And, to celebrate the release of this new series story, here's Chapter Two, involving all-new characters and an all-new, much darker, storyline. ENJOY!
Yada yada yada, Hasbro owns My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and BBC owns Doctor Who. And this new cast, the Alt Six, belongs to my great friend, Josh, not me.
Episode II: Rebel Dusk
Like the mainland of its home nation, the Northern Isles of Chrysila was bathed in near-eternal cloud cover, the rays of the sun rarely ever allowed to reach the ground. A brisk, arctic wind blew from the south, its frigid edges knifing through golden Unicorn standing on the edge of the cliff, looking solemnly down at the rocks below, seeming to ignore his orange mane as it whipped around in front of his eyes. Of course, he couldn't care less about the weather—his father's rigorous training had long ago drilled such petty discomforts from his mind's eye.
"You're nervous." A soft feminine voice observed from his right.
"As a general rule of hoof, I usually don't like sending a brother into danger without backup."
She laughed. "You're funny."
"Emerald—"
"Buck is leading a small army into the rebel camp incognito, darling; they haven't the foggiest that their 'new recruits' will be their jailors in but mere moments. It really is a brilliant plan—"
"And the fact that you support it so hasn't a thing to do with the fact that this plan is your concoction, does it?"
The silver Unicorn, already as large and full as many grown mares of her race, laughed, the slightest of blushes now reaching her face, her namesake green eyes glittering happily. "Well yes, there is that, I suppose. After this success, Father will have but no choice a'tall to accept me into the Book and cherish my true genius. I will be the envy of the Empire, accepted as a true wonder of—"
"If this works."
"You doubt my genius, Star Dusk?"
"Never." He assured her. "I do, however, fear that those rebel ponies below know all six of us by now—we're likely their second-through seventh highest-value targets, superseded only by our own father, the Emperor himself." The Unicorn named Star Dusk sighed, turning at last to face his sister. "This plan is brilliant, Emes—truly, it is—"
"However?"
"But, it consists of too many circumstances going exactly right, and should even the smallest detail be out-of-place, the entire operation comes apart by the seams."
"I—"
"We've been after these little ponies for three years now; for three years too many we've let a rabble dictate our attention, threaten our lives, and endanger Chrysila itself, and now that we're on the precipice of at last achieving total victory, we're staking everything on chance."
"Yet Father approved it—"
"Yeah, and he also approved the invasion of Equestria—how'd that turn out, again?"
"Was your plan any better?"
"For this situation? Without a doubt—we bring the entire royal army here and attack en force, from every direction—hold no quarter, give them no chance at escape: overwhelming force, superior numbers, and the element of force—the battle would have ended the moment it was engaged."
"And in the process we could lose valuable intelligence—"
"Intelligence? We have all the intelligence we need." Star Dusk countered, dismissing his sister's suggestion. "They're rebels, plain and simple. Their mission, their sole objective, is to force the Emperor to relinquish his throne. It's not like they're working with outside forces—"
"Actually, Father does suspect that they do have outside support coming from foreign parties, perhaps even Princ—"
"All our father ever thinks about is Canterlot—even with the Great Conquest shattered and turned away, he's never given up that target."
"He certainly is focused—"
"Focus is good." Star Dusk explained. "But now he has tunnel vision, which means he won't see more important targets. I swear upon my family, Emerald—had he been more focused on our own Empire, this rebellion would have been crushed four years ago, before it'd even been born."
"Either way," Emerald answered, pointing a hoof to the sky. "This rebellion shall die today."
Star Dusk didn't need to look up to see the blur of midnight blue to know that another of his brothers was taking up his predetermined position, nor did he need to see the other pony to know that he was looping through and around the clouds, showing off for his family on the way to doing his duty.
"For a Unicorn, he flies pretty good."
"Do all of Chrysila a favor, Emes, huh? Don't let Star Lance hear you say that—his head's big enough as it is."
Emerald sniggered.
"Okay, O' Reader of Minds—do they suspect?"
