Ending 2: Operation Freebird
Special Thanks to Shadowsaint007 and Alphamon_Ouryuken for helping pre-read this chapter
***
I watch in silence as Twilight tries to turn on the Harmony Pylon over and over again. Technicians and mages are trying to help her as Celestia paces back and forth with a look of annoyance on her face. The others are equally bored, confused, or upset as I just sit down in silence. Looking at my chains, I just only wonder how long I'm going to be here until Twilight screams in frustration and blasts her magic against the ground in anger. A small dust cloud passes over me, but a second later, I have Twilight, eyes twitching, glaring down at me as she looks this close to blasting my head off. I gulp as she drags me by the chain around my neck to her face.
"What. Did. You. Do?!" Twilight demands as I stare into her eyes and realize just how little sleep she's been getting. "The Harmony Pylon is not working! I've done every possible test and procedure! We had all six Elements magic inside of it! It should have worked, but now the magic is gone! What did you do that forced it to just leave like that?!"
I raise my eyebrow and decide to give the truthful answer. "Nothing."
"Horseapples!" Twilight shouts as she throws me to the ground. "You must have done something! Maybe you used the Element wrong?! Or maybe you're not really Fluttershy! Or maybe-"
"For fuck's sake, Twilight!" I shout, which makes her step back. Maybe it was because of the cursing, or perhaps it's because I'm yelling, but everypony focuses on me. "Have you ever just realized the obvious answer? The one that I have been saying all this time, and why this plan was doomed from the start? I am not your friend anymore!"
I take a few deep breaths while I just shake my head. I wondered last night what would happen if the Elements failed. Obviously, both Martin and I's fates were sealed since there was no point in keeping either of us alive if this idea didn't work out. The Elements of Harmony just cannot work anymore because of one simple reason: The six of us aren't friends anymore. I've sacrificed everything when I left Equestria, and that included the bond I shared with these five mares. I would have gone to the ends of the planet for them. I would have gone to the grave with them. I would have stayed by their side to the very end for any reason whatsoever...except for the wrong ones. Even friendship is no excuse to sit back and let something evil be done without doing anything to stop it. Even though I once loved these mares, they just aren't the ones I used to know.
Twilight just can't open her eyes to see that Celestia is not perfect. That she made mistakes and wasn't the all-knowing paragon that she worshiped in her mind. That she was just like any other leader with faults and problems, only, in this case, she was willing to kill off an entire species or force them to change into beings like us. And Twilight would never once question why or if it was right. Granted, she did temporarily before Celestia erased her memory, but the fact that it took this long prevented even that excuse.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were filled with too much hatred in their hearts against humanity. Both for their losses and seeing their way of life fail to defeat an opponent that was stronger and better than them. Their pride was wounded, and they couldn't accept that perhaps it was better to just end an unwinnable fight. They were also so devoted to Equestria and Celestia that they would rather die than admit defeat or any form of wrongness. It was zealotry at its finest.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie, ultimately, we're just selfish. The former just focused on her own losses and suffering without thinking that there were others in just as bad or worse conditions. Pinkie Pie knows this war is wrong, yet she refuses to say it out of a selfish need to control her own version of reality. While perhaps they had the least amount of damage to this war, they still refused to do anything to even halt it.
And Celesia? She is just a spiteful brat who couldn't accept that she can't control everything. That's all there was to her, and she is willing to drag everypony down with her in her madness.
"The Elements of Harmony worked before because we were friends, and we cared about each other," I answer before pointing to Twilight. "Do you really think just activating the Elements is enough? Don't you remember what happened with our fight with Discord? We weren't friends. It failed. This is the same thing, only I've chosen to not be your friend instead of being brainwashed. The truth of all of this, Twilight, is that our friendship died a long time ago. You cannot use the Elements to save Equestria because I don't have the same feelings as I had for you five." I sigh and shake my head. "And if you want me to finally nail into your head, here is what I have to say to all five of you."
And then I said three words I never thought I would ever say in my entire life. Even the girls just stared at me in shock. I can't blame them because I have never said these three words in my whole life, but it was the only way to finally make them understand. But after everything I have just gone through, everything that has been said, and everything I have learned? I cannot deny it any longer. Not once did I feel this way until the past few days, but it's time to finally say it.
"I. Hate. You," I say before giving them all a moment to come to terms with what I've said. "But more importantly. I hate what you've all become."
"...but you're Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie whispered, hair now thoroughly soaked down and grey. "You're not supposed to hate."
"...That was then. This is now," Was all I said before keeping my mouth shut. I looked towards Celestia, glaring at me with such a cold expression that it felt like it got sixty degrees chiller.
"Then I see no point in keeping you or your boyfriend alive," Celestia stated as she nodded to her head, and the guards quickly formed up around me. "Tomorrow, you and Martin will be executed in public at dawn. Your bodies will be burned and your heads placed on the walls on spikes. Your name will forever be cursed in Equestria and forbidden to even be spoken about. You will die as the worst traitor in Equestrian history, Fluttershy. I hope it was all worth it."
"If I had to make the same choice, knowing where I would end up?" I say with a snort. "Yeah, I would, but you are wrong about one thing, Celestia." I glared back at her just before the guards took me away.
"I didn't betray Equestria. You did."
