Equestrian Slaughterhouse

Chapters

From Horror to Reality
The Walls Come Crashing Down
A Final Stand And a Final Offer
Epilogue: Revenge and Obliteration

From Horror to Reality

“So, now what?”
That was a great question. One Rainbow Dash couldn’t answer. The Rainbow Factory had been a success through and through. No one yet knew about the twisted horrors hidden behind the vague cover of Cloudsdale. Delightful. But what could be done now? Was there a second step? A higher goal? Rainbow quickly brushed the intertwining thoughts aside and sharply turned to face the blue pegasi before her. Blue Bun stared back, unsure of her answer.

“I’m not sure yet, but we’ll have to keep going like this for now,” she replied. Truth be told, she knew where this was headed.

“Ma’am, you know that this will get out eventually. Ponies lie, they betray. Maybe someone will find us in a way no one imagined. We need to step this up. There’s no other way around it.” And she knew he was right.

“What do you have in mind? As far as I know, what more can be done?” Rainbow Dash inquired. She knew the oncoming reply.

“War. It’s as simple as that.” Rainbow sighed. She had seen that from a mile away.

“And how exactly do you plan on executing this? We have no formidable army, and even less of a government. I’m telling you, we have to wait.”

“Watch me. I have to introduce you to somepony. If anyone is going to get this running, it’ll be him. The colt seems like two different egos, two sides to the same monster. Simply amazing what he does.” Blue said. Rainbow paused, and then sighed. Let’s hope he’s right, she thought.

The factory was a truly beautiful thing. Blood bathed every inch and corner, consuming the blunt hue of the gray tile and soaking through it. Walking down the halls granted you the rare experience of hearing the shattered limbs clank down the chutes and the liquid spectra flow. Every second, one imagined the sharp snapping of another pony’s mind. Every day, more and more lost their minds. Yet they were so replaceable and unchanging. How it made things easier!

“So you’ve already brought him here?” Rainbow inquired. She had requested traveling limits recently, and she didn’t want to risk breaking her own law.

“Of course. In this room,” Blue replied as the two ducked into a side room labeled “Private Visitor Room”. Rarely was this ever used, but now he was glad to have it.

Rainbow took in the room. It wasn’t anything she was used to. Most rooms in the factory were either an optic white color or the dull gray tiles. This room, however, was a blood red, which was quite fitting of the establishment. A lavish premium leather sofa sat at the far left while a desk and an assortment of other comfortable chairs found themselves at the center. Sitting in the inquiry seat was a colt like many others: a light brown color. His hair stood out, however, being a dirty blonde. That, however, did not stand out to Rainbow. The minute she noted him, she became aware of an aura, one of insanity, emanating from him. It was not the frantic insanity of many a frail pony pushed one time too many, or the quiet, repressed, anger of the little old mare down the road. No, this wasn’t normal. This feeling was one of true love, a love for all that brought despair and agony, one that spoke of knowledge and a controlled rage. A rage that hadn’t found something worth exploding over. But what a rage it truly was. As Rainbow took the head seat on the right part of the desk, she knew. This colt, whatever he may do, was big. A smug grin played at the corner of her mouth.

“Let’s get started, shall we?”

The colt didn’t seem to have much of an expression on his own face, as though time and time again he had gone through what was his life sitting in the position he was in, always trying to remain stable, at least in finances. He hadn’t been told why he was brought here, nor did he understand the truth of the Rainbow Factory.

“Alright, right down to business. What’s your name, chump?” Rainbow asked. She wasn’t here to waste time.

The brown pegasi sighed. “Coffee Sparkle.” Rainbow had to try hard not to hold back a laugh. It was a pretty funny name. This was too good to pass up.

“Why the hell is your name so stupid?” Rainbow bluntly asked, still restraining a laugh. Blue Bun poked his head out from behind the colt.

“Funny name, yes, but let’s put it this way. Rainbow, you strive to be the best and aim high. Well, Coffee here, how ironic his name is. He simply enjoys the feel of energy, and the main way he gets this is, you guessed it, coffee. Oh no, he doesn’t restrain himself to the little coffee shops in Ponyville. No, he makes his own, many with their own little side effects. Takes ‘em when he needs ‘em. Battle coming up? You got it, coffee time.”

“Alright, I’ll let that slide. But first, you understand where you are, no?” Rainbow inquired.

