weapons right to us for our own use!"

"There are too many soldiers!" Hurricane shouted. "We can't make a path!"

Cannons boomed, and cannonballs smashed the ground around the ponies. Some were hit, but many managed to dodge the first barrage. "Archers, light your arrows and aim towards the ships!"

"They're too far away!" one archer cried as many arrows flew, but missed their marks by a long distance.

The cannons roared once more, and this time, there was more damage done to the ponies. Platinum watched as her troops fell, her forces in the air being ripped to shreds by the griffons' sharp talons, and her forces on the ground powerless to fight back against the massive warships.

The ballistae were useless, as those that weren't smashed by cannon fire were assaulted and sabotaged by enemy soldiers.

"We have to retreat!" Commander Hurricane shouted as she downed two more soldier, parrying a third's attack. "There are too many! Our best hope is the trebuchet at the castle!"

Platinum thrust her sword through a griffon soldier's chest and fired her magic at three more charging towards her. "The one-way shield is lost! We can't fire it without letting our enemies inside!"

"We're outnumbered out here, and our siege is lost!" Hurricane slashed through three more soldiers and kicked two that attempted to flank her from either side. She looked around and found that skies were filled with far more griffons that ponies. "We have to withdraw! We can't win this way!"

Platinum screamed as she cut off one more soldier's head. As his body fell from her view, Platinum could see the entirety of the battlefield before her. Her troops were indeed outnumbered, and the griffons were proving to be far too powerful, whether they held weapons or not.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She slowly opened her mouth, trying to give the order but failing to find her voice. She knew that the battle was lost, but would retreating at this point save them? Would the country ever be safe, so long as this hostile force was intent on driving them out?

Turning around, Platinum found the soldiers bringing up the rear lying dead in pools on their blood, feathers and downed griffons scattered around them. There would be no hopes of sending a message to Canterlot. Not unless she went there herself and delivered it. But then her troops would die.

"Just go!" Commander Hurricane shouted. "Take some soldiers and go! We'll delay them!"

Queen Platinum bit her lip. "No!" she shouted, turning around and facing her foes. Her eyes glowed white and her horn erupted with green energy. Ponies and griffons stayed their attacks as they watched with awe, and fear.

Magical energy washed over the battlefield, burning anything that wasn't pony and pushing them down to the ground with a sudden increase in gravity. Griffons backed away and watched as their comrades were helpless to fight against the magic, and when the display was over, at least five hundred of the imperial soldiers were dead.

But there were still many more that had escaped the queen's wrath, and the cannons in the distance still boomed. Queen Platinum dropped to her knees, panting and sweating as her horn sparked with excess energy. She looked up. The enemy's numbers had been cut, but they still outnumbered the Equestrian forces.

"Charge!" one of the griffon soldier's roared. The fight resumed, and ponies were once again struggling to hold their grounds against the oncoming forces.

Queen Platinum could only watch as one lone soldier had slipped those shielding her and towered above, flexing his claws menacingly. She could watch… as a stream of white light pushed him back, sending him flying all the way towards the warships in the distance.

Platinum turned around with a gasp. Princess Celestia had arrived. The regal alicorn zoomed through the air, ignoring the fighting on the battlefield as she raced towards the warships.

"Incoming!" one voice cried in the distance. Cannon fire followed, the bulk of it focussed on the mysterious light heading towards the ship. It dodged the shots elegantly. "Prepare to be boarded!"

Celestia gave them no such courtesy. Rather than landing on the ship's deck to fight the soldiers, she crashed through the wood, using her magic to blast holes here-and-there and to knock out the soldiers hiding within. She made another hole through the deck to leave, and stopped for a moment to fire several blast of energy at the ship's cannons, destroying them one-by-one.

An arrow almost reached her head, only stopping thanks to the barrier that she had erected around herself prior to charging at the ship. She turned towards the other one, finding several archers aiming at her. Her eyes were drawn to the flamethrowers that some griffons held as they took to the skies, and the crates of dynamite tucked away on the deck.

This ship was designed for bringing down an entire fort.

She charged towards the ship, using her magic to cripple the griffons' wings as she passed them and send them plummeting towards the ground. She scanned over the ship, guessing where its gunpowder hold would be. As arrows flew towards her, Celestia fire a blast of magic towards the back of the ship, creating a hole that exposed the storage of gunpowder below deck.

Uttering a silent prayer, Celestia cast a spell to ignite the powder, and flew quickly to the side. She landed before the ponies chained to the front of the ship and erected a barrier, covering them all as the ship exploded into a terrifying display of pyrotechnics behind them.

