> The Last Stand of the Royal Guard > by brony at war > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter I: Uprising > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter I: Uprising "My spirit will rise from the grave and the world will see I was right. -Adolf Hitler *****2 Days After the Defeat of Nightmare Moon***** A cold breeze gusted across the city of Canterlot, causing opened shutters to slam against their windows and the wooden merchants’ stands, closed for the evening, to creak in protest. Aside from the two Royal Guards standing watch at the front gates of the palace, the streets of the city were quiet, only dimly lit by the light of lanterns and the last rays of Celestia’s sun. Shadows danced on the walls as the candles in the lanterns flickered and blew in the wind, adding to the eerie effect of the twilight. “Bloody hell, that wind is nice.” The other guard grunted in agreement at his compatriot’s words; despite the cooling air, the armour of the guards was trapping their body heat, which would make it a little uncomfortable to be standing watch for the next six hours. In an attempt to make some conversation and break the pressing silence, the first guard cast about for a topic to speak on. “Say, Thunder, how’s your wife? And your colt, for that matter?” Thunder Charge, the older guard in both experience and actual age, showed a grimace through his helmet. “Diamond is doing fine, from what she said last...they’ll be coming back as soon as the Princess lifts the evacuation order from Ponyville.” There was silence as the unicorn paused, letting the wind die down. “What about you?” The other guard, another unicorn by the name of Arctic White, put on a nervous smile. “C’mon Sarge...you know I don’t have a wife yet.” True to his name, the younger unicorn was snow-white, with a snowflake as his cutie mark. Shifting both his weight and his spear, Thunder Charge snorted. “You should find one...it’s better than being alone all your life, trust me.” Arctic chuckled a bit, nodding his head. “Alright sir. I’ll do that.” “Good.” The two ponies resumed their silence for a bit as the wind gusted again. The sun finally set, bringing a chill across Equestria as the nation settled down for the night. Nearly two hundred leagues away, under the same night sky and in the heart of the Whitetail Woods, hundreds upon hundreds of ponies gathered around the ruins of an unfinished castle, waiting for the one who called them here to take the stage. They all knew what had happened a few days ago, and unrest and discontent was running rampant amongst the ponies; they wanted revenge. A stallion, old but still strong, moved to the front and climbed up into what would have been the castle’s keep. In a flash of light, the unicorn teleported to the top of the scaffolding, enabling his voice to carry out over the masses. Even still, he put a charm on his voice box in order to magnify the volume of his speech. “Fellow brethren!” At the sound of the stallion’s voice, the mass of ponies grew quiet. A few even held their breath, not wanting to miss a single word the unicorn said. In seconds, the entire clearing was silent. “Brothers...sisters! We gather here tonight to mourn the defeat of our great queen, the Princess of the Night, Nightmare Moon.” The stallion paused, looking up at the moon, where the imprint of their banished leader looked down on them. “Princess Celestia says she wants all of her subjects to have what they wish for, yes?! What if we want our queen to take her place?!” The collected mass of ponies murmured in agreement...isn’t that what the Princess’s policy was all about? “Celestia has ruled for millennia, with her sister shoved to the side as if she were only a figurehead...no more!” The ponies below were growing increasingly restless as the unicorn kept speaking, stirring the pot and causing their anger and passion to come to the fore. In the short time since the old unicorn had started speaking, the ponies before him had gone from being apprehensive and demotivated by the loss of their queen to being invigorated and fired up at the idea of seizing the throne of Equestria and bringing their queen back to rule the Eternal Night. “We are the only hope of our beloved queen’s revenge; together, we will enact justice upon the one who dared to strike her down.” The crowd of ponies cheered in approval of the unicorn stallion’s words; perhaps there was still a way for them to assert their queen’s rule...they just had to take the throne of Equestria and eliminate the one that had dared to banish their leader. “So…” the stallion said, drawing back the attention of the ponies in front of him. “Go, spread the word! From here to the frozen north, down to the outpost villages in the southern deserts! In two days’ time, from this very location, we will march on Canterlot, kill the wretched Princess, and seize the throne for our queen! Bring your armour, your weapons! Be ready to fight!” Another uproar marked the approval of the crowd of ponies, who immediately started dispersing. Flashes of light indicated unicorns teleporting away, some with a few other ponies in tow. Pegasi flew into the air and sped away, some tasking themselves with spreading the news to the farthest reaches of Equestria. Within minutes, the unfinished castle was again desolate, the wind whistling through the unfinished hallways. The pony that had made the speech was the only one that remained, and he was silent as he looked up into the moonlight. ‘My queen...we WILL find a way to free you. But first, we will depose that senseless sister of yours and you can claim your rightful throne upon your return. I ask that you help us in this endeavour, for the glory of the Eternal Night.’ Dropping his head from the sky and finished with his declaration of loyalty to his banished queen, the unicorn wordlessly disappeared in a flash of light. > Chapter II: The Calm Before the Storm > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter II: The Calm Before the Storm “And this can’t be denied in the calm before the storm.” -Judas Priest ******2 Days After the Exile of Nightmare Moon****** Storybook Inkwell sighed as he trotted through the halls of Canterlot Castle, flipping through the various documents as he walked towards Princess Celestia’s room of the castle. The evacuation of Canterlot meant that there were very few nobles that wanted an audience with the Princesses… ‘No, it’s just Celestia now, isn’t it?’ the steward told himself. He shook his head and continued his task, occasionally looking up to keep from running into anypony or anything. With the majority of the nobles absent, a number of lords and earls that had land and manors outside of the Canterlot area were piling in their petitions and grievances while they had even the slimmest chance while Canterlot nobility came back into the city and resettled. Turning another corner and finally coming to the right corridor, the unicorn sent the papers to his office via teleportation before closing in on the doors to the princess’s room. The entrance alone was heavily guarded by six members of the Royal Guard, an imposing sight that would deter any attacker. Entering the quiet room, the unicorn nodded at the various members of Celestia’s advisory body as he joined them by the alicorn’s bedside. The monarch of Equestria was resting in her bed, the rise and fall of her shoulders barely visible in the darkened room. “How is she?” The medical pony, Rose Spice, if Inkwell’s memory served him well, looked up from the opposite side of the princess’s bed. “As you can well see, she’s still recovering. I said this before and am getting tired of it; she used up almost all of her magic in the fight against Nightmare Moon - it will be some time before she fully recovers.” Rose Spice snorted as she walked away from Celestia. “That said, she will most likely be awake soon. Why?” “Because I have a list of things to go over here...some of which would require her approval.” Inkwell replied, looking pointedly at the doctor. Rose Spice huffed and, without looking at the steward, responded, saying “Well, you won’t get it, now will you?” Grabbing her coat, the unicorn began to walk out of the room. “I must go grab something...don’t disturb the princess.” With that, the heavy oak doors shut with a loud boom, which echoed in the stone room. “Is there anything you can approve, Inkwell?” Defiant Bastion, the head of the Royal Guard and one of the closest advisors to Celestia, looked over at the steward with an inquisitive look. As a steward, Inkwell did hold considerable sway in the royal court in cases when the princesses were incapacitated, such as now. “It’s mostly nonsensical things from nobles outside of the area...money grant petitions and the like. But, you know I can’t technically deal with internal matters.” The other ponies in the room chuckled at the words of the steward before quickly quieting down. They all observed the sleeping alicorn before them somberly, before, one by one, the ponies all left, leaving none but the steward in the room. Moving to the window and watching as the appointed group of unicorns began raising the sun to start the new day, Inkwell sighed again, a million thoughts running through his head as he stood and appreciated the miracle of being able to see another sunrise. Outside the walls of Canterlot Castle, a Hazy Skies watched as the most recent returning citizens of Canterlot began to filter into the city, carrying with them saddlebags and wagons of their personal belongings. From what he could see in the long line stretching out of the city, these made up almost all of the missing population of the capital city. The pegasus shook his head as he returned indoors, not at all delighted. The silence and peace had been a nice break from the everyday crowds and the sounds of the market just outside his windows. Not to mention he didn't have to put up with the snob-nosed nobility that looked down upon the military. ‘Perhaps at some point I should ask the Princess for a grant of land away from here.’ Hazy Skies smiled at the thought of owning his own land and being able to pass it down to any offspring he may have. Of course, that brought up thoughts on finding a good mare and settling down with her. Doing something like that wasn’t exactly easy for a Royal Guard, as he had always busy protecting the Princesses and various delegates to and from other nations. ‘Maybe someday.’ Groaning as he stretched and got the weariness out of his bones, the pegasus began getting ready for the day as the streets below began to fill with ponies. Far north of Equestria, in the frozen wastes the cartographers had named the ‘Frozen North, a hooded pony stood inside a tavern, appealing to the patrons within. It was common to find escaped convicts and refugees of the law in the frozen wastes, and this pony hoped to gain their support for the cause and for his queen. “What would it take for you to join us? Can you not see this is the opportunity of a lifetime!” The pony, an earth pony stallion, turned to one of the patrons who had gathered. “You, ma’am? Are you a criminal?” The mare nodded, a hard look in her eyes as though she had an issue being called out. “What is it you did?” Looking around, the mare said “I stole some medicine from the royal palace for my mother is all. But Princess Celestia decided that was an offence punishable by a decade-long sentence!” A round of boos and hisses came from the gathered ponies, aside from some of the more stoic ones. These, the earth pony figured, were the true criminals, ones that had committed serious crimes. “But…” the mare continued. “...even worse than that, I was regularly abused by the Day Guard and other prisoners, tortured at least once a week for ‘trying to steal medicine for those who actually need it’.” The room grew quiet at the mare’s words as she went on, her voice growing more vehement with each sentence. “So, after two months of that horrible treatment, I sent an appeal to the Princess and asked her to bring justice upon those horrible guards. But I never recieved an answer!” By now, the mare had stood from her seat and was walking forward, her voice loud and angry. This was exactly what the hooded pony was looking for...people who had been wronged by Celestia. Even if they didn’t support the true cause of the Queen of Eternal Night’s followers, their numbers would add to theirs and bolster the amount of ponies that would storm Canterlot. “Do you want revenge?! Would you fight against Princess Celestia?!” The mare, along with almost every other pony in the tavern, nodded. “Then join us! I am from a society of justice, one that will topple Celestia from her throne and get rid of the nobility of Canterlot! Join and fight with us! When we take Canterlot Castle, all your crimes will be forgotten, for we will establish a new government, with a new leader that our society has chosen!” Cheers filled the tavern as almost every pony within expressed their support for this ‘society’ and their plan. If it would down the princess and clear their names, then that would mean that they no longer had to live in constant fear of capture or, in some cases, execution. All across Equestria, in taverns, shops, hideouts, and the like, the followers of Nightmare Moon petitioned the criminals and disenchanted ponies of Equestria to join them as the nation began to awake and revel in the light of Princess Celestia’s sun. > Chapter III: March on Canterlot > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter III: March on Canterlot “In a guerrilla war, the line between legitimate and illegitimate killing is blurred.” -Philip Caputo ******5 Days After the Exile of Nightmare Moon******         “Sir, a message from the Whitetail Woods outpost!”         Captain Silver Sword looked up at the Day Guard that was galloping towards him, the aforementioned memo in the pegasus’ mouth. The Royal Guard captain stood as the pony came to a halt in front of him, ending in a salute.         “At ease, soldier.” Silver said. The Guard did as such and handed over the correspondence to his senior. As the grizzled earth pony veteran took it and began opening the seal, he looked up at the pegasus guard that had brought it. “What’s your name, soldier?”         “Corporal Swift Wing, sir.” he replied promptly. “Lieutenant Valiant-”         “I don’t want to know why he sent you, Corporal. I’m sure he had a good reason for it.” The pegasus nodded and quieted himself as Silver Sword drew the letter out from the envelope and opened it. As he read, he grew increasingly alarmed, until he finally crumpled up the letter and threw it into the cold fire grate by his desk.         “Lieutenant!” Silver Sword’s aide, Lieutenant Crimson Starlight, ran in, looking as though he’d just woken up. “Yes sir!”         Silver Sword stood and began walking swiftly, forcing the two other ponies to trot to keep up with him. “Get word to the Commander immediately. Have him meet me in the throne room with the rest of the advisors” The pegasus nodded and went airborne, soaring down the halls of the castle. As he did, Silver Sword stopped and pivoted, causing Corporal Swift Wing to slam into him and bounce back. “Swift Wing, thank you for the message. Get to the local Day Guard barracks to recover and await orders. We may need you.”         “Yes sir!” The corporal turned and began heading to his ordered destination as Silver Sword turned back around and resumed his swift pace towards the throne room. ‘We need to get ready for our last stand.'         Some fifty leagues away, an army continued their march tirelessly north, headed for the capital of Equestria, vengeance on their minds. For two days, the army had marched, teleported, and flown with minimal rest, making speedy progress towards their destination. At the head of the group stood Steel Haze, the one who had started this entire endeavour with his simple speech in the Whitetail Woods. Due to his words, the forces of Night had been joined with the ‘undesirables’ of Equestria; thieves, beggars, rogues, mercenaries, pirates, and more. Altogether, they amounted to over twenty-thousand armed ponies, ready to sack the royal castle and the rest of Canterlot.         ‘We are doing this for you, my Queen.’ Steel thought as he looked to the sky; though it was still broad daylight, the unicorn knew that Nightmare Moon could hear every prayer her followers sent her. He felt that, if she could see what they were doing now, she would be extremely proud of her ponies.         