MLP: One as a Family: A Golden Week in Exile

by SaburoDaimando

01: One Week Ago

Operation Daisy Joy and Beyond Prologue

A Golden Week in Exile

One Week Ago

“Now you see why I’m superior and you’re not. Your combined magic was no match for the likes of me. Even if you had the Windigo’s Guild and the Changelings by your side, I will overpower you, and I will win. Now surrender each and every youngling to me.”

Gold Banks, having transformed into a human, stood over Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, deep within the vault of Canterlot Castle. A powerful amulet was wrapped around Gold Bank’s collar. Both alicorns had been knocked to the ground in front of the active ground bridge portal. Princess Celestia turned her glare towards Gold Banks as she slowly got up, only for Princess Luna to get on her four hooves and stand in front of her sister.

“Luna,” Princess Celestia cried. “What are you doing?”

Princess Luna turned her head towards Princess Celestia and said “Sister, get into the portal this instant,” Luna said. “I’ll shut off the portal and deny her any access.”

“But,” Celestia cried as Luna turned her gaze to Gold Banks. “I’ll lose you.”

Luna turned towards Celestia with a smile on her face, just as Gold Banks walked up to the two alicorns.

“I know,” Luna said. “But Equestria still needs you, dear sister. You are their last hope.”

With a flash of magic from her horn, Princess Luna picked up Princess Celestia with her magic, levitating her sister into the air. As Celestia reached out to her sister, a tear fell from her eyes as she stared helplessly.

“I love you, sister,” Luna said.

“I know,” Princess Celestia said before she turned her head away.

With one last pulse of magic, Princess Luna threw Princess Celestia towards the portal. The moment the alicorn hit the vortex, she disappeared completely. Luna turned her attention towards Gold Banks, who marched towards the last alicorn with a smirk on her face.

“You may have taken our land, Banks,” Princess Luna said. “But I will ensure you don’t ever take our loved ones away, even if I have to die to your madness.”

With that, Princess Luna turned her attention towards the ground bridge portal crystal before she lit her horn up once more. The crystal was surrounded in a magical aura before it was ripped from the arc. This caused the portal to become unstable and shrink.

“This is for you, sister,” Luna cried.

Gold Banks immediately charged towards Princess Luna, eager to tackle the alicorn princess. But at the last moment, Princess Luna threw the portal crystal through the unstable portal. Once the crystal hit the portal, it disappeared completely, all before the portal began to glow with bright light. This caused Gold Banks to stop in disbelief.

“What did you do?” Gold Banks yelled as she smashed her hoof on the ground.

“Sacrificed myself so that the others will be safe,” Luna said with a smug smile. “You’ve lost.”

“No,” Gold Banks snarled as she smashed her left foot on the ground, held her hand out and began to charge up. “This is only the beginning.”

As the portal exploded in a bright light, Princess Luna and Gold Banks charged at each other. Luna’s body was enveloped within the bright light of the portal, just as Gold Banks began to squint, catching the attention of Princess Luna.

With a massive leap, Princess Luna thrust her shoulder forward and slammed right into Gold Banks. The impact sent Gold Banks flying backwards before she crashed right into the staircase. Princess Luna landed right in front as Gold Banks slowly got herself up.

“You dare to pull a treacherous sneak attack on me?” Gold Banks yelled as she got up on her two feet and stared down Princess Luna.

“I did,” Princess Luna smirked. “After you decided to use the Alicorn Amulet on us. You’re a bigger hypocrite to call me out over fighting dirty when you just wanted to pull us down to your level.”

“Don’t you DARE QUESTION ME!” Gold Banks yelled as she pointed the palm of her hand at Luna and charged up.

Gold Banks fired off a blast of magic at Princess Luna, who’s smirk only widened as she jumped out of the way. The blast only hit a piece of the stairs behind the alicorn, leaving a small hole in its wake.

Gold Banks turned to her left, where she saw Princess Luna stand in front of a mountain of gold coins. As Gold Banks began to charge up, Luna teleported away from the mountain of gold before reappearing right behind Gold Banks, who only had time to react before she was held back by Princess Luna’s arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gold Banks yelled as she struggled to break free.