***
It's near midnight as far as I can tell, and I'm still awake. I don't think I'll need sleep since I'll be sleeping for eternity soon. I'm honestly not scared despite knowing these are my final hours. Maybe it has to do with being religious, or perhaps I was just content knowing that Equestria's last-ditch plan had failed. There was no way of avoiding the invasion of humanity now, and anyone with a brain could see that Equestria has no chance of winning. Eventually, be it months or a year from now, this was going to end. I just wished that so many lives weren't going to end up lost because of it. All I could do was hope for the future to be better. A world where ponies and humans got along well and didn't hate each other. That's all I could pray for anyway.
I wish Celestia put Martin and me in the same cell together, but then again, I doubt she'd grant my request. I just want to hold and kiss him one last time before our end, but even if I'm not going to see him one last time on Earth, I'll see him for eternity in Heaven.
Then, just as I am finishing my final prayers, I feel something wash over me. I had my eyes closed, but I could feel a chill going through my body like I was just dipped into ice-cold water. Suddenly, I feel tired, like my energy disappearing in a split second. Despite being dizzy, I try to get my bearings straight while feeling...off. No, this is familiar. I've felt this before. I feel a sense of emptiness inside of me, like there is a part of me missing. An inner part of me that has always been there but now isn't.
It takes me a while to realize what this is. I've felt it many times on the battlefield because they were essential to helping humanity fight against Equestria. The one weapon that turned the tide of the war instantly and led defeat after defeat for Equestria. A weapon that could kill a pony as powerful as a living god, shatter the barrier that protected Equestria, and was the fear and bane of every pony on Earth.
They called it the "Magic-Killer," but its real name was the Thalmann Generator.
My ears perk up, and at first, I just think it's loud banging from above, but it's getting louder. Then I hear rumbling and feel some dust fall down my mane. Looking up, I see a few rocks above my ceiling shaking, which is making me nervous. Then I hear screaming, shouts, and what sounds like gunfire. No, it couldn't be...
I rush to my cell door and try to hear or see what's going on, but all I can pick up is nearby guards shouting in fear. Then there is a hail of gunfire and screams before silence. Gulping, I step back and wait for whoever is arriving as I soon hear the sounds of footsteps against my door. Someone speaks to me in English but with a French accent. "Madam Fluttershy, step back from the door and take cover!"
"O-Okay!" I shout before rushing towards my cot and ducking underneath it. A few seconds later, the door is blasted open as two armored figures with assault rifles check the area. "Clear!"
The dust settles, and I look up in awe at the figures before me. Humans. They're humans. They're dressed in some kind of dark blue and black body Kevlar armor with armored helmets that protect their faces and identities. Depending on the soldier's use, the armor has various patches and other added equipment, such as grenades, knives, sidearms, or other weapons shouldered behind their backs. The helmets look tough enough to take an ax head-on and stop it while the mask visors are light blue and glowing. The guns they were using were unique too, but I realize what they are. Flash showed them to me one time. Some held Gauss Assault Rifles, others used Laser Rifles, and one or two had Plasma-based ones.
They had been in the prototype stage for a long time, and we're finally being allowed for use in the upcoming invasion, but I didn't think I would be seeing them so soon. One of the soldiers walked over to me, and I noticed he had a red arrow on the opposite side of his helmet that made him stand out from the rest. I also noticed his patch on his arm. It looks like the U.N.'s logo, but there are seven stars and a sword in the middle. I see the letters of this unit on the outside: U.N.S.F.C.
"Are you Fluttershy?" The human asks, the one with the French accent. I nod, and he nods back. "I am Captain Aiden Caillat of Team Quail of the United Nations Special Forces Coalition. We're here to get you out of here."
"Wait, how did-" I pause before remembering Martin. "Martin! We have to-"
"Team Seal already has him. We're extracting you both and making sure the Elements of Harmony cannot be used against us," Captain Aiden answered before motioning for one of the other Team Quail members to start freeing me from my chains.
"But the Elements failed. Twilight's machine didn't work," I point out as my bonds are loosened.
"We know, but command has ordered that all remaining Elements, save for Twilight Sparkle and yourself, are to be eliminated to prevent such a possibility from happening." I felt my insides turn upon hearing this. My friends were targeted for elimination? "They don't want to leave anything to chance," Captain Aiden answered, which made me gasp.
Rarity.
Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow Dash.
Applejack.
All of them were going to die?
For a split moment, I wanted to shout no. I could see the reasoning behind it. Just because it didn't work now, what was to say something couldn't happen later? Why not get rid of the problem before it could become one. But these were once my friends. My best friends.
Yet, I shook my head. No, they made their choice, and this wasn't the time for thinking. I had to get out of here and Martin as well. "I...I understand, Captain. Let's go..."
"Roger," Captain Aiden handed me a radio earpiece that I put in my ear. He then ordered his men into position as I was covered from all sides while we exited my cell. I made sure to stick close and follow their orders. "This is Team Quail. Package One is secure."
"This is Team Seal," the voice on my radio reported in a southern accent, "Package Two is recovered. We're heading up."
"This is Team Lion," A British voice answered. "Element of Generosity has been eliminated. She was trying to hide in her closet, but we took care of her. Sending photo evidence now."
Rarity...
I'm so sorry...
I'll remember you from before we came to Earth. The one I cared about like an older sister. I hope you're with your family now. I'm so sorry...
"This is Team Wolf," a Russian voice this time, "We're still searching for the Element of Laughter. We're dealing with heavy resistance, but we're holding down fine."