As he came to the crest of the next ridge, Steel Haze stopped, admiring the view. Behind him, the leading edges of the army began to cheer and shout, spreading the word to the ranks behind them. Steel grinned as they celebrated, eyes fixed. Far out on the horizon, the silhouette of Canterlot could just barely be made out. The only thing between them and the city was a swath of farmland, owned by a combination of peasant villages and lords. There was no doubt that the various manors along the way would be pillaged and burned to the ground, but it would be nothing compared for what awaited the ponies who raided Canterlot itself. ‘If only we could convince them to our cause…’ Steel thought. If even half of the ponies that had joined Nightmare Moon’s followers for revenge joined them to support the Queen of the Eternal Night, they could easily stand up to any force that Celestia dared to send against them, with a little training, of course. ‘Maybe later.’ Steel thought, beginning to march again. With a sure victory in Canterlot awaiting, there was a good chance that the ponies that had joined them would eventually join the cause. Before that could happen, though, they had a monarch to depose.         Defiant Bastion snorted as he looked around the table. Each and every one of the princess’ advisors were present, along with representatives from the various branches of the Equestrian Guard.         “There’s no way they can breach the walls of the city.” Starshine Gloss, one of the local nobleponies that somehow got on the council, said. “They haven’t been breached since they were built!” She sat back with a confident grin on her face as a few ponies around the table nodded in agreement.         “That was always with a full garrison of both Day and Night Guards on the walls defending.” Bastion said patiently. “We don’t even have close to that...save for a few stragglers, they’re all over the nation and overseas fighting or escorting civilians that evacuated.”         “Well, what about the Royal Guard?” Storybook Inkwell, Celestia’s steward, questioned. He, at least, looked concerned about the matter that there may be an army in this very room a few days from now.         “No good.” Defiant Bastion’s second-in-command, Silver Sword, said. “The Royal Guard is only for the personal defence of the princess and any other royalty that may be visiting. They aren’t for the defence of the city unless authorised by Celestia herself.”         “Well, have her authorise it!” Starshine said. “I want to be sure that my home will be protected!”         Just before Bastion could reprimand the unicorn, Rose Spice cut in, actually getting in the unicorn’s face as she raised her voice. “Are you brain-dead, you useless nag?! First off, I said earlier in this meeting that the princess only just woke up from her coma. She is in no condition to be taking care of who should be defending the city or not.” Raising her voice even more, Rose Spice continued. “Furthermore, how damn selfish are you that you’re only concerned about your personal belongings over the welfare of the citizens of this city?! If you want protection, you should buy some your damn self, you selfish little filly!”         A few moments passed in silence as Rose got out of the mare’s face and returned to her seat with a glare aimed at the shocked Starshine. Defiant Bastion struggled to hide his grin at the rant as he heard someone murmur “Damn, she’s scary when she’s angry.”         “Thank you, Ivory Spark.” Rose said, calling out the pegasus that had made the comment. No longer hiding his grin, Bastion continued on with what he was going to say. “Anyhow, as it stands, the Royal Guard is at its lowest in two decades. We have under a hundred and ninety ponies-at-arms capable of defending the princess.”         “So, no matter what, the walls of the city are most likely going to be breached.” Storybook said. At Bastion’s nod, he sighed. “What’s the plan then? As the senior garrison commander, that leaves you in charge.”         Bastion sighed. “Recall the closest Day and Night Guard armies. They should be here within a fortnight-”         “But scouts are placing the enemy to be no more than a few days’ march from here.”         “Exactly.” Bastion said. “There’s an old fort in the city that we can get the Princess to. Once we get her in there, it should be no issue to defend it...there’s only one way in.” Looking to Rose Spice, Bastion continued. “How soon will it be before Celestia can at least walk?”         “She can now.” Rose Spice said. “However, getting her to actually go with you into the fort is another thing. You know how she is.” Bastion nodded in agreement; Celestia had a poor habit of being stubborn when it came to leaving her subjects in danger.         “Very well.” Storybook said. “I suggest the rest of us begin preparations to leave. I’ll leave the rest to you, commander.” With that, Storybook swiftly left the room, followed shortly by the rest of the nobles and advisors. Bastion noticed that Starshine took special care to dart out of sight before Rose Spice could get out the door. In a few moments, the heavy oak door thudded shut, leaving Bastion, Silver Sword, and the various representatives of the other guard units alone.         With a deep sigh, Bastion walked to the head of the table. “Alright, stallions. Here’s the plan.”