“Ah, yes, mighty Rainbow Factory, mixer of spectra, creator of weather. And of course, the truth behind it,” Coffee leaned in. Rainbow froze.

“W-Wh-What?!” she stammered. There was no way he knew. Had Blue said anything? This was not the way she imagined this meeting.

“And before you ask, your colleague has told me nothing. I’ve observed things before. Even read up on the subject, no matter how boring. What you do here is obvious. And it’s safe with me,” he winked. Rainbow leaned back in her chair for a bit. He seemed trustworthy enough. She was at least a little glad that formalities were done. Now, for talk of war.

“Let’s put this simply. We’ve held this operation up long enough, and we need to put forth a second step.” Rainbow said.

“Understandable. What would you need of me, exactly?”

“As of now, we need an army, and of course the weapons to make it of use.” Coffee almost burst out into tears from laughing.

“Y-you, you, of all ponies, of all the possible groups, see yourself fit to start a war? I can’t take that!” Coffee exclaimed, trying to hold back his laughter. Rainbow sighed. She wanted to stand up and scream in frustration. She knew he was right. They needed to move forward, but it was such an impossible goal. But she knew that if he was on their side, they could do it. All she needed to do was convince him.

“Look, you love the heat of battle, I want an empire. If you can help us at all, we need it now. So if there is anything helpful you can do, spit it out.”

“If you must know, I’ve lead in weapons design for a long time up till now. I used to work under Celestia, despite my young age. I had given her ideas as to what the Royal Guard and the Equestrian Army needed. At some point, she wanted to stop my field altogether, because she didn’t want ponies making weapons to fight each other. ‘Not what a princess would do’ I recall. So when I’ve shown her different plans, she’s rejected them all and eventually threw me out. So if I’m what you need, then so be it.”
Rainbow stood up in excitement.

“You, are exactly what we need,” she said with a grin, and then suddenly sat back down as though disappointed.

“We still, however, lack an army.” Rainbow said.

“No you don’t! Are you blind?” Coffee exclaimed. “You have an entire factory of loyal workers. Take about half of those and make them an army. You don’t need all of them to run the factory. As luck would have it, many of my friends were the Royal Guard of Celestia and rebellious Army members. They left because they were discontented with the lack of improvements made, specifically the ones I suggested. They’ll follow me into this. They tally about 40. It may not be a large army, but if you give me the time, we’ll be advanced to the point where the Equestrian Army couldn’t harm us if they lost their soul to the task.” Rainbow pondered the idea. Possible, but difficult. Before she could respond, Coffee started again, “I’m also a great bodyguard.”

“Why would I need a bodyguard?” Rainbow asked quizzically as she sat back down.

“Hehe. You’re going to be a hated figure. If we really manage to overthrow the government we have now, and word of what we’ve done here gets out, and it will, many are going to disagree. Wouldn’t you need some form of protection? You’re strong, no doubt, but it’s hardly enough to stop a mob.” Rainbow thought about it, and finally agreed.

“Alright then. You’re in. There’s not much more we can do right now, so gather your friends and bring them here. We’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” The trio slowly got up and trotted out of the door, back into the endless halls.

The operation was going strong. Every day, more and more of Coffee’s friends piled in, willing to overthrow their leaders. 20 ponies became 40, then 60, and soon an army had risen far beyond anything any of them had expected. Rainbow nearly burst out in evil laughter at the thought. The laughter subsided as quickly as it had begun. The monumental stress hit her like a wrecking ball. So much had to be done and prepared, and soon, before the army grew tireless and impatient. As she trotted over to the newly created ‘Weapon Research Area’, she wondered why she was confiding in the insane pegasus that would just as easily kill her as work for her. She pushed open the door and quietly walked in. Coffee turned quickly to respond, expecting a command, but she merely walked in and sat down.

“So, watcha doin’?” Coffee turned around, confused.

“Odd question. Since when were you so casual?” Rainbow sighed.

“ Stress is a pain. So much to be done,” she said wearily.

“Well, if it’s the weapons you’re worried about, fear no more. I’ve already got them set up. Testing will begin tomorrow. By the end of the week we’ll have them ready for production.” Rainbow quickly stood up and dashed over.

“Really? Good job! But what have you done, exactly?” She cocked her head sideways.

“Rainbow powered weapons. Common assault rifles, a few sniper rifles, and a high-power launcher.” Rainbow gazed at the array of machinery before her. She hadn’t seen much more than a spear on the Royal Guard, and now her colleague was mass producing weapons powered by rainbows. She smirked. Not even Twilight could think of something like this. Then, it had dawned on her.