The mare, in response, closed her eyes, her horn beginning to glow so faintly that the magical energy was almost invisible. For over a full minute, the entire world around them was broken only by the sound of distant rumbles of thunder, an insignificant symbol of an approaching storm that worried none of them. At last, though, Emerald opened her eyes and shook her head.
"It's pathetic, really, how easy this is—they genuinely believe Buck is joining them."
"Well then, dear sister, let us make them regret their occupational choices."
"On your signal, El Capitan."
Star Dusk, in response, knowing that his brothers would see the signal, sent a wave of energy to his horn, causing the hardened extension of his cranium to glow first white, then red, then blue, and at last green, the prearranged signal to launch the attack.
With the convoy of ponies his undercover brother was leading having long since disappeared into the mammoth cave below, Emerald and Star Dusk, in perfect unison, disappeared in twin pops of crimson energy, reappearing on the sandy, rock shores below. Hoping that the old maps of the Palace Archives were as true today as they'd been four millennia ago, Star Dusk led his sister into the gaping maw now looming directly ahead.
As the darkness of the cave began to press in from all sides, Star Dusk continued moving forward, needing no assurance that Emerald was at his side. Neither of them lit their horns, knowing that surprise was a necessary element for their success—the light from their horn would warn their foes of intruders long before either of them could see those rebels.
For several minutes, the two ponies pressed deeper and deeper into the cave, only stopping once they reached a junction in the path ahead, lit only by a small hole from the surface. Now fearing more than ever that relying on outdated maps would be their downfall, Dusk turned left and proceeded forward, hoping to himself that he wasn't leading his younger sister to her destruction.
Three minutes later, however, his fears began to subside, the chilly, moist air now broken by the far-off sound of talking and discussion, rent with occasional cheers and jubilant sounds of pending victory. The rebel presence became even more pronounced as the darkness at last began to lift, shed, now, by the coming flickering of candles and lanterns. Once on the edge of the darkness, the pair at last paused, listening in on the conversation.
"It truly is a momentous occasion, my friends." A raspy voice exclaimed. "With General Merriweather's defeat of General Windiharsh and his Iron Legion and his defection to our glorious cause, we now have the horsepower we need to launch a major campaign against Celtic Flame and his tyrant family."
"General Windiharsh limped back ta the Imperial Palace with his tale tucked 'twix his nethers." A deep voice boomed out, Star Dusk immediately recognizing it as the voice of his brother, Country Buck. "Ah proved ta both Celtic Flame and Chrysila that he ain't as all powerful as he was made to be—a quick, hard hit now will knock 'im from his throne an' free it fer we the ponies!"
The explosion of cheers from the spy's words was deafening.
"Hang on!" Somepony else roared, silencing the celebration with instant effect. "Just how the hay do we know this 'General Merriweather' can even be trusted? What if he's just another Imperial spy?"
Star Dusk's heart lept into his throat, and it took all of his willpower, along with Emerald's cautious hoof against his chest, to keep him from leaping to his brother's aid.
"Hey yeah, I sure ain't never heard of any 'General Merriweather' either!"
"Simple fools." Buck answered, not dropping the façade for even a moment. "Mine was the Shadow Legion—we appear an' disappear without a trace: no survivors, no witnesses. Yeh reckon Celtic Flame would let us be a known part of 'is forces? Are secrecy was his greatest asset; now are numbers are yer greatest strength."
"He's right." The raspy voice agreed. "I personally witnessed his defeat of General Windiharsh—"
"Then why let the General escape? Why not do to him what the Imps have done to—"
"Ah reckon a disgraced General bathing in defeat is far greater a message ta are enemies then a dead 'un."
"Again, General Merriweather is correct; dead, Windiharsh is but a martyr to the Imperials; defeated, he's a disgrace and a symbol of our strength."
'Scary.' Emerald mused, using her telepathic powers to translate her thought to her brother, the only pony capable of telepathically communicating with the young mare.
