Unicornia

by Yukito

Chapter 13

It was the end of the working day when Unicornia made its move, the sun hanging low in the sky and the guards making their rounds to light the streets of Canterlot before being distracted by the explosions that rang in the distance.

Alarms rang and soldiers scrambled, struggling to wade through the crowds of terrified citizens to reach the smoke rising in the distance.

At the gates, arrows flew and cannons fired, taking out the guards stationed on the city's walls. Ponies wearing the armour of the long-dead country of Unicornia flooded the gates, downing soldiers and forcing the Royal Guard back with a sizable ambush.

With the railroads destroyed, and the gates secured, the ponies of Unicornia cheered around their gathered leaders. Robin Hood and Will Scarlet worked fast to erect some barricades and usher in their troops, whilst Trixie and Oasis spread out maps of the city and picked out key locations, deciding where the Royal Guard would likely focus its efforts.

Sunset Shimmer took the stand before the gathered forces, beaming with pride as she extended her hooves and gave a speech. "Today, we are making our stand! All of you who have pleaded and been ignored, and all of you who share our concern for Equestria's safety, the time to take back the throne from Unicornia's enemy is here!"

The ponies cheered. Robin Hood looked over the crowd and tried to pick out those who legitimately cared for the cause from those who simply wished to buy a seat of power in the new Equestria. The soldiers of Pegasopolis were dressed in uniforms similar to the armour of the ancient tribe, but redesigned to offer better agility and protection from electricity.

"Canterlot is in chaos at the moment, thanks to the recent departure of Prince Charming, and the Royal Guard is scattered around the country, looking out for us. We will strike now and capture Princess Celestia! With their leader defeated, the Royal Guard will lose morale and will be forced to retreat!

"We can do this together! Unicornia is strong, and Princess Celestia can no longer hide behind the Elements of Harmony! Together, we can reclaim our stolen country and make it strong once more!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Sunset Shimmer climbed down to join her fellow leaders. Robin Hood passed her and took the stage. Trixie turned to Sunset and said, "Nice speech. You been practising it?"

Sunset gave a smug smile, and replied, "It is my destiny to lead others, remember? I simply said what I really felt, and what I felt echoed their own hearts."

"'Destiny'… You mean to be a princess?"

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. "Princess? When all this is over, my destiny will be to become a queen."

"We will divide into three separate groups!" Robin Hood announced as the crowd finally quieted down. "The attack of Canterlot can only be successful if we cut off the reinforcements coming in, and draw the Royal Guard already inside the city away from the castle!

"To that end, the first squad, led by myself, will attack and hold various key locations within the city, forcing the Royal Guard to confront us! The second squad, led by Oasis and containing most of our Pegasopolis fighters, will take the airship docks! There, we can steal the airship docked there and assist the units fighting on the ground, and also stop any Royal Guard ships from coming in!

"Once Oasis gives the word over the radio, we can also ferry more fighters in by use of our own airship. It is vital that this point not be retaken! The final squad will attack the castle itself, clearing much of the way so that Trixie and Sunset Shimmer can reach Celestia. It will take their powerful magics combined to subdue her, so you must clear the way for them as much as you can!"

"No matter what, the princesses must not be killed," Oasis added as she appeared besides Robin. "If they are, then the alicorns would undoubtedly retaliate. We need them alive to be our trump cards, so that the alicorns cannot attack us outright."

"Everypony, if we are victorious this day, then the path to a brighter, safer Equestria will finally open up! For the sake of that future, let us all now fight as one unit, and be victorious against our foes!"

"For Equestria!"

---

"Well then, we will see you after this battle is over," Trixie said to Robin, making sure that her cape and her hat were secured, and that her pistol was loaded. Just one shot for emergencies. After that, she would improvise.

"Trixie," Robin said, pulling the mare aside and talking quietly. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the troops, as it might lower morale, but I am tasking you and Oasis with a very important task."

Trixie raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Robin called over Will Scarlet, who approached with a pack of fireworks in his hooves. "Take these with you," Robin said. "If anything happens that you think could jeopardise the lives of all of our fighters… or if the mission were to fail, then I want you to use these fireworks to signal us. Upon seeing them, you are to give the order to retreat immediately.

"I'm trusting you with this because I know that you will be able to see when to use them, and trust that you will do so, to save the lives of our ponies."

Trixie stared at the fireworks for a few seconds, before nodding and taking the pack, stuffing them into her hat. "Trixie thanks you for trusting her, and she wishes you the best of luck out there."

Robin Hood nodded. "… It seems that you squad has cleared most of the way for you. You and Sunset Shimmer had better get going."

"We shall be successful this day," Trixie said with a reassuring grin, and it was returned by a smile from the former-thief. With a bow and a wave, Trixie left with Sunset Shimmer, the two mares drawing their swords as they ran off into the city, towards the huge castle in the distance.

---

Trixie and Sunset Shimmer battled their ways through the city, using their combined magics to tear through the hoof soldiers and vanish into the shadows of city's alleys with ease. Fellow Unicornia soldiers followed them, engaging the troops that the two leaders left behind in order to stay any pursuits as the two made for the castle.

"We'll be there soon!" Sunset Shimmer shouted. "This will be where the real battle begins. The others won't be able to hold the city for long! We've got to find and secure Celestia before the Royal Guard can rally!"

"If you can just give Trixie one good opening, I can restrain the princess' magic!" Trixie perked up her head as she spied the gates to the castle ahead of them, guarded by a lone stallion with a spear in his magic. The two mares slowed to a stop and Sunset looked around questioningly. "Just you, Shining Armor?" Trixie asked. "This is the same arrogance that the Royal Guard always shows, and that has tripped them up many times."

