The Mass Equestrian Exodus.
Chapter 1. High Noon.
Twilight ran for her life. At full gallop, she was fairly fast. She did finish fifth in the running of the leaves after all. It wasn't even noon yet and yet the sky was dark. Explosions and fire in the distance cast a dark red gloom over the ground as she struggled to keep herself moving, and she reluctantly admitted that neither her health, nor her stamina had ever been of very high importance to her.
Now the reapers had come, ready to harvest Equestria and it's inhabitants.
Celestia had known.
That information had hurt Twilight more than anything else. Why had she not told anyone? It's not as if Equestria was without defense. The Elements could do a lot more than just blast somepony with a harmonious cascade resonance along with some rather pretty colors caused by the moisture in the air.
Now was not the time to think about that as one of the smaller black metal monstrosities loomed overhead. It charged it's main weapon and fired.
Twilight had just enough time to raise her barrier when the force struck her small form. Thankfully her barrier survived long enough for her to find cover.
The reaper destroyer apparently decided to find a new target. This world offered little resistance.
Twilight continued her frantic run as soon as the coast was clear. The extraction point had been located in Equestrias new underground railway system. She had only managed to flee the destruction of Ponyville by luck. The place had been reduced to nothing but molten rock under the relentless barrage from the reapers.
Using her powers to lift the heavy rock that barred the entrance revealed several steps down into the damp underground. Darkness loomed everywhere until Twilight lit a torch and moved further down.
The heavy doors that served as the last defense were left ajar, damaged beyond repair after the last fight when Discord had wormed his way down into the dark. He had fallen to what ever mind altering power possessed by the reapers and had tried to attack several escaping ponies. Celestia herself had dealt with him and saved everypony here at the station.
A fight that had nearly claimed her life.
"Halt, who goes there?"
Twilight didn't even have time to answerer when the green unicorn thrust a spear at her. Twilight quickly grabbed it with her power and shattered it's metal blade on the ground.
"Lyra, that was dangerous. And how was I to answerer your question if you attack me right after asking?"
Lyra wilted under the scolding gaze of Twilight before she meekly replied with a quiet "Sorry..."
"Lyra, these things are using heavy armor and ranged weapons. What did you hope to do with a spear against that?" She observed the saddened pony for several seconds before she got a response.
"I just didn't want them to get to the princess." Lyra's speech was nothing more than a whisper, easily on par with what Fluttershy sometimes used when put in front of a crowd.
Twilight kept her eyes squarely on the green unicorn so that she wouldn't have to look at the burnt carcase of what remained of Discord. Celestia had not shown any mercy, nor had he. The princess had not gotten out unharmed and was currently drifting in and out of consciousness. Her left wing had gone missing and she sported several very deep gashes from Discord's sharp claws.
"Theres nothing left of Ponyville, we need to leave now." Twilights order was relayed back to the others who began boarding the secret train.
As she walked up to the bed where Celestia was resting she found herself with her breath stuck in her throat. She was so badly mauled from fighting Discord that Twilight had difficulty comprehending why the princess was even still alive. Those wounds should be fatal to anypony.
"Twilight."
The simple command drew her eyes to the now barely awake Celestia's eyes.
"Yes princess?"
"I can see in your eyes that you are disappointed. Please let me...explain."
Twilight was listening intently. Equestria was burning and she wanted to know why it's ruler had done nothing about it. Deep down, Twilight just couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. And that hurt.
"Long ago, I watched the skies with great hope. Me and my sister thought that we would eventually reach them and spread harmony and peace among all life in the galaxy." Celestia drew a ragged breath, apparently some of Discords claws had reached deep enough to injure her lung. She chose to ignore it and continue anyway.
"We equestrians were young, only just having fled the north where our species had evolved in ancient times. The three tribes fought to secure their own lands first and foremost. If not for the actions of the friends of the leaders, then war would have been the outcome."
Twilight interrupted her at that point.
"You mean the events of 'Hearts Warming Eave' princess. I don't remember that part from the history books."