'What's scary?'
'I've always know Buck was a master liar, but even for him this is—'
'Amazing?'
'Yes, very much so.'
'Still no mention of Celestia, or Canterlot.'
'Perhaps they've been commanded to keep the alliance with Equestria secret; Buck just joined them, after all.'
'Or perhaps there is no alliance.'
'Father seemed quite convinced.'
'Only one way to find out, either way; you ready?'
'Let's dance.'
Silent as death itself, doing or saying nothing that might give away his presence, Star Dusk took several steps to his right, putting a bit more distance between him and his telepathic sister. Ahead, he could now clearly see his disguised brother and the group of ponies with whom he was now speaking, clearly convinced of their pending victory. Now he couldn't help himself—Star Dusk allowed a smirk to cross his muzzle, his eyes now alight with glee.
This was it.
The time was now.
The past three years, this growing rebellion, nights of sleepless worry, secret fears, and wanton destruction had led them all to this very point. All of time, all of space, it'd all led them, every last one of them, to this moment.
He forced himself to calm down, forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down enough to properly prepare for what was to come next. At last, this would all be over. He could sleep at night without having to worry about waking to another surprise rebel attack. At last he, his brothers, and his sister could resume their normal lives, could put their energies towards far more meaningful tasks than suppressing some hayseed rebellion that should never have been. At last, at so very long last, he could resume his studies of—and search for—the Elements of—
A loud scream and even louder crash forced Star Dusk from his thoughts. Up ahead, the group of ponies was scattering in all four directions, rocks, boulders, and earthen debris raining down on top of them. Then the oddest of sights betook Star Dusk's attention, his heart plummeting faster than a flightless Pegasus. A black ball with gold stars, one he'd known since he'd been but a foal, bounced to the ground, rolling towards him and squeaking merrily as it came to a slow crawl, only feet away.
No. No. Not now. Not this. Not when they were so close.
Up ahead, as the dust continued to rise and collect, a blur of midnight blue rocketed down from the cavernous ceiling above, clearly out-of-control and unable to recover any resemblance of direction. That hapless pony crashed into a covered wagon, sending swords, steel helms, and wooden shields in every direction, the crashing sounds filling the ears of everypony in the cave. As panicked screams and frightened shouts began to take over the din of noise, that same crashful pony continued his (or her) destructive course, knocking over pony after pony after cart.
The pony, still not clearly visible, showed that he wasn't prepared to go down without a fight. Strong, dark blue wings, a magical creation, stretched out in a near-majestic manner, flapping towards the approaching ground below. Slowing his descent, the unfortunate object of Star Dusk's eventual wrath came into a hover, the red mask of cloth around his eyes fluttering out behind him from the force of the artificial winds he was now creating.
"Star—"
Before Star Dusk's mutter of anger could be completed, however, a blast of magical energy caught the intruder square in the side, sending him careening into a wall on the far side of the cave, colliding with a collection of pointed rocks and aged stalactites.
Terrified of what might happen next, Star Dusk could only watch as the owner of that raspy voice began barking orders, a small army of ponies moving to surround the stunned intruder, who'd already begun to fight his way back to his hooves.
"Look who we have here!" Somepony bellowed, as though he'd just won the greatest prize of his life.
"Alright." The intruder pony growled, having at last collected himself once more. "Who the neigh shot me?"
"You're surrounded, Star Lance of Chrysila." The raspy-voiced pony declared. "30 to 1. I advise you surrender."
"Seems my reputation has preceded me, then. Thirty to one, eh? That's so unfair."
"You dare—"
"Unfair to you, I mean."
Before anypony else could speak or act, the Unicorn in question blasted forth a roaring inferno of energy, scattering half of the opposing forces away from him. As the ponies behind him attacked, he reared up on his back hooves and spun around, using his two hooves, now free of supporting his bulky frame, to knock away his would be attackers.