"Taking away your toy," Luna yelled.

Princess Luna moved her left hoof up and placed it on the Alicorn Amulet. But the moment she placed the hoof on its surface, the amulet let out an electric charge that shocked Princess Luna, causing her to release her grip from Gold Banks. Banks turned towards Luna and laughed out loud.

"You fool," Gold Banks laughed as Princess Luna recovered from the shock.

"What did you just do?" Princess Luna yelled.

"I knew you would try to remove my Alicorn Amulet,” Gold Banks said as Luna got back on her four hooves. “So I had my alchemist place a spell on it so that only I can remove it.”

Luna backed up for a bit before she said “Clever. Quite clever. But it won’t save the fact that you would make a horrible ruler of Equestria.”

Gold Banks’ left eye twitched nervously before she said “What…did you say?”

“You heard what I said,” Luna smirked. "The moment you take control of the main Equestrian monarchy, you will plunge this nation into absolute chaos. Ponies will despise you for what you've done."

"THEY WILL LEARN TO RESPECT ME!" Gold Banks shouted as she stomped her foot on the surface. "And the same can be said of you."

"You?" Luna laughed. "You're not even deserving of a trip to Tartarus, nor to be a statue."

Gold Banks marched forward towards Princess Luna, eyes turning red and steam pouring from her nose. But all Luna could do was to yawn while she charged up her horn.

"I might as well turn Tartarus into my new Daisy Joy Tech," Gold Banks snarled. "Maybe use those cages to lock up juvenile delinquents like the nieces you care about."

"Even a juvenile delinquent has more redeeming traits compared to the likes of you," Luna smirked.

Gold Banks' eyes twitched rapidly. She glared down at Luna, teeth clenched and her hands tightening into a pair of fists.

"Don't you dare compare me to a juvenile delinquent," Gold Banks snarled.

Gold Banks held her palms out before two orbs of magic formed in each of then. But the moment they fired off towards the moon alicorn, Luna smirked and formed a circle with her horn, creating a portal. The magic flew right into the portal before disappearing completely. Gold Banks just stood there, dumbfounded, as the vortex disappeared out of sight.

"Wha…what?" Gold Banks said.

"I take it back," Luna laughed. "Even a baby is far more mature than you."

“Okay….” Gold Banks said as her voice began to crack. “THAT’S IT!”

Gold Banks sprinted towards Princess Luna, holding her hands out like she was ready to grab the alicorn. But Luna smirked once more and created a portal right behind her before jumping in.

“GET BACK HERE!” Gold Banks yelled. “I’M NOT LETTING YOU EVADE MY WRATH!”

With that, Gold Banks leaped through the portal and disappeared completely before the vortex shrunk down and vanished, without a trace.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the changeling badlands, near Gold Banks’ new palace, Princess Luna emerged from a nearby portal before taking a few steps to the side. Following from behind was Gold Banks, who charged forward with her arms held out before she slid to a stop. She turned around and saw Princess Luna point her horn at her and charge up while the portal vanished completely.

“You tricked me,” Gold Banks said. “You made me lash out at you.”

“That I admit,” Luna replied. “You’re nothing more than a spoiled brat who has a lust for power. You care nothing about the ponies who suffer, only about yourself. And without that amulet around your collar, you are nothing.”

Gold Banks’ scowl flipped into a smile. She walked towards Luna and said “You’re right. I am nothing without this necklace. In fact, I wouldn’t be able to become a human without it. But who says you and your sister can be the only monopoly in terms of being the most powerful being in the world?”

“What are you talking about?” Luna asked.

“Thing is, I have been jealous about you and your sister’s alicorn powers,” Gold Banks explained. “That is your strength. Your weakness is that you both come under pressure from propaganda outlets. After I married Silver Banks, I realized that he had a number of connections to the news outlets in Equestria. That’s where I was able to acquire my power, and to press you under my heel.”

But Luna stared at Gold Banks and said “That, I’m not impressed with.”