Shining Armor pointed his spear towards the two, his eyes narrowing on Trixie as he said, "I could say the same of you. You think that two ponies alone could take the castle?"

Trixie chuckled. "The Great and Powerful Trixie, and Celestia's former pupil? How could we fail?"

"Well I'm a Captain of the Royal Guard, who defeated Queen Chrysalis and saved the Crystal Empire from Sombra's return."

Trixie flicked her mane. "Yes, you have contributed to some great accomplishments." Trixie studied Shining Armor for a few more seconds, before turning to Sunset Shimmer. "Sunset, you go on ahead and secure the way."

"We shouldn't separate," Sunset warned.

"Trixie wants to take this one on alone. Backup will be here soon. You can last long enough on your own, right?"

Sunset turned to Trixie, returning the showmare's grin. "Alright, just don't let him get you. He's crafty."

"Trixie will have him wrapped around her glorious hoof."

With a nod, Sunset sprinted past the captain. Shining Armor didn't even acknowledge her as she passed, keeping his eyes on the blue mare ahead of him.

"I don't know what kind of past they have, but Trixie better keep her mind on the mission…" Sunset muttered to herself. As she entered the castle, Sunset stopped and gasped as she came face-to-face with General Morgan, approaching her with his wings extended, blades attached to their edges, and an angry scowl on his face. "Y-You…"

"This is as far as your pitiful group goes," General Morgan said as he stepped towards the mare.

"Heh. They let you out of jail, huh?"

"Once it was revealed that the leak was coming from your friend, Princess Celestia appealed for my release. After the death of Prince Charming, the other generals were happy to support her so that I could return to my job of protecting Equestria."

Sunset lit her horn threateningly, chuckling as the general refused to stop. "How amusing. A mere pegasus wishes to challenge me?"

"You're Celestia's former pupil," General Morgan said. "I've studied your file countless times. You were banished to a world without magic. How you returned on your own, I do not know, but according to Her Highness, you could not have been here for more than a single year."

"So?" Sunset asked with a grin.

"So your magic is underdeveloped. I once defeated an army of centaurian sages all on my own – I won't lose to some novice!"

Sunset Shimmer's grin faded, replaced with a look of rage as fire burned in her eyes. "'Novice', you say? … Fine then. Let's see what this 'novice' can do to you!" Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes as she focused her spell.

The air around her began to distort, and her body sparked as she floated off of the ground. She was suspended in the air before a cautious General Morgan, and she opened her eyes as she addressed the stallion. "This is a spell that Princess Celestia taught me long ago. I wonder if you can survive its fury?"

General Morgan did not recognise the spell, but it didn't matter. No spell could defeat him, especially not one cast by a unicorn greatly out-of-practice.

The general kicked off of the ground, flying through the air with his bladed-wings aimed for Sunset's legs.

---

"Engineers to the airship! Hurry!"

Ponies rushed to the large airship that was getting ready to leave as their fellow members of Unicornia held off the Royal Guard, protecting the few entrances to the docks with powerful siege and magics.

"We'll take the battle to the skies and make room for our own ship to bring in reinforcements!"

Oasis watched as troops ran past her. She had secured a smaller airship to house the injured and was tending to their wounds with healing magics. The airship was ready to leave at a moment's notice, allowing Unicornia to evacuate their injured quickly if necessary.

She sighed as she looked into the distance, watching an army of Royal Guard pegasi fighting in the skies with their own 'Pegasopolis' unit. She had treated many injured with her magic, but she had also caused a few casualties along the way.

"Is this really the best way?"

"My thoughts exactly."

Oasis turned and pointed a dagger to the pony behind her. She was taken aback by the appearance of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, who was approaching her with no weapons.

"Please," Cadance said in a soft tone. "I just wish to talk. I do not want to fight with you."

"We're at war," Oasis said.

"Yes, but I… I would like to be able to resolve this without further bloodshed. You feel the same way as I do, don't you, Oasis?"

Oasis' hoof shook and she took a step back. "H-How do you know my name?"

"Perhaps you have forgotten, but we have met before. When I met Midas all those years ago, you were there, too." Cadance slowly extended her hoof, gently touching it to Oasis' and lowering it, along with the dagger it was holding. "I just want to talk. I know that you do not want this any more than I do."

---

Royal Guard member Wilhelm screamed and fell down the long, stone staircase after three arrows struck his flesh, and his comrade drew his sword to avenge the fallen stallion.

Will Scarlet rushed the second soldier with a dagger, thrusting the short blade into his enemy's skin and pushing him aside. "We've secured this street!"

Robin Hood nodded and signalled for his followers to search the area. "We'll draw some attention here with a few fires and draw more soldiers away from the castle. We must force Celestia to expend her guard protecting the city."

"Let's use one of these houses as a safe house for the injured," Will suggested. "We can also setup a radio to make contact with Oasis."

"Yes, this would be a good place to defend." Robin turned to the three ponies hauling the portable radio equipment. "You three with me! Will, find someplace high and do a complete sweep of the surrounding streets."

"Got it!" Will jumped to the nearest ceiling, and then jumped across buildings as he headed for the schoolhouse in the distance.

Robin Hood led the three ponies into a nearby mansion, its gates left open after its inhabitants had fled in a hurry. There was plenty of space inside to setup the radio, and there was another room that could be used to shelter fallen troops or hold prisoners to use as leverage.

As Robin entered what seemed to be the study, his eyes fell upon a painting on one of the walls. It seemed slightly out-of-place, like somepony had moved it recently. He approached the painting and found a safe to be hidden behind it, locked only by a simple keyhole.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Robin recalled his training and picked at the safe's lock, hearing that click that told him he now had access to the contents inside.