The raspy pony, an older Earth Pony of a grey coat and white mane, appeared from nowhere, now directly behind the intruder, and with the greatest head-butt Star Dusk had ever seen knocked the hostile Unicorn to the ground. Before the magical pony could react, then, that old stallion moved forward once more, placing a hoof on the Unicorn's throat, making it clear that the fight—in the old stallion's opinion—was at last concluded.
"You are under arrest, My Lord."
"Arrest—"
"The Freed Ponies of Chrysila will now decide your fate, tyrant prince." He continued, cheers ringing out all around him as his fellows began to collect themselves from the surprise invasion.
"Where are the others?"
"Oshers?" Star Lance gargled. "Wash oshers?"
"Don't play fool with me, colt." The old pony wheezed. "Everypony knows that where one of you go, the other five are right behind."
Star Dusk sighed. Their surprise was gone. Even though Star Lance could withstand the greatest of torture, the older pony was right—everypony in Chrysila knew that they never operated separately for too long.
He took a deep breath.
"ATTACK!"
Fitting words to action, Star Dusk moved forward, taking aim at the old pony now holding his brother hostage. A blast of green energy rocketed forth from the lead Unicorn's horn, streaking out with the fury of a hundred suns and striking the aged pony square in the side, identical to how his target had attacked Star Lance. With a grunt of pain escaping his muzzle, the old stallion was helpless to defend himself as he slammed into another covered wagon, the force of the impact collapsing the thing on top of him.
Around him, more shots of magic lashed out, each attack finding its mark perfectly on target. As his sister and brothers revealed themselves at last, the rebels began putting up as much of a fight as they could possibly muster. Emerald came striding in from his left, calmly, almost leisurely, firing off attack after attack.
To their left, a small, yellow Unicorn had joined the fray. However, unlike his allies, this particular pony had yet to fire off a single attack. Rather, he almost appeared to be nervously dodging any confrontation. Looking to his right, Star Dusk, pausing briefly in the battle, looked off to his right, but found no sign of his final brother, which meant either the pony had gotten distracted, or else engaged, leaving a potential avenue of escape for the rebel ponies.
Star Lance, meanwhile, had moved into a hovering position well above the battle, dishing out attack after attack, each shot finding its mark and shortening the number of enemies facing the fighting family.
Star Lance, despite his ferocity, never saw the Unicorn taking up an ambush position on the cliff behind him, nor did he realize that he was said Unicorn's target—not until a blast of blue magic had slammed into his flank and knocked him head-first into the ground below.
The attacker, sensing his chance, jumped down, now stalking Star Lance as though he might be a predator about to be delivered a tasty lunch treat. Star Lance, despite his strength and ferocity in combat, was prone, momentarily stunned and now no longer a match for his foe.
Before that attacker could capitalize on his good fortune, however, the yellow Unicorn not yet joined had appeared suddenly behind that other Unicorn, in a prime position to attack. However, the silver-maned Unicorn never attacked.
"Umm—excuse me." The yellow stallion spoke with a soft voice, his pink eyes hidden behind the locks of his silver mane. "I a-apologize for in-interrupting, s-sir, but I w-was wondering if maybe—if maybe I could kick y-your butt a-and protect m-my b-brother."
"What?" The Unicorn asked, distracted as he turned to face Tearbox, the youngest of Star Dusk's siblings.
"I d-don't want to—to hurt anypony if I d-don't—"
"What kind of joke are you?"
"I-I'm sorry—"
Before Tearbox could finish his sentence, however, Star Lance had found his new wind and with a thunderous roar of anger, the largest blast of the battle thus far rocketed forth from the Unicorn's horn, blasting both Tearbox and his would-be foe with every ounce of strength he could muster.
"TEARBOX!"
Emerald's scream of horror was unlike anything Star Dusk had ever before heard from his sister. The battle around them paused, momentarily, as Star Dusk watched, helpless, as Tearbox sailed through the air, a pit of spiky rocks and stones directly under his projected landing zone. Star Dusk wanted to close his eyes, too far to help his endangered brother. However, he didn't—if his brother was to die, he owed him that much to watch—
And then he was safe. A new sound—the sound of genuine laughter—filled the cave as a blur of blue and pink appeared directly below Tearbox's prone form, grabbing the Unicorn and plucking him from certain doom.