“Aww, are you feeling upset?” Gold Banks laughed. “Because let’s face it. Even without my powers, you’re still washed up, up a river, hung out to dry. I may be nothing without this amulet. But even nothing is a force to be reckoned with. Your parents were a fool to raise you and your sister the way you both are.”

“At least my parents didn’t spoil me rotten to the core compared to yours,” Luna smirked.

Those words caused Gold Banks’ eyes to twitch once more. She threw a fist in the air and landed it next to Luna.

“You don’t know who my parents are,” Gold Banks snarled.

“It’s true,” Luna laughed. “But it won’t stop me from making judgements about them.”

“Don’t you dare,” Gold Banks seethed. “Don’t you dare speak about them.”

“I bet your parents never taught you the real right from wrong lessons our parents teach us,” Luna said as she walked away from Gold Banks. “They must have spoiled you with every gift in the world while neglecting your sister Spoiled Rich.”

“Don’t you bring up that failure of life,” Gold Banks said, scraping her shoe on the dirt.

“I do because even she distanced herself from her parents and you,” Luna said. “You don’t have the temper to denounce them.”

“TAKE THAT BACK!” Gold Banks yelled as she held her amulet close.

“Oh I intend to double down, because deep on the inside, you parents never cared for you,” Luna laughed. “All they cared about was filling your ego with lies and deceit, molding you into an exact replica of themselves, all while they chose to neglect your sister. Face it, Banks. You’re nothing more than a pawn in their own agenda. You were never your own pony, at all.”

Gold Banks shook violently. Dark magic flowed out of her Alicorn Amulet and into her body. The lower half of her body began to shapeshift into a horse body while her upper half began to bulk out.

“That’s right,” Luna said. “Get angry. That’s all you’re good for.”

Gold Banks grew in size as her body underwent a metamorphosis. Once she stopped, she stared down at Luna, now in the form of a humanoid centaur, complete with a pair of giant horns atop her head.

“You will regret the day that you besmirched me,” Gold Banks roared. “I hope you fear me with my presence.”

“Against you?” Luna said. “I’ve faced worse than that.”

“SO BE IT!” Gold Banks roared.

Gold Banks swung back before throwing a left hook at Princess Luna, who only jumped out of the way. Banks’ fist hit the ground hard, smashing the surface into a crater. She turned to Princess Luna, who only stuck her tongue out at the centaur.

“Hold still you miserable cretin,” Gold Banks shouted as she threw another punch at Luna.

“Is this the best you got?” Princess Luna shouted as she jumped away from Gold Banks’ fist. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I….Don’t….KID!” Gold Banks shouted.

The horns on Gold Banks’ forehead formed a dark fireball within the middle. Gold Banks kicked her front legs in the air before firing the blast of magic at Princess Luna, who leaped into the air and extended her wings. As the shot flew under Luna and exploded on the ground, the alicorn princess took to the skies before she stared down at the agitated Centaur Gold Banks.

“Your anger clouds you,” Luna said. “It prevents you from focusing, and it makes you an easy target.”

Gold Banks fired another blast of magic from her horns at Luna, who flew around it. Gold Banks turned to her left, where Luna flew right beside the centaur before she stood behind her.

“And this is the lesson you will learn for pushing your emotions center stage,” Princess Luna yelled as she charged up some magic in her horn.

Princess Luna charged up the magic in her horn and fired it right at Gold Banks. The moment the centaurized pony turned to face Luna, the blast of magic hit her right in the face, causing her to stagger a bit. Gold Banks looked up at Luna, her scowl becoming deeper.

“So it has come to this,” Gold Banks yelled. “Very well. I’ll show you the true power of the Alicorn Amulet.”

Gold Banks held her arms out in the air. Two sets of wings formed from her upper and lower backs, extending outwards at around four times the length of her limbs. The moment the wings reached out to their maximum extension, Gold Banks laughed before turning her attention to Luna.

“And now, Princess Luna,” Gold Banks laughed. “You will regret the day you got under my fur.”

Princess Luna immediately flew upwards into the air as Gold Banks held her wings back. With a powerful thrust, Gold Banks’ wings flapped forward, creating two wind tornadoes. She leaped into the air and flew up after Princess Luna, laughing maniacally.