"Now let's see… Money, of course, and some letters…" Studying the letters, Robin's eyes narrowed and his hooves began to shake. "Well I'll be. Blackmail, distortion, abductions and illegal detaining… and this is the home of a general in Celestia's Royal Guard."

A laugh escaped Robin Hood's lips. "Well, I'll give her a little credit then. It is hard to weed out rebellious elements when they are in fact those we would like to trust the most."

"Robin!" Will Scarlet appeared at the entrance to the study, and Robin put the letter away into his cloak as he turned to face his friend. "It looks like Trixie's having trouble getting into the castle! Her opponent is Shining Armor. And to make matters worse, I've just spotted a squad heading this way… led by Princess Luna."

Robin Hood put a hoof to his chin, closing his eyes as he meditated on the current situation. "… Go and help Trixie. I'll delay the princess from reaching her sister."

"Are you sure?" Will asked as Robin walked towards the study's window, drawing his bow and three arrows from his quiver.

Robin Hood nodded. "I am sure. I will draw Princess Luna's attention to myself, and keep her focussed on me for as long as possible."

As Princess Luna landed outside, Robin loosed the three arrows from his bow. A shield around the alicorn princess deflected the arrows, and she turned her gaze towards the window, where Robin Hood was already drawing a new arrow.

"Go! Now!"

---

The battle between Shining Armor and Trixie had taken its toll on the two ponies, wearing them out to the point of each taking small breaks in-between their attacks.

From the beginning, Trixie's illusions were rendered unusable by a barrier setup by the captain, but maintaining that barrier put a heavy strain on Shining Armor that prevented him from attacking too freely. This forced Trixie to be on the offensive, and Shining Armor to focus everything on staying her attacks.

Ultimately, it had become a battle of attrition, where the first pony to get tired would lose. Trixie's magic proved to be a formidable threat against Shining Armor, but she tried not to rely on it too much, knowing that she would need to save it if she and Sunset Shimmer wanted any chance of subduing Celestia.

"You've become a talented mare," Shining Armor said as Trixie took a moment to rest. "It's hard to believe you're the same filly that resorted to yelling and flailing when you were about to be arrested."

Trixie felt a pang of rage and held up her sword. "So you recognise Trixie, then."

"Of course. You're the first pony I ever saved… Or at least, I thought I saved you, but then here you are, risking your life to destroy the peace and prosperity of Equestria!"

Trixie scoffed. "Peaceful for those who can afford it! You of all ponies should know that not everyone gets to be so lucky!"

"I know! That's why I became a member of the Royal Guard! It's to help those ponies, and also to protect them!"

"Lies!" Trixie charged forwards, swinging her sword overhead and bringing it down onto Shining Armor's shield. "Lies, all of it! Since you became a captain, who have you saved?! The princesses? The nobility that attended your wedding? Your fellow guards? Who have you gone out of your way to really help?"

"I'm only one stallion! I'm doing my best, but it's-"

"Excuses!" Trixie pushed Shining Armor backwards. "You just put on some flashy armour, give yourself a fancy title, and declare a job-well-done! You just sweep the less-fortunate under the rug, like hiding dust from your guests' eyes! But eventually that dust builds up, and there's no place left to hide it."

"It's not like that! But there's a right way and a wrong way to go about things!"

Trixie nodded her head. "If Celestia's way is 'right', then I'm proud to be wrong!"

Shining Armor thrust his spear towards Trixie, forcing the mare to jump back to avoid it. "Tell me something: why did you pretend to join the Royal Guard?!"

"You know why! To gather information and plant seeds of doubt in-"

"No no, I mean, why did you pretend, instead of actually joining? With your abilities, you could become a captain, and with your drive and your motivations, you could have helped me to change this country for the better, the right way.

"Instead, you resort to terrorism and espionage! Did you never once think about joining us for real?"

Trixie gave a simple huff as she flicked her mane. "Like Trixie has any interest in becoming one of Celestia's foolish lapdogs! The Great and Powerful Trixie is a travelling showmare, not somepony's pawn!"

"A showmare?" Shining Armor asked. "Come to think of it, Twilight mentioned something about that…"

"Of course, Trixie's hopes and dreams have always been shattered. Because unlike your sister, Trixie just happened to be born in the wrong place, at the wrong time! Your sister was treated special, whilst Trixie was treated like she was lucky to have even been accepted into Celestia's school at all!"

"But you were accepted, and you graduated! You proved yourself too all of those neighsayers."

"And it means absolutely nothing, because Trixie has no name or financial backing to support herself! Whenever Twilight hits a bump in the road, she can just call on a favour from the princess, or use her connections to overcome the problem, but Trixie? What can Trixie do other than fight those that get in her way?!"

Shining Armor shook his head. "I'm sorry that you have it so rough, but you're taking your anger out on somepony who has nothing to do with it! This is just… pointless revenge!"

"No!" Trixie pointed her sword forwards. "If Celestia wasn't on the throne… If Trixie had the power that Celestia had, she could make things right! For herself, and for everypony else in her position!"

"You say it like it's easy, but have you ever considered the challenges that Celestia faces?! You say that she ignores the less-fortunate and only favours the few, but have you considered that it takes all she has just to keep 'the few' alive and happy?"

"Then clearly she is not cut out to be our leader!" With that, Trixie forged ahead, charging towards Shining Armor as she cast a spell. "Just like technology; when one goes obsolete… you throw it away for the newer model!"

Shining Armor gasped as Trixie dropped her sword, and then reached into her cape and pulled out a pistol. She fired it, and he barely dodged the bullet, getting away with simply a graze on his shoulder. As he winced from the pain, Trixie tackled him to the ground, causing him to drop his spear and his shield. The barrier flickered, but he managed to maintain it.

