Here we go. An idea (or rather several) I've had bouncing around inside my head for quite a while now. Just now got it down into actual words. This is also my first fanfic I've ever really done. The characters portrayed in My Little Pony and this fanfic are the creations of Hasbro. I own nothing but my OCs. There will be some romance later on, but nothing really heavy.
Chin high and mane trailing behind me, I strode in through the double doors and continued to move swiftly down the hall, heading straight for the Grand Inquisitor. Hooves pounded a steady rhythm on flagstones as my guards hurried to keep up with me; they carried no visible weapons but still managed to exude a threatening presence. The Grand Hall of the Canterlot Palace was new looking and pristine, like the rest of the magical building. Colorful murals splashed their bright colors upon the whitewashed walls, almost as if they had a light of their own. Normally I loved to pause and gaze at the beautiful works of art that lined this hallway, but today was not a day for simple dallying. Oddly enough, there were no windows in this hall; instead, smokeless magic torches dotted the walls at regular intervals, creating a bright blazing atmosphere. I waltzed in through another doorway without pause, and entered a vaulted circular chamber.
There they sat, my tormentors, fifteen ponies of various shapes and sizes with the Grand Inquisitor in the middle, all stallions. Behind blue draped tables they sat, their low stools colored the same as the table. A hard wooden stool sat in the middle of the room, directly across from the Grand Inquisitor. Undoubtedly it was meant for me, but I ignored it. Instead, I walked right up to where my jury sat, watching me impassively. I came to an abrupt halt right in front of the horrible stallion, glaring down at him. I had recognized him from the doorway, of course; after all, it was I who had agreed to let him keep his Grand Inquisitor post when I became the Princess of Equestria. As I soon discovered, this had been a mistake; I am positive that he was one of the ones who had betrayed me and my friends. I stared directly into his grey eyes, noting their watery, shifty look. The rest of him was as grey as his eyes, and he currently wore a black suit that covered his cutie mark.
I spoke first. "By what right do you presume to maltreat me so?" I demanded. "Sending armed ponies to drag me into this room like some common felon!"
"If you want, I can arrange for you to stay in your cell," he murmured so only I could hear. He raised his voice. "Twilight Sparkle of House Sparkle, you are summoned here in the King's name—"
"The Usurper's name, you mean!" I interrupted him hotly.
The Grand Inquisitor remained unruffled. "You are accused of high treason, numerous cases of murder, illegal magic workings, fornication, misprision, conspiracy to take the Golden Throne in Canterlot, unauthorized use of force, unauthorized alliances with those two-legged aliens—the Humans—conspiracy of—"
"Considering the fact that I have been in mourning since the incident, I must have been extremely busy! As the rightful heir of Princess Celestia, and the rightful Princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, I do not recognize the authority of this so-called court to try me on those or any other charges you were just about to make up to make it appear you knew what you are talking about."
His name had been Grey Slate the night he had sword allegiance to me, the Minister of Inquiry. Now he would probably be called something with Lord in it, a title that would undoubtedly please him. He had always posed as a simple servant to the current ruler(s) of Equestria, using his Unicorn magic to weasel out deceit and lies. At the moment his mission was to see me killed or tortured for my supposed crimes. If he failed that, then I would not be at all surprised if he showed up expecting to work when I won Equestria back.
"I will not settle for anything less than a jury from amongst my peers," I said now. Of course, they had managed to find a way around that.
"This is not a court, traitor. A bill of your crimes have been laid before the Parliament, sentencing you to death for high treason, numerous cases of murder—"
"Why are you repeating yourself? I heard you the first time. I still deny all of these fake charges against me."
No change of expression came across the Grand Inquisitor's face. "If the Parliament signs this bill and determines that you are guilty of these crimes, and then the bill is signed into law by His Majesty, then your head shall be removed from your body. Parliament has provided its own committee to testify you. If you do not wish to testify, you may remain silent."
In other words, I was not required to answer the ensuing questions. Yet if I did not, I would be beheaded. If I did, I would be beheaded anyway. He was also threatening to send me back to my jail cell, which was not too bad—Aside from the fact that six of my friends, who had already been tortured and put through a lot of pain, would be there with me. My eyes flicked quickly at the judges: Seven to the left of the Grand Inquisitor, seven to the right. All of them wearing the same unwavering, unpitying expressions. I knew all of them, although their names were currently a jumble inside my mind. On the night of my coronation they had all sworn fealty to me as the Princess of Equestria. Now here they all sat, determined to find a way to bring about my downfall for good. Amazingly, several of them were able to meet my eyes even now, staring at me in bold defiance. I knew they had all been sent here to condemn me. It would not take long, oh no. Three, maybe four days just so they could pretend to be fair.
