Can the Equestrian Socialist Union make room for a new way? Can the returning Luna bring about a brave, new world for freedom?
A millennia ago, two sisters clashed. One for her rule, and one for freedom. One emerged victorious, and one was banished. A thousand years later, the younger sister is due to return, and with her return comes the threat of revolution. Luna fights for the freedom that she believes in, and will do whatever it takes to bring it about. But can she bring down her own sister, and put an end to the Equestrian Union?
Inside a small, rundown apartment in Manehatten, a Pegasus mare sits at a worn desk writing in her diary. The single candle lights the desk dimly, but it is enough for her. Dipping her quill into the little pot of ink, she thinks for a moment before continuing. Her thoughts are on the meeting which she had attended earlier in the evening. Several ponies had attended, and they had much to discuss. It was Bright Wind’s role to record the minutes of these meetings, and always after, she liked to put her own personal thoughts down on paper.
She smiles softly as the quill scratches softly against the paper in the book. Though she could always use a pen or pencil, the quill had been a gift from her parents when she was a filly, and had discovered her love for writing. Adjusting the quill in its holder, she puts her thoughts to script.
It is hard to believe that it has been almost a thousand years since Princess Luna was banished. It is said that she will return to us on the eve of the thousandth Summer Solstice. This is something that we have been praying and preparing for. Already, we have made our plans, and have our travel papers. It was hard getting these, with how tight security is supposed to be around Ponyville when the Empress is there. Still, even with the high security, the Ponyville Cell leader assures us that we will have what we need to complete our mission.
It is a sad thing, just how badly the Empress has distorted the histories. Fortunately, there are those of us who choose to remember, and keep the truth alive. Empress Celestia cares nothing for the truth though, because if the truth got out, she would lose her power. Well, in the past, the followers of Luna have tried to get the truth out, but Celestia’s iron rule has made that all but impossible. And with her niece, Cadenza at the helm of the Church of Equestria, she keeps a tight rein on the populace. It is unbelievable how so few are able to see through the lies and deceit.
Soon though, Princess Luna will be returned to us, and if all goes as planned, Celestia will be no more. In a way, I am actually jealous of my husband, whereas he has been selected as the one to pull the trigger. I guess that is where a Unicorn does have the advantage. Magic does make for a steady shot.
If we do succeed in this endeavour, then, I pray, we can start rebuilding this nation. We can do so in freedom. That is all Luna wanted for us; to be free. With any luck, we shall be able to help make that dream a reality.
Bright Wind removes the quill from the pen holder around her hoof and sets it in its case, then closes the book. She should go to the kitchen now and see what there is that she could serve her husband and son for dinner. Unfortunately, there is not a lot to be had, but at least what she does have does not require cooking. Damn these power outages! But that is just how things go for those who live in the slums. Those few in power or money do not have to worry about such inconveniences. They also do not have to worry about running out of food, or much else for that matter.
She was just about to head to the kitchen when she hears a pair of soft knocks at the door, followed after a brief moment by two more. That knock tells her that it was one of the cell members, and that it is safe to let them in. “I got it,” her husband calls to her. Trotting into the kitchen, she just gets the refrigerator door opened when she hears the front door come crashing into the apartment.
“SECURITY SERVICES! GET ON THE FLOOR! GET ON THE FUCKING FLOOR!!!” she hears from the living room. She feels panic grip her, and turns towards the window. She has to get out of there and warn the others. Somehow, the E.S.S. has discovered the cell, and they were doing a raid. Deep down, she knew that it was hopeless, and that the rest of the cell was probably in custody now, but she still has to try. Throwing the window open with an upward thrust of her forehooves, she climbs up onto the sill to make her escape.
Into the kitchen runs a Unicorn wearing SWAT body armor and night vision goggles. He is also armed with a shotgun, sees Bright Wind. Without hesitation, she moves to jump and make her escape. She does not get the chance though. There is an incredibly loud boom, and something slams into her side, right at her wing joint. Collapsing from the sudden pain, she falls forward out the window. Falling six stories, her last thought is a prayer to Luna that her husband and children will not suffer too badly, then she hits the ground with a sickening thud, silencing all such thoughts instantly into oblivion.
Inside the apartment, a brown Unicorn lays bound on the floor, with an anti-magic band attached to his horn. Next to him, a young colt is similarly bound, with a matching band affixed to his stubby horn. The father trembles in fear, while the colt sobs for his mother. The E.S.S. ponies standing in the room pay them no attention though. Instead, they come to attention as a white, uniformed Unicorn strides into the room. He has an air of authority about him that commands respect, and a reputation of intolerance towards failure that commands fear from those under him. Surveying the situation at a glance, he looks to the Sergeant and barks a simple command. “Deliver your report.”
“Sir, upon entering, we found these two in the living room. The adult Unicorn was on the floor, having been knocked down when we bucked the door open. The young one tried running to his room, but was quickly caught. They were both easily subdued and bound. His Pegasus wife was found in the kitchen, and was shot while making her escape. She fell to her death out the window.” His report is interrupted by a wail of despair and sorrow from the bound adult. That wail is quickly silenced by a kick to the side of the head by the uniformed stallion. The Sergeant continues, “No others were found in here. We did find what appears to be a diary on a desk in a back room. It does seem to contain information that can be of use. It has been packaged as per procedure.”
“Very well, Sergeant. As for the two here, dispose of them. As well as half the remaining cell members, and any others. Just make sure their leader is not among those you kill. The Empress does want to make sure that he publicly hangs after his trial.” And with that, Shining Armor, director of Equestrian Security Forces, strides back out of the darkened room, paying no heed to the screams of terror that are cut short by two blasts from a shotgun.
* * * * *
In her quarters within Canterlot Castle, Twilight Sparkle sits at her desk reading over reports that she had picked up this morning. She had been wanting to see if she could find out any clues to where and when exactly her Empress’s sister would be returning. Unfortunately, those she had tasked to the project proved to be pretty much useless, giving her no more information that she would find on a lunch break. “Spike, grab me my notes,” she tells her assistant, a small, purple dragon. Quick to comply, he runs to a filing cabinet and pulls out a folder. Returning to her, he delivers the papers, and she spreads them out. Grabbing a pen with her magic, she telekinetically scribbles down more notes, while scratching out other sections. Damn, she thinks to herself. The closest that she can come up with for a location is somewhere in the Everfree Forest. Unfortunately, that covers a pretty large area. Even worse, the town of Ponyville borders on the Everfree, and that is where Celestia is holding her Summer Sun Celebration.
“Spike, grab my saddlebags. We’re going to see the Empress.”
Twenty minutes later, the two of them are sitting in Empress Celestia’s throne room alongside the tall ruler of the Equestrian Union. Coffee and tea were brought in, and the three of them began discussing Celestia’s plans for the Summer Sun Celebration.
“Your Highness, does the celebration have to take place in Ponyville this year? From what I have been able to discover, Luna is most likely to return to Equestria somewhere in the Everfree. That is too close to Ponyville for my liking. I would respectfully ask you to consider that you move the celebration to another, safer, location. Maybe Baltimare or Trottingham.” Twilight levitates her coffee, enjoying the deep, rich taste. Brewed from the finest beans grown in Saddle Arabia, this stuff would cost a premium. Just one of the many perks of being the Empress’s personal representative and troubleshooter. “It would be safer for you, to not be around when Luna does return.”
“Twilight, As much as I do respect your concern, there are political considerations that I have to take into account for my choice this year. Mayor Mare has shown her support so many times, I feel it best that she should be rewarded, and what better way than to hold the Summer Sun Celebration in her town?” Celestia took a sip from her own cup, filled with a light tea from Neighpon. “Besides, with the security team that will be coming with me, along with you there, I think I will be perfectly safe,” she tells her protégé.
Twilight nods at this, accepting without any further question the decision of her ruler and mentor. She also knows the hidden message in the Empress’s words. She had better not fail to protect her. Changing subjects, the purple unicorn mentions the public execution. “The little display went well today. I suspect that the intended message will be received loud and clear, Your Highness. I have never seen anypony drawn and quartered before. It should give pause to any others who think about challenging your position.” Truth be told, as hardened as Twilight Sparkle had been conditioned to be, the sight of five ponies having their limbs brutally ripped from their bodies and left to bleed out disturbed her. She would never let that show though, for to do so would be showing weakness, and that is something that Empress Celestia does not tolerate among those working for her. “Too bad that my brother had the selected shooter killed outright. It would have been good to have him among the ones on display,” Twilight comments.