Shining Armor grunted, and kicked Trixie's stomach, knocking the air out of the showmare's lungs as she backed away. He got up and grabbed his spear, swiftly placing the tip of it to her chin. She froze, looking up as she wheezed and panted and glaring into his eyes.

Images of the frightened little filly flashed through Shining Armor's mind, followed by images of that same filly thanking him and running away with a cheerful look on her face. He sighed, and then turned towards the city as an explosion sounded in the distance.

An arrow knocked Shining's spear out of his hooves, and the stallion quickly snapped his head to the source of it. Will Scarlet stood some distance away, pointing an arrow at the stallion's head. "Go, Trixie!" he shouted. "I'll keep him pinned down here."

Trixie nodded her head, and began to slowly trot away. She stopped for a moment after passing Shining Armor, and said, "Just… don't kill him. He saved Trixie's life once, so she owes him that much."

Will nodded his head, and Shining Armor released his barrier to prepare for a new spell. "Please reconsider, Trixie. Revenge has always been the most ugly quality in ponies, and I'd hate to see it tarnish your good nature."

"What you call 'revenge', Trixie calls 'redemption'." Trixie flicked her mane with a huff. "It may be a little late, but Trixie has finally paid you back for saving her all of those years ago. We're even now, so the next time we meet, it will be as equals."

"… In that case, at least promise not to die. If you lose this battle, surrender."

"Trixie will not lose. She can't afford to." With that, Trixie stormed off, heading into the castle and passing several bodies that were scattered throughout the entrance. "Sunset Shimmer's really quite something…"

The sound of an explosion outside caught Trixie's attention, and she turned to find Will Scarlet drawing Shining Armor away. Turning her focus back to her mission, Trixie continued through the hallway, her nerves growing as she encountered fewer challenges than she thought she would.

Much of the castle's defences had been wiped out by Sunset Shimmer, and it must have been done swiftly, as there were no signs of any requests for reinforcements over the radios that she had passed.

Pegasi and earth ponies suffered the worst injuries, seemingly having been killed by their own weapons… and yet, their spears, bolts, and swords were perfectly clean. The unicorns appeared to have been overwhelmed by magic.

Trixie gulped. She knew that Sunset Shimmer was powerful, but she had never really seen her against such a large foe before. If Sunset could do all of this by herself… then it suddenly seemed entirely possible to defeat Celestia with just the two of them.

Trixie ducked behind a corner as some Royal Guards passed her by, and then she continued through the castle, towards the throne room.

---

Queen Platinum arrived at the entrance to the Whitetail Woods, with two of her guards accompanying her as usual. She met with Chancellor Puddinghead, covered in a brown cloak that almost masked his identity and protected him from the falling snow. He was standing just outside of the forest. Upon receiving his request to talk, Platinum reluctantly agreed to meet him, but she was surprised to see that he was unescorted.

"How did you know that I was here?" Platinum asked, glancing around for any signs of soldiers in hiding.

"I know that you like nature, and would want a place to hide all of your ponies that would be difficult for an enemy to navigate," Puddinghead answered, before pulling out a magnifying glass and smiling. "I also found your hoofprints in the snow and followed them here!"

Queen Platinum narrowed her eyes. "Are you making jokes at a time like this?"

Puddinghead put away his magnifying glass and replied, "Times like this are exactly when we need to laugh. Sadness will only lead to pain."

"You betrayed me," Platinum spat. "Unless you have come to apologise, I have nothing to discuss with you."

"… I'm sorry." Platinum froze, unable to formulate a response. "I don't feel that what we did was wrong, but we should have consulted with you first."

Queen Platinum remained silent for several moments, before looking over her shoulder and dismissing her guards. Her guards bowed and took their leave, and once she was sure that they were far enough away, she turned back to Puddinghead and said, "You gave away the country that we worked so hard to build to those alicorn invaders!"

"We had to protect the ponies that were dying all over the land!" Puddinghead looked down and scuffed his hoof against the ground, kicking snow towards Platinum. "We were out of ideas, and Princess Celestia promised that she could save us if we gave her control of the situation."

"You're a coward."

"But I'm also your friend." Puddinghead looked up and into Platinum's eyes with a smile. "We're all friends, right? You, me, and Commander Hurricane. Can't we go back to the way things were?" Puddinghead extended a hoof, but it was batted away by Queen Platinum. "It was our coming together that allowed us to come this far and create Equestria! Please don't throw that away!"

"It's over," Platinum said with a huff, and took a step back as Puddinghead ran closer to her, tears in his eyes.

"Platinum, please-"

"It's Queen Platinum."

"Don't do this. I thought… I thought we were friends."

"So did I…" Platinum averted her eyes, and another silence befell the two. She caught movement in the corners of her eyes and she gasped, turning her attention to Puddinghead, who was pulling something slender and metallic from his cloak. 'A sword!'

Platinum drew her blade and swung to disarm Puddinghead. It all happened so quickly. A stream of red filled her vision. A small, slim knife fell onto the ground. Puddinghead let out one pained gasp, before collapsing onto the ground. Something shattered, and Platinum turned her head towards the broken plate that was now sitting on the ground, sitting besides the remains of a chocolate cake topped with a lot of whipped cream.

"A… A cake?"

"I-I thought…" Platinum turned to Puddinghead, who was coughing up blood on the floor before her. "I thought… that we could… d-discussss this… over… cay…"

Platinum dropped her sword and started to hyperventilate. She rushed to Puddinghead's side and kneeled down. "Oh no, no no no no NO!" Wiping the tears from her eyes, Platinum said, "This wasn't supposed to happen. I-I never meant to kill you. I thought you were trying to attack me. I was just trying to… I just wanted to protect my father's kingdom!"