"Team Eagle here," American, but more mid-western sounding, "Distraction is doing well. Almost too well. Along with Falcon, Tiger, Zebra, and Mongoose, our team is holding back most of the armed forces here. Not much of a fight since they don't have their magic with them."
"Team Dragon here! We're dealing with Princess Celestia in the south hallway on the third floor, "a Chinese accent cried out. "She's just not going down! Even with the Thaalman Generators, this 婊子 is still fighting hard!"
"Team Dragon, this is Team Fox; we're on our way to assist. Ending pursuit of the Element of Honesty," That was Japanese this time. Just how many teams and special forces were there in this unit?
"Who are you guys?" I ask, unable to keep my curiosity sated.
"We're all members of every Special Forces unit in the world. All working together as one military force combined to defend humanity by orders of the U.N.," Captain Aidren explained. "Delta Force. M.A.R.C.O.S. S.S.G. GIGN. Sayeret Matkal. JTF2. S.A.S. Navy Seals. G.I.S. Alpha Group. GROM. Snow Wolf Commando Unit. Special Boat Service. EKO Cobra. N.Z.S.A.S. G.S.G. 9. S.W.A.T. S.A.S.R. Shayetet 13 and many more. All of us have trained for months for missions like this."
"How did you find me?" I ask as we move down the prison hall.
"Your resistance friend, Sassy Saddles, got in contact with us after Spike told her what was happening," Captain Aiden said, leading the team. "You were assumed dead all this time. When we learned what was happening and what Equestria was planning to do, the U.N. decided to activate our unit for the first time since our formation a few months ago. Our mission is to rescue you and Martin. Extract Princess Twilight Sparkle. Eliminate the remaining Elements of Harmony. And, if possible, eliminate Princess Celestia as well."
"But why go through all this for me?" I ask in disbelief. "I'm just one pony."
"One pony who's helped numerous people," One of the soldiers, with a Canadian accent, said while looking at me. "Everyone knows of the tales of your deeds, Fluttershy. How you flew through bullets and magic to save innocent lives. How you saved others from death as best as you can. Some children and mothers were at your memorial service, which talked about how you kept them smiling with your kindness even in the darkest times. Soldiers and politicians who honored you because they got to see their families again thanks to you. You and Discord were the most talked about and prayed about figures in every social media when your deaths were announced with constant candle vigils worldwide. Your friends at the Resistance made sure everyone knew how much you sacrificed to help us. They wanted to let the world know how much of a hero you were, not just to them but to all of us. Do you know what they call you now? The Golden Angel of Hope. Because you were the hope in the darkness that we needed in these dark times."
One by one, all the humans look at me as a female one puts her hand on my shoulder. "You've done so much for us. For humanity. It's time humanity does something for you."
I suddenly feel my tears burst out, and I cover my hooves in an attempt to stop them. This isn't the time to be crying, but I cannot help it. To hear such words is just...it makes me want to hug them all. At this moment, I know that I made the right choice. Humans are flawed, this is true, but they are so special. The fact that these people are fighting for me, and so many are behind them, is just so heartwarming that I feel something I haven't felt since I got captured.
Happiness.
Because I know that I was right.
Humanity was worth fighting for.
Washing away my tears, I smile at them. "Thank you, but I think we should focus on getting out of here."
"Copy that," Captain Aidren replies as he has us double time it.
***
We enter the first floor of the palace, and the sounds of battle are even louder here. I notice a few dead pony guards and one or two dead humans, but I do my best to ignore it as we rush down the hallway. Reports are coming in from the other squads, but I'm too focused on keeping myself ready for anything. I wish my wings were working, but I just hope we don't get caught in any trouble.
"This is Team Seal. Package Two is being picked up right now. We're waiting for you, Team Quail."
"Team Seal, we'll be there any minu-"
"Hold it right there!"
I gasp and turn around just as Team Quail aims their guns at the one who yelled at us. I gulp upon seeing the rage in her eyes and the blood covering her entire body. However, there are struggles of a battle all over her form. Her wings are dirty, and some areas are ripped apart. I see a bleeding bullet hole in her side, and there are scars and burn marks on her barrel and haunches. Yet Twilight is still standing with all the power she can muster, even though her magic is mostly cut off. This is the first time I have seen Twilight look like she has ever killed someone with her magic, and it looks so wrong to me. Twilight had fought many enemies before we came to Equestria, but she never killed them. The war quickly changed that.
"You...are not...going anywhere!" Twilight shouts while in a state of sweat and exhaustion. "Do you know how many...how many ponies you killed?! Even one of my best friends is dead because of you!" She points at me. "Because of you, Fluttershy!"
"Twilight..." I whisper grimly.
"Rarity is dead! I found her bucking head filled with lead! She was one of my friends, and you killed her! You and the rest of humanity! My brother! Cadence! Flurry Heart! Luna! I don't even know if the others are dead or not?! And this is because of you! YOU!" Twilight's eyes are filled with utter hatred, and her horn is glowing on and off as if she's trying to burn me alive with her glare alone. "You're right, Fluttershy! We are not friends anymore! So I'm just going to do what I should have done all those years ago when you said you were defecting! I'm going to end this once and for all!"
I wonder why Team Quail hasn't started firing at Twilight as she stomps closer and closer to us, and then I remember their orders. They were told they had to take Twilight alive, but why? That's when I see a figure flying down behind Twilight, and my breath holds. Twilight turns around, and I see her turn from rage into joy. "Spike, there you are!"