So, why bother, then? Why not just drag me out to meet my death? If I had to guess, it was because laws already in place still needed to be observed. Parliament needed to see the "evidence" with its own eyes before it could pass the bill signing my execution. A small bit of tradition probably had to be upheld too; play with me a bit before killing me. Just like I knew, deep down, that tradition was the reason they were planning to behead me, rather than just shoot me outright; that and the fact that a beheading was potentially less messy than blowing my brains out. Then, after the bill was passed and I was executed, the members of Parliament could all go to their homes in Equestria and claim that the Princess was a monster, and that the execution was just. But even with the Parliament's verdict, the citizens of Equestria would not be happy about the killing of their beloved Princess—I am as loved by my people as Princess Celestia before me had been. Nor would my people of Equestria be alone. The monarchs of neighboring countries would be just as outraged at the death of an innocent, intelligent Twilight Sparkle. They would want to find the ones responsible, even if the "evidence" of my crimes were shoved under their noses. At the rate they were going, Equestria was going to soon be at war with itself and at least three other countries. Perhaps that is what the Usurper wants.
"I really protest such injustice!" It did not matter who I was actually speaking to; they all heard me. "I was given less than a two hour notice about this meeting. I have been kept in almost solitary confinement for three months. I have barely had time to read the charges set against me, let alone prepare a defense. I have been denied legal counsel, denied a legal jury consisting of my peers, and I am still expected to answer for my supposed crimes?"
"Again, traitor, this is not a courtroom. Will you or will you not answer the questions we ask you during the inquiry?"
"I shall happily speak with the noble lords of the truth of these matters, provided a few simple conditions are met. I require that I be given the royal honors due to my rank and station: a chair of comfort, a royal title—"
"Traitor Twilight Sparkle, the hearing is now in session. You will now only spoke when spoke to, and failure to comply with this rule will result in your immediate return to confinement, there to await your execution date."
I stared at him for a few seconds, considering. "Let it be known that I agree to testify only under extreme protest!" I exclaimed before moving to that lonely stool in front of the Grand Inquisitor.
"The Parliament will come to order. Lord Secretary, please remind the noble lords of the wording of Clause fifteen, paragraph twenty eight." A slightly hoarse voice started mumbling behind him. I shifted slightly on my uncomfortable stool, thinking rapidly. I must think strategy. I have to find a way to get these idiots off my back and escape from here. Somewhere behind the opulent walls of the Canterlot palace, I knew my friends would be plotting a way to rescue me. Shadow Crescent may be a mercenary, but he was a stallion of his word. His contract, signed with Princess Celestia years ago, bound him to faithfully serve the Equestrian Royalty whenever the time arose. My brother, Shining Armor and the last remains of the Equestrian Rangers would be with Shadow. There was no way Shining Armor would leave me here. I also knew that Command Sergeant Major Nelson Christensen, the Human commander of Delta Force Stallion, would be helping Shadow and Shining in any way he could. Time and again Nelson and the rest of Delta Force Stallion had come through for me. To them, it mattered not that they were in a fairy tale world, yanked from Earth like strings on a puppet. To them, their military oath obligated them to help me if at all possible. I felt a small thrill of compassion flare through me as I thought of Nelson. I always did whenever the mysterious Human came to mind. But even with this small force of fighters, they would be hard pressed to save me. We are essentially alone on all sides. It would not be so bad if I knew where Captain Steel Keyheart and the rest of the Solar Guards had went into hiding at….
I knew, without a doubt, that the Usurper would not rest easy on his stolen throne while the true Princess of Equestria still lived. Assassination was what I had originally expected: a simple poison in my food or drink would have done the job nicely. After countless days of fretting over it, I eventually just stopped thinking about death all together. Not once, though, had I considered public execution; I had never even dreamed of a public hearing for my "crimes" until the warrant for the hearing had been thrust under my muzzle a short while ago. I could not help but wonder why the Usurper and his new advisors would bother to go through this farce. Perhaps an outcry from the citizens of Equestria had forced his hand in the matter? No matter what the Parliament decided at the end of this hearing, I would die. The thought left me cold and slightly shivering. What would happen to my people if their beloved Princess were to die? What would happen to my friends?
The Secretary had stopped. The Grand Inquisitor jumped in again. "Now, first of all, you stand hereby accused in conspiring in the murder of our dearest Princess Celestia, Her Late Majesty of Equestria—"
"No!" I snapped. "I deny that charge with every fiber of my being!"
"How would you describe your feelings and relations to Princess Celestia? Warm? Loyal? Jealous?"
"If you have to ask such a ridiculous question, then you truly know nothing about my dear mentor, or me," I retorted. "I loved her, as we all did. She took me in as her own protégé, to help me learn to control my magic. She offered me love and affection, in addition to generally taking care of me. It did not matter that she was Princess Celestia, the Sun of Equestria, and I was a lowly Unicorn filly named Twilight Sparkle. The only thing that mattered was the joy we shared in learning from each other. As I grew older and more powerful, Princess Celestia became even more proud of me and my abilities. She was as happy as any mother would have a right to be. Eventually she began teaching me life at court. She never spoke of it, but I could guess that eventually I would take her place upon the throne in Canterlot. But to suggest that I had a hand in her assassination? You would be fools to even harvest such a notion."