“True, though he did not know that fact at the time. Still, he did carry out the orders given to my utmost satisfaction. It is his dedication to duty which lets me overlook that he has been seeing my niece in secret. I suspect that I shall have to keep him busy with work. At least, like you, he does not fail me.” Twilight did not miss the subtle threat hidden within this message.
“That being said, with the information gathered in the Manehatten raids, we were able to eliminate the entire cell in Ponyville three nights ago. As you have undoubtedly read, it was done in secrecy and the ponies disappeared without a trace. I suspect that the celebration will go off without a hitch. And with that, I have things which I must take care of, as do you, Twilight. You and Spike will have transport waiting for you in two hours. I trust that you will have everything ready for me by the time I arrive.”
The flight to Ponyville was relatively pleasant. Relatively in the sense that if it was for leisure; the clear yet warm skies would have been enjoyed by anypony. But Twilight was not on a pleasure cruise. She was all business as her and Spike traveled to their destination. “Let’s go over the itinerary once more, Spike,” she says to her one real friend.
“Right! First off, we are supposed to go check in with the Mayor and ensure that she has everything together on her end. Then, we need to head to Sweet Apple Acres and see an Earth pony mare named Applejack about the food situation for not only the celebration, but also the guards who will be stationed here for the celebration.” Flipping through his notes, he continues, “We then need to find Rainbow Dash, and check on the weather situation. Heh, seems that her job should not be too difficult.”
“Not necessarily so, Spike. She not only has to keep the skies nice and clear, but she also needs to ensure that the temperature and humidity is right in the most comfortable zone for this. Not an easy thing to balance when you have to throw in the other factors. And she has to do this while making sure that the farmlands get the water that they need to not lose production.” She had read up on this one. Rainbow Dash was stubborn and arrogant, but she was also highly competent in what she did, and she was loyal to a fault. Her loyalty is what had nearly gotten her into serious trouble while she served in the Equestrian Air Force. Striking an officer is never a good thing, but she did so anyways, because the officer was not only drunk, but talking disrespectfully about the military, how it was run, and even worse, he was disrespectful to the Empress.
After hearing of this, Celestia decided to grant some clemency to the Pegasus, which is why she is now listed as honorably discharged. In a way, it was a shame that Rainbow Dash was as good at her current job as she was, because with her level of loyalty, and her desire to rejoin the military, she would actually be potentially good officer material. According to her file, she has aspirations of making it into the Wonderbolts. “Who follows Rainbow Dash, Spike?” she asks.
“Rarity and Octavia. Let’s see... Rarity is in charge of all decorations and the stage, and Octavia has been assigned to orchestrate the music for the Empress.” Closing the folder, he turns to the Unicorn. Twilight looks motivated, he thinks. She has a mission to complete, and that gives her purpose. Even a task as simple as this assignment has meaning for her. As long as she is serving, then she is happy.
Minutes later, the two Pegasi towing the sky chariot reach Ponyville and come to a landing in front of the town hall. Hopping out, the Unicorn and Dragon acknowledge the two drivers, and head inside to their first meeting.
* * * * *
The day’s meetings had gone well, and now Twilight was relaxing in the town Library. Mayor Mare has done sufficiently well with her organizing that she actually did not have a whole lot that she needed to do at the moment. Currently, she was waiting for the arrival of the security attachment of Royal Guard, so that she could have everything set for the Empress’s arrival a little before dawn.
Her peace is interrupted by a knock at the door. “I got it, Twilight,” her faithful assistant informs her as he heads to answer. Upon answering, he lets several ponies in. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash have decided they want to get to know the visiting representative of Empress Celestia, and with them, arrive two friends.
“Evening. What may I do for you?” Twilight asks in greeting. She was not looking forward to visitors, but she was also bored, waiting around.
“Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I thought we would stop b, and get to know you better. And we have a couple other friends that would like to meet you as well,” said Rarity. Turning to the two ponies Twilight has yet to meet, Rarity makes the introductions. “I would like for you to meet Fluttershy, the town veterinarian, and Pinkie, the resident party pony.” The two ponies, a canary-yellow Pegasus and a bubblegum-pink Earth pony step forward, one shyly, and one bouncing with enthusiasm.
“Good meeting you two, but I really don’t have a whole lot of time for socialization. A Royal Guard unit should be arriving soon. I should head to the train station soon to meet with them and make sure that they get themselves settled and set up.” Pulling a map of the town from her saddlebags, Twilight moves to the desk to review the layout of the town. If there were to be any attack on the Empress, it would be best that she knows the most likely locations of attack so that they may be closely guarded.
“Well, if you are busy right now, maybe we could get together after the Celebration?” Rarity offers, receiving a distracted grunt from Twilight.
As the five guests are getting ready to leave, there is another knock at the door. Once again, Spike answers it. This time, it is Mayor Mare, and she has an urgent look on her face. Wasting no time, she heads straight to Twilight. “Sorry to interrupt, but there is a problem. I have just been informed that the train from Canterlot has not radioed in for a couple hours. A couple of Pegasi have flown up the tracks some, and saw no sign of it coming.”
“Shit! Why was I not informed of this sooner?” Twilight demands. There could be many reasons why the train was delayed and had not radioed into the Ponyville Station. Almost all of them were trivial, but her mind quickly settled on one possible reason: the train had been attacked. That meant that Empress Celestia was in jeopardy if she was to come here.
There wouldn’t have been an attack on the train if there weren’t plans to station rebels within Ponyville ready to make a move against the Empress. But the rebels in Ponyville had been rounded up. However, with the number of ponies coming in from out of town... damn. Any of them could be part of a cell, or part of an assassination attempt.
“SPIKE! Take a note. Label it urgent. This is going straight to Celestia. ‘Do NOT come to Ponyville. I suspect that the train carrying the Guard unit has been attacked en-route and is incapacitated. Furthermore, I suspect that Ponyville is NOT secure. I repeat, Ponyville is NOT secure.’”
Once Spike confirms the content of the message, she has him send it. With a puff of green flame, it is delivered through his Dragon magic.
“I’m so sorry. I just found out myself from the Station Chief about this. I should have him brought up on charges!” the Mayor proclaims.
“That can wait,” Twilight tells her. Turning to her guests, she says, “Rainbow Dash, you’re the fastest flyer around. I need you to fly along the tracks towards Canterlot and find out what happened with the train. I need information, and I need it yesterday. Get going, and be careful. Knowledge is more important than any heroics,” she adds, knowing the Pegasus’s tendencies to jump into situations without fully thinking things through, according to the report on her.
As Rainbow Dash heads out the door and flies off on her assignment, Applejack turns to Twilight, asking, “Is there anythin’ that we can do ta help, Twilight?”
“I don’t know right now, Applejack. If you stick around in case that you are needed, I would appreciate that,” she replies. Turning back to her desk, she declares, “I need a drink!”
“YAY! We can have a party while we wait!” Pinkie Pie exclaims, pulling out a bottle of Foalitchnaya Vodka from her mane, as well as a jug of apple cider and several red, plastic cups.
Turning to the Mayor and the other four ponies, Twilight silently asks how Pinkie did that.
“Don’t ask. Just nod yer head an’ don’t ask, sugarcube,” Applejack instructs her.
* * * * *
About a thousand feet above the ground, at the edge of the Everfree Forest to the right, and Whitetail Woods to the left, Celestia flew in her chariot with two Unicorn Guards. Three more in another sky chariot followed immediately behind. Surrounding them were eight Pegasi Guard ponies. Considering who was expected to return later, Shining Armor had just about demanded that the Empress travel with a whole Battalion escorting her, but she did not wish to do so. It would have caused more of a disturbance than she wanted. Since she was leaving early, she should be safe in Ponyville well before the time that her rebellious sister was expected to return.
With less than ten minutes to go before her arrival in Ponyville, a scroll pops into existence above her head. There is only one being who can deliver a message in this manner, and that would be Twilight Sparkle’s assistant, Spike. Unfortunately, with the speed that they are traveling, by the time she realizes what it is, it is well behind her. Fortunately, one of the Pegasi flying with the Empress is intelligent enough to know to retrieve the scroll.
When she finally has the scroll in her telekinetic grasp, she unfurls it to read. Given how close they are to Ponyville, she decides to press on. Unfortunately for her and the guards, they should have left even earlier.
Out of both wooded areas come huge swarms of bees, hornets and wasps. Literally every flying insect with a stinger is flying up to meet them. When the millions of insects arrive, they immediately attack, stinging at every pony in the formation.