Chancellor Puddinghead coughed up one more spurt of blood, before his eyes closed and his body fell limp.

Queen Platinum dropped the limp body to the floor. She looked at her hooves, shaking, and stained with the blood of her once-friend. She clutched her head and screamed.

---

"Princess Celestia!" Celestia turned around, greeting the soldier who had interrupted her meeting with a nod. "Forgive the intrusion, but I have urgent news regarding Chancellor Puddinghead! The chancellor has been found dead, Your Highness!"

"WHAT?!" Commander Hurricane shouted, her face burning with rage as she stomped towards the messenger. "WHO?! WHO WAS IT THAT KILLED MY FRIEND?!"

"S-Scouts report… that the chancellor had intended to meet with the traitor Queen Platinum, a-and that Queen Platinum's sword had been left at the scene of the murder."

Commander Hurricane stopped, her ears drooping and her complexion becoming pale. "N-No way… It can't be…"

"… Thank you," Celestia said to the soldier before dismissing him. The soldier hoofed over a written report to the princess before leaving.

Princess Celestia turned to Hurricane, who had fallen onto her haunches with her head in her hooves. "… Words cannot express how sorry I am. Chancellor Puddinghead was a fine stallion, and a finer leader."

"… He was my friend," Hurricane said. "He was silly, obnoxious, loud, irritating… but he was also kind, and funny, and generous, and he never let a friend down!" Commander Hurricane slammed a hoof against the floor. "He would never hurt a soul! He didn't deserve to die!"

"Sister," Luna spoke up. "Queen Platinum has proven herself to be far too dangerous. We must apprehend her at once."

"… You are right."

"I'll go," Hurricane said, rising to her hooves and facing the sisters with a burning look in her eyes. "Queen Platinum has gone too far. I won't let her get away with this."

"No," Celestia replied. "I'll handle it."

"This doesn't concern you so back off!"

Celestia flared her wings, silencing the pegasus. "… Since I am now your leader, it is my responsibility to apprehend dangerous elements such as Queen Platinum and ensure that they cannot hurt anypony else." Celestia walked closer to Commander Hurricane, placing a gentle hoof onto her shoulder. "And aside from that, you have already lost one friend today. I won't allow you to lose another."

"…"

"Stay here, and prepare for Chancellor Puddinghead's funeral. After all, it should be arranged by somepony who knows him well, and who knows him better than his friends, right?"

"… Alright," Commander Hurricane conceded, saluting the princess with tears in her bloodshot eyes. "I'll… I'll leave it to you."

Celestia nodded her head, and then turned to Luna. "The more immediate threat is still King Sombra, but we shall track down and confront Queen Platinum as our next priority."

"Where was the body located?" Luna asked. "That might help us in tracking the traitorous queen and her rebel group down."

Celestia looked at the report given to her by the soldier. "It looks like the body was found at the base of the Northern Reaches, outside of a dark cave."

"Then that is where we shall begin our search, after King Sombra has fallen."

Celestia nodded her head in agreement, and returned to discussing the battle plan with Luna.

---

"Come on, move it!" General Gruff shouted as he ushered doctors and nurses through the hospital's halls, groaning as a couple of doctors stopped to check the equipment attached to one patient's bed. "What are you doing?! You've been ordered to evacuate!"

"We can't rush, or the patients in critical condition may die!" The two doctors finished their examinations, and then continued to wheel the patient down the hallway.

General Gruff grunted as he moved down the hall. He winced and looked down at his injured legs. "Damn. Just because those bastards got a lucky shot, I'm stuck evacuating these old farts."

"You got a problem, General?" Spitfire asked as she approached Gruff from behind. The general refused to turn around to greet her, so she had to circle him, instead. "If you have grievances, maybe you could join Unicornia and take them up with Celestia?"

The General growled and extended his wings. "Do I look like a damn unicorn?! What're the Wonderbolts doing here? This isn't your jurisdiction!"

"It's a war, General, of course it's our 'jurisdiction'!"

"I meant this hospital! Shouldn't you be securing the docks with Princess Luna?"

"Jealous?" Spitfire asked with a grin. "Don't worry. I'm just here to check on my cadets. You just do the work you've been tasked with, General. Innocent lives depend on it, y'know."

Spitfire turned around and proceeded through the hospital, ignoring the general's insults and suggestions that the Wonderbolts were overpaid show-offs. As she reached the VIP ward that housed her two cadets, she found a doctor and two nurses panicking by the door.

"What's wrong?" Spitfire asked as she approached them.

"Captain Spitfire… I'm afraid we've got a problem. Two of the patients have gone missing."

"What?!" Spitfire shouted, pushing past the doctor to look into the room, finding that Rainbow Dash's bed was empty. She turned to Lightning Dust's, but found the pegasus sleeping rather soundly in her bed, her snores disturbing the two Royal Guard captains that shared the room.

Spitfire turned to the bed opposite to Rainbow Dash's, which should have held Maud Pie, but found it to also be vacant. Gritting her teeth, Spitfire slammed her hoof into the doorframe. "Damn! What're those idiots doing?!"

---

Dash limped through the empty halls of the castle, huffing and groaning as she swayed and held onto a nearby wall for support. The Royal Guard was hurrying to relay orders and get to their posts, making it easier for her to sneak by unnoticed.

She winced and clutched her flank. The injury itself wasn't the problem, though it certainly didn't help. It was the fact that she had flown for such a long distance whilst still under the effects of the anaesthetic that the doctors had given her at the hospital. She was drowsy, and starting to feel feverish, but she couldn't stop now.