"THIS IS FUN!" The blue Unicorn, at last making his appearance in the fight, laughed, spilling his brother safely onto the dirt below. A Pegasus, having witnessed the newcomer's timely arrival, perhaps angry that Tearbox had survived, charged the newcomer, diving in a powerful attack.
Cotton Candy, his sapphire mane bouncing up and down like the pony himself, only laughed more, bouncing impossibly high on the pink pogo stick he'd long since cherished. The trajectory of his bounce took him high through the air and above his would-be assailant. The Pegasus, having not realized the new danger, overshot, unable to compensate for Cotton Candy's wild movements. Realizing his opening, Cotton Candy dismounted his ride, jumping down on top of the larger Unicorn. Still laughing, he lowered his head, his horn now touching the pony's back. The coming blast of magic buried the pony through the dirt below. Having never stopped laughing, Cotton Candy bounced atop the motionless form of the unconscious pony until it had fully grounded into the dirt. With the ride over, he now jumped up and remounted the pogo stick that had just now collided with the ground, using their combined momentum to bounce back up.
"EVERYWHERE I GO, EVERYWHERE I GO, PONIES WANNA KNOW!" Cotton Candy sang happily, dodging attack after attack. "PONIES WANNA KNOW! WHAT I WANT! WHAT I WANT!" Another trio of attacks just narrowly missed the bouncing Unicorn, to which Cotton Candy answered with his own, more targeted shots, disabling all three attackers. "AND SO I TELL THEM! SO I TELL THEM! I WANT CANDY!"
He let loose another flurry of shots, another half-dozen ponies now hitting the dirt.
"I WANT CANDY! YUMMY YUMMY CANDY! WHO! HAH! WHO! HAH!"
"ENOUGH!" A deep voice bellowed, immediately ending all conflict.
"You had a decent plan." The raspy voice wheezed, at last digging himself from the pile of rubble Star Dusk had buried him under. "But you made a tragic mistake."
"Psssht." Star Lance responded with a snort. "I never make mistakes."
"My brother may be arrogant, but he has a point."
"Oh?"
"You know who I am?" Star Dusk asked.
"You know well we do."
"Then you know that I am a tactical master. You know I always have a plan, and enough contingency plans to ensure I never fail. You know we can't be defeated, not when we work together, as one team."
"And yet we hold all the cards. General Merriweather."
"Hmmm?"
"I believe it's time to send a more permanent message to Celtic Flame."
"Yep."
"Deploy your ponies."
"Yeh heard 'im, my little ponies."
The army accompanying the undercover stallion began to assemble around the parameter of the cave, taking aim at what appeared to be the five ponies assembling in the center.
"Hang on—"
"General, you may fire when read—"
"There's only five—"
"ATTACK!" Country Buck bellowed, and immediately his forces did exactly as ordered, and in only moments, the fighting was at last over, and their victory was total.
"Merriweather, you traitor!" One pony roared in anger.
"The only traitor 'round here, Ah reckon, is you."
"Checkmate." Star Dusk laughed, looking for his brothers and sisters. "Search these caves and bring me anything you find."
Over the course of the next hour, Star Dusk remained where he was, watching as royal forces continued rounding up the ponies, separating them into three groups on merit of their race: the Earth Ponies were to his left, the Pegasi to his right, and the Unicorns kept directly between them. Once the roundup was complete, his brothers and Emerald still conducting their search, Star Dusk decided the time had come to move forward.
"I'm tired and I demand answers." He announced, motioning with a hoof towards the old stallion who'd nearly defeated Star Lance. "Bring him to me."
"I'm surprised you're brave enough to get your hooves dirty yourself, you cowardly Saleem'Do."
"Who's supporting this failed rebellion?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, colt."