Not only does this painfully distract the Pegasi flying guard around the chariot, but it slows all of them. Within seconds of the swarm hitting them, yet another swarm emerges. Thousands upon thousands of birds fly out of the forests and attack, going for the eyes in particular. The chaos is immediate.
Celestia tries to order a retreat, but is unable to do so while being attacked. On top of that, the Unicorn guards in the chariots barely have enough time to try to defend themselves and their Empress before the Pegasi towing the vehicles lose it, causing the chariots to capsize, dumping the unfortunate wingless ponies to their deaths.
Empress Celestia is no fool. She knows that if she is to survive this, she must flee, and do so immediately. Abandoning her chariot, she attempts to fly back towards Canterlot. Only three of the Pegasi Guards are able to fly with her now. The others have succumbed to the attack and fallen to their deaths.
They do not get far before the swarms of insects and birds force them to the ground. Once they reach the ground, the birds and the bees back off, giving the Empress and her three remaining guards a quick respite.
“Your Majesty, we must get you to safety,” croaks one of the soldiers. He does not have an opportunity to say any more when the four of them are attacked by a pair of Manticores and several Timberwolves.
The Pegasi attempt to fight off the attacking creatures, but are quickly overcome. The animals prove to be no match for Celestia though. Even as weakened she is from the stings, beaks and talons of the previous attack, she is mighty. Firing up her magic, she sends blasts into each Timberwolf, incinerating each one with her energy. She also gets one of the Manticores as it charges, blasting its head from its body. The other one evades the blast and manages to sting her in the chest.
The effect is too much for the Alicorn to withstand, and she collapses onto her side. At this point, the Manticore ceases its attack, and waits for the one who controlled it to come out.
In an attempt to summon help, she grabs a scrap of paper, scribbles a quick message with her pen, and sends it off. It is then that the pony who commanded the creatures steps out into the clear.
The Alicorn’s coat is black as night. Her mane and tail seems to be made of the nebulous Milky Way in the heavens above. Unlike the Empress, she wears a chest plate and helmet made out of silver-plated steel instead of the jewel-encrusted gold crown and necklace that the white Alicorn wears. Sitting next to the stricken Empress, the attacker looks down upon her with a sad look upon her face.
“I should have known it was you, Luna. Only you had the power to summon and control creatures like that.” Coughing a bit from the venom within her blood, Celestia continues, “I suggest you flee now. I have sent for help. And when it gets here, you will not last more than a few minutes.”
“I never wanted war, sister, but you left me no choice. And I am guessing that, from all I have witnessed during my banishment, you have not changed at all. I am afraid that tonight it will end. You will disappear, and in the confusion, the Solar Empire that you have built will fall.”
Sighing softly, Luna lifts a forehoof and sharply strikes Celestia in the head, knocking her unconscious.
Knowing that it is only a matter of time before help does arrive, Luna uses her magic to levitate her sister onto her back, then sets off into the Everfree Forest. She has a particular place planned, knowing that there will be a battle tonight. She figures that the old ruins would be the best place for the skirmish.
A short distance down the road and hiding in the bushes is an orange Pegasus filly. She had just witnessed the entire battle and was terrified that she would be next. Like everypony, she knew the stories of Nightmare Moon, and heard the rumors that she was supposed to return. Now, she knew the stories to be true. So very true. She feared that she would be the next pony to fall victim.
While Nightmare Moon carries the captured Empress off into the Everfree, Scootaloo grabs her scooter from the hiding spot and hauls ass down the road to Ponyville. She needs to get help quickly if the Empress is to be saved.
* * * * *
Twilight did not have to wait long for a reply from Celestia. The reply she received was not what she had expected. She had no clue that the Empress decided to head out early, and that her worst-case scenario would become reality. The message was short and to the point.
Attacked en-route. Between Everfree and Whitetail. Suspect Luna.
Damnit! She had warned Celestia that she suspected that Luna would make her return in the Everfree, and that it was not safe. And yet, she insisted. She had failed her Empress. Her one duty was to ensure the safety of Her Highness, and she failed to do so.
“Ladies, I need you to wait here. Something has come up, and I must go,” Twilight tells the mares in the library with her.
Applejack is the first to speak up. “Hold on, Twilight. Ah may not know all the details, but Ah can add two an’ two together. Ah’m gonna guess that the Empress is in trouble, an’ that the rumors o’ Nightmare Moon are true. Is that the case, sugarcube?” she asks.
“It’s not your concern, Applejack. This is something that is my responsibility.” Twilight did not want them getting in the way--something that was very likely. She also did not need the risk of them becoming exposed to the truth.
Twilight knew the truth, but only because, being the Empress’s primary troubleshooter, she had to know in order to be able to take care of business. She understood the reasons why Celestia had the histories changed, and they did not matter to her. What mattered was that she was devoutly loyal to her ruler, and nothing could change that. But Twilight couldn’t reveal the secret. To do so would place the status quo at risk.
“Actually, since we are loyal subjects o’ the Empress, if we know that she is in danger, it is our duty ta help out in any way we can. Especially me, Pinkie, an’ RD, who all served in the Equestrian military. Maself an’ Pinkie as Rangers, an’ Rainbow in the Air Force. An’ Fluttershy too, since she is trained in medicine. She had ta learn pony medicine before she could move on ta become a vet.”
“And do not think that I will just sit idly by while you go on this mission. I, too, am loyal to the Empress, and I will do my duty to help as well,” Rarity adds. “It would be uncouth of us to let you do this on your own.”
Twilight ponders this for a short moment. In seconds, she makes her decision. “Alright. You can come along with me. But you WILL obey my orders. Is that clear?” She receives nods from everypony present.
Turning to Mayor Mare, she gives out specific instructions. “I need you to wait here for Rainbow Dash to return. When she gets here, have her follow the road to Canterlot and catch up with us. Also, I will need you to maintain the peace. If we do not return with the Empress, then we do not want everypony to panic. Especially since everypony expects the Empress to raise the sun. That will be taken care of by Priestess Cadenza if Empress Celestia is unable to do so.”
Twilight actually knew the truth about the rising of the sun, but that was another tidbit of information that she was not about to share.
“Spike, I need you to send a message to Shining Armor. He needs to know the situation, and that he needs to get the Guard mobilized and down here IMMEDIATELY! He will also need to contact the Priestess.”
As Spike wrote and sent the message off to her brother, Twilight made certain that she had everything she needed.
“Applejack, you lead the way. I do not know the area well enough. The road is the one leading to Canterlot between Whitetail Woods and the Everfree Forest. I do not know how far it is up the road that we’ll find them, or what else we may find, so keep your eyes open. That goes for everypony.”
With that, they set out the door.
Twenty minutes of running pass by before they just reach Fluttershy’s cottage. With a surprising burst of energy, Fluttershy runs past them, then stops, bringing them to a halt.
“What in Tartarus, Fluttershy? We don’t have time for this! We need to move our flanks NOW!” Twilight yells at the Pegasus, extremely irate at being delayed.
“I just need to grab my emergency medical pack in case anypony is injured,” Fluttershy replies demurely.
“I concur with Fluttershy, Twilight. It will only take a minute. She keeps the pack ready by the door normally,” Rarity adds.
When the other two nod in agreement, Twilight relents, “Fine. Make it quick.”
Fluttershy does not waste time. She heads inside her cottage, and in less than a minute, she returns with an orange set of saddlebags marked with red crosses on either side. “All set, Twilight.”
They were just about to continue when a terrified filly on a scooter came around a turn in the road and nearly collided with them. Nearly breathless from fear and the exertion of propelling herself down the road at breakneck speeds, it takes a couple moments before they are able to get any coherent words from her. Finally, Fluttershy and Pinkie are able to get her to speak about what she had witnessed.
“N-n-Nightmare M-m-m-Moon... I s-saw her! S-she k-k-killed a b-bunch of ponies, a-and she c-c-captured...” was all they were able to get from Scootaloo before she broke down.
Applejack sits down next to Scootaloo, speaking encouragingly to her. “Scootaloo, ya’ve done good. Better than most fillies yer age could do. Don’t you fret. We’ll save the Empress. Take pride in how much courage ya showed gettin’ here ta tell us this,” she says, draping a foreleg over her shoulder.
“Do you really mean it?” Scootaloo asks, looking up into Applejack’s eyes.
“Yes, Ah do. Now, Ah need ya ta go do somethin’ fer me. Can ya make it ta mah farm?” When the filly gives her a nod of affirmation, she continues, “Good. Ah need you ta go there an’ let mah family know Ah’ll be late comin’ home ‘cause Ah have business Ah gotta tend ta.”