Whilst the fireworks filled the skies, Celestia escorted the ponies safely away. She then set her eyes on the first ship, that was beginning to rally by setting up catapults on the deck. She would not give them the chance. She flew towards the ship and coated it in her magic, grunting as she lifted the entire vessel and flipped it onto its side.

Griffons screamed and clawed at the deck as they fell. Celestia raced to the ponies chained to the front and cut their bonds, freeing them and allowing them the chance to run away.

Back on the battlefield, soldier from both sides watched in awe. A single pony had defeated the two great beasts that had been crushing the Equestrian forces throughout the entire battle, and she had done it without even suffering a scratch.

"Do not panic!" one soldier shouted as he rallied to his comrades. "We still outnumber them! We will defeat that alicorn and then force the ponies back to their castle!"

"Soldiers of the Griffon Empire!" All heads turned to a hilltop to the side of the battlefield. The strong, masculine voice belonged to the Emperor of the Crystal Empire, Emperor Quartz. "You are on notice! Withdraw your forces, or you shall be forced to face us!"

Behind the emperor, many crystalline soldiers were stood, holding swords, bows and banners. The soldier that had rallied his troops gritted his teeth, and shouted, "You think one more army will intimidate us?! Our empire is still far greater than yours!"

"I suggest you do not forget the last time that your troops had assaulted our empire, and the losses that you suffered to our magics!"

The griffon roared, but the emperor did not falter. After several long, tense moments of mulling his options, the soldier nodded. "… We're withdrawing! Gather up the wounded and return to the empire!"

The griffons scurried to carry whatever wounded they could carry, finishing those that would not make the trip back and ignoring their dead. As the griffons fled, the army of the Crystal Empire approached Queen Platinum and Commander Hurricane. To the emperor's sides, Chancellor Puddinghead and Princess Luna followed silently.

"Chancellor?" Platinum asked, sternness in her tone. "Did you authorize the princesses joining us in this battle?"

Chancellor Puddinghead giggled and scuffed a hoof against the ground. "S-Sorry, but I got the feeling that things were going bad and I… I just wanted to help…"

"You should be thanking him," Emperor Quartz said. "Princess Celestia offered to go ahead of us and ambush the griffon soldiers, whilst Princess Luna convinced us to come out and scare the griffons away with our threats."

"The Crystal Heart hath defeated the griffons before," Luna explained. "It was… rather one-sided."

Commander Hurricane gave a confused look. "Wait. I thought the Crystal Heart only worked in the empire, in self-defence."

"Ah, but they don't know that," the emperor said with a chuckle. "Naturally, we expect some form of compensation, but perhaps we can work out an arrangement that pleases everypony."

Queen Platinum bit her lip. "W-What do you suggest?"

"For centuries, we have been unable to expand our empire, due to the threats that roamed Equestria. The Crystal Heart would only reach so far, but now, with your alicorn princesses protecting the land, perhaps we could-"

"Actually, we are not their princesses," Celestia said as she joined the group. "We are simply their friends."

Platinum turned to Celestia, and found the twenty ponies that she had saved following her. "These are indeed the ponies that were attacked a few days ago," she whispered to Hurricane, who nodded in agreement.

"The soldiers of that ship are still alive," Celestia reported. "I have restrained them for now."

"Are you the only ponies that survived the ambush?" Platinum asked.

One mare shook her head, and responded, "My son was also taken. I think he was taken somewhere else, but they didn't say where!"

"My wife isn't here! Where is she?!"

"My baby! Where is my baby?!"

The small group of liberated ponies quickly crowded the queen as they demanded to see their loved ones again, and revealed the long list of ponies that were still missing from that dreadful day.

"I understand," Queen Platinum said when the crowd had finally started to quiet down. "Chancellor Puddinghead, please could you check everypony for injuries?" Puddinghead saluted, and pulled aside the group of ponies to a medical tent that had been established nearby. "Emperor Quartz, I apologise, but please can we delay our talks to another day?"

The emperor nodded. "Of course. Please let me know if there is anything that we can do to help you."

"We will be fine, now," Platinum insisted, before turning to Celestia. "Please show us to the prisoners. We would like to interrogate them."

Emperor Quartz gave his goodbyes, and ordered his troops to return to the Crystal Empire. Celestia led Queen Platinum and Commander Hurricane towards the downed ship. As they neared, Queen Platinum felt a chill down her spine. This mighty warship seemed larger up-close, and yet, it was destroyed by just one pony.

Five griffon soldiers had survived the ambush, all of them shackled to the ground by magical bonds. They struggled as the three mares approached, and Platinum motioned for Celestia to step back.