“Are you and Twilight, related or something?” Coffee turned to reply, and then sighed.

“Yes, although it’s not something I like to brag about. She’s always been the bookish type, never doing something useful, going after Celestia as though she was an absolute god. I’m her not so mentioned brother, older than her, younger the other one. Shining Armor, I think it was? Either way, the two are unimportant. Wise, but not clever. May as well have been the motto of the whole damn family!” Coffee exclaimed with a final shout, then sighed. “So what did you want, Ma’am?”

“It looks like I’ve got everything I came to ask about,” she said as she handled one of the assault weapons. It was heavy, but a comfortable heavy. “Final question, however. How many of these can you make, say, in a week?”

“Oh, one of these, especially the launcher would take a month for me to make alone. I take it we don’t have that much time. Get your workers here to produce these. I only made them as an example model. It’s far beyond anything anypony else has seen. But it won’t be hard to make. Creating them is simple; it’s the concept that confuses.”

“Alright. Say you’ve taught about 40 of them to make simply the assault rifles. How many could you put out in, say, a month?”

“More than anypony here needs. And I plan to train much more. So, call it a few days, and your army is ready.” Rainbow nearly beamed. This was too good.

“Well, all is on-track. Good work, good work.” She took a final glance at the weapons and left. Soon, so very soon.

More than a little confused. Definitely worried. Twilight wondered a multitude of things, and all at the wrong time. This isn’t normal, she wondered. Where was Rainbow Dash? She wasn’t the type to disappear for a few days, especially when something so important was just on the horizon. Her own big day, her coronation later that week. The stress of being dubbed a princess was more than a little heavy on Twilight’s shoulders. Was Rainbow planning something? Was there a big surprise in store? She tried her best to clear her mind. She was usually never too worried about her friends, at least never this worried. Something about this two-day disappearance didn’t seem right. She had always disappeared at some points during the day, doing who knows what. No pony questioned where she went; she was just doing whatever she does. But for two days straight was a little abnormal. As Twilight paced back and forth in her little treehouse, she reassured herself. Rainbow will be there, she thought. Everything is as normal. She repeated these until the familiar smile of clarity shone on her face again. Yes, everything is fine.

Rainbow couldn’t believe it. She checked her calendar again. Twilight’s coronation, and launch day, on the same day?! This wasn’t a big problem. She could just go along with it until Coffee and a small team had gotten in. Twilight was surprised to have gotten her wings. Surprise number two was on its way.

Twilight slowly walked down the aisle. Her day had finally arrived. The choir full of ponies all dressed in the same attire singing her name, the young fillies throwing flowers in her way. The joyous music and cheering, it was all too good. She stood before Luna and Celestia, where they had stood once before at the time of Chrysalis’s invasion. Twilight could hardly believe that she would be one of them. An alicorn, doing whatever they do. She was gratified to know she had made her mentor proud, her friends proud, and her whole family proud. Speaking of her friends, Rainbow had finally shown up! She’d ask questions later. Now was a time of joy. Celestia beamed at her student. Spike presented her with the all too familiar tiara, which was set on her head. They walked to the balcony, greeted by the multitude of cheering ponies. Twilight motioned to make her speech, and the cheering gradually died down. She took in a breath, and was interrupted by what appeared to be the shattering of glass. The crowd gasped as a team of 6 black-coated stallions dived from above and took hold of Celestia and Luna. A strange steel mechanism was encased the two separately as each were hoisted into the air. Before anyone could react, another sound pierced the commotion. Another sharp crack of glass. Twilight looked up helplessly at the two princesses stuck mid-air, seemingly unable to cast any magic. She turned to face the sound. She saw her friends, all 5 of them…wait, 5? Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. At the end of the aisle waited a face she hadn’t seen in a long time. One she had hoped would stay that way. Twilight gasped in horror. The princesses had been hoisted away, Equestria knows how. The visitor gave a gentle chuckle before approaching the balcony entrance.

“Hey, sis.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. The look on Twilight’s face said it all. From horror, to shock, to confusion, and finally rage.

“Wh-what have you done with them?” Twilight screamed.

“Ugh, you are so superficial it disgusts me,” Coffee replied. “That’s really your biggest concern right now? The princesses? Pull yourself together. They’re nothing now. Soon to be even less.” Even less? What the hell was he talking about?

