Maintaining Harmony

by DiabloGuapo

Coup D'etat

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was busy bucking apple trees. Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom were busy catching the falling apples in baskets. The two accompanying royal guards stood by, watching with disinterest. One pulled out a watch to check the time.

“Well, don’t let us have the fun,” Applejack sarcastically said to the observing guards. “If y’all want to stay here, y’all got to earn your keep.” The two guards remained where they were, not heeding her words. The two nodded to each other, then started to walk towards Applejack with their horns glowing.

Twilight and Rarity were sitting at a table outside a restaurant, enjoying their lunch. Across the street, a unicorn stallion with a monocle and a slender unicorn mare noticed the two and crossed the street to greet them.

“Why, Miss Rarity and Miss Sparkle. It’s so good to see the two of you again,” the stallion addressed the two dinning mares.

“Fancypants! Fleur de Lis! What a pleasant surprise,” exclaimed Rarity.

“What brings the two of here to Canterlot?” Fancypants inquired.

“Um, well, you see…uh…” Rarity said as she tried to think of an excuse, not wanting to disclose information about the threat. “We’re here to do some shopping,” she said pointing to the bags by the table. “Canterlot always has the most exquisite materials, and I invited my friend to join me.”

“I see.” Fancypants noticed the two stone-faced guards standing close by. “I say, why are…”

“Oh, look who it is, Jet Set,” a voice called from behind them. Everypony turned around to see Upper Crust and Jet Set approaching them. Rarity, Fancypants, and Fleur de Lis all groaned to themselves and then forced a smile.

“How are you doing, Jet Set? Upper Crust?” Fancypant feigned a friendly greeting.

“We’re doing well, thank you,” Jet Set said. “Rarity, it’s so nice to see you here. We were so distraught when you didn’t come to our charity ball.”

“Charity ball? When was that?” Rarity asked.

“Two days ago, didn’t you receive our invitation?” answered Upper Crust. “Everypony who was anypony was there.”

“Two days ago, let me think. Ah, yes. I do recall receiving a letter, but I was quite busy that day.”

“No matter, you and your friend, Twilight Sparkle, are here now, and that’s all that matters,” said Jet Set.

“Yes, it’s quite an honor to have the Elements of Magic and Generosity here,” said Upper Crust. Hearing that, something clicked in Twilight’s head.

“Oh dear, look at the time,” Twilight said suddenly. “Rarity, we must be going. It was so nice to see you again.” She placed some bits on the table to cover the bill and began to push Rarity along.

“Oh, won’t you join us? We were just going to an opera,” Upper Crust said with an aggressive tone.

“No, we really must…” Twilight began to say until the two guards blocked their way.

“We insist,” Jet Set said menacingly. The two mares noticed that the couple and the guards’ eyes were glowing with an eerie color.

“Come with us,” the two unicorn soldiers ordered, their horns glowing threateningly. Twilight, Rarity, Fancypants, and Fleur looked at the four advancing unicorns with fear and alarm.

Meanwhile, on a train making its way through the artic north, Shining Armor was shielding himself against an attack from the guards that were supposed to be protecting him. The guards had him cornered in the caboose of the train. His magenta shield was deflecting the blasts of magic coming from the two assailants. Spike was hiding beneath a table, watching the standoff between the three stallions. Spike looked around desperately for something to aid Shining Armor with. Though he was strong, it was a matter of time before his defensives where whittled down. Spike could only think of one thing to do. He rushed forth from his hiding place to one of the guards and exhaled green fire on his flank. The guard yelled in pain and glared at the dragon. The dragon gulped with fear as the guard’s horn charged with power.

“Spike! Look out!” shouted Shining Armor, but it was too late. The guard blasted the young dragon in chest, which set him bursting out the back door. The train was going over a bridge at the time, and Spike bounced off the tracks into the snowy abyss below, his screams fading into the blizzard. “Spike!” Shining Armor yelled. He charged his horn with as much power as he could, causing the magic shield to expand at an alarming rate. Since one guard was distracted with his burnt flank, the other was unable to stop the expanding shield and both were smashed into the walls by it. While the two were knocked senseless, Shining Armor placed a restraining spell on them. He then rushed out to the back of the caboose and looked out into the storm. There was no sign of Spike and his heart sank. “Spike!” he called out to the storm, but there was no answer. “I’m so sorry, Spike. I’m so sorry, Twilight. I failed you.”

Two guards were lying hogtied on the dirt. Their horns were also tied up, blocking their magic. The Apple Family and Pinkie Pie were standing over the two tied up soldiers.

“That oughta teach y’all a lesson!” shouted Applejack.

“Eeyup,” her big brother agreed with a rare angry look on his face.

“What in tarnation is going on?” the elderly Granny Smith asked.

“Ah’d suspect that these two are a part of that ‘Kingdom of Unicornia’ Ah was tellin’ y’all about,” said Applejack. “Big Macintosh, throw these two in the cellar. Pinkie and Ah got to tell the princess about this.”

“But Applejack,” interrupted little Apple Bloom. “These fellers are royal guards. How do you know that there ain’t anymore already at the castle?”

Applejack saw her sister’s point. If the guards that were assigned to me and Pinkie attack us, then that means… “Oh no. Our friends are in danger!”

“What are we going to do, Applejack?” asked Pinkie Pie, worried. Applejack thought of a plan.

“Ah’m going to see the Mayor. Ah have to warn her about the Kingdom of Unicornia.”

“How do you know that they ain’t already here?” asked Granny Smith.

“They’re unicorn elitists. They’ll have no interest in us Ponyville folk, even the unicorns here. But Ah bet that they’ll be here sooner or later to try and put us under their hooves. We need to be ready to fight back!” Applejack turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie, Ah need you go to ‘the place.’ After Ah warn the Mayor, Ah’ll meet you there.”