The young Pegasus promises that she will do so and takes off down the road, veering off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
“Thank ya, Twilight, fer bein’ patient. That filly was scared outta her mind,” says Applejack.
“I’m not heartless. And she was brave to get away to tell us what she saw. Let’s get moving.”
They get about four miles down the road when they find a body. It was a Pegasus Guard Pony who had been one of the Empress’s guards. Upon reaching the body, Fluttershy quickly checks it over. It is not a pretty sight. The eyes have been gouged out and there are deep scratches all over the body, in particular around the face. Furthermore, the stallion’s entire body is covered with welts from thousands of stings. It was also crumpled together in a way that an equine body is not supposed to be, having impacted the ground from rather high up.
“I say that it is likely that he died before he even hit the ground. From the sheer number of stings, I would guess he ended up going into anaphylactic shock and died in the air,” Fluttershy tells Twilight. Feeling around the dead pony’s throat, she confirms the reaction to the many stings. “If you feel down here, you can feel how his trachea is swollen shut. Either he passed out from suffocation, or his heart stopped from all the venom in his system. And it was not just bees, but wasp and hornets as well. You can see all the scratches on the body, in particular on his face, and how the eyes have been plucked out. It was birds that did that. And he was still alive when it happened. This was a coordinated attack, and somepony was in control of the creatures.”
Twilight nods her head in affirmation. “That takes magic abilities beyond that of even an Alpha+ Unicorn like me. Only an Alicorn has that capability.” She lets that thought hang in the air as she uses her magic to roll the dead pony onto its other side. “Damn. I was hoping that his shotgun would be serviceable, but that was damaged when he hit the ground.” She points to the gun strapped to the side of the guard with her hoof. The receiver and barrel are both bent out of shape, rendering it inoperable.
“How many Royal Guard would have been traveling with her?” asks Fluttershy.
“Two chariots with four drivers each, plus five Unicorns between the two, and eight Pegasi flying in a perimeter formation around the two chariots, for a total of twenty-one guards in all.”
“Whoa! That pony’s road pasta!”
They all turn to see Rainbow Dash hovering behind them.
“Really, Rainbow Dash? I think that was rather uncouth of you to say,” chides Rarity, who is looking a bit green in the muzzle. “I know it is against your nature, but try to show some respect.”
“Sorry, Rares,” Dash says. “So I got to where the train was, and there were no survivors. It was attacked. A well-coordinated attack too from the looks of things. They blew the tracks just as the engine was passing over. Numerous rockets hit the remaining cars. Somepony must be supplying them with some serious hardware to do this. I did not see any signs of the attackers still being around, but I figured I better get back here pronto.” Pointing to the cadaver on the ground, she asks, “Was he one of the Empress’s guards, Twilight?”
“Yeah, he was,” Twilight confirms. “Let’s go. Rainbow Dash, scout ahead for us. Let us know what you find.”
And with that, they continued further down the road. They did not get too far until they came upon three more dead guards, as well as the charred remains of several Timberwolves and a headless Manticore.
The bodies of the guards here were in just as bad shape as the previous guard, though the fatal wounds were different. Timberwolves have a habit of going for the throat, and all three were nearly decapitated by the viciousness of the attacks.
This proves too much for Rarity, and she rushes off into the bushes, emptying the contents of her stomach. Twilight and Rainbow both feel their stomachs turn a bit at the sight, but Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy seem unaffected by what they see. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are stoic because of the things they have seen and done while on various operations as Rangers. Fluttershy, having dealt with enough death and gore as a medical intern, and then as a veterinarian, could remain calm in situations such as this.
Twilight commands them to check the bodies for shotguns and ammo. She has a distinct feeling that they will be needed. Three guns may not be much, but at least it would give them an extra punch. As they do that, Twilight looks around the scene. She can tell that the guards stood no chance and were taken out immediately by the Timberwolves. At least one of them had been stung by a Manticore. That part had been brutal and quick.
Celestia’s attack on the creatures had to have been just as quick and brutal, as evidenced by the burnt--and headless in the case of one animal--remains. There were signs of two Manticores, though, so the surviving one had probably evaded the Empress’s attacks and stung her. There was also hoofprints of an unknown pony. They did not seem to be Celestia’s, but they were larger than a normal pony’s.
That left only one possible pony--an Alicorn. One that has not been in Equestria for a thousand years. The tracks led into the heart of the Everfree Forest.
“We got three shotguns, Twi, an’ a dozen rounds o’ buckshot fer each,” Applejack says, coming up to her side.
“Good. You take one and hand one to Pinkie and one to Rainbow. We’re going into dangerous territory now.”
The scene is one of controlled chaos. Guard units throughout the city were on high alert, and other units were prepping for immediate deployment. Inside what is known as the War Room within Canterlot Castle, everypony is in a half-panicked state as they scramble to find out just what is going on.
Shining Armor stands in front of the table, going over reports that keep coming in. One report, delivered just a couple minutes ago, tells him that a whole Royal Guard detachment was attacked and is now out of commission. The unit had been attacked en route to Ponyville. This, on top of the information that his sister had sent via her dragon assistant, proved that the excrement has officially hit the rotating air-movement device.
First thing that they have to do is get Guard units to Ponyville. Twilight is most likely correct that Ponyville is not a secure town, and the best way to resolve that would be by immediately getting at least a company of troops on the ground. Shining Armor would send a whole Division if he had the means and time, but speed was of the essence, and there was only so many chariots that he could muster in such a short time. At least Pegasi do not need chariots, but Unicorns and Earth Ponies do, and chariots need Pegasi.
He was able to get enough chariots and drivers for about a whole company of armed Unicorns and Earth Ponies. Another company of Pegasi would be flying perimeter around them all. Everypony will be carrying shotguns and a full load of ammo. Full battle armor as well.
One thing is certain: Shining Armor will personally be leading this. And heads will be mounted on pikes when the Empress is finally found and made safe. How all this could have happened is beyond him at the moment, but what matters now is not the how or why, but simply getting Empress Celestia back and safe.
Shining Armor is putting on his gear when a lithe, pink Alicorn walks into the room and heads straight for him. She is very displeased that he was refusing to allow her to go to Ponyville. Did he not understand how important it was that she be there in the event that the Empress is not found before the dawn? What will everypony think if no one is there to celebrate the Raising of the Sun? It could cause panic, and even worse, it could cause doubt. She HAS to be there.
”SHINING ARMOR! YOUR OFFICE! NOW!” she bellows, using the Royal Canterlot Voice. Yes, Priestess Cadenza is pissed off. And she feels she has every right to be so.
The pair walk into his office. With a glow of his horn, Shining draws the curtains and closes the door. Once the door closes, he turns around, and gets a hoof across the face.
“I love you too, Cadance,” he grumbles, getting back to his hooves. Damn, she hits hard. “I’m going to assume that you’re upset about my decision about you not going to Ponyville.”
“You’re damn right, I’m pissed,” she hisses, getting right in his face. “Do you have any idea how important it is that I be there? What happens if my aunt is not found before the dawn and she is not there when the sun rises? Do you want ponies to start doubting the teachings of the Church? Somepony has to be there for appearances, and it has to be an Alicorn. Now, last I knew, there are only two ponies around here that have both wings and a horn.”
“Why can’t you do it from here, Cadance? We could make sure that the word gets out, and there will be plenty of ponies to witness the event. This way, no one will doubt. All appearances will be maintained,” the Head of Security Services said in a calming voice. “Also, you will be safer here.”
“I will be perfectly safe there as well, Shiny,” she says. “With all the Guard Ponies there, and all of them armed and on high alert, nopony is going to be able to try anything. Nothing bad will happen to me.” Wrapping her forelegs around his neck, she hugs him softly. “I have complete faith in you, my love,” she tells him before kissing his lips tenderly. “Please, Shiny, this is important. Very important. Do it for Equestria, and more importantly, do it for me,” she adds, pleading with another kiss.
“OK, fine,” he concedes. “But on the flight over, you will have guards assigned to your chariot, as well as Pegasi surrounding you. And when we get there, you are to be under guard at all times, Cadance. Please allow me this, at least. I cannot bear the thought of anything bad happening to you.”
“We better get going. Time’s wasting,” the Priestess tells him, as she heads out the door. It is amazing just how tightly wrapped around her hoof he is.
* * * * *
Six ponies follow a narrow path through a dark forest. The forest they are traveling through is the Everfree, and it is dangerous enough during the day, but now, it is night, and the truly dangerous creatures come out at this time. Normally, few would willing enter the forest, even during the day. Fewer still chose to make it their home. That these six would go in at night proves just how desperate they were to find their Empress.