I had been an unexpected obstacle when the assassin carried out his task. I had been an obstacle that had very nearly saved Princess Celestia's life.
One year previously
"Commander."
That's the first thing I remember hearing. I rolled around in bed a little and grumbled something to the negative.
"Commander Keyheart!"
I shot up to attention, recognizing the coloring of the Equine Retractable Organic Nexus Integrated System-clad Pegasus in front of me. She was the only one who would dare enter my chambers and wake me from a sound sleep. "Sergeant Skyflare?" I asked groggily.
"Reporting, sir." She saluted, crisp and smart. I could barely see her, moonlight shining off her armor. Only she would bother with protocol in the middle of the night. "Canterlot is under attack, sir."
"We are under attack? What do you mean? Who is attacking us?" I looked out the window – stars above, torchlight from below.
"I'm pretty sure it's the Rebels, Commander. Their Pegasi ambushed our sentries, dressed in armor as black as the night. Once our sentries were down, the rest started pouring in."
"Did you report to Windblaze? She is captain of night shift," I said, shaking my head. I'll admit, even knowing it was Sergeant Skyflare, I didn't believe a word she spoke to me.
"I can't find her, sir." She got my attention that time. I jerked up straighter, blinking sleep from my eyes the rest of the way.
"I can't find most of the night shift. They're all in disarray – posts are empty all over the palace." I stared at her for a full second. To be honest, it was probably not my most glorious moment of being a Solar Guard.
"What time is it?" I asked worriedly.
"Eleven at night, sir. I checked the clock in the mages atrium."
Celestia bless my lover – always on top of things. If she were not so content to follow my orders, she could easily get promoted to take my place.
"Where's the rest of the Solar and Lunar Guards?" I asked. "Is there anypony still trying to defend the palace?"
"I don't know, sir. I came here as quickly as I could. The way things are shaping up right now, you are the only commanding officer left."
I nodded distractedly. "Armor," I said, concentrating on the giant topaz affixed to a chain at my throat. I felt the familiar flow of armor across my Earth Pony form, completely silent. It started at my tail, and then traveled up and across. The plating on my tail is light and supple, bending as my tail lashed with nerves. The armor covering my upper back and legs is made of harder material, protecting the more venerable parts of my body. My hooves ended in heavy spiked boots. I held my head still as my helmet started to encase my head, tapering out to accommodate my muzzle. Words suddenly flashed across my vision as my suit powered up.
General Automatic Weapons Display
Equine Retractable Organic Nexus Integrated System Online
Weapons Checking….. Online
Heads-up Display Checking….. Online
Downloading Map… Done—Online
Targeting Systems… Online
Shields… Powering Up… Online
Integrating Neural Processing… Done
ERONIS Ready
The words disappeared, and in their place appeared my familiar Heads-up Display. My weapon load-out popped into existence on the right side of my vision. A circular mini map blinked to life in the upper left, with a small readout of various parts of my armor—all systems were operating at one hundred percent capacity. As I flicked my eyes around my suddenly bright room, a square optical target followed the direction I was looking in.
"Let's go," I said. We stepped out into the flickering light of the barrack's halls. I remember being thrown right away – it was empty. Even in the middle of the night there should have been Lunar Guards out and about, as well as a few serving fillies and maintenance stallions.
"What's that?" Skyflare asked, flicking her ears towards the open windows. From here, we couldn't see much – just a few enclosed gardens. But I could hear it, too: The sounds of gunfire. Explosions and the harsh cries of orders echoed in through the window as well.
"It sounds like the fight is already going bad for us," I said.
A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the walls of the barracks, rising higher and higher before ending in a sharp cry of pain, and then ominous silence.
"Skyflare, go rally the troops. There has to be some here in the barracks," I said.
"Sir, there is no one here but us. I checked on my way up to wake you up."
It took a moment for her words to sink in. I turned to stare at her, eyes wide behind my helmet.
"Steel," Skyflare whispered, using my first name. She never did that while we are on duty. "We are not going to make it through this, are we? We've already lost too many troops. By the time the Equestrian Rangers get here it will be too late."
"Don't talk like that, love. We'll be fine. We have two powerful Princesses on our side, and somewhere out there we still have the Elements of Harmony. They will help keep us safe. But for now, we must find the Princesses. They will know what to do to repel this invasion."
Skyflare nodded at me, and I nodded back. We had discussed this kind of thing, privately. Equestria hadn't known war for thousands of years, not since the final days of Queen Silvia Violetdew; not since Violetdew brought about the Day of Harmony as the last act of her life. But being the soldiers we were, war was never far from our thoughts. We both took off, racing along the halls of the barracks towards the main exit. I could not help wondering if what Skyflare had said was true. We've known that the Rebels had been planning on doing something major sometime soon. The most we could do was strengthen our security and wait. But even with all the extra measures things were starting to look pretty bleak for us now that the Rebels had attacked. I picked up my pace, almost galloping down the marble halls of the palace; Skyflare took to the air and glided close behind me.