“Yes sir, ma’am sir!” Pinkie saluted before the two spilt up.

“And Pinkie,” the orange earth pony called back as she ran. “Be careful.”

“Okie dokie lokie,” the pink earth pony answered as she disappeared into the Everfree Forest.

Twilight Sparkle was running towards Canterlot Palace with Rarity, Fancypants, and Fleur de Lis following her. Back at the restaurant, Jet Set, Upper Crust, and the two soldiers were lying unconscious on the ground. One should really think twice about attacking the most powerful unicorn alive. Unfortunately for them, their thoughts had been altered. As the four were nearing the castle, they came to a halt. Dark crystals were starting to cover the castle.

“Oh no, it’s started,” Twilight said in dismay.

As Princess Celestia was sitting upon her throne, she noticed the light coming from the windows had dimmed. There was something outside the stained-glass windows. Sensing something wrong, she stood up from her throne.
“What is this? Guards!” the princess called out. The doors opened and many guards marched in. They lined both sides of the throne room and stood at attention, but not to her. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“This, Your Highness, is a coup d’état,” a voice called from just outside the throne room. Celestia looked to opened doors, and a figured walked in.

“Prince Blueblood?” the princess exclaimed as she recognized her distant nephew. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Overthrowing you, of course,” answered the smug unicorn with a sneer. The white unicorn with a golden mane stood in the middle of the throne room, challenging the white alicorn with a haughty smile.

“You sent the letter? But why?” questioned Celestia, shocked that her own kin dared to betray her.

“Because it’s my time to receive the recognition that I deserve. It is time for us unicorns to take our place as the rightful rulers of this land. It is time to take back what you stole from us,” declared the spoiled prince.

“I did not steal anything from the unicorns!” Celestia defended herself.

“No? Then what about the sun and moon? Unicorns used to rule the other ponies because they could use their magic to raise the sun and moon. That is, until had you to come along.”

“It was Luna and my destiny to be connected to the celestial bodies. That is who we are, and we can’t change that. It is our responsibility to forever serve and protect our little ponies, and the unicorns had never ruled over the other tribes of ponies. They lived harmony, supporting each other with their unique abilities,” declared the princess.

“Don’t fool yourself, Celestia,” Blueblood challenged. “The pegasi and earth ponies, especially the earth ponies, were always inferior to the unicorns. Those simpletons’ ‘unique abilities’ are nothing compared to the magical power of the unicorns. We are the superior race, and I’m their rightful ruler. I am a descendant of the Unicorn King. I am here to reclaim what is mine and to put everypony else in their place.”

“I too am a descendant of the Unicorn King. Do not forget that my parents were Hurricane and Platinum, the King and Queen of Equestria.”

“Bah, and also the first traitors to the Kingdom of the Unicorns!” scoffed the prince. “Platinum betrayed her kind by consenting to share her throne was that pegasus cretan! She was no longer worthy to rule the kingdom! The crown should have pasted to her younger brother, my ancestor! Ever since you came along, my forefathers had become impotent, obsolete figure pieces, only royal by name!” The unicorn calmed himself. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. What matters now is that I will restore myself to my rightful place as King of Unicornia.”

“No, you won’t,” said Celestia as she rose in the air. “I will not let you enslave my subjects.”

“You don’t understand,” Blueblood gloated. “You have already lost.” Celestia’s eyes widen in alarm as the prince’s eyes and horn filled the aura of darkness, and the eyes of the soldiers matched that of the prince. “The guards are under my power and so are many power unicorns across Equestria, or should I say, Unicornia. As we speak, cities are falling under my command. Oh, and they are already dealing with your favorite little minions.”

“If you dare harm them…” threatened Celestia, her horn glowing in her wrath.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Blueblood sneered. “That’s if you value your sister’s life.”

“Luna?” Celestia’s heart filled with dread, and her horn ceased glowing.

“Did you really think I would come in here without some insurance? I knew that I could never challenge either of you head on, nor could I use my power to control your thoughts, but I could use my power to incapacitate her.”

“What did you do to her!?” growled the furious sun princess.

“I simply placed a sleeping spell on her and imprisoned her in a room that is protected by my power,” explained the treasonous prince. “Aside from the nightmares that I’ve filled her dreams with, no harm shall come to her, unless you don’t give me the throne right now!”

As Celestia hovered in the air, she thought of her options. Realizing she couldn’t face him then and there with her sister’s life at risk, she sighed in despair and touched back down on the dais. The prince smirked in triumph and started to approach her, but froze when her eyes suddenly opened, radiating a blinding light like the sun. In a brilliant flash, the princess vanished. After rubbing his eyes from the flash, Blueblood noticed that Princess Celestia was gone, and the throne was his. He climbed the steps of the dais and sat down on the throne, his laugh echoing through the chamber in victory.

Comments

[DiabloGuapo]

The mysterious unicorn has been revealed!
In my head-canon, Commander Hurricane is a male and he and Princess Platinum are Celestia and Luna's parents. Rainbow Dash was only playing the part in the pagent. Wait...Rainbow's wings and multicolored mane...Rarity's horn and white coat... ! Maybe Celestia wanted them to play those parts for a reason .

[Carnation83]

So Hurricane and Platinum are Celestia and Luna's parents. Cool. I also figured Hurricane was a guy because Rainbow Dash was acting more masculine during the play.

And I called it that it was Blueblood. Unfortunately, it's not that big a shock it's him. Most fimfics out there try too hard to make it a big surprise that he's the main villain, but after reading so many of these, it would be an even better plot twist if he wasn't the main villain.

Not to criticize your story, I'm really enjoying it so far, this is just a small peeve of mine.