"Twilight," Spike whispers as he looks at her stoically. He doesn't even react when she wraps her arms around him and hugs him. I notice that he has a large backpack on, which only makes me tilt my head. "I was looking for you..."
"I was too!" Twilight shouted with joy as she had tears in her eyes. "I was going to come to see you when I heard you returned, but when the attack started...I thought you might have been killed like Rarity!"
I could see Spike close his eyes and a few tears drip down his face. "Twilight..."
"But we can avenge her!" Twilight shouts as she glares at us again. "Together we can-"
Suddenly, much to both my and Twilight's shock, Spike quickly jams something into Twilight's neck, making her look at him with wide eyes. It takes me only a second to see that it's a syringe of some sort that he's jammed into her vitals. Twilight pushes him away, but it's too late. I can tell whatever drug it has is affecting her since she can barely stand while wheezing.
"S-Spike?" She tries to move forward, but she collapses until Spike is holding her gently. His expression is one of remorse as more tears start to cascade down his face. Her eyes slowly closing, Twilight reaches up and touches Spike's face as she whispers one last word before she goes still. "W-Why?"
Once her eyes close and her hoof goes limb, I feel my breath leave my body, seeing that her chest is still rising and falling. One of the members of Team Quail goes forward and checks her vitals. Turning to us, he nods. "She's unconscious, sir."
Spike picks up Twilight and starts walking to us while carrying her bridal style. He stops in front of Captain Aiden and mutters. "Is our deal still good?"
"It is," Captain Aiden replies. "She'll be allowed to live, but it will be a life sentence. You have all her notes on the Conversion Potion?"
"In my backpack," Spike motions to the luggage on his back. He takes it off and hands it over to one of the other special op soldiers while another soldier takes Twilight's body. "Let's get out of here. Last I saw, Princess Celestia was finishing off your other squads, and I don't want to be here when-"
Suddenly, two large explosions make the entire palace rumble as another wave of energy envelopes us. I blinked for a second as the numb feeling disappeared, but this only makes me realize that if I have my magic back...everypony else does as well.
"Shit! What happened?!" Captain Aiden shouted into his radio.
"Attention, all teams! Some of the Royal Guards managed to blow up the Thalmann Generators using some of our grenades! They're getting their magic back!"
"All teams, this is Overlord! Orders are to retreat! Full force! Reinforcements are on their way to help you out! Team Pony will also be assisting now! Get in your birds and get out of there!"
"You heard the man! Move it!" Captain Aiden shouted before there was an explosion nearby.
An entire wall is blown apart as three armored humans are tossed through and crumble like broken dolls. Slowly walking out of the wall, covered in blood, was a lit-up Celestia. If Twilight was bad, Celestia was even worse. Her entire mane is on fire, burning with orange and hellish red flames like that of an angry sun. Her eyes are no longer pure white but pulsing with a black and purplish aura that makes me realize she's using dark magic. Her entire body is covered in bullet wounds, scars, burn marks, and even one side of her flank looks like it's melting. It's honestly frightening how she's still alive despite all the damage done to her. And there is blood everywhere on the body like a serial killer as her horn alone is wholly covered in crimson liquid. But the worst thing is her expression like someone who has finally snapped and is ready to burn the whole world to the ground. I have no doubt if Celestia had access to the sun in our world, she would just summon it upon the surface of the planet and destroy everything in a blaze of rage.
“FLUTTERSHY!!!!!!!” Celestia screams as she roars with the Royal Canterlot Voice. I almost pee myself from the sheer hatred she is giving me. "BUCK TOMORROW! YOUR EXECUTION IS NOW! DIE, YOU FILTHY TRAITOR! DIE!"
A giant blast of fire erupts from Celestia's horn as three of the humans push me out of the way. Spike gets in front of the group and takes the blow, managing to protect everyone with his wings. Thank God he's a dragon. However, some of the members of Team Quail are too far away and are instantly turned to ash by the power of Celestia's magic. They don't even have time to scream before their nothing but burned bones and melted armor. One of them held Twilight's body and fell to the ground, limp and still unconscious, but to both my and Spike's horror, Celestia unleashes another blast of flames at us. Twilight's body is caught in the middle of the explosion, and I watch as she's wiped out from the fire. There is nothing but a burned skeleton of Celestia's former apprentice by the time the attack ends.
I... I've lost another friend, and I don't think Celestia even noticed as she continues screaming and attacking. She's lost all sense of reason. She doesn't even know that her most loyal subject is dead and now a smoking melting pile of ruin on the ground. Twilight, who was once the best of us is gone, and at the hooves of the one she loved the most.
"YOU BITCH! YOU MONSTER! I'LL KILL YOU!" Spike shouts as he spreads his wings, breaths a fire equal in size to Celestia, and tackles her. The two are thrown through another window, and already I can hear the sounds of their battle roaring outside.
Captain Aiden grabs me and shouts at me to move. I take one last look at Twilight's...remains, and I run with tears in my eyes.
Twilight...
God, Twilight...
I'm... I'm sorry...
I don't know how I am managing to cry and run simultaneously, but I'm doing so. It feels like I'm in Hell. This is a nightmare, and I'm unable to escape. I want to go home. I want to go back to our home. I want to go back to the cottage I lived in, with the animals I love, with Discord, and my friends before everything went wrong. I wish I never came here. I wish...I wish this never happened.