"Where are you going?" she asked Maud as the earth pony took advantage of the chaos outside to knock out the stallion guarding their room.

"Trixie's out there. I have to find her before she gets hurt."

"Why do you care?! She took you hostage then threw you away, remember?!"

Maud shook her head. "It wasn't like that. She only said that so that I would not be suspected as her accomplice."

"Then… you really did-"

Maud turned to Rainbow Dash, her eyes cold and level. "She's not as bad as you think. She could have killed you, but she only wounded you, instead."

"Y-Yeah, but… she's still a traitor! Besides, it's hell out there. What if you got hurt? Pinkie Pie'd freak out!"

Maud Pie stopped, her mind drifting to her always-cheerful sister, and imagining that face twisted with pain and worry. "… Even so, I feel that something bad will happen to her if I don't go. Something worse than being captured by the Royal Guard."

"Hey, wait!"

Rainbow Dash took a moment to catch her breath, and then pressed on through the castle. "D-Darn it, Maud. Where are you?" Rounding a corner, Rainbow Dash found a couple of guards lying unconscious on the floor. She trudged past them, cursing under her breath. "I swear, Trixie, you'd better be in trouble… or I'll kick your ass myself."

---

Trixie arrived at the throne room to find Sunset Shimmer standing opposite three soldiers, her sword raised in her magic and stained with the blood of the fifteen fallen soldiers around her.

Trixie recognised the still-standing soldiers as generals, and she rushed to her friend's aid. Past the generals was Princess Celestia herself, who was watching with no amounts of joy from atop her throne.

"Made it just in time, huh?" Trixie asked with a grin.

Sunset Shimmer shrugged. "Eh. I could have handled these guys."

Trixie shook her head. She recognised the three generals. The first was a short, muscular mare called General Stronghoof. She was an earth pony that specialised in martial combat. The second was a former Wonderbolt, General Strife. He was a slender pegasus with a pistol strapped to each of his sides.

The third was perhaps the most troubling of all. The overweight, unicorn stallion known as General Aftershock was known to any with a deep interest in magic. His arsenal of spells was incredible, but what made him dangerous was how fast he could cast each one, and how many he could perform before feeling tired.

"You'll need help. Even with Trixie here, this won't be an easy fight."

Sunset Shimmer didn't seem worried. In fact, she seemed giddy with excitement. "I'm so close. I won't let some three simple generals stand in my way!" Closing her eyes, Sunset's horn began to glow. However, her spell was interrupted when Trixie pushed her aside with a spell.

Looking back to where she was standing, she found General Stronghoof with her hoof extended. 'S-So fast!'

Trixie swung her sword, but missed as the general ducked and spun around. "Traitorous scum!"

The general's hooves passed through Trixie, startling the earth pony, but she recovered and rolled backwards as Trixie's sword came crashing down on her from above. A blast of magic knocked her aside, and the general crashed to the floor, cracking the tiles beneath her as she fell unconscious.

General Strife drew one of his pistols, pointing it at Trixie with a glare. To his surprise, Trixie didn't move or plea for her life. She simply stood there, grinning a challenging grin to the stallion.

"Go ahead and hit Trixie, if you can."

The stallion huffed. "You think that you could dodge a bullet fired from so close? You're crazy." Strife fired, aiming for the mare's shoulder to subdue her. A purple light caught the bullet in the air, moments before it hit her, and his eyes widened.

"Come on, don't take it easy on me," Trixie said as she dropped the bullet to the ground. "Aim for the head. Try to kill me."

Strife narrow his eyes, dropping his spent firearm and grabbing his other one. He fired for Trixie's foreleg, but once more, the bullet was caught by the mare's magic.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie also performs at birthday parties!" the mare said with a bow as she dropped the second bullet.

The stallion dropped his other pistol and charged towards the arrogant mare. His focus was on Trixie, so he didn't notice Sunset Shimmer charging her magic and unleashing an electrical spell that struck his spine, causing his wings to close midflight.

The pegasus crashed to the floor, sliding forwards and stopping at Trixie's hooves. Trixie slammed a hood down onto his head, and he joined his comrade, General Stronghoof, in sitting the rest of the fight out.

"Looks like it's just the spellcaster left," Trixie said, amazed that they had actually downed two generals so fast. Sunset cracked her neck as she stepped forwards, meeting General Aftershock's gaze with a sadistic grin. "Trixie will-"

"Let me handle this one," Sunset said, her horn flaring as Aftershock's did. "I'm finally able to show my true powers. I want to give Princess Celestia a good preview of what she's got coming to her."

"'True powers'?" Trixie asked, but she received no answer. Sunset Shimmer summoned flames all around herself, causing Trixie to jump back with a yelp. The flames were the same green as Sunset's magic, telling Trixie that this was no ordinary fire; it was magical energy so hot that it burned.

Trixie reeled back, and Aftershock unleashed spells that created torrents of water to put out the flames. A barrier formed around Sunset Shimmer to block the water, and the flames pierced through as the general's spell was finished.

Sunset's magic was deflected by a wall of energy, and then countered by a storm of magical beams that crashed into Sunset's barrier and destroyed it.

Sunset teleported from point-to-point, confusing the stallion before she stopped to his side. She cast a spell that caused the floor beneath them to tremble, before the tiles shot up and flung themselves at Aftershock.

The general deflected the tiles and regarded Sunset with a look of intrigue. "That's some old magic you're using there. A lesser pony would have spent more time reciting the incantation in their minds, but you can cast it quickly, making the spell much more efficient."