I made my way through a few side corridors – the shortest path I knew to Their chambers. Every corner I turned set me more on edge – the palace was deserted. Empty. Dark and devoid, where there were always soldiers and servants and various palace staff. The place was starting to feel abandoned. Skyflare and I burst into the main corridor leading to Their chambers. This had to be where They would be at, trying to direct Their troops as best They could. Ahead of me I could make out a small knot of Solar and Lunar Guards, and standing there in the middle of them….
I breathed a sigh of relief. They were both there, just fine, of course. You could hardly miss Them – we don't often see Princess Celestia up and about at night, but it's really something. She lit up the whole hallway much brighter than the torches the other ponies carried. Beside her stood her sister, Princess Luna, just as glorious as Celestia with the full moon shining from above. I raced down the corridor to the Princesses, Skyflare gliding at her customary point above my right shoulder. Both Royal Ponies were listening to a report from a Lunar Guard.
"...bedlam in the streets, Your Highnesses." I could not see his fear-filled eyes inside his helmet, but I could hear the fear in his voice. He sounded completely undisciplined. "The panic is spreading as ponies wake up. The Rebels are looting homes and killing civilians without a thought about anything..."
"Then what are you all doing here instead of out there stopping them?" I cut in. I ranked him, no matter what else was going on at the moment. He shifted uneasily as he took in my presence.
"Commander Keyheart," the Lunar Guard muttered, saluting clumsily.
"Well?" I demanded. "Why are you all here when you should be out there trying to stop our enemies? Where is Captain Windblaze?"
"She and her Elite forces are trying to drive back the invaders," another guard said. Her tone was completely inappropriate for addressing a superior officer. "We are here to ensure the safety of the Princesses."
Princess Celestia broke in at this point. "I do not think we need protecting," she said, before turning her kind, regal gaze onto me. "Good evening, Commander of my Solar Guards. It is nice to see that you are well."
"Reporting for duty, Your Majesty," I bowed. "What's the situation? Where exactly is Captain Windblaze?"
"They killed her!" A young colt of a guard said, almost hysterical.
"That's a load of manure," the mare guard said. "She was still fighting last I had seen her."
"Watch your tongue in front of the Princess!" Skyflare said. "Princess Celestia, do you know where Windblaze is? Where are the Elements of Harmony? Are they safe?"
"I'm not sure where Windblaze is, but I know she is still alive, and leading her squad in the defense of Canterlot. My last report confirmed that General Shining Armor of the Equestrian Rangers is with her, along with four full companies of his Rangers. As for the Elements of Harmony, they are fighting too."
I was impressed. "Is it wise to let the Elements fight, your Majesty?"
This time, it was Princess Luna who spoke. I had almost forgotten she was there. "It is not for my sister nor I to decide whether or not the Elements fight. That is why Celestia and I have been training them in the art of combat."
"Our first priority is the safety of our citizens," Princess Celestia said. "You are to assemble your troops, Commander Steel Keyheart, as many as you can find. Go reinforce Windblaze and Shining Armor, if you can find them. If you can't, set about protecting as many of our citizens as possible.
I bowed. "Yes, m'lady."
"Uh... Your Highness? What about the palace?" It was that rude mare again. I couldn't believe it, her questioning the Princess like that.
"The Palace can be rebuilt," Princess Luna said. "We must ensure the safety of the civilians. Commander Keyheart, you have your orders."
"Yes, Your Majesties. Solar and Lunar Guards, move out!"
My eyes flew open unexpectedly. My vision was slightly blurry, my ears were ringing. Sounds faded in and out like a badly tuned radio. With an enormous effort of will, I focused on the words of somepony next to me.
"….get up, Twilight!" The voice cried urgently. "Come on, we have to move!" I blinked slowly. The Heads-up Display in my helmet came into clearer focus. The General Automatic Weapons Display showed a sea of red, hostile dots in front of my current position. A few green dots gleamed amongst all the red, marking my allies. One of the green dots, a minty green Unicorn, was beside me, trying to get me onto my hooves again. My befuddled mind tried to put a name to the armor coloring. This Unicorn was…. Lyra Heartstrings! I remembered now. There was the distinctive harp cutie mark on the armored flank. An unexpected magical blast was the cause of my loss of consciousness, I recalled. I opened my mouth to speak when my General Automatic Weapons Display flashed a warning across my vision. In front of me an armored Earth stallion had appeared, twin side mounted cannons attached to his Equine Retractable Organic Nexus Integrated System. Lyra, still focused on trying to rouse me, had not yet noticed this threat.