By the time we reach outside, I can hear helicopters coming in, pushing myself further to get out of here. However, the fighting seems to be all around us, and I cannot help but wonder how many are dead. I've lost two of my former best friends. Spike might also be dying because I don't know how he can go up against a full-on powered Princess Celestia. Granted, she looks like she was significantly wounded before the generators went down, but because of the state, she is in...
Suddenly, we're ambushed by another set of guards around the corner who are firing at us with magic. I manage to duck to the other side of the hall, but I'm on my own as Team Quail fires against the soldiers. The new guns have been doing wonders. Gauss rifles easily break apart any armor from a charging Earth Pony and leave them filled with holes on the floor. The Laser Guns are just as fast as a unicorn's blast and leave devastating results on the flesh as they're burned alive one by one. The Plasma ones are the most destructive. Not even magic shields can stop them as they obliterate the ponies entirely into piles of goop.
I turn away from the fighting, trying to erase the images from my head. Suddenly, I'm grabbed by the neck and dragged off of my hooves into the air. I barely have time to register what's happening before I'm tossed out of the palace through a window. I try to use my wings, but I cannot do anything because my wings were clipped days ago. I land hard in a bush and cry out from the feeling of my left rear leg hitting the ground with a heavy crunch. I don't know if it's broken or not, but I'm not going to be standing any time soon. I take a moment to clear my head before looking up and seeing who it was that knocked me out of the palace. I gulp and see a glaring Rainbow Dash floating downward as she stands a few feet from me.
"...You did this," Rainbow Dash growled with a lone tone, but there was rage behind her voice. "Everything is coming apart...my home...my friends...you killed Equestria, Fluttershy. You and your filthy monkeys!"
I try to say something, but Rainbow Dash interrupts me. "And you know what? I don't care anymore. The only thing that matters is that I end you myself. So consider this my final farewell to you!"
Rainbow Dash charges at me, and I close my eyes, but suddenly I hear a loud thumping noise. I open my eyes and see that I'm surrounded by some kind of golden energy shield that Dash must have slammed into because she's rubbing her bleeding head in agony. She must have really flown hard because I can see her forehead split open.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Dash perks up and look to her right, and suddenly her face is blown off. Blood and skull matter suddenly decorate not just the ground and plants nearby but also the energy shield. I watch with wide eyes as the half-decapitated body of Rainbow Dash plummets to the ground like a puppet with no strings. Cocking her shotgun with her magic, Lyra Heartstrings, dressed in similar battle armor as the U.N.S.F.C. glances down at Dash's dead body and spits on it. "Crash in Hell, bitch."
"L-Lyra?" I whisper in shock as she ends her shield spell. She then helps me up and starts guiding me down what appears to be the outskirts of the palace. A part of me is still reeling from the fact that Rainbow Dash, my oldest friend, is now dead with half her face missing, but all I can say is, "What are you doing here?"
"How do you think the rescue team got here? We teleported them," Lyra said with a grin. "We figured we'd take a page from Equestria's book on how they sent their armies to the human cities, only we did it with a much smaller group. We teleported in not too long ago and started this little rescue operation. Me and the rest of the resistance are the backup in case shit goes wrong. Looks like it did."
She then spoke to a communicator in her ear. "This is Lyra of Team Pony. Element of Loyalty is KIA. I repeat. KIA. I also got Package One, and we're making it for the EZ."
I wait to hear any response from the other teams, but I only now notice my radio in my ear is gone, most likely knocked out by Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash.
My best friend.
My sister.
The one who always protected and supported me. Rainbow's dead. Killed by the mare who's helping me get out of here.
I don't know if I should cry or if I should scream or both.
All I can do is just move and remain silent.
***
We finally reach the LZ, which is the front of the castle. It's surrounded by human soldiers and pony resistance fighters either getting into the various Osprey helicopters coming and going or taking care of the wounded while guarding the waypoints. Lyra guides me to one of the nearby ones before I notice someone talking to me. I look up and, to my surprise, it's Captain Aiden.
"Madam Fluttershy, good to see you in one piece," He says with a nod.
"Y-You're okay?" I ask in surprise.
"Yeah, we've handled worse. The rest of us are already inside. We should get-"
Suddenly, he's interrupted by another explosion, only this one is far enough not to knock anyone down. The front doors of the palace open, and every soldier raises their guns, and I soon can see why. A figure is slowly walking through the flames, ignoring the fact that her entire body is bleeding out so much blood that it's a river behind her. Another creature lies on her horn, one that makes me let out a cry of horror as my heart is broken by the sight of it. It's Spike, eyes closed shut, and his chest pierced through the heart via an alicorn horn. His corpse is soon tossed away and left to rot on the ground.
Spike... he's gone.
He risked everything to save me.
The last dragon.
Another species is now gone forever.
My teary eyes soon gaze away from his lifeless body towards the murderer before me. There is nothing but anger, tears, and madness in the eyes of Celestia. Spike may have died, but he gave his all in dealing damage to Celestia. Half of her body is burned, a surprise to me since she is powered by the sun, but I guess even she can be lit aflame. Her right eye is bleeding out of her socket with a large gash across, and her entire body is covered with all kinds of wounds both from humans and Spike. Her left wing is half gone, while her right one is entirely ripped out. She looks to be barely standing. In fact, I think she's this close to passing out due to the blood loss she suffered.