"Is it Equestria? Is Celestia backing your plot to overthrow my father? Is she the one wanting the crown for herself?"
"You truly are paranoid—"
"You will answer my question."
"Not on my life."
Star Dusk closed his eyes, stretching out with his mind. He imagined a tendril of energy connecting him with his target, surrounding and penetrating his mind.
"You will answer my questions."
"I—I will—"
He tried again. "You will answer my questions, and you will answer them—NOW!"
"I—I-will—I will laugh as you realize my mind is too powerful for you to manipulate, foal."
Star Dusk, however, merely smiled. "Good, this is good, yes. I do so love a challenge, after all."
"I—"
"You're right, of course: my powers cannot affect one who is strong of mind, and your mind is too old, too strong, for me to crack, not without sufficient time."
"Then—"
Star Dusk, in turn, closed his eyes, allowing his senses to stretch out and cover the entire cave. Almost immediately, his answer presented itself. He pointed his hoof once more, this time towards a small Unicorn, a mere foal who was looking on with absolute horror.
"Her."
"My liege?"
"Bring her to me."
Two muscular Unicorns grabbed the young pony and forced her to Star Dusk.
"This is your grandfather, yes?"
Terrified, nearly paralyzed, the young foal nodded her head.
"Your emotions are strong, young one: I can sense them well."
"I—"
Before she could finish, Star Dusk turned around and a blast of violet lightning rocketed forth from his horn, ripping into the old stallion as his agonized screams began to rent the air. As his screams got louder Star Dusk intensified his power, strengthening the torturous effect of his latest attack. The foal, in turn, was now in tears.
"Please stop. PLEASE!"
"You truly want me to stop?"
"Yes! PLEASE!"
Star Dusk complied, smiling as he turned towards the lass again. "I am going to do that to everypony here, and I will not stop until I learn what I need to know."
"Please, you can't—"
"You can stop me."
"I—I can?"
"Indeed." Star Dusk's horn began to glow, and out of nothing appeared a large, black sword.
"Take it."
"Huh?"
"Take it." He repeated, and with a glow of pink energy, the young Unicorn did as told.
"Stab him."
"NO!" The old stallion bellowed, beset by grief and fear. "She's but a youngling, you can't—"
"I am the crown prince of Chrysila." Star Dusk countered. "I can do whatever I want."
"Please, I'm begging you—"
"I don't want to—"
"Of course you do, my dear." Star Dusk revealed, turning his attention back towards the young foal. "He's angered you before. All the candy he's denied you—"
"CANDY?!" A hyper voice roared from deep in the caves. "WHERE?!"
"All the times he's told you know. Remember your anger at him. Accept that anger, love that anger. Allow it to fill you up. Become that anger."
His horn became momentarily surrounded by an aura of crimson energy, and then that aura disappeared. Immediately afterwards, the pony's light blue eyes glowed red, only for a moment, and then blade began to dive slowly towards the stallion.
"Please, she's only a youngling—let her go—DON'T DO THIS!"
"Then tell me what I want to know."
"Fine, yes, I'll do it!" He roared. "Just don't do this, not to her."
"Is Princess Celestia aiding your rebellion?"
"No. We've had no contact with Equestria."
"Are you sure? Our Emperor seems exceptionally convinced otherwise."
"I'm telling the truth—"
"I don't believe you."
"I swear by—"
The cold steel of the blade's tip reached the fur of his neck.
"Tell me the truth, or you will die, by the foal's hooves. Your last visions will be of your grandfoal's first coldblooded murder."
"First?"
"I will train her as my apprentice, and she will personally ensure no one ever challenges Lord Celtic Flame again."
"YOU CAN'T!"
The blade dug home, and his life's blood began to spill out, a sickening gargling sound his final words as the foal finished her job.
A look of mortified terror crossed her muzzle, yet, deep down, the prince could also sense the first edges of joy. He'd been playing about taking her as an apprentice, and yet—"
A flash of energy erupted from his horn, rendering the foal unconscious. Perhaps another time. She'd outlasted her usefulness.
