Chapter 11: Thy kingdom come...
Josh sat at the diner with Dash. They had been dating for two months now, and their feelings were, as Celestia said, strong enough to be felt from The Griffon kingdom. Josh sat as Dash told him about how she meet the Wonderbolts, her favorite Pegasus group, the other day.
Josh, however, had other things on his mind. He was in his pony form, and he had his hoof in his saddle bag, debating on whether or not to ask her. The object he was so worked up about was a small wooden box. Anypony would have seen the obvious signs of what he was thinking. That is, except for Dash, who continued her rant.
Just when he was about to get down on one knee, (Or two, however that works) their friends burst into the restraunt. They looked upset.
"We need to get to Canterlot! Now!" Twilight shouted.
"What's going on?" Dash and Josh asked.
"The Changelings are attacking. It's their entire army!" Rarity explained loudly.
"We need ta get there so we can help." Applejack said.
"Alright." Josh sighed as he tapped his hoof on the table. The entire group appeared in front of Canterlot Castle. As they began to run in, Josh placed a hoof on Dash's shoulder.
"There's something I need to ask you." Dash smiled at him.
"Ask me after we save Canterlot." She answered, still not realizing what his question was. They continued in. Josh walked with his head down in disapointment. Spike noticed this.
"Things not going good with Dash?" He asked.
"Things are great. It's just... I invited her on a romantic date, and all she talked about was the Wonderbolts. I tried to ask her a question, but you guys ran in. I tried to ask her again, but she told me to wait." Josh said.
"What were you going to ask her?" Spike inquired. Josh showed him the contents of the small box.
"Whoa. You sure you ready for that?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"Well, goodluck then."
"Thanks."
"Hey, how is your project going?"
"He's almost ready." Josh smiled slightly. Soon, one friend would return from the dead.
/
They met Princess Celestia in the war room, which had a large table with a map of Canterlot, and a larger map of Equestria. The Princess was looking at the table, worried. One thing was missing, though: Princess Luna.
"Where is Luna?" Josh asked. Celestia looked up, and they could see the tear stains in her eyes.
"I fear that she has been captured by Queen Chrysalis." She cried. The Mane 6, as Josh now knew the Element bearers were called, began to comfort her.
A tired looking Royal Guard galloped into the room, and moved up the red markers on the map. The Changelings were getting closer to the castle. As the guard began to leave, Josh stopped him.
"What's your name, soldier?" He asked.
"Wilson, sir." The yellow unicorn answered.
"What is the situation out there?"
"We didn't have enough guards to repel the attack."
"Why the hell not? I've seen plenty of them around here." Josh asked suspiciously.
"Princess Celestia gave the majority of the Royal Guards the day off. The area of the city where they live was the first attacked." Wilson sighed.
"... Alright. Get going. They need you out there." He nodded. "Oh and Wilson. You're parents believed in humans, didn't they."
"You have no idea." Wilson smiled slightly, then galloped back to the battlefield. Josh turned to the Princess.
"Princess, We need to concentrate our efforts into the center of the city. Most of the civilians are already there." Josh said, looking over the map.
"N-no." Celestia replied. He turned to her.
"What?"
"I said no! We will fall back to Ponyville. This city is lost." Celestia said.
"With all due respect, Princess, there is-"
"I said we will fall back to Ponyville, and that is what we're going to do." She demanded. Josh was about to retort, when an idea came to his mind. When Wilson reentered the room, Josh spoke up.
"Give the order, we're closing up shop." Josh said.
"Sir?" Wilson asked, confused.
"We're about to get hit. Hard." Wilson nodded, wrote a quick letter, then sent it. He got a reply as Josh turned into his human form.
"Squad leaders are requesting a rally point. Where should they go?" Wilson asked. Josh drew his side arm, the only weapon he had that still had ammo.
"To war." He said, pulling back the slide. As he walked out of the room, Wilson looked to the Princess.