Every human, Resistance fighter, and the helicopters above are aiming their guns at Princess Celestia, who ignores all of them and is focused solely on me. I feel as if the reaper itself is looking at me with those glaring hateful eyes. I can see that there is nothing left in Celestia but hatred. Hated directly at me.
She roars like a demon and charges forward as I turn away, closing my eyes. The sound of gunfire echoes in my ears as I cover them with my hooves. I don't know who's winning or who's not. All I know is that I want this to be over. I want to go home. I want to never fight in a war ever again.
It seems like hours, but in reality, I can tell it's only been a few minutes before orders are for everyone to stand down. Slowly, I open my eyes, and I see only one casualty. I cannot describe what remains of Princess Celestia because it's just a giant pile of mush full of lead, laser burns, and plasma. The only thing not burned, broken, ruined, or shredded is her crown which lies a few feet from her body and is covered in her blood.
She's dead.
After all these years...all this chaos...Celestia is dead.
There are no more princesses.
No more alicorns.
Equestria has no leadership.
The war is, for the most part, over.
And this time, I cannot take it.
I blackout. I hear Lyra calling my name, but I just can't open my eyes.
I want to go home.
Please...please just take me home.
***
This is the first page of my new "Counseling" Journal that I've been suggested by my doctors on keeping updated since my therapy sessions have ended. It's been ten years since the war ended, but it's been twelve since I finally found myself feeling any sense of peace. After my rescue, I was diagnosed with PTSD and a few other things that have...not been easy to overcome, but slowly I have with the help of Martin and my friends. Martin and I did manage to get married as I wanted us to, but we held off raising kids. I was still broken inside from the war and what I witnessed that day. We focused on pets instead and still do. Bunnies, cats, dogs. I love them all. It's been...helpful.
But it's not easy.
Watching your former friends die, even if your friendship ended a long time ago, is something you can never forget. Discord getting shot in the heart. Twilight going up in flames. Rainbow's head exploding. Spike's body hanging by Princess Celestia's horn. I still get nightmares from time to time, but I've stopped screaming in the middle of the night, at least. Martin, God bless him, is always there for me, and I'm forever grateful for it. There are times when I felt like I was such a burden to him and made him unhappy, but every kiss from him reminds me of just how much he loves me.
After being rescued, I just resigned from the Resistance, mostly because I just couldn't take it anymore and because there was no need to fight. With Celestia and Twilight both dead, Equestria fell into chaos. Military leaders, nobles, politicians, and some religious figures tried to take control, and soon the nation fell apart to infighting and insanity. What was once the greatest nation in our world suddenly became multiple nations fighting each other for control. The U.N. held off its invasion, seeing no point in wasting more lives of their own when Equestria was toothless for all intents and purposes. There was still a shipping blockade around the nation, mainly to prevent anyone from going in and pick up refugees fleeing from their homes.
Eventually, five years later, General Valkyrie, who had the biggest territory, finally contacted the U.N and asked for their help ending the chaos and saving everyone from the madness that had come after Equestria's downfall. It took only a few months to do, even when various territories fought to the death, but in the end, Equestria, or what remained of it, was taken over at last by humanity. There wasn't even a bother for restoring the monarchy or uniting the country anymore. Thanks to the infighting, too many groups hated each other and wanted nothing to do with each other. So Equestria was balkanized.
There are now three separate nations:
-The Kingdom of Valehoove: A monarchy ruled by the noble family known as "The Golden Leafs" and is run by the remnants of the Canterlot Nobility.
-The Republic of Canterlot: A federalized republic where you serve the nation to be guaranteed to vote.
-And The People's Republic of Stalliongrad: A very self-isolated communist nation.
Of all the three, the Republic is doing its best to play fair with the human nations, while the other two refuse. Honestly, I don't care anymore. Equestria is gone. Everyone I knew there has either left for new homes and a new future or...is dead.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie are dead.
I don't know how or where, but I know in my heart they are gone. I guess it doesn't matter now. I just...I don't think I'll ever move on. I really don't. But that doesn't mean I'll be unhappy.
I have Martin. My friends like Lyra, Flash and such. And I have my animals who love me. There is no more war. Just peace and a desire to move forward. All I want to do is enjoy the life I have with that peace. Maybe someday, I'll be able to stop thinking about what happened to me and all of us during those dark days. All I can do is hope that the next generation, both human and pony, learn from our mistakes.
And I hope one day to ask forgiveness to all those left behind in our old world.
I think this is enough to write for now.
I'll write more tomorrow.
-Fluttershy.
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*equestria kidnaps and imprisons smol yelow pony*
Humanity:
i.postimg.cc/jSRjrMPf/1-AD46109-267-A-4-DC5-A9-F4-7-EBEBB305818.jpg
Applejack is a slippery snake, she's still alive. Pinkie, well, she's still Pinkie.
"Are our hearts cold or are we cold-hearted?"
10942691
Exterminatus?
10942699
Just a bit dead.
Everything In war, even victory, will leave traumatic mental scars...
Good finishing chapter overall.
You know Lyra pointed something interesting about teleportation
Why they didn't just teleport Fluttershy, Martin and other rebels and then fire a nuke at Canterlot or even better teleport a nuke inside and detonate then detonate
So, they still got the notes after this?
10942733
Yes
With that, the Former Princess Of The Sun is no more...whisked away in the pits of Tartarus by the very flames that she once controlled... may she Rot In Peace
.