Twilight is in the lead, lighting the path with her horn. Fortunately, Luna had not made any attempt to hide her hoofprints. If anything, she made it very easy for any pursuers to follow. Too easy, in fact. Twilight suspects a trap. In what form it will take, she is not certain, but she is watchful as they trot down the path.
When the Manticore attacks, it is Pinkie Pie who saves Twilight, tackling her suddenly from the side, causing the stinger to bury itself into the ground instead of pony flesh. The other four react quickly to the attack, scattering out of the way for three of them. Rarity counterattacks by using her magic to throw dirt into the animal’s eyes, then twisting around to buck him in the snout.
The only effect it has on the Manticore is to anger him, causing him to swipe at Rarity with his claws. Had she been a bit slower, half of her shoulder would have been ripped off, but she gets away with a couple of shallow scratches instead.
Pinkie Pie jumps into the fray with her shotgun. As the Manticore swipes at Rarity, she jumps up, and lets loose with two rapid shots into the base of the stinger on his tail. The bellow of rage and pain is deafening, and he turns to swipe at his attacker, only to be shot at by both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Only a couple of shots hit. However, the wounds slow him down, and the tide is turned.
With the Manticore distracted, Twilight Sparkle fires up her horn, and sends a blast of energy at the feline beast. Wounded and staggering, he prepares to attack, but then is hit by several loads of buckshot, bringing him down.
“Oh, HELL YEAH!” cheers Dash victoriously. “Time to end this fight.” She flies over to the stricken creature to deliver the killing blow. She did not expect the most timid of the group to jump in front of her.
“STOP!” Fluttershy cries out, placing herself between the dying Manticore and her friends. “It’s over.” She then turns to the Manticore, looking into his eyes as he gasps for breath, struggling still to live and fight.
Fluttershy has an ability with animals that is almost unheard of. She understands them more than anypony else, and can even communicate with them. It is her special talent. It is what can only be described as a psychic connection with them, and now, she senses its pain and fear.
“It’s OK. It’s over now. You don’t have to fight anymore,” she tells the Manticore.. She opens her mind and her heart to the Manticore and bonds with him. She can feel his pain. She feels the fear and the sense of dying. Reaching up with a hoof, she gently strokes its mane. “Yes, I know, you’re scared and sad. You will be with your mate soon. You won’t have to go alone. I will be right here with you.”
She now sees within her own mind the fight with the guards and the Empress. She feels the rage at seeing his mate killed with a single blast of magical energy. And she feels the presence within his mind of another. A presence that commands him to do as bidded. She can feel all the emotions that the Manticore feels, and they share the sadness.
Still stroking the Manticore’s mane, she tells him softly, “It’s time. Don’t be scared. I am with you, and soon, you will be with her again.” Sensing acceptance, she motions for Rainbow Dash to do what needs to be done. She does not leave the creature’s side. She cannot. She feels the labored breaths and the burning pain of the wounds inflicted. She feels its fear at what is to come, and she knows the thoughts of the one he will soon be joining. She feels the gentle hoof that is calmingly stroking his mane. She then feels a cold pressure on the top of his head, and there is an incredibly loud booming sound accompanying an instant of blinding pain, and then, the fading into oblivion.
The others all hurry to her side as she collapses from the experience. Twilight is worried for her, because they have a mission to accomplish and cannot afford to delay. And if one of them has passed out from this experience so soon, then how can they go on with that weak pony in tow? Waiting for her is wasting time. When they finally get to where the Empress is held, will Fluttershy’s weakness prove to be their downfall?
But to her shock, it was not that Fluttershy passed out, but that the Pegasus was crying in sorrow for the fallen Manticore. What was it that caused Fluttershy so much emotional pain? And then it hit Twilight. It was compassion. Fluttershy felt compassion for all things, and that even included an enraged creature that had been trying to kill them.
This epiphany shook Twilight Sparkle to her core. Never before had she learned about compassion or kindness. And what she just witnessed was compassion on the highest level. Kneeling down beside her, Twilight asks, “Are you going to be alright?” When she received a tearful nod in reply, she asks, “What did you do?”
Fluttershy did not reply. Instead, she got up and walked away from the group for a short distance. When Twilight moved to follow, she felt a hoof on her shoulder holding her back.
“Let her be, Twilight. Let’s just continue. She will follow along eventually. As for what she did, it is part of her special talent. She has an affinity with animals, to the point where it is literally psychic in nature. She can open her mind to them, and, by the same token, she can also enter their mind. That is what she did with the Manticore, so that it may die without being in terror. Her compassion dictated that she not let it die alone,” Rarity explains as they continue down the path. “I have seen her do this on a couple of occasions, Twilight. Both times, she was hurting as she is now for a while. Afterwards, she recovered and continued on with what she had to do.”
Picking the pace up to an easy canter, they head further into the forest.
* * * * *
Within the Everfree Forest lies the ruins of an old castle. Not many ponies know about it, and for the most part, the few that do believe it to be haunted. This suited Empress Celestia just fine, for she did not wish to have too much of the real past discovered. Unfortunately for her, that seclusion has now become a hindrance to anypony finding her. Yes, Twilight Sparkle would find her, but how long will it take? And will she wait for reinforcements, or attempt a lone rescue?
If Twilight were to wait, as logic would dictate, then it probably would not be until mid-afternoon before help arrived. Granted, when it did arrive, it would be with a minimum of a platoon strength force of the Guard Special Forces. Most likely with her brother Shining Armor taking the lead. It seemed more likely that Twilight would have called for help before running in solo. As powerful a Unicorn that she is, Twilight would be at a severe disadvantage. Either way, things did not bode well for the Empress.
There is no way that she could make her escape on her own. When the Empress woke, she found that not only were her wings securely bound to her body, but she was also chained to the cold, stone floor, with shackles on each leg and a pair of chains attached to the bindings around her chest.
Furthermore, it seems Luna has managed to fashion a magic binding band and has placed it on her horn. However it was made, it was imbibed with some extremely powerful wards to block magic of Alicorn strength. Celestia was at the complete mercy of her sister, and it was not a place she relished being.
Luna sat off to the side, brooding. What is going through her mind is anypony’s guess. She must realize just what her situation is, Celestia thinks to herself.
“Why haven’t you killed me, Luna? You know that you will have to do so in order for your misguided dreams to have any chance of becoming true. Could it be that you’re having second thoughts? Could it be that you have realized that if you DO kill me, that you will be hunted down and slaughtered like the whorse that you are?” Celestia continues to taunt her sister. “Poor, poor Luna. You know that you are doomed to fail, just like you did a thousand years ago. This time, it will end with your death. I suggest that you flee. Run away like the scared little foal you always have been, little sister.”
“Just shut up, would you?”
“Are you upset, little sis?” Celestia mocks. “Imagine how much more upset when a company of troops, all armed and highly trained, come through that entrance over there,” she says, motioning towards the doorway at the far end of the auditorium-sized room with her snout. “They will bust in here, coming in with the one purpose of killing you. Maybe if you hurry, you might escape. You can possibly get to Zebrica or the Fillypines through Mexicolt. You might be safe there, for a few years anyway.”
“I’m tired of all of this. I spent centuries watching you rule with an increasingly iron hoof. I fought you because I had no other choice but to try to bring the tyranny which I could see you building to a quick end. I failed in that, and spent a millennium exiled to the moon. You do not know what that was like. As evil as you have become, I would not wish that even on you,” Luna retorts. “And I have witnessed the thousand years of conquest that you have wrought.” The black mare stomps her hoof in disgust. “It will end tonight.”
“Why I just didn’t kill you when I had the chance, I shall never know,” Celestia mumbles under her breath.
“You should have. I honestly wish that you had done that.”
A realization comes to the Empress. “You want to die tonight, don’t you?”
Luna just walks away.
* * * * *
The six mares gallop down the path that led deeper into the Everfree Forest. For the past half hour, nothing has crossed their path. Considering what Twilight has heard about the Everfree, she considers herself and her companions lucky in that regard. The last thing that they needed was to have to fight off any more dangerous animals.
“Twi, Ah think some o’ us could use a break,” Applejack says. “Fluttershy an’ Rarity ain’t used ta all this runnin’. Let’s stop fer a few minutes.”.
Twilight agrees, though she would rather keep going. Still, she should rest as well. She is not in as good shape as she should be, and this run has her winded. Coming to a slow trot, then a walking pace, she tells the others to take a five-minute break. Hopefully, they will soon find the Empress and the Alicorn that had captured her.