"Let us go!" the soldier in the middle ordered. "Our forces have retreated! Let us go now!"

"In good time," Queen Platinum assured. "However, we have some questions first. Regarding those ponies that were pulling your ship."

"We want to know what happened to the rest of 'em," Hurricane said. "There were more that you ponynapped on the day. Where are they?"

The soldier huffed. "Isn't it obvious? They're in the Griffon Empire! The healthy ones are down in the mines, and the old ones are likely serving our emperor in the palace."

"You bastards," Hurricane hissed.

"And what about the children?" Queen Platinum asked. "We were told that there were four children abducted on that day."

"Foals are too weak for any real work. They're useless."

"Then what did you do with them?" The soldier remained silent. Platinum raised an eyebrow, and said, "Make him talk."

Commander Hurricane delivered a swift kick to the soldier's head. His teeth left his beak and he cried in pain. "Well?" Hurricane asked, but she received no answer. Two more kicks to the head, and then a kick to the gut. "Well?!"

The griffon stuttered and heaved, but he still did not talk. "You're strong," Platinum said. "I wonder what it is that makes you so tough? Perhaps we should open you up and find out…"

"W-What?" the griffon asked, sweat running down his head.

"Come to think of it, I have many scientists that would just love to perform surgery on a living griffon. If you're lucky, you may not even die-"

"W-We ate them!" the griffon shouted, and only silence followed. He began to sweat even more. "T-The foals were too weak to work, and veal is a delicacy in the empire, so we-"

The griffon's story was cut short as Queen Platinum's sword ran through his mouth. Fire burned in the queen's eyes as she glared at the frightened griffon soldiers. "Kill them all."

"Queen Platinum," Celestia pleaded, approaching her friend, "I understand your anger, but please think this through more carefully. Killing these soldiers now would solve nothing."

"They don't deserve to live! These monsters!" Platinum pulled back her sword. "Round them up and tie them to the stakes! Leave them to the crows!"

"Plat, I gotta agree with Celestia here," Hurricane said, placing a hoof gently onto her friend's shoulder. "The griffons still have some of our ponies! If we want them back, we need prisoners of our own."

"But-"

"We gotta look at the bigger picture here," Hurricane added. Platinum said nothing in response. She simply stared at the four remaining soldiers with a fury that begged for an outlet. "If you won't give the order, I will."

Commander Hurricane took to the skies and approached three soldiers that were scavenging broken siege. She landed before them. "We've got four prisoners here! We're gonna take 'em back, but I'm warnin' ya now: if I see even one feather out of place on 'em, I'll flay ya myself! Understood?!"

Platinum growled as she watched the pegasi round-up the griffon soldiers and shackle them together. She put away her sword. After the prisoners and the pegasi left, Celestia followed, Platinum walking alongside her.

"You should have warned me about the coming attack," Celestia said, not turning to face Queen Platinum. "I could have advised you on how to fight them."

"… Allow me to make myself perfectly clear, Celestia. You are not in charge here. I am."

"Which is why you should have come to me. Instead, your pride blinded you, and you suffered a great loss. Many of your soldiers, as well as a dear friend…"

Platinum suddenly remembered about Clover the Clever, and she stopped in her tracks. Tears ran down her eyes, she dropped to her knees, and she screamed. Her cries echoed through the air, and Princess Celestia could only watch from afar as her friend blamed and cursed herself.

"Queen Platinum," she whispered, in a low, sombre tone. "Please see that I am not your enemy, before your country suffers even more casualties…"

---

"… What do you mean you killed him?" Trixie asked, her eyes wide and shaking as she watch Sunset Shimmer approach her.

"I'm sorry, but I had no choice," Sunset explained. "He was too powerful! He was about to kill me, and if I hadn't taken the chance when I saw it… It was either him or me, Trixie."

Trixie looked down at the ground, taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "… At least you're okay, Sunset. And thanks for coming back to help me just now… Though for the record, Trixie would have found a way to turn the tables."

"Of course," Sunset said with a smile. "But then, we are against the clock here."

Trixie nodded her head. "First King Midas, and now Genesis…"

"RRRRAAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHH!" Oblivion lifted his hooves and slammed them onto the ground. "NO! My brother cannot be dead! There's no way that you could have beaten him!"

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes. "You're brother's dead," she said in a cold tone. "Sorry to break it to you, but your plan failed. And you'll pay for murdering our leader."

"SILENCE!" Oblivion raised his hooves, and smashed them against the ground once more. This time, his hoofcuffs broke, startling the two mares. He charged at Sunset, reaching her before she could cast any form of spell and sending her flying onto her back with a kick to the face.