“Guess I underestimated her hubris,” Luna said to herself. “Well this is it. Let’s see how long I can last.”

Immediately, Princess Luna turned her attention towards Gold Banks, who flew up to the alicorn’s level. Luna fired a blast of magic right at the alicorn amulet around Gold Banks’ collar, only for the spell to reflect off.

“Bad idea,” Luna said. “I’ll have to fight this directly.”

Gold Banks charged up the magic between her horns and fired it off at Luna, who quickly dodged out of the way. The alicorn charged up and fired a blast of magic, hitting Gold Banks right in the face.

“Laugh that off, Banks,” Princess Luna shouted.

Gold Banks directed her gaze towards Princess Luna, her smile still bare and sinister.

“Oh I will,” Gold Banks said. “Besides. Why waste my time hitting you with powerful spells, when I have other tricks up my sleeve.”

As Gold Banks’ laughter filled the skies, Princess Luna’s eyes shrunk down in fear as she flew away from the centaurized aristocrat.

"Flee all you want," Gold Banks laughed as energy formed in her palms. "You won't escape THIS!"

Gold Banks clapped her hands as hard as possible. The energy in her palms detonated, creating a shockwave that flew towards Princess Luna. Though she tried to fly faster, the shockwave of magic darted closer and closer, barely edging the Princess of the moon.

"So this is how it ends," Princess Lina said as the Shockwave flew towards her.

Princess Luna closed her eyes as the shockwave hit her directly. The impact sent a surge of electricity through her body, causing Luna to scream in pain before she fell towards the ground. As the alicorn fell, Gold Banks looked up and laughed out loud.

“Princesses are a bit a bunch,” Gold Banks said. “What we need is an empress.”

Gold Banks flew right towards Princess Luna before grabbing her by the chest. She looked down at the broken alicorn with glee.

“I’ve waited a long time to do this,” Gold Banks laughed.

With a powerful throw, Gold Banks threw Princess Luna into the air. She charged up the magic between her horns and fired it at the moon princess. Upon impact, the magic exploded and knocked Luna out of the sky.

“How does it feel to know that you’ve lost, Princess Luna?” Gold Banks laughed.

As Gold Banks landed her hooves on the ground, Princess Luna free fell from the impact of the magic, badly hurt. She looked down at the surface below and smiled.

"I've….done my part," Luna said to herself as she free fell towards the surface. "It's all up to my sister now."

Princess Luna crashed right into the ground with a loud boom, causing a dust cloud to emit from the collision. Gold Banks walked up to the dust cloud as it disappeared, where she saw a weakened Luna struggle to get up.

"Well played, Banks," Luna grinned. "You won this fight."

As Gold Banks landed in front of Princess Luna, she shape-shifted back into a human before approaching the fallen alicorn with a confused look on her face.

"I did not expect to see you like this," Gold Banks said. "Is it because you knew you were no match for me?"

"Yeah," Luna said, her smile still bright. "I knew I would lose to you. So I had to go all out with getting under your skin, calling you out for your own failures. I could have retreated and fought another day. But knowing how you operate, you would easily lure me out of hiding by endangering an innocent civilian or an entire town."

"You're right on that," Gold Banks said as she picked up Luna by the collar. “I would have done so just to lure you out and take you down. A shame that the same can’t be said of your sister.”

“So what is my fate going to be?” Luna asked. “Am I to be turned to stone? Locked away in Tartarus? Put out of my misery?”

“No on the former, and especially no on the latter,” Gold Banks said as she placed a magic horn on Princess Luna’s horn. “If I end your life, I end your suffering. And I want you to suffer as much as possible for what grief you gave me, Princess Luna.”

As Gold Banks cuffed down Princess Luna’s wings and even placed some metal gloves on her hooves, a portal formed from right behind the duo. Princess Luna looked over Gold Banks’ shoulder to see Grand Philosopher and Master Trench Gruff emerge from the portal before it disappeared.

“That’s the alchemist you hired alongside a total moron?” Luna smirked.

“Master Trench Gruff may not look bright,” Gold Banks said. “But he’s one warrior that you don’t want to mess with on the battlefield.”