This has Twilight worried. Even as powerful as she is, she was nowhere near as powerful as Luna is. And the ponies with her would not add up to much more help, she suspects. Yes, they did have another Unicorn, but Twilight wonders just how powerful she is. They also have three veterans among them, and all three of them have shotguns, but with only eight rounds apiece. No matter how she adds things up, it is not looking favorable.
Fluttershy stops from her slow pacing to sniff the air. When the others see this, they do the same. They smell a rotten odor and feel a chill creep down their backs. Fluttershy is the one to speak what they all are thinking. “Timberwolves!”
They have little time to react when the attack comes. Three of the Timberwolves go down to shotgun blasts as a fourth loses its head to a blast of magic from Twilight. As the first three try to get up, Rarity starts dismantling them with her own magic. More come out of the woods, attacking with a chilling ferocity.
It is not long before the three shotguns click on empty chambers. Fortunately, they had managed to take care the majority of the attacking animals. Unfortunately, unless they incinerate the Timberwolves, or at least destroy their heads, they come back.
The fight is going in favor of the mares when Applejack is blindsided from the left by a newly-reconstructed Timberwolf. Its claws rake into her side as its jaw clamps down upon her back, bringing a startled cry of pain from the mare.
“NO!” screams a suddenly enraged Fluttershy. She had been fighting alongside of her friends, but seeing one of them hurt was too much. As the wooden creature moves to bite at the struggling Earth Pony’s throat, Fluttershy jumps in with a flying kick to the animal’s head.
Knocked to the side, it shifts its attack to a new prey, but Fluttershy gives it no chance and no quarter. When it swipes at her, she blocks with a forehoof, then spins around to snap the lower leg off with a strike from the other hoof. Grabbing the broken off limb, she silences the howl of pain by jamming it down the Timberwolf’s throat.
Gagging on its own foreleg, it is stunned enough that it cannot stop Fluttershy from grabbing its head and spinning around to snap the neck. When it collapses, Fluttershy grabs a large rock and repeatedly brings it down upon the animal’s head, screaming at it, “I! HAVE HAD! FUCKING ENOUGH! OF YOU!” She does not stop until the light finally fades from its eyes.
Everypony is staring in shock. Rainbow Dash, who grew up with her and knows how she can fight, is shock by the ferocity within the normally-timid Pegasus. Even Applejack and Pinkie, both combat veterans, are stunned by what they have just witnessed. Krav Pega is one of the most brutal of martial arts, and not something that somepony like Fluttershy would know normally. Coming to their senses, they look around and see that the fight is over. All the Timberwolves have been killed.
Seeing the wounds on Applejack’s side and back, Fluttershy hurries to grab her medical pack and starts tending to the injuries. “I’m sorry, AJ. I should have been quicker. Because I was slow, you got hurt,” she says, timid once more.
“It’s OK, sugarcube. It’s combat. It happens. Ah’m jus’ thankful that you was there ta save ma flank,” Applejack replies, wincing in pain as her wounds are bandaged. Grabbing her hat from the ground and placing it back where it belongs, she asks her friend, “How bad does it look?”
“You’ll have some scars for certain, and it is going to hurt for a while, but it only looks bad.”
As they wait for Fluttershy to finish up with Applejack, then check the others, Pinkie Pie is merrily bouncing around, singing some random tune that is in her head. Stopping in front of Twilight and Rarity, she fixes her grinning gaze upon them. “That was fun. Let’s do that again!” she exclaims, waiving her forehooves in the air like a madpony. “I’m gonna have so much fun beating up on that meanie that kidnapped our Empress! POW! POW! POW!” she adds, throwing mock jabs in the air like a boxer.
“Really, Pinkie, your enthusiasm for a fight is quite astonishing, to say the least. Considering that Nightmare Moon is supposed to be as powerful as Empress Celestia herself, I would not be so looking forward to the upcoming battle with her,” Rarity says, sounding drained. She had expected to have to fight, but with what she has done and witnessed tonight, the cold reality has sunk in. They could very well die tonight.
“Don’t be such a frumpy-grumpy, Rare!” Pinkie cheers. Leaning in close, she adds with a slightly manic gleam in her eyes, “Besides, you looks like you had fun, picking them woody doggies apart like playing Pick-Up-Stick in reverse!” She then bounces off to do her own thing.
Twilight watches the pink bouncing bundle of crazed pony with a look of bewilderment. She is known for the parties she throws for everypony in Ponyville, as well as being the assistant baker for the Cake family. Twilight had no clue that the pink mare was that unstable. The look in her eyes was that of a pony who has seen one too many things in her time. Turning to Rarity, she asks, “Is she always that... crazy?”
“I am afraid so, darling. If you really need to know more about her, I am certain you can find her files in the Military Archives. Or, if you really wish to know more about her, then you could talk to Applejack. The two of them served together as Rangers.” Rarity studies Twilight as the mare ponders this. “Try not to worry too much about this, Twilight. Pinkie may be somewhat disturbed, but I suspect that she will not fail us.”
Rainbow Dash lands next to the two Unicorns. The look on her face tells Twilight that she has some bad news. “I just checked with Pinkie and AJ. We’re out of ammo for the shotguns. So it looks like it will be hooves and magic from here on out. Don’t worry though. You got me on the team. We CAN’T fail!” she boasts. “If Nightmare Moon gets too much to handle, I’ll just do a Sonic Rainboom on her head. End it right there for ya!”
“Glad you’re with us, Rainbow. We need confidence like that. Just don’t get too cocky,” chides Twilight. “Got a quick mission for you. I need you to fly up along the path and check to see what is ahead.”
“Been there. Done that. WAY ahead of ya, Twi. “About five more minutes of running at a moderate pace, and we’ll come to an old rope bridge. It looks sturdy enough. Just beyond that are some old ruins. How much you wanna bet that’s where the Empress is being held?”
“Girls!” Twilight calls. “We’re almost there. Let’s get ready.”
And with that, they gathered themselves up and trotted down the path towards the confrontation to come.
Inside the ruins sat a lone black Alicorn mare. She had much on her mind, but little time, she feared. She had heard the firing of guns, and she knew that the end was coming and that she must be ready. With her magic, she removes her helmet and then her chest plate. She had no more use for them.
It is ironic, in a way, that she chose to return to this site for her last stand. She remembers centuries ago how her and her sister grew up here. It was much different back then. There was not much forest then, and the castle that was here was a palace that was also the center of rule.
The rulers of the time, Celestia and Luna’s parents, were good rulers who did their best to be fair and caring leaders. Unfortunately, when war broke out between Equestria and Griffica, along with the Changelings in Equestria siding with the Griffins, they were slain by assassins. Celestia, being the elder sister, took over the helm of leadership, and named her sister as co-ruler. Sadly, Celestia had differing views on how a nation should be led, as well as a thirst for power. When Luna rebelled, the palatial castle was reduced to ruins. When Luna fell, Celestia let the ruins lay, and built a new Capital on the mountain, naming it Canterlot.
It all began here, and now, it shall end here, she muses. She had never wanted for it to come to war all those years ago, but she had been left with no other choice. And because she failed, the ponies and other beings of this world have suffered.
Would it have been better if she had not rebelled against her sister? Would there have been less suffering? Would she have been able to influence her sister to become a more benevolent ruler? Would she have been able to prevent the thousands of deaths of those who fought during the rebellion?
None of that matters anymore. What matters is the now and what she has to do. This is not something that she wishes for, but she accepts it with a sullen heart. Tonight, she will take her sister’s life. Then, it will be up to the ponies of Equestria to take over the reins of power and forge a new nation. She prays that it does come to pass, even if she is no longer there to bear witness or help forge it.
Such thoughts are set aside, for she can sense the presence of others outside the crumbling ruins. Doing a quick scan with her mind, she can tell that there is only six out there, but these six are not to be underestimated.
The first one is an Alpha+ Unicorn. Interesting. Ponies of that power are extremely rare. And an Alpha+ Pegasus as well. This surprises Luna, for to find such power among two ponies at once is not something which she has seen outside Alicorns. There is also an Alpha Earth Pony, A Beta Unicorn, and then the last two... this is strange. One is clearly a Pegasus, but her power rank is something she does not know how to define. As far as her Pegasi magic goes, she is clearly a Delta, but she emanates power at an Alpha level. It feels like she has more Earth Pony in her than Pegasi. And the last one is such a powerful mix that Luna cannot begin to read her, other than she has at least Alpha power capabilities.
These six mares could easily be a match for her. And the most powerful of them just scanned her, the same as she scanned them. They will be ready as well.