I reacted instantly. I surged to my hooves, my own ERONIS armor propelling me at a greatly increased speed. GAWD automatically locked onto the foe in front of me as I moved. A side mounted machine gun popped out of my armor and blasted the Earth pony, the anti-magic rounds from the machine gun instantly negating his wards and shields. The hapless pony collapsed, down for the count. I averted my eyes as the body of the stallion twitched once, and then went still. Another pony life I have taken. How many has that been now? Seven? Eight? More? Oh Celestia, I don't know! My eyes then flicked over my HUD again, taking stock of my allies. All six of them were still operating at one hundred percent capacity, including Lyra. The mint green armored Unicorn in question glanced from me to where the Earth pony had been. "So, I assume you are okay?"
I grinned joylessly inside my helmet. "I'm fine, Lyra. You should pay better attention to GAWD. Let the program tell you when danger is approaching. It can usually point out hazards better than we can, even with our magic."
"Yes, Captain," Lyra replied to her mentor, properly chastened.
"Ugh," I groaned. "Cut it out with that Captain stuff. You know I don't like it."
A Pegasus in familiar cyan blue armor alighted in front of me. "What else are we supposed to call you?" Rainbow Dash asked. Out of all of my friends, Rainbow was the one who seemed most comfortable with fighting. But even the spunky cyan Pegasus could not stop the lives she has taken from weighing heavily on her mind.
"You can just call me Twilight," I muttered, knowing it would go unheard.
Dash appeared to think for a moment. "Nah. You are the most powerful of all of us, with you and your magic. You are our leader." Dash seemed to shrug in her armor. "And, I trust you. That razor sharp mind has never let me or the rest of us down yet. You've always been kind of our leader." Dash shook herself, as if to get rid of her moment of sentiment. "Now, come on!" She called, sounding like her normal self. "Let's kick some flank so we can go rest!" Dash took to the air again, searching for targets.
No sooner had she gone, however, a trio of Unicorns charged at me and Lyra. Time seemed to slow as my mind whirred into overdrive, my ERONIS armor providing me with a great deal more clarity than normal. The lead Unicorn mare had a slight orange-red tint to the magic forming on her horn, as did the stallion on her right; those two were preparing a Red Beam of Fire. The small mare on the left had a bright blue-white overglow upon her horn; she was casting a Blue Blizzard of Ice. All three attackers had three wards hovering at their sides.
My mind dashed from scenario to scenario, trying to find the best way to stop all three types of magic quickly enough to counter attack. I could cast a Blazing Ward of Fire, and then integrate a Freezing Ward of Ice inside the first ward. But by the time the Wards could absorb the attacks, the Unicorns could have more attacks inbound. And, strictly speaking, magic of different elements were not meant to be combined. It would take all of my willpower to hold the Wards in place. I could also form a Shield of Absolute Sanctity, but that would leave me unable to attack while the shield held. I finally discarded all normal defensive spells for a spell I had created myself: A Violet Ward of Unraveling. Once this Ward was in place, not only would it cause any spells (or even anything) that touched it to simply disintegrate, but it would also allow Lyra and I enough time to prepare counter spells while the Ward held. With a single thought I set my magic flowing, rippling across me and Lyra. In moments the two of us where encased by a glowing, transparent Violet wall.
A half second later, the attacking magicians loosed their magic. I felt a small surge of satisfaction as the magical attacks struck my Ward and disappeared in a flash of static. Before the sparks from the failed attacks had faded, I was already preparing a Black Bolt of Shadow. But this time around, Lyra beat her mentor to the attack, lancing an Orange Ray of Destruction at the lead Unicorn. The stallion went down with a surprised grunt, having no time to move his own wards to stop the Ray. A split second later my Bolt arched out, striking the same stallion again. He faded into nothing, the Bolt eating away at his form. I conjured three of my fastest wards just in time to halt a return Ray and Beam from the two remaining foes. I flexed my mind a bit, ensuring that my Wards were as strong as ever. Gathering a small bit of my magical energy, I entered the Twisting Nether, teleporting directly behind my targets, their un-Warded flanks mine for the attacking. GAWD locked on to them both instantly, recognizing that the hostiles where no longer adequately protected. A quick burst of machine gun fire ended the farce. The last bit of magic to dissipate was my Unraveling.
I stepped over the corpses of my latest advisories, stomach churning. Oh Celestia, why won't it just stop? How many more lives must I take to stop the Rebels from taking everything I hold dear? That right there was the crux of the problem. As far as I was concerned, the Rebels could take Canterlot. They could impose themselves as the new rulers of Equestria. I could not care what they did; so long as my friends were safe. But I knew, now, that the Rebels would not be content to just overthrow Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and seize Equestria as their own. The full scaled attack on Canterlot in progress proved it. They wanted to completely subdue the Equestrian Princesses. They wanted to kill the Royalty. They would slaughter hundreds of hundreds of ponies just to get their points across. Above all else, they wanted to see six mares dead at their feet: the Elements of Harmony. We are the only mares powerful enough to save the Princesses, and save Equestria; the only mares that possessed the little bits of jewelry that could overthrow all of their plans.