“What of Rainbow Dash?”

“Oh, her? You’ll find that in your own due time. Right now, however, you’d best comfort your people.” Twilight reeled back in shock. He was right. The princesses were gone. This was up to her. The crowd had gone wild, and many of them had ran home in fear. She wanted to appear brave, get them to rally under her, anything.
Coffee laughed.

“Leave her to govern her people. You’ll fall apart quickly. You can hardly handle a deadline, much less a country.” He pushed her aside and took to the balcony. He had waited for this. Never much for speeches, but this one would be fun.

“This is what you’ve had to live with for years on end! Frail monarchs who leave you to die! They don’t bother to listen. As far as they’re concerned, we will prevail through peace. And look where it’s gotten us! Absolutely nowhere! Do you need another like her? She shan’t be different! Here, see your princess as she is!” He turned shoved her back out to the balcony. She turned to speak, but she was alerted to a humming behind her. She glanced back, quick enough to see the burst of light that knocked her unconscious. The explosion flung her body into the air and into the crowd, which promptly caught her.

“Prepare yourselves. Change is coming, and it is coming soon.” And with that, he launched into the air, flying his way back to the Factory. Step 1, finished. Now, for the princesses.

The princesses, of course, were standing before the monstrous machine of metal and blood that was to end them. They couldn’t move much of their bodies stuck in the mechanism, nor could they see much through the small visor that granted them vision. They were both forced down the small aisles before the mass of gears themselves. Rainbow laughed in the background. She didn’t want any speeches made here. Into the gears they went. Rainbow was a little disappointed to see the two vanish, and even more so to see that their spectra wasn’t unlike anypony else’s. To think royalty would have something special. She walked off the gruesome scene and was confronted by Blue Bun, in the same place this had all started.

“So, you’ve actually done it?” he asked.

“Surprisingly easy. How have things gone here?”

“Regular as usual. Much can’t be expected here.” Rainbow sighed. She had been wholly sucked into this. So she was to become a leader? What happened as of now?

“We move into power tomorrow, I guess. I’ll give a speech.” Rainbow didn’t wait for a reply. She sleepily wandered to her room in the factory. She didn’t have the strength to fly home tonight. She quietly opened the door and climbed into her bed. She pulled the covers over herself and waited for sleep.

“This isn’t you.” Rainbow shot up. Someone in her room? She flinched as a bright light came to life from above. It illuminated the figures of her friends. She knew she was dreaming, but not sure of how to get out of it. She sat up and stared back.

“The hell you mean this isn’t me?” Twilight approached her calmly, an expression of concern on her face.

“Is this what you really want?”

“Wh-of course it is!” she yelled. Twilight just looked back, with a face colder than the night outside.

“Why do you want this?” Rainbow looked frustrated, about to respond, and then recoiled, as though bit by a snake. She took in the past events. Everything went right. The capture, the murders, and soon the power. She had wanted this before, it made her so excited and worked up about it. What had happened? She looked up into the faces of her friends. She wasn’t ready to letting her life go. There wasn’t a way back from this. She didn’t want this.

“Oh, no, no no no NO NO NO!” Rainbow screamed louder than she had thought possible. This wasn’t possible. How had she gone this far over? Thousands, murdered. What had she done?! She wanted to take it all back, before the Factory was put into usage. She rushed to meet Twilight and apologize, to scream, cry, and let every emotion rushing through her out. Her pleas were met with cold air and silence. She sank back down into her bed in sorrow. If she felt this way, then surely she could stop this now. She was calm again. It had gone bad enough, but she slept again, knowing she could stop it now.

“Cut, c-c-cut it off? What in the fuck are you talking about?!” Coffee exclaimed. Rainbow gruffly ignored his tone. She was a bit shocked, but she couldn’t show it.

“You heard me, right? We’re stopping this. The Factory, the murders, everything. We’ve done wrong, can’t you see that?” Rainbow had won. The last day she had them take orders, and she had just rattled off her final ones. And they would listen. She was the chief, after all.

“No.” Rainbow snapped up.

“What?”

“No, we’re not leaving this. If you’re gonna try and stop us, then I suggest you leave.” What the hell was this?

“You can’t just throw me out! I’m the leader of this! And I demand that we shut it down!” Coffee chuckled.

“You WERE the leader. I’m not sure what’s gotten into you. Come to your senses!”

“I’m not willing to live like this, and I won’t leave until you feel the same.” Rainbow stood her ground there.