Spike... you were a chad til the end... may you fly forever free in the skies with your fellow brethren...
.
10942732
cause Lyra's not that skilled and shes smart enough not to risk setting it off too early with her magic. Lyra can't teleport alot of people at once, shes not Twilight. Speaking of, before you argue she can teleport Twilight away, she could but Celestia suprised them by not giving a crap so Lyra couldn't react or even think of doing that
10942733
I’d assume he threw his Backpack when attacking Celestia, and one of the Soldiers picked it up. Or at least a similar series of events.
Damn, Rarity killed while trying to hide, that one hurts a bit. I always kept hoping she would survive. The others getting killed is kind of expected really. True believers or holdouts usually fail to survive.
10942759
They are skilled enough because they could teleport multiple squads of people
Okay. First off, based on how Celestia is portrayed, zealotry should be a crime in Equestria, full stop. Second, and all honesty, while I'm happy for Fluttershy and Martin, I'm not fond of this ending. Just the first two since both Twilight and Spike are alive, especially the second one since it's veers close to the original story's ending.
On that, we agree. There's a reason why they say 'War is Hell.'
Other than that, a very compelling AU story. Keep up the good work.
10942751
The celestia virgin vs the chad spike
You fought well until the end Spike,
If I'm going to be honest the first ending is my favorite.
It's happier
God. Damn. Talk about poetic irony...
Guess you got what you fucking deserve, Twilight!
Mwa-ha-ha-ha!
War is hell... Really a shame about Spike.
Like this alternate ending too. I think it's a better fitting ending than the very first one. Sure it's a bittersweet ending, but it makes more sense in a way.
With that said..... now I want to read an aftermath or postwar story of what actually happened to AJ and Pinkamena. And everyone else in this alternate universe of the Negotiatorverse!
So what ultimately happened to the newfoals in this ending?
10943038
I'll let readers decide what happens with this one.
This story was well written and all the endings are rather good. If I had to choose them from best to worse, I would choose #2, #1, then #3. Nothing is wrong with them, I just thought Celestia’s punishment in #1 (while completely deserved) was too harsh, and I was a bit sad that so many characters died in #3.
Meh, the other chapter was a much more fitting ending of this story. Strangely this version felt more of a Deus Ex Machina than the other, even though that one was a literal Deus Ex Machina. I guess it's because in the early chapters it was established that the Elements probably won't work so something going wrong there, felt natural, while on the other hand everyone always talked about how the human invasion was an inevitable, but not immediate threat. So this just came out of nowhere.
The only real problem I had with this ending is that it wasn’t all that different from the other one. It just changed the way the story reached the conclusion. The conclusion itself was mostly the same. I guess it never wanted to be, but I would have loved to see something change. This “a band of dashing cavaliers just careers in and saves the princess” just doesn’t fit the overall tone of the story.
Despite this, the chapter wasn’t horrible or anything, in fact I liked a whole lot about it (like the scene where FS feels the effect of the generator) it was what it wanted to be, I was just wondering if this was what the story wanted to be too. I guess not, this was why this was only the alternative ending.
Btw speaking of alternative endings I've also written my own, I think it's came out pretty good, it delves into the question: Is there a world where Fluttershy can be convinced that her current course of action might not be the right one. And if so what would be the consequences of that. (Sorry for the shameless plug, but I thought most of the people who would wanna read my story also have a good chance of seeing this)
This was a gripping story from beginning to end; you nailed the emotions perfectly, from grief, anger, and rage, all the way up to sadness and misery, and does an outstanding job portraying how everyone in Equestria would continue fighting despite the fact that they could not win, no matter what they did. Their motivations and reasons were realistic and made it easy to understand why they fought, and even made them sympathetic. And despite how alternate ending fics usually go, this one felt good enough to be real and a valid possibility on how things could have gone.
My main critique is that while she was correct about how continuing the war was pointless, Fluttershy came across as a high-and-mighty Mary Sue who is always right about everything. (though to be fair, she did suffer and is emotionally damaged by the end, unlike a traditional mary sue). I often found myself sympathizing more with Celestia and the others of the Mane Six because they felt more rounded and and like real people/ponies, where Fluttershy felt more like a walking 'You all suck' sign, to the point where even God praises her for her choices. It would have been nice to have her be proven wrong about one thing, or at least left wondering if she really was doing the right thing to give the story some more moral ambiguity.
The continuing theme of Celestia being a completely irredeemable monster is also starting to wear thin: throughout all of the installments for this series, I've been puzzled how Celestia is given understandable reasons for doing what she did, yet is treated like evil incarnate instead of an individual who is trying to do the best possible thing in an impossible situation according to their understanding; that doesn't excuse what she did, but I would have liked to seen her portrayed as something other than a punching bag that even God takes a swing at.
Still, 'Fallen' is gripping work that nails the emotions of all its characters. The Negotiations verse remains my favorite fan-made alternate universe for MLP, and it's always a treat to read more stories set within it.
This ending was horrible. Not in a "bad writing" sense, but more in a, "war sucks" sense. If anything, this was almost a more "real" ending than the others.
I don't know what it is about this 'verse but I do find it fascinating. There really isn't much to it: Xenolestia plays god, Equestria arrives on earth, newfoals, war, death, equestria goes *poof*, and popcorn (well, the popcorn is mine while I read these things, but still). But that formula doesn't change, and if it does change it's really not the same 'verse. The main difference is how the stories get told and that's where the magic really happens. How many ways can you tell the same story and still keep it interesting? If we ever find out, I'll let you know.