"Stop!" Trixie shouted as she drew her sword. Oblivion turned and kicked it out of her hooves, before pinning her to the ground and strangling the mare. "G-GAH! UGH!" Trixie's hind legs kicked, and her face started to turn purple. She reached into her cape and fumbled at the dagger that was stowed inside.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill-" Oblivion's hooves loosened as he felt a sharp pain running through his chest, his heart burning and his forelegs falling limp to his sides. "You…"

Oblivion fell on top of Trixie. The mare grunted and groaned, using her magic to roll the stallion over before she gasped for air. Once the silence had settled in, and the world around her had finally stopped spinning, Trixie pushed herself to her hooves, steadily regaining her balance as she looked over to Sunset Shimmer.

"Are you okay?" Sunset asked as she approached Trixie.

"Y-Yeah…" Trixie gasped, turning to Oblivion, who was still lying to her side, a pool of blood spilling from where her knife was buried into his chest. "H-He's dead…"

The chalice at Oblivion's side shattered, the pieces disintegrating into the air. "Seems so," Sunset said, before turning back to her friend. "You had no choice. He had to be stopped…"

"R-Right… I had no choice… I-" Trixie closed her mouth suddenly, pushing her hoof to her lips. "She turned and ran to a nearby bush, emptying her stomach's contents behind it and struggling to find her breath. "I had no choice. I had no choice."

Sunset sighed. "I warned you that this could happen by being too soft…" Sunset walked over to Trixie, patting her friend on the back and asking, "You gonna hold up out there? It's not going to get any prettier once the fighting starts."

Trixie choked back her sobs and nodded her head. "Y-Yeah. I know…" Taking in a deep, calming breath, Trixie stared into the woods for several long moments, her legs shaking and her tears flowing steadily to a stop. "I think… Trixie will be okay now."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That was your first kill, wasn't it?"

"Trixie's sure… She just had to get that out of her system…"

Sunset nodded her head. "Take your time, but make sure you know where you'll stand when the battle starts. We can't have you breaking down on us when the heat's on."

"… What will we tell everypony when we return?"

"We can't tell them that Genesis was a traitor," Sunset said, putting a hoof to her chin. "Morale will drop enough as it is."

"With King Midas gone, how long can we keep Unicornia going strong?"

"We'll definitely lose members, even if we don't disband completely. We'll need to settle on a new leader."

Trixie nodded her head. "We'll need to free Robin Hood. The situation has changed dramatically and we can't risk leaving him in Canterlot while we're so vulnerable. His guidance in this matter will also be a great help."

"I've never met this stallion before, but I've heard that King Midas held him in high regards. We could definitely use his help right now. But, how do you intend to free him?"

"That won't be a problem," Trixie said with an assuring smile. "You go on ahead and inform Oasis of what's happened. I'll go to Canterlot immediately and sneak Robin Hood out."

"… Very well then. Just be careful. If you're discovered, we'll lose our mole."

"What's important now is saving our friend and regrouping," Trixie said. "But Trixie will be cautious, and advises the same as you."

---

A cold wind blew over Trixie as she walked briskly through the halls of the castle, a small bag strapped to her side with the tools needed to free Robin Hood and escape unnoticed. As she passed a couple of guards leaving one of the dining rooms, she couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.

Trixie stopped as her path was blocked suddenly by Twilight Sparkle. "P-Princess Sparkle!" she shouted suddenly with a bow. She waited for the princess to pass by her, but Twilight didn't seem to move. "Is there… something wrong, Princess?"

"You can drop the act, Trixie," Twilight said, her friends coming out of a nearby room to join her.

Trixie's head shot up, and her eyes settled on the grey mare standing to the left of the group. "Maud…"

"Trixie Lulamoon!" Trixie turned around. She found Shining Armor standing behind her, a spear in his magic pointed her way. "I am placing you under arrest! Surrender quietly, for your own sake!"

Author's Note:

Thanks to Striker for proofreading.

Comments

[Wawathiw]

So glad to see the next chapter of this. It was a rollercoaster of emotions for all ponies involved. Can't wait for the next chapter.

[Emperor]

Oooh, and now Trixie is surrounded on all sides. Gonna have to see how she breaks out of this one.

Of course, the problem is that Shining Armor still has nothing more than circumstantial evidence unless he finds something else.

It's pretty easy to see how Queen Platinum is slowly falling apart in the past. The problem really is the alicorns are just simply too good, while Platinum has to sacrifice so much to save her people and gets shunned for it because despite killing so many gryphons, she's not a one-mare army like Celestia is.