“Then you won’t live at all. Get her out!” Guards coated in black surrounded her. Hell no this wasn’t over. She spread her wings and took off, leaving Coffee and the small group in dust. The group prepared to follow, but were stopped.

“Let her go. She isn’t necessary anymore. Come, much is to be done.”

The march to Canterlot wasn’t a hard one. Coffee and his small battalion met little resistance, Blue flying next to him. It was a bit funny to watch the citizens cower in fear, running from the monarch. But there wouldn’t be a king, not this time. A tribunal was the original plan, and it was the one that was still intended, even with the absence of Rainbow Dash. They’d find another, or try to get her back. Perhaps even Twilight would accept, but he brushed the thought aside. He’d ally with anyone before he accepted her. He couldn’t possibly take her in.

Rainbow collapsed on Twilight, sobbing the guilt away as the group of friends stood in the treehouse. They had all condemned her, but now they found it hard to. Everyone knew she was truly sorry for the horrors she had done. Rainbow had revealed everything she could. It wouldn’t be the same among them, at least not for a long time. Usually, Rainbow should have been thrown in jail by now. Bigger problems, however, were on the horizon. No one enforced the law. To many, the laws were gone. What good was it to keep the peace? Twilight looked around at her friends. They had stood by her side in hard times before; she was sure they would do it again. As though understanding her thoughts, they nodded. Twilight turned back to face Rainbow.

“We’re glad you’re safe, but what are they planning to do?” Twilight asked patiently. She didn’t expect much of a response, and, not receiving one, took it as a lack of information. The group agreed something needed to be done.

“Tribunal is out of the question. Her joining is impossible.” Coffee explained as though they had a major loss.

“Fine. I doubt we’ll have much to disagree on either way. They’d only be there to break a tie, but it’d have to be an informed decision. How many people do we know who could do that?”

“Zero, of course.” Coffee replied to Blue with a smug grin. He was right, this wouldn’t be too hard. Standing side by side on the balcony, they already knew that it could be done. Word of their takeover had spread fast, and changes were going to be made. Mostly to the military and government, because this was an absolute mess. They had both read about Communism in the fantasized “human world”. Yeah, something like that, Coffee thought. But it seemed a bit brutal. They would figure it out as they went.

“What became of Rainbow?” Coffee asked. He didn’t want to seem too concerned, and he really wasn’t, but he figured he may as well know.

“For all I know, probably back to Twilight and company.” Coffee bolted up.

“What?! That, that is not good.” He was now nervously pacing back and forth in the throne room. Blue turned to face him.

“What’s the problem? We never needed her in the first place. I hadn’t exactly planned for her removal, but I knew she wasn’t necessary.”

“We’re seen as a force of evil by them, right? What do they usually do when faced with this?” Blue looked back. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, King Sombra.

“They’ve all needed each other, but I don’t see how…” Blue looked at Coffee.

“Elements of Harmony.” Coffee nodded, then sighed.

“Yeah, that wasn’t a problem beforehand. I should have thought of this before I threw her out. They couldn’t have used them before, but now….”

“Wait, don’t we have them here, at the castle?”

“No, Celestia gave them to Twilight to manage Discord incase he started fucking around again.”

“So should we make it a priority to kill her?” Coffee thought about this.

“We could kill any of them. They’re entirely useless if one bites the dust. But I’m mostly afraid of Dash and my sister, if you want to call her that. Powerful magic and the whole basis to our plan. Two things that could screw us over.” Coffee thought this over once more.
“My sister is too frail to handle everything that’s come about; we could leave the two of them alone.” They slowly walked out of the room and soon out of the building. Things would go well. They always have. Coffee wondered about how anyone could see us as a ‘force of evil’. They’d given people back their freedom, advanced the military, and still gave people the rainbows they wanted. What more could one ask for?

The Walls Come Crashing Down

Weeks, months, years had gone by. The new government, at one time a faint illusion of a dream someone had as a child in bed, had become all too real. People had adjusted to the new standards. They weren’t afraid of the new leaders, rather just distant from them. But they enjoyed the confidence they had and the freedom they were given. Only 6 ponies could have disagreed with what they’d done. Of course, the Mane Six, could not have disagreed more.