The funny thing was me and my friends had no clue to where the Elements of Harmony were. They had simply disappeared. The spells I had woven to protect the Elements had not been disturbed. The Elements, for all intents and purposes, had ceased to exist. This is why I now found myself in some hallway of the Canterlot Palace, fighting for my friends and my Princesses. The Rebels did not care that the Elements had gone. They still wanted the six mares that could use them out of the way. I felt that familiar spark of anger return to my chest as I thought about my friends being in danger. I would not lose my friends, Spike included. I couldn't lose Lyra. So much has changed in such a short amount of time. But I and my friends were still standing firm.
I am yanked from my inner turmoil as a yellow armored Pegasus fluttered wearily down to me. The Pegasus spoke softly, her voice almost lost in the echo of gunfire in explosions taking place inside Canterlot. "T-Twilight, are you okay?"
I felt a small warmth bloom in my chest, chasing away the core of anger I had felt earlier. I butted my head against the newcomer's helmet, causing the Pegasus to squeak, startled, before she relaxed. "I'm fine, Fluttershy," I said.
"Are you sure?" the timid medic pony asked, her nursing instincts getting the better of her shyness. Unlike the rest of my friends, who all took to fighting as something that needed done to ensure their survival, Fluttershy has of yet never attacked another pony since all of this craziness began. Instead, she used magical first aid supplies to act as a medic to her friends and generally any ally they met, bandaging wounds and mending moral. Rather than use her General Automatic Weapons Display integrated into her ERONIS armor to find and target hostiles, Fluttershy used GAWD to find wounded ponies and tend to them.
"I'm completely fine, Fluttershy, I promise. We'll get through all this madness, together."
Fluttershy nodded slightly. "I-I know. As long as I have my friends I'll be fine."
"That's the spirit," I said encouragingly. "Let's go, Lyra, Fluttershy. We need to find our Princesses.
We pushed our way forward as best we could, Lyra by my side. The pair of us was more than a match for any magicians we encountered. Applejack was limping; an anti-magic round had winged her right foreleg, eating right through the shielding and ERONIS armor. Fluttershy had patched her up as best she could with a magical bandage, but until we could stop and take a proper look at the wound that was the best our medic pony could do. Rainbow Dash was grounded, her left wing fractured by falling masonry. The blue Pegasus was snarling quietly to herself as she emptied round after round into anypony who stood in our way. Pinkie Pie and Rarity brought up the rear. Pinkie was uncharacteristically silent as Rarity took care of Rebels attacking from behind. I am afraid that the fighting has really gotten to the normally hyperactive Earth pony. Rarity was just as ominously silent.
"Twilight!" A vaguely familiar voice was calling my name from a side corridor. I glanced up, startled, GAWD seeking potential enemies before I realized that the dots on my radar were green. A chocolate brown armored Earth stallion trotted up to me, followed by a midnight blue Pegasus mare and a ragtag band of Solar and Lunar Guards. The newcomers halted in front of me, and the stallion saluted. "Steel Keyheart reporting, my Lady, Commander of the Solar Guards."
I frowned. Since when was I a noble Lady? "At ease, soldier." I instructed. "Is there any word from Princess Celestia or Princess Luna? Do you know where my brother is?" I fired the questions rapidly.
"I've not seen your brother since I joined the fighting, my Lady. My orders from the Princesses were to ensure the safety of Canterlot citizens and to join up with General Shining Armor if I found him." Steel Keyheart seemed to wince inside is ERONIS. "The problem is, there are not very many citizens left to protect. Those that have not been murdered have fled. So, Sergeant Skyflare, the rest of our troops, and I decided we might have better luck tracking the Elements of Harmony down."
My friends gathered around me, eager for a respite from the fighting and curious to know who the newcomers where. "Can you lead us to the Princesses?" Rainbow Dash asked through gritted teeth. Even though the tough Pegasus refused to say so, I could tell she was in pain.
"Of course, Lady Rainbow Dash." Steel saluted again. "I'll lead you back the way we came. As far as I am aware they are still outside the hallway leading to their chambers."
Steel Keyheart turned to lead the way, his band of troops closing ranks around my friends and I. For once, there was no fighting to do. Keyheart had cleared this corridor on his way down. Silence reigned, broken only by the sound of metal shod hoofbeats. My eyes roved over the hallway, uneasy. Things were suddenly too quiet. The distant explosions and the sound of gunfire had died down. GAWD insisted that there were no foes nearby, but I was still expecting an ambush. My uneasiness only grew as we drew closer to the Royal Chambers. Where was everypony? It was almost a relief when GAWD beeped softly at me: there was an enemy ahead. My eyes widened in dismay when my radar suddenly flared with numerous red dots. There were so many I could not even begin to count them. I focused on GAWD's radar, zooming in on the area it showed. There were only four non-hostile ponies in the sea of red. I had a nasty feeling I knew who two of those four were.
