Chapter 10: Ready, Aim, Fire Part 1: Twilight Velvet
"You, Christian!" Chrysalis shouted. "Halt in the name of King Sombra!"
Twilight Velvet sped away from several of Chrysalis's guards as they pursued her. She looked up and noticed a statue. Seeing gray paint on the ground, Twilight Velvet quickly rubbed it all over herself and stood by the statue to make it seem like she was part of it. When Chrysalis investigated, Twilight Velvet stepped on Chrysalis' head, knocking her down, as she rushed off.
"After her!" Chrysalis shouted.
()()()()()
At the house, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were up a tree wearing leaves to blend in as Twilight observed them.
"I love climbing trees, but I never thought I'd be one." Fluttershy said. "Not that I don't like this."
"You missed a spot, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk as he plucked a leaf from the tree and put it on Fluttershy's mouth.
"Rainbow Dash, any sign of the courier?" Twilight asked.
"Not yet." Rainbow Dash said plainly.
"Well keep looking." Twilight said plainly. "And fix your camouflage. I can still see you."
Twilight then turned to Applejack, who had grown a few inches.
"Applejack, why aren't you in position?!" Twilight snapped at Applejack as she rushed to the opposite sight of her position with bows and arrows.
"I'm goin'!" Applejack groaned. "Don't get your tail in a bunch!"
"How am I supposed to work with a bunch of amateurs like this?!" Twilight asked Celestia, Luna, and Applebloom angrily.
"What's wrong with Twilight Sparkle, Celestia?" Applebloom asked. Twilight seemed a lot snippier than usual.
"Well Applebloom, the courier we're waiting for is Twilight Sparkle's mother, Twilight Velvet." Celestia explained.
"She's a freedom fighter, and a Story Keeper for Manehattan, and Twilight wants to make a good impression." Luna explained.
"Here she comes!" Fluttershy shouted from the tree.
"Positions everypony!" Twilight said at once as everyone prepared to defend themselves and Twilight Velvet.
An'ya, a gray mare with a purple mane with white streaks with blue eyes, rushed to their position, chased by several guards.
"She's not gonna make it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"I'll activate the emergency barricade!" Twilight shouted as she fired a magical at a bundle of barrels, but she instead hit a wall.
Working quickly, Celestia fired her own magical blast and cut the rope herself, releasing several barrels that blocked the soldiers' path.
"You Christians can't escape King Sombra's justice forever!" Chrysalis shouted as she slipped and fell while the others hid.
()()()()()
Inside the house, Celestia hugged her old friend, Twilight Velvet.
"Twilight Velvet." Celestia said with a smile.
"We're so glad to have you with us." Luna said happily.
"Not as glad as I am, Luna." Twilight Velvet said, catching her breath after her extended chase. "For a moment there, I didn't think I'd make it. Now, where's that daughter of mine?"
Celestia went to check and found Twilight firing magical blasts at a sand bag with a bulls-eye on it.
"Twilight, don't you wanna see your mother?" Celestia asked.
"I can't believe I missed that shot." Twilight groaned. "She's going to be so disappointed."
"Everyone misses a shot now and then." Celestia points out.
"You don't understand, Celestia." Twilight sighed. "Mom and Dad were the best leaders the Manehattan Resistance ever had. They'd never have missed."
"There you are!" Twilight Velvet called out as she came over to them with Applebloom. "Twilight!"
"Mom, watch this!" Twilight shouted as she hit a tree. "I don't understand!" Twilight said angrily. "This never happens!"
"Well, you hit the mark when it counted." Twilight Velvet said comfortingly. "You saved my butt back there."
"I thought Celestia hit the tar-" Applebloom began to say before Celestia quickly covered her mouth.
Twilight Velvet then looked Twilight over and smiled.
"You're still just like your father, God rest his soul." Twilight Velvet said, and Celestia had to agree with her. "I also bet you're every bit the leader he was too. That reminds me, I have something for you."
Twilight Velvet reached into her pouch and held up a necklace with the symbol of the family crest on it.
"Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough." Twilight Velvet said. "Our family crest."
Twilight put the necklace on.
"Thanks Mom." Twilight said with a smile. "I promise I'll be worthy of it."
"Mrs. Sparkle did you and Twilight's dad really lead an uprising in Fillydelphia?" Rainbow Dash asked as she suddenly popped up.
"Did you really defeat an entire garrison of Sombra's troops?" Fluttershy asked as well.
"Tell us 'bout the freedom fights in Manehattan!" Applejack called out.
"That's enough!" Twilight snapped. "Mom doesn't have time to entertain a bunch of children!"
"Well of course I do." Twilight Velvet said with a smile at Celestia's young charges. "Twilight, you remember the way Jesus said we should treat foals?"
"What?" Applebloom asked. "What did he say?"
"Well Applebloom," Twilight Velvet said as she sat down and let the kids gather around her. "One day, Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem. It had been a long, hard journey. The disciples had become irritable and were quarreling with one another.
"During a stop and meal at a welcoming house, Jesus asked, 'What were you arguing about earlier?'
"As it turned out, they had been arguing about which one of them was the most important.
"In response to this, Jesus picked up a young colt that giggled, and Jesus said, 'I have already told you that my kingdom belongs to ponies who are like this foal.'
"The disciples knew how important foals were to Jesus because of something that had happened on another occasion. Jesus was teaching as the disciples tried to keep the foals out.
"Noticing this, Jesus said, 'Let the colts and fillies come to me. Don't stop them. Anyone who does not accept God's kingdom like a little colt or filly will not get inside.'
"So you see, Twilight Sparkle, Jesus holds foals in very high regards."
"As do I, Mother." Twilight said grandly. "What good is a leader without followers? Alright everyone, break time's over. Attention!"
All the foals stood erect.
"It's time to show Mom how efficiently we can set up for tonight's meeting. Move out!"
All the foals walked off.
"You know Twilight Velvet, I think Twilight might have missed the point of your story." Celestia observed as Twilight ordered the foals around like an army sergeant.
"I think you're right." Twilight Velvet said plainly.
()()()()()
At Sombra's palace, he was observing a model of Ponyville as Cadence watched in silent disgust.
"Now let's see…" Sombra pondered. "Where shall I build my new Pantheon? Try to the south, Gilda!"
Gilda picked up the model of the pantheon and walked off as Chrysalis arrived.
"Hail, King Sombra!" Sombra called out.
"Ah, Chrysalis." Sombra said offhandedly. "I understand you lost another Christian courier in the market district."
"King Sombra," Chrysalis defended. "The district is riddled with secret passages and tunnels. It's impossible to accurately patrol… So what if we burned it to the ground?"
"Hm…" Sombra observed. "That would provide a perfect spot for my pantheon. Don't just stand there, Gilda!"
"But King Sombra, a fire in the market district could kill hundreds of ponies!" Cadence protested.
"Wonderful." Sombra said with a wicked grin, which after becoming a Christian, Cadence noticed more and more. "Chrysalis, have you a plan?"
"As a matter of fact," Chrysalis said as he held up the model of a huge canon. "I call it, The Wrath of Sombra."
"Impressive." Sombra observed as he put a small charge in there and fired at the model of the market district, setting half the thing ablaze. "Most impressive."
Cadence quietly slid over to a servant friend of hers, Pinkie Pie and knelt down low to avoid being heard.
"You must get word to Celestia." Cadence whispered. "She's holding a meeting tonight in the market district. I'll do what I can to stall Chrysalis, now go."
Pinkie nodded and sneaked off, Sombra absorbed in the simulation of the market district burning to the ground. Sombra sickened her to her very core these days.
Uh-oh. It's never good when Sombra's happy.