Stepping through the open archway leading to the clearing outside where her opponents wait, she greets them. “Welcome to the ruins of the former capital of Equestria. Please, step inside, and we can get this over with,” she tells them, before stepping back inside to wait.
* * * * *
Outside the old ruins, six mares stand ready. It was not an easy journey to get this far, but the difficulties they have endured so far are miniscule compared to what they will soon face. Focusing her magic, Twilight Sparkle scans the ruins to see what the situation is. Much to her surprise, all she senses is the Empress and her sister inside.
This is good news for two reasons. One reason is that Empress Celestia is still alive, though Twilight also senses that her magic has been suppressed and will not be able to help them defeat Luna. The other good news is that they will not have any other opponents to battle. Just one very powerful Alicorn. One who wields more power than the six of them combined, most likely.
As she finishes her scan, a form appears in the entrance. Tall, black, with an ethereal mane and tail, wings, and a horn to rival that of the Empress,, it is none other than Luna herself.
Twilight can feel the power the Alicorn has, even without her magic, and at that moment, she understands what fear feels like. But then Luna beckons them inside, and Twilight sees something in her opponent’s eyes. Is it sadness? Is it resignation? Whatever it is, to Twilight, it is a weakness which she will gladly exploit.
When Luna turns to wait inside for them, Twilight turns to look at the others. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash look stunned. They know now what they face, and the reality of the situation has finally sunk in. Fluttershy looks terrified, trembling like she has just seen the face of the Reaper Pony himself. Then she sees Pinkie Pie.
She has this almost gleeful look on her face, but this is not expression that you would get from someone known for parties. This is a look of gleeful lust for violence. This has Twilight a bit worried, but dismisses her concern. “Girls,” she says to them, “we can do this.”
Applejack turns to Twilight. “That was Nightmare Moon?” she asks, swallowing a lump of fear.
“That’s her. And we can defeat her. I could see something in her eyes. Something that shows weakness,” Twilight reassures. She has to boost their confidence if they are to defeat her.
“Let’s kill her,” they hear Pinkie say. With now-unmasked bloodlust, she continues, “Let’s get this shit started.” And with that, Pinkie marches off ahead of them towards the archway. The others quickly follow, with Twilight jumping in ahead of them.
Inside, their opponent stands waiting. She watches the six ponies walk in with purpose, ready to fight. She can sense the fear in most of them.
The yellow one looks like she would run in terror from her own shadow, but if she made it all the way through the Everfree Forest, then she has to be tougher than she looks. The white one looks like she should be in some spa right now. That or at some posh party for the elite. And yet, she is here as well.
Two of them have a look of fearful determination, as if they have experienced this before, and know full well what the outcome could be. And while they know they could end up dying, their faces convey that they are prepared. The purple Unicorn has a look of sheer determination to her. A look that says she fears failure more than she fears death. That makes her dangerous. Lastly, there is the pink one. She simply looks like she wants blood.
“Well now...” Luna is interrupted by a bloodthirsty banshee scream from the crazy one as she leaps in to attack. The Alicorn barely has time to raise her hooves to deflect the fluid punches and kicks that are launched at her.
“Everypony attack!” Twilight yells once Pinkie has Luna engaged in battle, while firing off a burst of energy at the tall, black mare. The magic blast hits Luna in the side just as she manages to throw Pinkie across the room into the wall head-first.
Stunned for a second by the hit in her ribs, she is then hit by combined blows from Fluttershy and Applejack. Blocking one pony’s blows is easy enough, but the two combined prove to be difficult, and she almost misses seeing Twilight teleport.
Reacting on instinct, Luna guesses where the Unicorn is going to appear, and bucks her hind legs. Her hooves connect just as Twilight flashes back into existence. Having enough of the two ponies raining blows upon her, she shoves Applejack and Fluttershy away with a telekinetic blast.
Rainbow Dash, the fastest of the bunch, now slams into Luna’s side, having flew out a window to get room for speed. The momentum of the collision carries the two ponies halfway across the room, skidding to a stop in a blur of punching hooves. Luna would have easily knocked out the cyan pegasus if it was not for the speed of her attacker.
During this, Rarity gathers hanging vines from all around, which she fashions into a length of rope. With her magic, she wraps the makeshift rope around the Alicorn’s neck, and tightens.
Suddenly struggling for breath, Luna fights the magic grasp wielding the vine rope around her neck. Under normal circumstances, it would have been nothing for her to take care of this attack, but now Fluttershy and Applejack have joined back in the beating. When Rainbow Dash starts grappling her around her head, Luna does the first thing that comes to mind. She starts swinging her head around, and ends up throwing the mare like a ragdoll straight into Rarity.
Fed up with the fight that is taking too long for her liking, Applejack rears around and bucks the much taller mare square in the jaw, sending her flipping onto her back. “Meet Kicks an’ Bucky, ya whorse!”
Applejack did not get to say anything else as Luna grabbed her and Fluttershy and knocked their heads together roughly. As the two of them slump to the floor, knocked cold, Luna jumps to her hooves. Looking around, she sees ponies lying around. A couple are completely out, but the others seem dazed enough that they should not pose much more of a threat to her.
One of them seems to be getting up though. The pink one. Something has changed about her. Luna prepares to launch a preemptive attack.
Pinkie has changed. The blow was the event that sent her over the edge, triggering her Pinkamina persona to come forth. Gone were the fluffy masses of curls that was her mane and tail. They have gone straight. If her eyes and smile hinted at being unstable, or even a bit dangerous before, now they positively radiated pure insanity. Immediately, her eyes find the one thing they have been looking for. An opponent to kill. With a chortle of evil glee, she says, “Let’s dance, fucker!”
Luna does not hold back. She strikes full force with a bolt of energy from her horn that should have incinerated the pink Earth Pony. It would have too, if it had it connected. Pinkie dodges behind a fallen column though, avoiding death by the closest of margins. As Luna prepares to fire once the pony comes out, she is suddenly hit from the side by a series of vicious kicks. Where in Tartarus she had come from, Luna cannot fathom, but she swiftly turns to parry any further blows while delivering a brutally swift punch to her opponent’s gut.
Landing on her back, Pinkie immediately leaps to her hooves and pounces once again. Dodging another bolt of energy, she reaches behind herself, and from seemingly nowhere, pulls out a bat, which she swings towards the Alicorn’s head. That blow is blocked telekinetically, and Luna rears up to strike. Her forehooves come down instead on the rock floor, as Pinkie disappears under her, only to fall down from the ceiling holding a brick in her hooves, which she brings down upon Luna’s head.
Half-stunned by the blow, she realizes that she had better get into the other room quickly, if she is to do what she intended. Bucking her hindhooves, she catches the Earth Pony in the ribs, sending her flying. Charging her horn for a teleport spell, she gets interrupted by a pair of magic blasts that hit her simultaneously. Twilight and Rarity are both back in the fight. Grabbing Rarity with her telekinesis, Luna does the first thing she thinks of, which is to throw her at the other Unicorn. This time, she manages to successfully teleport.
Twilight follows, teleporting out from under Rarity. She materializes right under Luna’s nose. In a panic, she stabs at Luna with her horn, barely missing. Once again, Luna uses her magic to throw her opponent, slamming the mare into the wall repeatedly. When she lets go, Twilight does not get back up.
Turning to Celestia, Luna prepares for the kill. This time, nopony will stop her. After all, they can do what they will with her, as long as Celestia dies, and with her, the empire she built.
Charging up her magic for a lethal blast, Luna focuses on her sister for a final time. “I’m sorry, Sister,” she whispers, tears in her eyes.
Celestia looks Luna square in the face. If she is to die at this moment, she is determined to face death as an Empress should: with dignity. She cannot completely suppress her fear, so she swallows it down.
The killing blow never comes.
Instead, from the doorway comes a booming shot from a pink bazooka. It matches the pony who fired the shot perfectly. The projectile, a wooden ball the size of a grapefruit, catches Luna’s folded left wing, crushing it, as well as several ribs, knocking the black Alicorn onto her side.
Rarity attacks with bolts of energy as well, further stunning the dark mare, giving time for Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to jump in and start pummelling her with blows.
While this is happening, Twilight weakly crawls to her Empress. She does this without conscious thought, just reacting on an instinctive need. The impact from being slammed into the wall repeatedly like a ragdoll have broken several bones, including a skull fracture. Her world spins and every movement is torture worse than the deepest pits of Tartarus, but if she can just get to her Empress…
Celestia urges Twilight to get closer. If Twilight can pull the ring off her horn, she can end the battle quickly. Twilight is closer now, and Celestia strains her neck towards Twilight. “Remove this ring from my horn, Twilight, so I may fight.”