"That was cold." Emerald observed. "Even for you."
"It was effective. I believe he might have been telling us the truth."
"Or he could have been lying."
He turned to his sister, who then offered him a rolled scroll, bound together by a red ribbon, which in turn was connected by a golden seal, bearing an elegant seal.
"What's this?"
"Look closer, at the seal."
His eyes narrowed. "Celestia."
"Read it."
Star Dusk used his magic to take the scroll from his sister, pulling the ribbon off of the scroll's end and then opening the letter.
"My faithful subjects," He began, reading the scroll aloud for all to hear. "I am pleased to hear of the progress you've made in your rebellion against Emperor Celtic Flame; your years of patience and torment are at last yielding fruit. However, you must proceed with caution: the road ahead is not an easy one; my support of your great endeavors must remain a secret—should Celtic Flame find out that Equestria has aided you in this rebellion, he would not only be able to counter my assistance but would also have fuel for any future plans to invade Equestria—as Equestria's sole monarch, I would be too consumed by stopping him to further aid you, even if I could.
"The road ahead is a long one, not without its difficulties and dangers. Yet, take heart, my little ponies: you are closer to a free Chrysila than anypony else has ever come. I believe in you each, and all of Equestria stands behind you, ready to bath in ultimate, final success."
He stopped reading, now using his magic to roll the scroll up once more and slide the red ribbon back over it, handing it to his sister for safekeeping once more.
"Father should be exceptionally happy." She remarked, taking the thing. "But of course, he'll give me my wildest dream as reward for a job well done."
"So it would seem." He agreed, his mind still comprehending what he'd just read. He'd held out hope that Celestia's involvement was but a figment of his father's imagination, that they'd find nothing to support such a bold accusation. Yet, the scroll had been here, foolishly left out for anypony to find—if he didn't know any better, he'd even say that finding the scroll had been planned. Then again, he mused, it might well have been—the fates worked in a manner most odd.
"Captain!" He roared, forcing his mind back to the present.
"My liege?"
"March the prisoners to the palace—my father will decide their fate."
"As you order, so shall it be done, mi'lord."
"They will march, Captain; you understand this. No magic to aid them, no flying for the Pegasi, no, sir: they will walk."
"And if they refuse?"
"Leave them for the buzzards."
"As you order, so shall it be done, mi'lord."
As he and his family watched the royal guard ponies begin rounding up the beaten traitors, Star Dusk couldn't help but feel a mixture of triumphant joy mixed with a saddened loss. The rebellion was now effectively over. Anypony that might have escaped would surely see this and would elect to be smart and live out the remainder of their traitorous ways in peace: everything the rebels had worked so hard to achieve would have crumpled to dust here this day. At long last, the conflict was over; no more nights of stalking rebels through the southern forests, or freezing on the western glaciers, or drowning in the northern rains while trying to avoid rebel ambushes. At last, it was truly over, this upstart rebellion.
But now what? Their training in the magical arts was over, cut short by warfare with the rebels. Yet, that combat state had taught them more than their training alone would have, otherwise. Would they be allowed to enjoy the peace they'd struggled to create, to have fun and be themselves once more?
No. Star Dusk already knew the answer to that. There would be no lasting peace, not for him, nor for his brothers and sister. Not after today, after what he'd read on that Equestrian Scroll. Now Celtic Flame had the perfect evidence he needed, just the excuse that would allow him to invade Equestria. Even after his last attempt, even after they'd failed before, Celtic Flame would sacrifice even more in another bid to get the one thing he'd always desired. The Emperor of Chrysila would sit on the throne in Canterlot as well, or he (and his family) would die trying. Star Dusk sighed again; that seemed to be their ultimate fate, and all he could do was hope that he, Star Lance, Emerald, Country Buck, Cotton Candy, and Tearbox were good enough to ensure they could at least ensure they succeeded. Their own fates had never truly been their own, not in their father's world, and they would never be.