"I studied magic with the world's greatest teacher, after all," Sunset boasted as she flicked her mane. "And I've always had a talent for it."

"So I've heard, but you've been away from Equestria for some time, so I doubt that you're familiar with some of our more modern spells. Such as this one!"

Aftershock braced himself and fired a beam of light from his horn that travelled above Sunset's head, stopping in the air so that it could scatter into four magical circles that surrounded the mare. She studied the symbols with curiosity as she tried to deduce the spell's purpose.

"Sunset!" Trixie shouted. "It's a self-regenerating spell! We'll need to attack it together to shatter it!"

"Don't waste your breath. It's like another world in there. She can't see or hear us, and only a hoofful of ponies are strong enough to break such a space on their own."

Just then, the circle facing the general exploded, and a beam of light struck the stallion's chest, sending him flying into the wall at the end of the room. The rest of the circles collapsed, and Sunset Shimmer stepped out, grinning as she faced the surprised General Aftershock.

"B-But how-"

"After studying it for enough time, I found its weakness," Sunset explained. "I just hit it there and destabilized the whole thing."

"But even then, it would take somepony exceptionally talented in magic to break that spell on their own!"

Sunset Shimmer chuckled as her horn lit up. "Not only did I break it, but seeing it once was all that it took to learn it. Let's see how it works on you, with just a little modification."

The general tried to teleport away, but Sunset's spell hit him too fast, the four magical circles entrapping him before he could cast his spell. Teleportation became impossible whilst in that distorted plane, but at least he was safe to recover from Sunset's attack… That was, until the circles turned from their black colours to a terrifying orange, heat radiating off of them as they closed in on the general.

His screams filled the throne room, and Trixie and Celestia looked on it horror as the circles dispersed. The general's armour was broken and dented, his fur was smouldering as steam rose up into the air, and his words were nonsensical mumblings as he stumbled for a few seconds, before collapsing onto the ground.

And then, the three generals teleported away, startling Trixie and drawing Sunset's attention to the princess descending from her dais. "That is quite enough," she said. Sunset walked casually to Trixie's side. "You have bested my generals, but I will not allow you to claim their lives."

"So, the princess herself has finally decided to fight for what she stole," Sunset declared, clapping her hooves slowly as Celestia climbed the last few steps. "Good. I've waited a long time indeed for this chance at revenge."

Celestia narrowed her eyes. "I can see that you have studied magical intensely in the short time that you have been here. Tell me one thing, Sunset Shimmer: why are you doing this? Twilight Sparkle has told me that you had made peace with the past, and that you were well on your way to forging great friendships in the other world."

Trixie turned to give her partner a questioning gaze, but Sunset merely laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. "Your student will believe anything she hears, won't she?!"

"Sunset Shimmer, if there is anything in you that can still see light, then I urge you to-"

"Annnd there it is!" Sunset extended her hoof, pointing it accusingly at Celestia as it shook uncontrollably. "That arrogance! That, that… sheer, uncontested ego that makes you think you are above it all! Your word is good, everypony else is bad! You stealing this country is 'for the greater good', but us stealing it back is 'terrorism'."

Trixie nodded her head, turning to Celestia with a furrowed brow. "Trixie may be in no place to speak, but we could really do without somepony with a god complex on our throne."

Celestia shook her head, looking at the two ponies with a solemn frown. "I am simply doing what I must to save the ponies I lead. The two of you clearly have the same intentions, but you are going about it the wrong way. War, bombings, assassination. The throne should not be ruled by those blinded by rage and jealousy."

"Oh, forgive Trixie for being jealous of the nobles who had five helpings on the night that Trixie had leftover scraps! Forgive the poor, unfortunate souls for being angry when your Royal Guard – who had sworn to protect them – turned away because somepony offered them a better deal!"

"This country was founded by unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies," Sunset said. "The alicorns have no place here, and they never will."

"… It seems that this fight is unavoidable," Celestia surmised, nodding her head in understanding as she used her magic to remove her crown, placing it gently down onto her throne. "Very well, then. I shall not hold back, my former student."

Sunset gasped as Celestia rushed forwards, faster than General Stronghoof had been, and raised her forelegs above her. They came crashing down as Sunset teleport backwards, and magical energy surged from Celestia's hooves, creating an electrical current that rushed towards the mare.

Celestia watched as Sunset jumped over the current to avoid it, and then countered with a flaming wall that rushed the princess. Celestia extended her wings and beat them, the wind putting the flames out before they could hit her.

For her part, Trixie watched from the sidelines as the princess and the princess' former student battled, each one casting amazing spells and looking for openings in the other's defences. 'Just give me an opening, Sunset…'

"Gah! Your magic is still as weak as it ever was!" Sunset yelled as she created a ring of icicles around Celestia, stopping her momentarily. Sunset gave a victorious grin, though it was smashed as Celestia magic melted the icicles, replacing them with stone shards that flew towards her.

Trixie gritted her teeth. Sunset dodged most of the shards, but one had hit her shoulder, and it clearly impacted her speed. Sunset moved much slower as she cast her spells, and whatever she threw at Celestia – water, fire, ice, rocks, metal – it was all useless.

Even arcane energy proved useless, as Celestia simply blasted any magical circles that formed or neutralised any beams that were fired towards her before they could do any damage. Despite it all, though, Sunset never seemed to panic.

Sunset drew a small knife from her cloak and teleported close to Celestia, slashing the princess' coat before teleporting away. "See? You put on a good act, Princess, but I know that even you get tired eventually."

Celestia placed a hoof over her small gash, narrowing her eyes as she studied the bloodlust in her former pupil's eyes. "Perhaps you should focus on yourself more."