"It was removed...I removed it. Now don't interrupt me again, let me finish. My time is short and I have so much to say."
Twilight remained silent, ever the obedient student even after ascending to alicorn status and receiving her own princess title. Celestia was proud of her protégé and was willing to show it.
"Me and Luna observed the stars, dreaming of what was out there. Neither of us could even have imagined what was happening at that time. The reapers were cleansing the stars of advanced life and harvesting it's remains for some unknown reason."
"As we observed the last stand of the Lord Changeling and his fleet in our system..."
"Wait, changeling? As in Chrysalis? Wha..."
"SILENCE" Celestias voice boomed. She coughed some blood and needed some time before she could talk again. While waiting she was loaded on to the train to begin it's journey to the final destination.
"Please, Twilight, don't talk. Listen to what I have to say. You will know. You MUST know."
"I'm sorry princess, please continue." How she could find her voice after seeing how bad Celestia had coughed was beyond her.
"Good, now as I was saying: The Lord Changeling and his fleet made the final stand of their species in the Equis system. Though they fought hard and with great bravado, there was just too many reapers."
"One thing caught our eyes towards the end of the battle. A single escape pod entered our skies and the two of us gently guided it to land before us. Out of the pod came a very wounded changeling cradling a small egg in her legs. The Queen Changeling had been ordered by her husband to escape with their daughter and to survive. With her came a crystal matrix containing the sum total recorded history of the Changelings and the theories about those that came before them."
Celestia took a moment to breathe before she could continue, giving Twilight some time to consider the information.
"The reapers came for us afterwards. They walked our land back then as they do now, but they ignored us. We were not evolved enough for them to bother with us. They never found the Queen Changeling and her egg as we had hidden them."
Celestia took another break. Her breathing shallow. Twilight knew that she would be dead before they arrived at their destination.
"She died shortly after that and the egg sealed itself inside a massive chrysalis. Me and my sister reviewed their history and realized that the reapers would return. This planet has many crystals in its crust, but very few rare metals. Even if we prepared it would still be for naught as the reapers could swath away even a fleet as massive as the Changeling's."
"Our only hope was to find other strong species among the stars and make friends with them. But as we watched, only one aggressive race after the next rose up. I decided that until we find a benign race to aid, we would hide and pretend we don't exist. Twice did I spot their agents observe us. I prevented our technological development and altered our history books."
"We needed to pretend for our survival. This cycle has fallen, the Manyunn, this cycle's masters, were nothing but violent tyrants. Their loss was all but their own fault as they nearly destroyed each other even before the reapers came. The last time they visited our world they ignored us, but not this time."
Celestia's voice was so weak that Twilight needed to lean against her head just to hear her.
"We knew that this day would come and so we have prepared. We salvaged one ship from the battle and have repaired it. This tram is the only way to get to the hidden base where we have hidden it. Twilight, listen. The Queen Changeling told me about a hidden facility. It was going to be their last resort but they were cornered before they could get there."
"Our kind can survive if you can get us there. Be patient Twilight. Chose wisely and when you believe the time is right, return the Equin species to the galaxy. Together with new friends, we might have a chance. Even if it's small."
"I am sorry, Twilight."
When the train reached the hidden facility Twilight was still leaning against Celestia, even though her chest had long since stopped moving.
"Twilight. What happened?" The head doctor, Dr. Horse said as he trotted up to her. "Oh... I'm sorry for your loss." He exclaimed once he saw the state of Celestia's body.
Twilight turned to look at him. "She saved us all."
He nodded. "She will be missed." He tried to comfort her but was not particularly successful. Twilight seemed to want to stay and the doctor had other patients to tend to. Specifically Princess Luna.
She had received major wounds while evacuating Manehattan and urgently needed attention. She wasn't the only one. The few remaining ponies with medical education would be stretched thin. Too thin, not everypony would receive help in time. It was a mess. And it would get worse.
The bearers of the Elements of Harmony spread out to help others once they realized that Twilight wanted to be left alone with Celestia.