"OH YEAH!" A loud voice exploded behind him. "WE PUT DOWN THE REBELLION, YOU GUYS! WE ARE AWESOME!"
And then a sea of pent up anger and frustration boiled over inside of Star Dusk, and suddenly he found he was unable to control it.
"Of course," Star Lance added as an afterthought. "None of you were as awesome or amazing as me, but hey, one perfect Unicorn in Chrysila is more than enough. I mean, did you see when I loop de' looped around and caught that one stallion—"
"Did you enjoy yourself?" Star Dusk asked calmly, not looking up.
"Duh! I totally enjoyed myself. I kicked some serious bu—WHOA!"
Star Dusk, giving into his anger and frustration, had spun around, another beam of crimson magic had exploded forth from his horn, lashing out and blasting his unaware brother across the cave and into a towering formation of rocks.
"Star Dusk, whatever are you—"
Ignoring Emerald's outrage, Star Dusk disappeared in a pop of red energy, reappearing instantly to stand directly over his recovering target.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Lance. No, I—I really am. Because while you were having fun, your stupidity endangered our brother! You idiotic fool! Instead of taking up your position like we planned, you were flying around having fun!"
"I—"
"And on top of that, you nearly got yourself killed!"
"We WON, or did you forget that with that stick up your—"
"Can't the two of you calm down?" Emerald shrieked, outraged at the anger between her two brothers. "We're—"
"SHUT UP EMES!" Star Dusk and Star Lance bellowed in unison.
"Really now, there's no call for such rudeness. So uncouth, the lot of you."
"We had a plan, a fairly simply plan, I must admit—then again, given who I'm talking to, I should have known even the simplest of strategies would drown your simpleton brain."
"I—"
"What happened, Star Lance, huh? Why did you have to ruin even our easiest attack plan? Were you bored? Or perhaps you wanted some glory for yourself. I know Emerald's the greedy one, but still—"
"I—I couldn't—"
"You couldn't follow orders. Yes, I know—you never follow orders."
"Not that, it's that…" His sentenced trailed off, becoming nothing but incomprehensible murmuring.
"What?"
Again, nothing but murmuring.
"Blast it, Star Lance, if you're not going to talk so that we can understand I don't see why you need a tongue—want me to free you of it?"
"I COULDN'T CONTROL OF MY MAGIC! GEESH! YOU HAPPY NOW! A ROCK FELL AND HIT ME WHILE I WAS FLYING INTO THE CAVE, AND I LOST CONTROL. THERE! HAPPY, NOW THAT YOU'VE EMB—"
"I've told you before, Star Lance, you DON'T NEED TO FLY! You're a Unicorn, not a Pegasus. If you needed to fly you'd have been born with wings, not a horn!"
"But flying's what I'm good at—well, everything is what I'm good at, but that's be—"
"If you're good at everything then why can't you even follow orders?"
"I—"
"No. I don't want to hear it. I'm done."
"What?"
"I'm done. I genuinely hope you enjoyed this day, Star Lance, because until I decide different you'll be accompanying us on no more missions."
"SAYS WHO?!"
"Says me."
"And who's going to stop me if I decide to go anyways? You?"
"Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe it is."
"Then bring it, little brother—"
"By three minutes!"
"But I do hope you've completed your will—"
An angry neigh silenced the argument immediately. Before either of them could continue the escalation of the coming fight, Country Buck's massive, light brown form had appeared between them, the referee to break up the unruly argument.
"So uncivilized." Emerald muttered. "Why, you're frightening poor Tearbox here to death. Perhaps you should start caring for other ponies besides yourselves. Now, if you're both quite done pretending to be married, perhaps it's time we—and by we, I mean me—get this scroll back to father and tell him of the good news."
Star Dusk growled, turning from his brother. "Let's go home."
And with that he turned, disappearing once more in a puff of red magical energy.
So, folks, thoughts? Leave a review and let me know, and I'll see you all here next week!