“I don’t understand this,” Twilight repeated over and over as she paced in her treehouse. “They kill the princesses, murder thousands, and everyone is happy?! Have they all gone blind?” Pinkie, usually in her carefree state, sat quietly in one corner of the large room. She had always been told to not be scared, and remain happy as ever, but some things got so deep it couldn’t be helped by a balloon or a party. The rest of them donned an expression of deep concern. They understood the situation at hand, but not what to do with it. As far as they were concerned, Twilight could deal with this. They quickly figured she couldn’t.

“If no one else is on our side, then whadda we do?” Applejack asked. She may as well have just given up. Asking something like that showed how little they could do. Rarity piped up.

“Couldn’t we use the Elements of Harmony? They’ve worked before.” She was right, but it seemed next to useless.

“Sure, assuming none of us die.” That was a bit harsh. Twilight hadn’t meant to lash out like that, but there really wasn’t anything they could do.

“Do you think that we could use them to change people’s opinions about these new rulers?” Rainbow had asked that, and it took her a lot of courage to even mention them. Twilight thought about it. They could do that, but she quickly shook her head.

“That’s not the right thing to do. We can’t make people believe what we want them to.”

“We need them for that now, Twilight. Only a temporary thing, and once this is over, we can promise never to use them for that again. But we need to get this done with.” Twilight sighed. Rainbow was right. But she soon found herself even more so encouraged by the idea. This wasn’t just for her, not even just the group. Not just for Ponyville, not for what was good and just or personal want. This was for Equestria. And she was the princess. She was in charge. This was her deal. Equestria needs a leader, she thought. I’ll give them a leader.

“Can’t do it?” Coffee had to ask. This wasn’t how he imagined this would end up. The small white room in the factory was completely soundproof; no one would know what they were doing.
“No, no, can’t do it now. Bad for the public image.” Blue paced around nervously. Every day, more of their subjects had seemed unsatisfied. What had sparked the change? They had once been content, happy with what was done, despite the sudden jolt of losing two well-loved leaders at once. This wasn’t normal. It was deceit.
“Why the change? We’ve not done anything wrong here. Someone has had to have changed their minds.” Rebellions. The last thing they needed to deal with now. It was hard enough getting the existing army to conform to new standards, and now this.
“Well, whoever did this must want something out of this. Who hates us enough to do that?” Blue still looked nervous.
“Someone with enough power and influence to actually start something; someone that they could look up to.” Of course.
“God damnit, sis. So now what? We can’t kill her, or any of her friends, because we know she’d let everyone know, and then we’d have a problem.”
“We have a problem now. But it doesn’t explain why they’d all look to her, especially after she was disowned by us and pretty much everyone, except her friends of course.” Blue was right. There was something. Magic, most likely. Coffee darted out the door and through the hallways. Blue found him a few minutes later tearing through the innumerable stacks of books before him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Coffee impatiently turned around.
“Twilight’s using the some sort of magic to change people’s minds. I have to find out how. I guessed the Elements.” Blue just stared back in silence. Well, shit, he thought.

“So, now what?” Blue found that he was quoting himself.
“Well,” Coffee said, emerging from the pile of books, “we fight.”
“Yes, we fight. What exactly, do you have in mind?”
“Uh, we gather our army, crush the rebellion, and restore peace.” Blue still shook his head.
“At this point, pretty much everypony is against us. Probably have an army large enough to beat ours, plus the Elements, and…”
“Calm down, jeez. Look, we’ve got great pluses on our side. More advanced, more prepared. If they want to fight, then we’ll give them a slaughter.” Blue prepared to respond, but was interrupted by the flapping of wings. A small, green pegasi flew into the room.
“T-twilight demands….that….you meet her….in Ponyville…for…a peace talk…” he sputtered through heavy gasps as he finally collapsed on the floor of the library.
“Well, unexpected.”

“Seriously? You’re going?” Coffee sighed.
“Yeah, even though I really don’t want to. This doesn’t get fun until I intentionally screw the talks over.” Blue seemed a little puzzled.
“Couldn’t you actually find a good way to end this?”
“Why would I? We both know that all Twilight wants is for us to step down, probably going to offer us freedom of charges. We’ve come this far; I’m not backing down now.” With that, Coffee took off, heading to Ponyville, and sealing the fate of Equestria to come.