Rainbow Dash walked up to the loading ramp and spotted somepony she didn't want to see. Dr. Caballeron was directing several ponies in loading works of art into the ship. He sidestepped Rainbows attempted tackle and simply just placed his hoof on her head.
"Miss Dash." He said in his accented speech. "This isn't the time to resolve personal issues. Either help us load these into the ship or go away."
"Yeah, right. Where'd you steel these?" Rainbow had no intention of helping this bad pony. No way.
"I'm the head of the Canterlot museum of history. Now either help or leave." He stepped away from her and returned to directing the loading effort.
"Wha... But the books never made any mention of that." Rainbow had some trouble understanding what he meant.
"The books are works of fiction, miss Dash. They only took inspiration from the truth." Dr. Caballeron dismissed her accusation without missing a beat.
"At the cottage I saw you fight her." She just wasn't about to take any thing this bozo said to her seriously.
He sighed. "I was going to be paid a significant sum for that ring, miss Dash. Miss Do found it before I did and was trying to hide it. Despite the fact that she had been ordered to stay away from the situation. I should know. I'm the one who gave her that order."
"Yeah, right, no wonder. Did you really think that she would willingly listen to anything you had say to her? Ha. Allow me to laugh." Rainbow said with a smirk.
In response, Dr. Caballeron simply pointed his hoof in the direction of the emergency tent where the most seriously wounded ponies were receiving aid. "Go talk to her yourself or I will order the guards to make you leave." He was starting to lose his patience.
Rainbow took to the sky and shouted at him. "We'll see what she has to say about this and then you will be sorry." He just shook his head.
Inside the tent Rainbow Dash came to a complete stop. There were rows upon rows of badly wounded ponies. Some of the beds had the blanket pulled up over the head. She didn't need to guess what that meant. She passed many wounded before she found the bed with Daring Do in it.
She froze. The wounds on Daring Do were horrible. Her wings were missing and half her coat sported signs of severe burns.
Daring noticed the shocked expression of her most vocal fan. "It's not as bad as it looks." The joke fell on deaf ears as Dash gave no sign of having heard her. "OK, so maybe they are, but I'm still alive. That has to count for something, right?"
Finally Dash snapped out of it and growled. "I will kill Dr. Caballeron for this." Daring punched her in the face before she could leave. She knew what the impulsive brightly colored pegasus would do if she was allowed to run rampant without the right information.
"You will do no such thing Dash. He's the one who carried me here."
"He's a bad pony. Are you sure you're remembering it correctly?" Rainbow countered, she just couldn't fathom why Daring would defend that pompous ass.
"Don't judge him based on my books. They are works of fiction. He is the head archaeologist and the leader of the board of directors at the museum of history." Daring needed to make sure that the hotheaded pegasus didn't do something stupid.
"Listen here, Rainbow. I was in Manehattan, evacuating ponies when one of those things attacked us. I watched the group be consumed in flames. The next thing I know, René Caballeron had me on his back and we were running to get to the train." She needed to catch her breath. The wounds really hurt and the doctors didn't have any painkillers left.
"My books are fiction. FICTION. Do I need to repeat myself or do you get it now. Don't judge him based on my depiction in them. I just personally don't like him. And my books reflect that." Daring leaned back on the pillow and calmed herself.
Rainbow was rubbing her nose. Why would Daring Do defend that...that pony? She just couldn't understand it. Somehow, the situation just didn't make any sense. Caballeron was a bad pony. Why?. Then she realized that Daring Do's wings were missing. Realization dawned on the stubborn pegasus who swiftly left the tent. She didn't hear Daring calling out to her.
Having just finished loading the last pieces of art into the expansive hold of the space ship, Caballeron wiped the sweat from his brow. Now that that was done there were other things to do that required his attention. And he would concentrate on those if not for the enraged pegasus heading his way.
He anticipated her move and ducked under her charge, bringing his hoof up to connect with an exposed pressure point. Rainbow collapsed in a heap as her body went limp.