Pretty good ending, but if it's alright with you, I think I prefer the first ending. Also, I don't know why I thought the rescue mission would go "quietly",
Well. That was freaking bleak. I gotta say, I really prefer the literal Deus Ex Machina ending to this one.
Man I love this. Nice work!
The rainbow magic was blinding and I covered my eyes to shield them from the glare. I could hear the cries of everypony screaming at once until it was finally...silent.
I opened my eyes and blinked to get the spots out of my vision. The flash had died down and then I saw the entire stadium was empty. Not a single pony was present. My former friends were gone and so was Celestia.
It was just silence.
“What happened to everypony?” Fluttershy questioned.
“Fluttershy...?”
Fluttershy gasped as she heard the voice and saw Spike coming towards her.
“Spike?”
“What happened? Where did Twilight and everypony go?” Spike questioned.
“I...I don’t know...” I looked at the Harmony Pylon and saw that it had been destroyed, shattered to pieces after taking the power of the Elements of Harmony. I did not ponder the mystery further. I needed to go and find Martin. “Spike, let’s go.”
XXX
The ponies found themselves standing in the middle of a wasteland. All the trees were dead and the sun was blazing. The ponies stood in confusion and even Celestia was dumbfounded by what had occurred.
Just what...what went wrong...?
“What...what happened?” Rarity wondered, confused and terrified as she stood under the sweltering heat of the sun. “Where are we...?”
“I don’t know...” Twilight shook her head.
“What the buck happened, Twilight!?” Rainbow Dash demanded furiously.
“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Twilight shook her head. “Wait, where’s Spike? Spike!”
“Girls, where’s Fluttershy?” Pinkie Pie asked and they finally noticed the yellow pegasus was missing.
Celestia gritted her teeth. Fluttershy had done this somehow. Somehow, she had made the Harmony Pylon unstable. She would not get away with this! She couldn’t have gone far, right?
“FIND HER NOW!!!” Celestia ordered. “FIND HER NOW!!!”
As the guards went to search for Fluttershy, ignoring the blistering heat, somepony was watching them from behind a rock.
“The council must hear about this,” the creature said as it slipped away.
-Remember Fallout? All the remaining races and ponies that were left behind banded together to survive.
10943717
Would be neat to read.
10943852
The link is there.
I liked the guest ending better, it was a good balance between really dark and optimistically stupid. Seriously a united church? Why did I get ratio'd for disagreeing with that
10943068
"Too harsh"?! Oh please!!! She should have received worse in my opinion.
I have no words. This was amazing, truly, utterly, amazing. I have only two things criticism wise. First is that I think Twilight should have survived; Having her die in her sleep was a bit lenient of an end for her if you ask me. And as for the second one, I think Spike should have lived. Maybe give him a Fake Death or put him in a coma for him to come out alive in the end.
Still. Amazing story.
May a cup of tea always be by you.
10944235
What could be worse than eternal torment at the hands of the being replaceable for what you're being punished for by never informing you of the better alternative you'd have no way to know about otherwise sooner?
Looking back. I prefer the canon ending. It did best the series point of deconstructing TCB fics and avoiding the trap of suspension-of-disbelief breaking vilifying Celestia. There Celestia got the closest to due remorse, the most fitting punishment, and did what little she could to set things right even if it was far to late to redeem her. I get this fic shows it's only luck she got such an ending but anything else deviates from this series appeal.
Is that a good thing?
Brutal
i would like to know more.
10950910
.
You're right. I always felt that Luna was the more perceptive of the two, so she would've known something was off in regards to the moon not being moved. It just kind of felt off that was never dived into more...
rd got rekt
11073601
Your argument is done under the assumption that we are talking about gods as human creations and not considering the different mental status that a being would have if they fit the criteria of a deity.
My point is if you're unable to out yourself in the mental position of such a being arguing for or against its benevolence is fundamentally flawed. You are simply too different.
That doesn't mean they're benevolent or not. It just means that sometimes due to fundamental mental differences we are not able to follow the process with which a deity operates.
It being written by an author doesn't change the fact that a being who has known the origin of the universe won't be thinking with the same criteria. It's like trying to fold paper more than 7 or 8 times. You probably could do it... It just wouldn't look pretty/would look distorted. It'd be like trying to measure distance by time units. You simply use totally different criteria and this makes your judgement flawed. It might not be pointless but you're only ever going to receive the conclusions you want.
I don't see a point to that.
The UN is human but not humane in this story:
10943717
Bruh are you going to continue this?
10943717
As much as I want to, it's hard to find the right words.
11342014
He became present of the US
11342042
Wow I expected him to have died I’m honestly surprised but in a good way I’m happy for him thanks for taking the time to answer
I think out of all the endings this one is my favourite as it fits with the darker tone of this alternative universe and it opens the door for so much potential such as the relationship between humanity and the 3 equestrian nations (nice equestria at war reference by the way) and if humanity will go back to fighting itself with Twilight and Spike dead the human equestrian utopia didn’t happen so it’s possible the one world government will fracture regardless it was nice to see General Valkyrie survived this time and Lyra got a moment to be badass overall I really enjoyed this alternative universe and I wonder if anyone will expand upon it
11342474
Thanks for answering