Coffee smirked broadly. He was glad to see that he still held some power, and how many hated him. They stood aside, and in some, he could even see some of the fear that lingered inside, which only made him grin even wider. He carried the broken dagger that he would use during what battles may take place, should it come to that, which he knew it would. Standing outside the town hall, the doors swung open to reveal Twilight amongst some hastily arranged militia and, of course, her friends. Coffee couldn’t help grinning maniacally at Rainbow, who tried to appear unmoved. Coffee knew she was scared. Coffee then turned to Twilight.
“So, peace talks. Alright, let’s get this started then shall we?” Twilight obliged, leading him in and following close behind. The two sat across from each other at a large oval table. Coffee laid the dagger in front of him. The large room was comfortable, but felt excessively large on the inside.
“So,” Twilight started, “what is it you want?” Coffee glared back at his opposing sister.
“I have what I want. You don’t, which is why you’ve called me here.” Twilight kept her glare, but a small smile played on her mouth.
“Oh, but I do have what I want. Got it about 2 minutes ago.” Well, Coffee thought. Weapons, military, support. All possible options, but none would fit in that time span.
“I won’t bother asking; you’re not giving that away. I suppose you would want Blue and I to step down, wouldn’t you?”
“You could, but I take it you won’t. Same either way, we’ll have what we want soon enough, by force or by will.” This was uncharacteristically narcissistic. She must have something.
“How could you bend us to your will? What have you against us?”
“Well,” she started, “we do have a leader here in enemy lands.” Coffee didn’t even bother to think it over. Rather, he didn’t have time to. He was suddenly jerked up by a group of three stallions, two of which shackled his front legs. He turned to face Twilight, who just stared back at him, like she had from the start. He was brought down a secret passageway; one he never knew existed in the first place, and brought to a cold, gray room. The door shut behind him with a loud thud, and then silence. He heard hooves upstairs running, not sure where to. A stallion entered through the door, throwing at him his own dagger.
“Heh, have fun with that while you’re here, maybe think about suicide while you’re at it.” The door shut once more. What a fool, Coffee thought. The broken dagger, though appearing worn and shattered, was simply compressed. At a nod, the blade sprung forth, revealing the true length of the blade. The dagger, which when wielded would have been too short to cut his bonds, was now easily able to slice through the shackles. Free again, he thought to himself in the sterile room. What the hell were they doing? Shit, forget it, just get back to Blue, he thought. He listened again for steps, which never came. Assuming they left, he broke the simple, wooden door down and took off. Oh, this is not going to end well.

“Get them. Get everyone. Everyone you know, everyone you want on our side. Get them now.” Coffee said as he sat in the rubber room. Known for keeping insane people, he felt at home in here. Blue just nodded and turned to the steel door, painted white like the rest of the room. Blue walked down the hallways. Smashing the large red button at the head of the factory, alarms sounded, sending every pegasus below the factory to their rooms, to prepare themselves. Blue darted back into the rubber room, nodding at Coffee once more. The pegasi would fly to the castle in Canterlot, and remain there until further notified. Coffee looked up at Blue.
“You understand what I’m going to do, right?” It dawned on him. No wonder he chose to be here.
“You haven’t done this in a long time. Can you take it?”
“Now’s as good a time as any.” ‘The insanity potion’, he called it. Essentially coffee, but increased thousand fold. Blue sighed.
“Fine, I’ll get them to the castle.” Blue took off out of the factory, and dashed into the air. Behind him trailed thousands of armored workers, fit with all the weapons they needed. They would win this, without a doubt. Blue and the army landed smoothly onto the balcony. They filed behind him, standing at the edge of the balcony. Squinting, he saw the incoming army opposing them. Led by a purple alicorn, none other than Twilight, the army halted some miles away from the castle. They expect us to come, he thought. Fine. They filed out and into the open field that seemed to beckon. Whatever he was doing, Coffee couldn’t get here soon enough.

Blue and Twilight stood face to face, 30 feet apart. Blue lowered his eyebrows and gritted his teeth. Twilight picked up on this and smiled.
“You don’t look so good. Almost like you’re…missing something.” She smiled wider. She knew this wasn’t like her, but she felt so good finally getting rid of her little brother. Even so, this wouldn’t be the easiest fight, but she was convinced they could win. They’d beaten so many other things, how hard could this be?
She stepped forward, and then turned to face the army that she had gathered.