Our troop rounded a corner and my fears were confirmed. Rebel ponies filled the hallway before us, focused on their pray. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were backed against the wall, inches from the doors to their bedchambers. Rebels ringed the two Princesses, cutting off any avenue of escape. Standing guard in front of Celestia and Luna was General Shining Armor, my brother, and a Pegasus I assumed to be Captain Windblaze. Both soldiers looked terrible. Shining Armor's ERONIS was battered and badly dented, but still looked quite operational. Windblaze's ERONIS was worse. The front chest plate was crushed inward, as if it had taken a heavy caliber round. To my enhanced ears, her breathing was labored; the armor that was designed to protect her was making it hard for her to breath. Despite all this, the Rebels just waited passively.
I heard a soft intake of breath behind me as Keyheart saw the full extent of the stalemate before us. The Rebels closest to us began to turn, their own targeting systems alerting them.
"Attack," Keyheart ordered softly. With a small cry, his handful of troops rushed forward, Skyflare among them. Friendly gunfire tore through the ranks of enemies, the magic bullets tearing through several ponies before they lost their momentum. GAWD automatically locked onto several enemies at once; with barely a thought I told my systems to attack. Twin assault rifles swiveled out of the sides of my ERONIS, slaying enemies as fast as GAWD could target them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed the Solar Guards into the fray without saying a word. Pinkie Pie disappeared for a moment, lost in the confusion. I saw her appear behind Shining Armor and Windblaze, talking rapidly to the two defenders. All three of them started making their way towards Fluttershy, who was still hanging back. Upon seeing two wounded ponies to take care of, the timid pony let out and adorable squeak and scrambled to collect supplies she'd need. Lyra covered for the medic pony.
Throughout all of this, I had only eyes for the Solar and Lunar Princess. They stood back to back; horns alight as they held Rebel magicians at bay. Wards swirled around the sisters almost faster than my normal eyes could follow, deflecting attack after attack. A stray Green Dagger of Earth avoided Celestia's wards and struck her breastplate and ricocheted off to the side. Luna retaliated with a beam of pure black energy, not even trying to form it into a spell. The beam stuck a Rebel Unicorn; she exploded, throwing others off their feet. Even as I started towards the Princesses to assist them, I noticed something else: The door to the Royal Chambers was slowly opening. I could just make out the outline of a sniper rifle affixed to an ERONIS; the rifle was trained directly on Princess Celestia.
I barely had half a second to think. "No!" I cried in horror. My ERONIS enhanced mind focused, drawing power from the leylines surrounding me. A Shield of Absolute Sanctity winked into existence around the Royalty just before the hidden sniper fired.
Time slowed down as I watched that single bullet speed towards my barrier. It met the Shield and I felt a small flash of relief, confident that the lethal projectile would be turned back. My blood turned to ice as the bullet pierced straight through my shield like it was not even there. I could only stare as the bullet went straight through Princess Celestia's unprotected shoulder and out the other side. Princess Celestia collapsed, blood streaming down her glorious white coat.
"No!" I screamed again, my voice distorted by fear and pain. "No, no, no!" I felt myself lose it, then. GAWD continued to take down enemies around me in my mad dash to reach Celestia's side. My horn flared to life without conscious thought, smiting down foes with concentrated bolts of pure violet energy. My ERONIS propelled me forward. In a flash I was next to the fallen Solar Princess' side. I did not even flinch when my ERONIS armor popped out a missile turret from my shoulder and fired at a mass of Rebels off to one side. The explosion ripped the hallway apart. I only had eyes for my dying mentor.
Yes, Celestia was not dead yet, but her breathing was strained. She looked up at me with eyes that were kind and warm, even now. "Hold still, Princess. I'll have you patched up in no time."
"No, my faithful student," Celestia's voice was barely a whisper. "This wound is beyond your magic prowess."
"No! I can heal you! Just give me a moment…" I trailed off, focusing on the leylines again.
"You cannot, Twilight Sparkle. Even if you could, it would not help. Now listen to me. These Rebels could not have made it into Canterlot without advice from the inside. Our defenses were too strong for them to just blindly rush in. I believe somepony on my Council betrayed me, but I do not know who."
I tried to speak, but Celestia spoke over me. "Listen to me, Twilight. You must make sure you are protected. The Rebels will come for you and your friends, next, especially you, Twilight."
I finally found my voice. "What do you mean, especially me, Princess?"
"You are my heir, Twilight Sparkle."
"No," I spoke the words automatically. "No Princess, I can't be! You'll be fine, just fine!" I could hear the demented desperation in my voice.
"The time has come for me and my sister to leave thou world and make our accent back into our home, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna's voice was very soft. "You, and whomever thou mate will be are the new rulers of Equestria. You and your friends are all our kingdom has left."
"But—I can't! I don't know how, I don't know what to do! Why me?"