"I was a member of the royal guard when I was young, miss Dash. Then I quit and joined the Archaeological society. I was Daring's teacher during her academical years. I will not tell you again. Cease this endeavor and do something useful instead." The stallion was about to lose his temper but realized that she was probably just judging him based on the books. Yes they did paint him in less than stellar light, but most could tell the difference between reality and fiction. Either she was thickheaded or she was just too loyal to Daring Do to listen to reason. He found himself regretting his decision to allow Daring to use his name in her books.
"It will probably be a few minutes before you can move again, so just relax and stay put." With that he left to go find some of the guards. With the demise of Celestia, and with no pony having made it out of the crystal empire. It left only two Princesses alive. And one had received nearly fatal wounds holding the line at Manehattan, and the other had apparently gone catatonic. Somepony would have to direct the guards.
"Captain Sentry." He called out to the new captain of the royal guard. The pegasus had chosen to keep watch over the tent where Luna was receiving treatment. "How is the Princess?"
Flash Sentry turned around to face the approaching stallion. He instantly recognized the him as a former guard. "She won't make it unless a miracle happens." He sighed deeply. Taking over the role that Captain Armor had left behind had been the promotion of a lifetime. He had worked hard to make the royal guard elite and had thought that he would never get higher than that.
Then Shining Armor married princess Mi Amore Cadenza and moved to the Crystal Empire. Canterlot needed a new Captain and Shining had unexpectedly nominated him. Now he began to regret taking the job. Yes, he had done his job to the best of his ability, but fighting metal creatures from space had never been a part his training. And there was nopony around to guide him either. So he returned to his core duty; To protect the royal sisters. Or sister in this case.
Caballeron did not envy the captains position right now, but there was something important that needed to be addressed. "Captain, I understand your desire to protect the princess. But we need you to do your job. There are no guards keeping watch over the tunnel."
That got his attention. Swiftly he turned around and gasped. How could he have let his indecision cloud his judgment so. Looking at two guards he ordered them to find the fourth unit and set up a perimeter at the tunnel entrance.
He shook his head and thanked the former guard. Silently he vowed to never again let his duty slip by like this again. Too many ponies depended on the fact that he could do his job.
Caballeron, satisfied that the problem had been tended to, returned to the loading dock to make sure that the few remaining pieces of Equestrian art were bound tight and secured properly. He regretted that only the things that could be carried by a pony could be secured. Most of the art pieces were simply to large. The thing that he would miss the most were probably the stained glass windows of the castle. Some of those were thousands of years old.
He found Rainbow Dash sitting in a corner, looking dejected and miserable. Great, now she would be a liability. Wonderful, Caballeron, you dud. Trotting over to her he decided to resolve the issue. He did need something else to do now that the cultural legacy of Equestria had been brought aboard.
"Miss Dash, stand." Rainbow looked up but didn't stand.
"Just so you can tell me how wrong I am about something else? No thank you, I'd rather stay here."
He just sighed. This was supposed to be a wielder of the elements of harmony? "No. I just wanted to get you to move. You are in the way."
Rainbow shouted loudly at that. "Fantastic, even when I'm not doing anything at all, I'm still doing something wrong." She was about to take to the air when he placed his hoof on her shoulder, making her stay.
"You, the element of loyalty. How can you sit here and do nothing when everypony else is busy getting ready to leave the planet. Some element of loyalty you turned out to be." He shouted the last piece loudly enough to make some guards start heading their way, ready to stop the fight if needed to.
Rainbow landed and looked around. Everywhere she looked there were ponies puling carts of goods aboard or helping injured ponies walk up the ramp. The thing with Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron had taken a heavy toll on her mind. The fact that the reapers were devastating the planet didn't help. Rainbow Dash just couldn't handle all that was happening at the same time and eventually her overworked mind just shut down.
Dr. Caballeron watched as the mare before him started to panic and shaking as she took in far to much information. Eventually she slumped to the ground. He just rolled his eyes and picked her up.
Fluttershy was feeling nauseous. Her cottage had been hit before she had the time to evacuate the critters inside. Including Angel Bunny. There was so much death and destruction around her and nothing she could do about it. Once she got to the space ship she just rolled into a fetal position and closed here eyes in a feeble attempt to shut out the world.