Sunset tilted her head, and then felt a shock through her body as the wound on her shoulder finally registered itself. She clutched the burning wound, casting a deathly glare to Celestia, when the air around her suddenly started to distort.

Sunset clutched the sides of her head and screamed, dropping to her knees. The pain seemed to subside, and she was left panting as she looked over at the princess, returning a nonchalant stare.

"Please stop this foolishness, Sunset Shimmer. Although we are now on opposite sides, you were once my pupil, and it brings me no joy to have to hurt you… yet I must, if I am faced with no other choice.

Sunset jumped to her hooves with a frustrated roar, and she shouted, "Worry more about what will happen to you!" Sunset's horn lit up, soon followed by her entire body. The glow became brighter as Sunset put away her knife and crouched down.

Celestia recognised the spell and braced herself, gathering magic into her horn to defend herself. "AHAHAHAHAHAH!"

A bolt of lightning accompanied the echoing laughter, and Celestia gasped as the aura around Sunset Shimmer turned dark, the green becoming black and the mare morphing, wings springing from her sides and her horn growing. Sunset's coat became a dark-blue and her cutie mark was replaced by a crescent moon on a black background.

It was Princess Luna… in the guise that she took after becoming Nightmare Moon. "S-Sister…"

Celestia snapped out of it, shaking her head to rid herself of the illusion. She knew that she was being tricked, and she knew that she had to regain her focus. But it was too late. The spell was cast, and Celestia felt the wind being knocked out of her body as she was forced onto her back by the propelled body of Sunset Shimmer.

The magic crept over Celestia and caused a burning sensation that caused her to kick and squirm. A quick spell cleansed the burning, but before she could recover from her situation and climb to her hooves, she felt something clamp around the base of her horn, stifling her magical abilities.

Trixie panted and wiped the sweat from her forehead, admiring her work. A ring that negated magic was secured around Princess Celestia horn, preventing the alicorn from using any of her powers.

"W-We did it," she said as she looked up at Sunset Shimmer, who had climbed to her hooves and was dusting herself off with a satisfied look on her face. "We did it!"

"We did," Sunset confirmed, giving Trixie a reassuring smile as the showmare celebrated her victory. "That was an excellent illusion, Trixie."

"Well, that was an excellent opening that you gave," Trixie returned. "Trixie needed Celestia's focus to be completely drawn for just that split-second." Trixie grinned at the downed Celestia, feeling giddy as she reminded herself that she – and an assistant – had defeated this mighty foe. "You see, Princess, everypony has a weakness, and yours is your sister."

Trixie huffed as she flicked her hair, and then circled the princess to approach her partner. "You put an entire country at risk to save her. Obviously, you would hesitate if you saw her as Nightmare Moon again."

Sunset grabbed her sword in her magic, looking down at the princess still putting on a show of strength and unyielding will.

Celestia considered trying to run, but knew that it would do no good. 'I have lost, but I must not panic. They still need me alive to keep Father and the others from attacking. Perhaps I can still reason with them, before it is too late.'

Sunset grinned, raising her sword into the air and pointing it down at the fallen princess. "Hey, I know we were meant to keep her alive, but I've got a better idea."

Celestia's eyes widened, and for the first time that day, she felt fear running through her body. Fear for her own life. She could not tear her gaze away from Sunset's eyes. 'That murderous gaze… That unforgiving torment! I have not seen such eyes since…'

"Let's kill her, right here, right now."

Author's Note:

Thanks to Striker for proofreading.

Comments

[DracoDarastrix]

Hmmm I hope I don't need to wait long for the next chapter. This just got really intense.

[Pontiac56]

This story is awesome. The bits with Platinum are really interesting, showing how for Celestia's good intentions, she did kind of steal away the crown and take control. Platinum however has slowly started becoming paranoid and scared because she outright knows she can't best Celestia directly, and she has less forces, but she will not back down and so keeps pushing more then she can.

The present situation is just as good. Trixie has a good backstory here and a noble goal, even if it is tainted by revenge. Sunset is still as destructive and dark as she was in her first appearance, and Celestia is still loving and caring, but somewhat oblivious to her nation. Unlike Shining Armour who does recognize that Trixie's mission is noble and her views on the nobles is far from inaccurate, Celestia seems to just ignore the issue.

[Yukito]

7357941

Next Saturday. I'm doing each chapter weekly (they're already written and proofread). Sorry, you'll just have ta keep guessin' a lil' bit :3 If you need something to do until then, GDQ is starting today

7358410

The Platinum scenes actually became my favourite part of this story, despite me adding them in as an afterthought after I had started to write XD

I wanted to portray Celestia as being somepony who tries to rule the country without being entirely certain of how best to rule it, simply to keep it out of bad hooves. I'm not sure how well I did that though - she might just be coming off as incredibly dense ^_^;;

[Pontiac56]

7359639 I like that view actually. She tries to give off that she knows all and is clearly the best leader for Equestria, but she doesn't actually have all the answers and more then once she has made bad decisions. Really the best qualification she has is that she is stronger then the average pony, but is that really a trait that requires leadership?

[Emperor]

You referenced a Wilhelm scream

I suppose it's not Trixie who makes the best parallel for Platinum, but Trixie and Sunset in conjunction. Trixie works best as Queen Platinum in her better days when she was all about bringing the three tribes together, protecting them and doing the best she could for them, even at the cost of her own body and spirit. Sunset is very much Platinum post-fall, as she slowly loses her insanity, becomes more paranoid, her pride holding her up, and becoming more willing to kill even close friends and the like. The story of Platinum and Puddinghead is very much a tragedy.

[Yubella]

"Let's kill her, right here, right now."

*My room erupts in flames while a heavy base drops*

YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!