Twilight tries to focus on Empress Celestia’s horn. She sees something there that should not be there, and she knows she should remove it. She hears the Alicorn say something, but she really cannot understand. Her thoughts seem so muddled right now and everything hurts, but she senses that her Empress needs her.
Straining, she pushes herself even closer, and when Celestia brings her horn down, Twilight reaches for the ring on it with her hooves. That is the last thing that she remembers before passing out from her injuries.
Now free to use her magic, the Empress shatters the chains and shackles that have kept her restrained to the stone floor. She rises to her hooves at the same time that Luna throws the attacking ponies aside. When her sister rises, Celestia is ready for her, and slams her repeatedly against the wall with her telekinesis, then hits her with a blast from her horn. It is not a lethal blast, but one powerful enough to end the fight.
Standing on shaky legs, the Empress walks over to stand above the one that would have usurped her power, if not for Twilight and these loyal subjects who fought alongside her. As powerful as her sister is, Luna had not put a full effort into the battle. It seemed that she had wanted to be defeated.
Celestia looks down upon her sister with contempt. Luna failed, plain and simple. She could have killed her easily so many times, but she chose not to for some reason. Pity? Sisterly love? Weakness, Celestia thinks to herself. Luna is weak. That is the answer, no matter how one can cut it.
Luna looks up at the white Alicorn standing above her. She is broken and defeated. Once again, she has failed. Defeat tastes like ashes upon her tongue. She could have won so easily. Back on the road, or at any time before these six ponies showed up, she could have ended the Empress’s life. She could have brought down the Solar Empire that Celestia started so long ago, but she did not. She deserves death. Had she succeeded tonight, Equestria could have risen from the tyranny that was her sister’s rule for over a thousand years. Had she succeeded, a new world could have dawned with the rising of the sun.
Seeing the look of contempt in Celestia’s eyes, Luna weakly asks for one thing. “Kill me. Kill me now, sister. Please.”
“And grant you martyrdom? I think not. You shall be forced to live, and you will have to face your weakness and failure for every remaining day that you shall live. Once Shining Armor gets here with the troops, you will be held under house arrest for as long as I deem fit,” Celestia informs her. Turning around, the Empress leaves her fallen foe to check on Twilight, but not before bringing down a hoof to knock Luna out.
Fluttershy is already checking on Twilight. After a moment’s inspection, she turns to the Empress. “She’s critically hurt, Empress. We need to get her to the hospital immediately.” the Pegasus tells her sadly. “She has a broken hip, numerous broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a skull fracture.”
There is nothing that she can do for Twilight here. If Twilight does not get to a Trauma Center fast, she will not make it past the morning. “Empress, now that you’re free, is it possible that you could send for help? That is, if it is not too much to ask?”
“I’ll need parchment and a pen. With that, I can send a message.”
“I can give you that. I have some in my medical kit outside.”
“That will be perfect. What is your name, my loyal subject?” asks Celestia.
Meekly, she replies, “It’s Fluttershy.”
“No need to be so meek, Miss Fluttershy. You have proven yourself tonight.” Looking across the room, Celestia sees another pony down. Another one of her rescuers has paid a painful price for her efforts this night. “You should check over your friends. It looks as if one other has been badly hurt,” she tells the primrose Pegasus.
Before Fluttershy can head over to check on Pinkie, a cyan Pegasus lands in front of them, setting Fluttershy’s medical kit down in front of her. “I figured that you’ld need this, Shy. Seems some of us got worked over pretty hard.”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” says Fluttershy, as she digs inside the pack to give the Empress a sheet of paper and pen before heading over to check on Pinkie Pie.
Empress Celestia writes a quick note to Shining Armor explaining the situation and what is needed, and sends it off in a whisp of green smoke. Turning to the one who brought the pack in, she says, “So, we do meet again Rainbow Dash. Once again, you have shown your loyalty to duty. It makes me think that maybe I should have pushed to have you stay in the Air Force.”
She then heads over to Fluttershy and Pinkie, to check to see how the Earth Pony is faring after the fight, leaving Rainbow Dash beaming.
“How is she doing?” Celestia asks when she gets to them. The pink Earth Pony is lying on her side, visibly in pain, but trying not to show it. Her hair had gone back to its normal curly state, and she no longer had that manic look in her eyes.
“She has several broken ribs, Empress, and probably some internal bruising as well. But she should be OK, given proper treatment. Pinkie Pie is a tough mare, Your Majesty, and she should recover quickly,” Fluttershy assures her. “It seems that Twilight received the worst from the fight. Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and I seem to have come out of this with a lot fewer serious wounds. I guess we were lucky,” she concludes.
“Yes, That is true. You six are very lucky to have come out of this alive. Even as powerful as each of you are, collectively, you should still have been outright killed. Nightmare Moon was, and still is, very powerful. As powerful as I am, even.”
Celestia refrains from letting these ponies know the truth about Luna. It would not be in her best interests for them to know too much. In reality, if the six of them had been better prepared, and trained to fight as a team, then they would be strong enough to take on anything, including an Alicorn fighting at full strength.
Except for a very few who happen to be in the Empress’s inner circle, everypony believes an Alicorn to be immortal and filled with godlike power. This is how Celestia wants it believed, so that she may maintain her position. The truth is that, though even with their increased magic abilities and the fact that they naturally do not age once they attain adulthood, Alicorns are still mortal. Nor is their power infinite. There are limits, and they can be defeated.
Continuing, she tells the Pegasus that she has sent for transport, including ambulance chariots and medical ponies.
Fluttershy nods, then asks, “Excuse me, Empress, but should I check on Nightmare Moon’s injuries as well? That is, if I am not too forward for asking.”
Celestia nods her assent, allowing the young mare to tend to the wounded enemy.
* * * * *
Shining Armor sat at the desk in the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville. He had just received notification from the Guard officers that all was set in the town. Nopony would have more than a second to step out of line before being taken down quickly and viciously. He was taking no more chances with security. Already, they had several suspicious ponies in custody, and if he even remotely suspects that any are involved with any sort of plot to harm either the Empress or Priestess Cadenza, they would be made into an example to give even the most seasoned combat veteran nightmares for a long time.
Looking out the window, he could see the eastern sky beginning to lighten. It looks like it will be Cadance doing the ceremony after all, he thinks. Looking back down to a map spread before him, he has the location where the bodies of the Empress’s personal guards were found. They had also found the hoofprints of six ponies heading off into the Everfree Forest. The six guards, three Pegasi and three unicorns, all heavily-armed, that he sent in to investigate were seasoned vets and highly-trained.
Not far from that location is another location that would not show up on most maps. It was a small ruins within the Everfree that few knew about. Luna would be familiar with the place though, and his intuition tells him that she is most likely there with the Empress as a captive.
The rolled-up scroll that materialized and landed in the middle of the map caught him by surprise. He knew of only two who could do that, and one of them was snoring on the couch. That meant it could have only come from the Empress herself. Opening the letter, he felt much relief and a new sense of urgency.
At the old ruins in the Everfree Forest. Luna has been defeated. Require three ambulance chariots and a medical team for each. Three seriously-injured ponies. One ambulance must be sufficiently large for an Alicorn, plus guards. Speed is of the absolute importance. Location is secure. Also need chariots for four more ponies. Inform Priestess Cadenza that she will have to perform the Sun Raising Ceremony.
Empress Celestia
“Spike! Wake up!” he yells, causing the Dragon to half jump from the couch.
As the dragon stumbles over towards the desk, and more specifically towards the carafe of coffee that sits upon the desk, Shining Armor quickly calculates how far it is to the ruins. Ten minutes, tops.
“I need you to take a note, Spike. ‘In Ponyville now. Have the town secure. Priestess Cadenza is here and ready to do the ceremony. Will bring the needed chariots for you and the ponies that need them, including the three ambulances, as well as medics to staff them. ETA thirty minutes.’ You have that, Spike?” he asks.
Upon Spike’s nod of confirmation, he instructs him to send it directly to Empress Celestia, which Spike does.
With that, the unicorn marches out the door to get things rolling, already yelling his instructions to his officers.
Grabbing the still-full carafe of coffee, Spike forgoes using a coffee cup, instead preferring to just drink it down straight from the source. Awakened a bit from the sudden influx of that most-precious substance called caffeine, he says to himself, “Damn, and I thought Twilight got intense. That pony needs a blowjob!” he scoffs, rolling his eyes towards the door. “I sure hope Twilight’s OK.”
