RECAP: In my last story, FATHERS AND SONS, Slagar the fox kidnapped the Cutie Mark Crusaders and a bunch of students from the School of Friendship. Twilight and the rest of the Mane 6 went on a journey to get them back. In the end, they managed to rescue all of them, except for Gallus the griffon, who died. Now they are returning home to Ponyville…
It was after nightfall when, wet and tired, the travelers at last came back to Ponyville.
"Well, here we are again," said Fluttershy. "It seems almost like a dream that has slowly faded."
"Not to me," said Twilight Sparkle. "To me it feels more like falling asleep again."
The town was strangely quiet. "Something feels weird," said Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, where are all the townsponies?" Silverstream the hippogriff wondered.
"You've hit the nail right on the head," said Applejack. "There ain't a sign o' hide nor hoof of anypony."
"Maybe they're all sleeping!" Pinkie Pie suggested.
Twilight shook her head. "There's not a light on anywhere. Something fishy is going on."
When they got to the town square, they were ambushed! A bunch of weasels, with a scattering of ferrets and stoats, stepped out from the side streets and fanned out in a circle, surrounding the Equestrians.
"What d'you think you're doing here?" said the weasel leader, whose name was Fengal.
Twilight looked at him slowly. "I was just going to ask you that," she said. "What are weasels from Mossflower doing in Ponyville?"
"This is our country now," said Fengal. "At 'em, lads! Let 'em have it!"
With a long knife in his left paw and a club in the other he made a rush at Twilight. But she was ready for him. She spitted him on her horn and he fell dead.
That was enough for the other vermin. They ran away, but they headed straight for Twilight's castle!
"They're goin' in yore house, Twilight!" Apple Bloom cried in dismay.
"Who are they?" Sweetie Belle wondered.
"They're dressed similarly to the ruffians in Slagar's gang," said Rarity, who always took notice of people's clothes.
"Well, there's only one way to find out what's going on," said Twilight. She went up to the castle and knocked on the door.
The door opened. Standing in the entrance hallway were Queen Chrysalis and General Ironbeak, an evil raven who Twilight had met in the northern mountains in my story THE BITE OF ASMODEUS.
"Where d'you think you're going?" said Chrysalis. "There's no road for you any further."
"Garn, what did I say?" said Ironbeak. "I told you it was no good trusting those earthcrawlers. Some of my birds ought to have taken the guard duty."
"What are you two doing in my house?" Twilight demanded.
Chrysalis smiled evilly. "I'm glad you asked that. You see, we were working hoof in glove with Slagar this whole time. We waited for him to kidnap your friends. Then, when you went after them, Ironbeak and I swooped in with our soldiers and took over. That way, even if you rescued the children, you would still lose your town!"
Rainbow Dash flew over and landed next to Twilight. "What did you do with all the other ponies?"
"Oh, there's no need to get your feathers in an uproar," said Chrysalis. "They're perfectly safe. They're having a nice peaceful sleep in this very castle, in soft warm cocoons."
"What do you want of us?" Twilight asked.
"Complete surrender," Ironbeak replied.
Twilight shook her head. "Impossible."
"Nothing is impossible if you hold dear the lives of your friends," the general pointed out. "Look up."
Twilight looked up at the balcony. Two of General Ironbeak's birds were up there, holding Twilight's friend Starlight Glimmer in their talons. They were fixing to drop her over.
"High, isn't it?" General Ironbeak preened his wing feathers as he spoke. "Imagine if she fell. There wouldn't be much left to tell the tale when she hit the ground."
"Why don't you all just come along quietly?" said Chrysalis. "There's a cocoon in here with your name on it, Twilight Sparkle."
She lunged at Twilight but Twilight knocked her back with a spell. More birds came flying out of the windows, and more weasels came pouring around the building from out of the back door. There were too many for Twilight and her friends to fight.
"Come on, everypony!" Pinkie Pie yelled. "Let's make a run for it!"
The friends had no choice but to turn and flee. "That's right, run before you're whipped!" Ironbeak cackled. "This country wants waking up and setting to rights, and we're the ones who are going to do it!"
Twilight and the others headed for the School of Friendship, the second largest building in town. They made it inside before the vermin got them, and they barred all the doors.
"Looks like we're safe in here fer now," said Applejack.
Fluttershy was staggered. "Of all the ends to our journey, this is the very last I should have thought of. I didn't expect to have to fight another battle as soon as we got home."
"We can beat them," said Scootaloo. "Ponyville isn't conquered that easily."
"But they have Starlight as a hostage," said Twilight. "If we make a wrong move, they'll kill her."
"I don't think they will," said Rainbow Dash. "If they did, they'd lose their bargaining chip."
"Well, we've gotta come up with a plan to save her," said Twilight. "And everypony else."