"Twilight," Celestia's voice is more quiet than before. "You're hesitancy to take the Throne is proof why it must be you. You will be fine. Find a mercenary called Shadow Crescent. He shall know what to do. I formed a contract with him solely for this purpose. Now, Twilight, move quickly. Remove my shoes."
I stared at my mentor, dumbly. It was just too much to take in. I did as she asked, dazedly, my magic making the job easier.
"Now, remove my golden breastplate. My magic easily plucked the sacred piece from Celestia's breast. She looked oddly naked to my eyes without it. "Lastly, Twilight Sparkle, remove my crown." I had no choice but to obey.
"My regalia now belong to you, Twilight Sparkle, the seventh Princess of Equestria, Bearer of the Element of Magic." Those where the last words the great Alicorn spoke to me; with a small shuddering sigh, I felt the essence of life leave her through the leylines. The leylines seemed to cry in her passing. I felt a hoof upon my shoulder. I looked up into Princess Luna's deep night eyes. "I am required to join my sister now, Twilight Sparkle. Neither of us can live while the other is dead; such is the ancient rule that binds us. I can offer you some advice before I go. Shadow Crescent is the key to thou understanding what hast been happening. He is a good mercenary, and extremely loyal to my sister and I. Do not fret about attempting to find him, as he is already on his way to you. Secondly, take my regalia, and handle it with care. You ruling partner, when you find them, shall wear it. Lastly, take this."
The Lunar Princess levitated up what appeared to be an ordinary oval mirror. She saw my befuddled expression and chuckled gently. "This is not just a mirror, young Twilight. It is a gateway to a new realm. It is a realm that has been around as long as ours has; a realm that has interacted with us in the far past. Shadow Crescent can tell you how to use it. Go through this gateway to a place called Earth, and seek out allies there. You shall know they are allies when a creature there mentions something about defending his homeland."
I could only stare at the Night Princess. "I am sorry, Twilight," she said softly. "That is all I can tell you. Even a goddess cannot tamper too much with the workings of Fate. Now, I must leave you."
Princess Luna closed her eyes for a moment, and I thought she was trying to fall asleep standing up. The she collapsed, her legs falling out from under her. She was no longer breathing. I was left there standing with the Relics of the Equestrian Royalty, too stunned to even move. Everything had happened so fast. I heard hoofbeats approaching softly. I glanced up to find an unknown Pegasus stallion standing before me. He had deactivated his ERONIS. His mane and tale are a deep purple color, his coat pitch black. Little tufts of purple hair rose from all four of his hooves, and intricate purple lines danced around his otherwise black form. His eyes were a few shades of violet lighter than my own. "Are you okay, Twilight?" The stallion's voice was soft and kind, yet still carried an unmistakable weight of command. "I am Shadow Crescent."
For the first time, he seemed to notice the bodies of the two once powerful Alicorns behind me. Behind Shadow himself, a scene of carnage greeted my eyes.
"So, it has begun." Shadow said softly. He startled me by sinking low to his front knees. Behind him, all of my friends, Keyheart, Windblaze, Skyflare, the surviving Solar Guards and Equestrian Rangers followed suit. Even my own brother, General Shining Armor, was kneeling in his battered armor.
"All hail Twilight Sparkle, seventh Princess of Equestria, Bearer of the Element of Magic," Steel Keyheart intoned from his kneeling position. "My binding oath has accepted this change, Princess Sparkle. You are the true heir of Princess Celestia. My soldiers and I are sworn to protect you and offer your aid."
Shining Armor was next, sounding as if he did not believe what he was seeing. "The Equestrian Rangers stand by you, your Majesty."
One by one, every living ally in the hallway pledged allegiance to me. Even my friends did. There was a small smile tugging at Pinkie Pie's lips, the first I had seen since this life changing night had started. Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at me proudly, ignoring their wounds and aches long enough to stand at attention. Fluttershy had no idea what had just happened, and was watching me like I was going to bark an order at her. Rarity simply beamed. Lyra's eyes were swimming with tears.
Then the Pegasus in front of me spoke. "Our contract has been transferred over to you, Princess Sparkle. The Grail Mercenaries stand by you, my liege."
I could only stand there mutely. I had no idea how to react or what to say. Before I could stammer some reply, there came a great shout from the end of the hallway. Glancing over, I saw more ERONIS clad ponies milling about. At their head was the Minister of Inquiry, Grey Slate. His eyes were wide with shock, and I suddenly became increasingly uncomfortable with how the scene appeared to a casual observer: Both the Solar and the Lunar Princesses dead at my feet, their royal regalia lying at my feet. Before things could turn ugly, Shining Armor had already risen to his hooves again to attempt to explain the situation. Meanwhile, I swayed on my hooves, suddenly overcome with mental and physical exhaustion. My ERONIS armor slowly faded away, and darkness claimed me.
And, first chapter is done! Please review. Go Twilight Sparkle! Go Lyra Heartstrings!