Gold Banks transformed back into a pony before turning her attention towards Grand Philosopher and Master Trench Gruff, who came to a stop and bowed before the aristocrat.

“Well that’s a disappointment,” Master Trench Gruff said. “I actually liked your new human form, my lady.”

Immediately, Grand Philosopher bonked Master Trench Gruff on the forehead with his staff, causing the crazed earth pony to yelp in pain.

“Will you knock it off with that unnecessary complement?” Grand Philosopher scowled. “We’re here to receive orders, not appear as if we’re at a fan convention.”

Gold Banks grabbed Princess Luna by the hair with her magic and yanked her up before dragging her to Grand Philosopher and Master Trench Gruff.

“Still can’t believe you took down Princess Luna,” Master Trench Gruff said. “You are one tough pony.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Master Trench Gruff,” Gold Banks said. “But that being said, I have managed to capture Princess Luna and I need you and Grand Philosopher to escort her to her new cell in Tartarus, and to introduce her to her new cellmates.”

Gold Banks tossed Princess Luna on the ground, who did nothing more than stare at the aristocrat with a smug look on her face. Master Trench Gruff picked up Princess Luna with his arms while Grand Philosopher opened a second portal behind him.

“It will be done, my lady,” Grand Philosopher said. “Right in the one near your soon-to-be former husband and your former mentor.”

Master Trench Gruff carried Princess Luna towards the portal, all while Luna glared at Gold Banks with that smirk on her face. As soon as Master Trench Gruff disappeared with Luna, Grand Philosopher followed from behind before he vanished into the portal. As the vortex disappeared, Gold Banks stood there with a satisfying smirk on her face.

“Laugh all you want, Princess Luna,” Gold Banks laughed. “For soon, I will have your sister, and all of Equestria will bow before me: Gold Banks, Empress of all that you see.”

With that, Gold Banks laughed out loud as she walked off towards her palace.

But deep in Tartarus, Silver Banks sat all by himself in one cell while a second cell next to him sat former Magistrate Creme Dream and his daughter Majesty.

Immediately, a portal formed out of nowhere as Master Trench Gruff emerged, carrying Princess Luna on his back without breaking a sweat. Right behind him was Grand Philosopher, who stepped out of the portal before it disappeared behind him.

“PRINCESS!” Silver Banks yelled. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Princess Luna said as Master Trench Gruff carried her towards the cell.

“How could you say something like that, knowing that you’ll share my fate?” Silver Banks yelled.

“I’m fine because at least my sister and my nieces are safe in the Golden Land,” Princess Luna winked. “Along with your daughter.”

Silver Banks breathed a sigh of relief as Master Trench Gruff carried Princess Luna on his back. Once Master Trench Gruff approached the empty jail cell, Grand Philosopher opened up the door with his magic.

“Here’s your new home, your majesty,” Master Trench Gruff said as he threw Princess Luna into the cell. “Enjoy it for a long time.”

Immediately, Master Trench Gruff closed the cell door as Princess Luna immediately gripped the bars with her hooves. Grand Philosopher looked down at the Princess with a smirk on his face.

“So how do you intend on getting into the Golden Land when I have blocked it off completely?” Princess Luna asked.

“Do not underestimate the power of alchemy, Princess Luna,” Grand Philosopher explained. “After all, your ground bridge portal was the work of my arch rival Starswirl the Bearded.”

“That I am aware of,” Princess Luna said. “After all, you were once the husband of Hydia the Horrible.”

“I’d say horrible is a rather weak description,” Magistrate Creme Dream said, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity. “The proper words you would refer to on the subject of Hydia would include revolting, despicable, irredeemable, and monster.”

Princess Luna and Silver Banks just looked at Magistrate Creme Dream with an awkward look on their faces, all while Grand Philosopher nodded in agreement.

“Using that kind of harsh criticism as a complement,” Princess Luna said. “That’s expected of someone like you.”

“Those are exactly the words that describe my late wife Hydia,” Grand Philosopher said. “And she took them as something to be proud of. But enough about her. I have my own plans to exceed Starswirl the Bearded and his ground bridge alchemy.”