"To Ponyville." She ordered. Wilson nodded and sent the reply.
/
"We are being followed." Wilson told Josh. Josh turned and saw the Changelings pursuing the Canterlot convoy.
"Keep going. Ponyville isn't far." Wilson shouted the order, and the group began to pick up the pace. Dash walked up to Josh.
"So... what it that you wanted to ask me?" She asked. Josh was about to reply when a Royal Guard scout, a pegasus named Vigilant Eye, landed close by. Josh facepalmed.
"It's a trap." He panted.
"What do you mean?" Josh inquired.
"The Changelings are on all sides of Ponyville."
"Well... crap." Josh said. "We have to fight them off. Spread the word."
"Yes sir."
/
"What should we do, Scootaloo?" Sweetiebelle, Rarity's little sister, asked.
"I...I..." Scootaloo, a small pegasus, stammered.
"We need ta do something!" Applebloom, Applejack's little sister said. These three fillies formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They tried everything they could come up with to find their talent, but now they hid in an alley, trying to stay out of sight of the Changelings.
"We can't let them find us." Sweetiebelle said. Before either of the other girls could reply, they heard an insect-like laugh from above. Several Changelings flew down and trapped them in the dead-end alley.
"We already have." A Changeling laughed.
/
"Come on, Fluttershy!" Dash grumbled, pulling on the shy pegasus's tail.
"No! We can't! They'll get us!" She cried.
"Dash, she's right. We can't go out. We don't have our elements and we are out numbered. We have to hope that Celestia and Josh can save us." Twilight sighed. They were in what was left of the Library. Sadly, it had been ransacked by the Changelings.
"We can't sit here an do nothing!" Applejack yelled. "What about Applebloom?" She began crying.
"I hope Sweetiebelle is okay." Rarity said softly with tears in hert eyes.
"I'm worried about my biggest fan, but until we know where they are, we can't do a thing." Dash said.
"It's all up the Josh and Celestia now." Twilight spoke, looking out the window towards the town.
/
"Princess! We need to fall back and reinforce our lines." Josh yelled before squeezzing of a few rounds. The Changelings just kept coming.
"No. We stay." She said firmly.
"At least send someponies to get help." He pleaded.
"No. We go, we risk everything. We stay, we might have a chance." She replied. Josh had an idea, albiet a crazy one. He fired the remainder of his clip, then turned and sprinted towards Sweet Apple Acres.
"Where is he going?" Wilson asked.
"He is abandoning us." Celestia said without emotion. Wilson didn't believe it. He nodded to Vigilant Eye, and they both returned to battle.
/
Josh opened the barn doors, revealing a computer terminal, salvaged from the dropship, and his VTOL. He flipped the power switch on the terminal, and a distorted hologram of a Roman soldier appeared.
"Greeting C-c-captain." Leonidas stuttered.
"Leonidas, I have one last mission for you."
"O-o-of course."
/
After sending Leonidas away, Josh focused on the field he had first landed at. A portal opened, showing a now aged Cameron at his desk.
"Cameron." Josh said, getting his friend's attention. "I have a plan, but I need your help."
"What is it, my friend?" Josh smiled. This was going to be good.
/
Wilson and Vigilant Eye fought wave after wave of Changelings, but more still came. Dust Storm even bucked one in an unpleasant place. Most of the Royal Guards had fallen, and less than ten still stood. Just when it seemed hopeless, a VTOL, which was easlily recognized as Josh's, flew over, strafing the enemy lines with its twin miniguns.
The Guards cheered in victory. But, they were cut short when a Changeling General shot a magical blast at the jet, hitting it and sending it plummeting to earth. The flaming wreckage slammed into a mountain, and the battle resumed.
/
The Mane 6 had seen this, and Dash had broken down crying. Twilight had cast a spell that allowed them to see outside the Library. Their attention was captured by a whistling noise, followed by a burst of light.
On top of the large hill to the west, stood the turning point of the battle.