Raindrops was leading Derpy and her foals towards the ramp. The bubble marked pony had been mauled by one of the metal creatures and now sported a large scar going straight across one of her eyes, effectively blinding that eye. Her oldest daughter, Amethyst, mostly known as Sparkler was holding one side and Raindrops, the other. Little Dinky was riding on Derpy's back.
Looking around the train station revealed how horrible the situation had become. Most ponies sported wounds ranging from cuts and bruises to gaping wounds and missing limbs.
She spotted Golden Harvest, or Carrot top as most called her. "Derpy, get over to where Carrot top is. She can help you get aboard safely."
"D... don't leave us here." Her voice was on the brink of breaking. The events of the last day just now catching up to her. Nearly loosing little Dinky when the house collapsed had practically driven her insane in her effort to get her littlest filly out of the burning rubble.
"I won't. But I see Fluttershy over there and she seems like she could use some help." She smiled sweetly at her fillyhood friend. "I'm not going to be long, you should just get aboard."
"OK." As Derpy hobbled over to where Carrot Top was, Raindrops trotted over to the now catatonic Fluttershy. She seemed like the weight of the world had come crashing down on her. No matter what Raindrops did, Fluttershy just didn't react at all. Eventually, she just shoved her on to her back, briefly wondering why none of her friends had come to get her.
"Come now, Fluttershy. Let's get you aboard. We'll be safe there." She didn't expect a reply, but she got one anyway.
"Safe? Nopony is safe. They're all dead." She whispered quietly. Raindrops had nothing to say to that and just carried her up the ramp and into the hold.
Pinkie Pie was struggling with the controls. Usually, something extremely advanced like this ship could be manipulated just by instinct. The way she handled everything else. But the entire computer system was made for an entirely different species. Nothing made sense to the pink party pony, and that just wouldn't cut it.
Some may claim that she was the most intelligent pony alive, but Pinkie didn't believe them. Surely there had to be somepony who was smarter then her. After all, she was just Pinkie, the pink premiere party planner. Eventually, she resorted to covering her eyes with one fore leg and randomly tapping the controls with the other.
'Auto pilot activated.
Initiating prelaunch.
Hibernation pods activated.
Warning, Reaper forces detected.
Cycle of destruction started.
Coordinates set for Changeling safe haven.
To initiate launch, press the green hoof.'
"Nailed it!" Pinkie exclaimed as the ship controls began lighting up, showing all kinds on readings. Some were of the condition of the ship itself, others showed the status of the ponies aboard. Like one that said that there was 7581 Hibernation Pods with ponies inside them.
Tapping the panel, Pinkie activated the external speakers and addressed the ponies still outside.
"Hear ye, hear ye. This is Pinkie speaking. Everyone aboard the starlight express. Next stop. Haven."
That certainly got everypony moving. From her position at the captains chair, Pinkie now had full control of the ship. And she used it to guide the last remnants of her species to the few remaining pods that didn't have anypony in them. One screen showed Rarity guiding the CMC to some pods and using her horn, managed to actually keep them still long enough for the sedatives in the pods to knock them out. Then she entered the pod that was left.
Another screen showed Twilight carrying Celestias body and carefully placing it in a pod. Apparently, she didn't want to give the reapers the pleasure of having it. Next to that pod, Luna was gently eased into her own with the help of Dr. Horse, the head doctor of the Canterlot general hospital. He had help from Dr. Stable Hoof, Ponyville's head doctor.
Twilight made her way into the bridge and relieved Pinkie so that she could get into one of the pods on the bridge. She left the station and bounced her way there. Twilight just rolled her eyes at her friends silly antics, silently grateful for the small joy it brought to her weary heart.
She lifted her hoof and pressed the green hoof symbol that would take the last of the Equin species away from their lost home world and into the great unknown of space.
...
'Changeling royal family genetic code not recognized.'
...
'Access denied.'
A/N
I'm trying something new with this one. For me at least...
This story is heavily influenced by The Equestrian Equation by Loyal2Luna.
It's awesome, go read it now.