“And there’s no way you’re letting me put that to use,” Master Trench Gruff shouted. “Last I recall, you tricked me into drinking a potion that turned me into a poodle.”

“And you’ll do it again, every time,” Grand Philosopher laughed. “You’re like a little kid in the candy store.”

“Ooooh,” Master Trench Gruff growled. “I’ll wipe that smirk off your face, you old coot.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Grand Philosopher replied.

“That’s enough,” Luna yelled as she banged on the bars of her cell with her metal gloves wrapped around her hooves. “Just because I’m your prisoner doesn’t mean you can argue in front of me.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Grand Philosopher said, stepping away from Master Trench Gruff. “In fact, that did distract me from what I was going to explain: I have managed to reverse engineer the crystals that power the ground bridge portal.”

“Say what?” Princess Luna said.

“It’s quite simple,” Grand Philosopher said. “Starswirl could figure out how to trap the power of a portal within two crystals, and have them intertwine only with each other. But I figured out how to trap the power and knowledge of these portals into a single crystal. It would be as if one would have the ability to go anywhere he or she pleases.”

“And you’re going to do that just for Gold Banks?” Princess Luna asked.

“We are,” Grand Philosopher said. “But it’s more of a trap for Gold Banks.”

Princess Luna looked at Grand Philosopher, confused by the alchemist’s words.

“Since you haven’t the slightest clue, I’ll fill him in,” Master Trench Gruff said. “We’re only pretending to be working for Gold Banks. But in reality, we were really working for one of the prisoners of Gold Banks.”

Princess Luna paused for a moment before she turned towards Magistrate Creme Dream, who nodded back towards the alicorn.

“Wait a minute,” Princess Luna said. “You’re the one who gave them the orders to side with Gold Banks?”

“And I let them arrest me,” Creme Dream said. “Since the moment Gold Banks took your daughters and her friends to Daisy Joy Tech, I decided to put her skills to the test to see how dangerous she would be if I were to cut her loose. And judging by how far she’s come, she’s exceeded my expectations. In fact, I’m counting on her to discover where the Golden Land is so that Princess Celestia can bring her down with this Golden Magic of Light.”

“Wait,” Princess Luna said. “How do you know about the Golden Magic of Light?”

“Oh dear,” Magistrate Creme Dream said with a laugh. “I’m afraid you know too much.”

Magistrate Creme Dream clapped her hooves together. Grand Philosopher responded by pointing his staff at Princess Luna and firing off rings of magic. Upon impact, Princess Luna became drowsy and collapsed on the floor, falling into a deep sleep.

“It won’t be long until she forgets everything she’s heard from you, Magistrate,” Grand Philosopher said. “After all, this spell great for wiping memories.”

“Excellent work, Grand Philosopher,” Magistrate Creme Dream said. “Now I want you and Master Trench Gruff to keep a close eye on Gold Banks. Furthermore, I have learned that you have discovered the very magic I asked you to gather.”

“Precisely,” Grand Philosopher said before pulling out a vial of a green, murky liquid. “It is a gloomy essence that will give her an edge until Princess Celestia is fully powered up. After all, you know about its strengths and weaknesses.”

“Exactly. When Gold Banks is not looking, apply that magic to her alicorn amulet,” Magistrate Creme Dream explained. “This will make things far more interesting. And furthermore, until Princess Celestia unleashes the Golden Magic of Light, keep the knowledge of your new portal crystal away from the so-called Empress of Equestria. Understood?”

“At once, Magistrate,” Grand Philosopher said as he and Master Trench Gruff bowed to Creme Dream before he placed his vial back into his robe.

“Oh please,” Creme Dream laughed. “After all, I’ve known you since I went under that name.”

Grand Philosopher raised his head and said “Indeed you do.”

To Be Continued in…

Fallout from Canterlot’s Fall

Author's Note:

So all this month, I will be posting one part of my prologue to the upcoming Operation Daisy Joy. It's probably going to go to around 16 to 17 parts, as a bit of a sneak peak into what the next saga will bring.

Anyway, the next part will be as early as tomorrow.