“Well, this is it,” she started, “but today we’re going to win this.” The little rebel army had grown a bit. It was a shame they couldn’t touch on the formal army, then this wouldn’t have been a battle; it’d be a massacre. She felt comfortable with what she said, and the rebels cheered. They were driven by the magic, not much else. Either way, this would go over smoothly. The heavy flapping of wings brought attention above her, like a giant sail in the wind. She turned to face Blue, thinking this was his doing, and was instead greeted with two ponies. A fully armored Coffee stood at attention, his elongated blade held firmly in his mouth. Whipping his head to the side, the blade planted itself in the ground. His eyes bulged, his mouth widened sickeningly, and he stared at the imposing army. His thoughts were clouded by rage. He longed to kill, his only faint memory was of Blue and the army behind him. Everyone else was prey, food for the taking.

“Now, WE FIGHT!”

Blue stared in amazement at Coffee. It looked as though he had gone through immense physical change. Taller, stronger, deadlier. Dear Celestia, what have you done to yourself? Blue found himself wondering. What the hell is this? He had no time to think. Across the 30 foot gap, Twilight gaped in horror. This wasn’t her brother, not that she even considered him one after what he had done, but this was insanity. Whatever he had done, he had gone too far. She already knew that winning was impossible. Even with the help from her brother and the Crystal Empire, who came in recently, this wouldn’t be easy. Her legs quivered. Coffee kept staring her down, smiling wider at every ounce of fear she showed. He turned to face his army.

“LOAD YOUR WEAPONS! PREPARE YOURSELVES, AND CHARGE ON MY COMMAND!” he yelled his orders at his ‘followers’ as he loved to call them. They nodded in unison, but even they were afraid of what had happened. One of their leaders, usually calm and precise, had turned into, something. As they loaded their weapons, Twilight nearly yelped. She had forgotten about this. She quickly turned.

“ALL TROOPS BACK! BACK! RETREAT!” She prayed for mercy. For 4 seconds, everything was calm as the army backed itself away, only to be disturbed by a loud cry.

“GO! CHARGE! KILL EVERYONE!” No matter how afraid, the army followed orders. Weapons in their mouths, they ran forward, taking shots whenever possible. Blood flew everywhere, loud cries of pain shouted out amidst the confusion, and what started out as a retreat became a full-fledged run for their lives. Twilight could hardly stand everything she heard and saw, and the images pressed in her mind. Beams of light flew everywhere, and Coffee and Blue started to laugh. Even Blue was enjoying this. Twilight kept running, no matter how much she saw. She closed her eyes, nearly crying, and flew into the ground at incredible speed. Her eyes dimmed, and the world faded out.

A Final Stand And a Final Offer

Forcing open her eyes, Twilight nearly slipped back into unconsciousness. What she saw scarred her mind. Bodies, some dead, some wishing they were, lied everywhere. Blood flowed onto the battlefield like a crimson river, creating a stench far beyond anything she’d smelled before. Soldiers cried out, stacked upon each other as ragdolls. They begged for mercy, which was responded to with dead silence or the pleas of others. She hoped her brother made it. Twilight forced herself to sit up. Leaning on one hoof, she planted her hind legs firmly on the ground. She cried out in pain. As she fell back to the rugged floor, she saw that she had been shot in her lower leg. Burning fur and exposed flesh ravaged the wound. Is this what they were shooting, she thought. She could hardly sit in comfort, much less stand. Her vision gradually restored itself. She made out the images of two ponies surveying the battlefield.

“Help,” she weakly sputtered. The two colts, as she could see, came into focus. Coffee and Blue. Of course. She scrambled with all the force she could, desperately trying to back away, to no avail. Coffee laughed insanely, Blue also chuckling as the army behind them approached. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Oh, you little pathetic fuck!” Coffee screamed hysterically. “You really went into this. Look at this, sis! Look what I’ve done! I’ve murdered your followers, I’ve set up new rule with Blue, and on top of it all I get you out of the picture! You’re a miserable little wretch, aren’t you? You thought you were powerful, the next ruler. Let me ask you now, how has friendship really helped you?” Twilight stared back faintly.

“F-friendship is what held me together,” she sputtered. “All these years, I’ve learned to value it, and it’s all that matters in the end.” Coffee gazed blankly at her. He couldn’t laugh, he just kind of sputtered.

“Y-you, a-are you SERIOUS? You, are the definition of stupidity! ‘Friendship is so important’,” he quoted in a mocking tone. “Let me ask you one more question. Where, just where, are your friends now?! WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY NOW?!”

Twilight could care less where her friends were right now. They were all safe at home, wishing her the best. She couldn’t blame them, but they had done nothing to help her. What if Celestia was wrong? She couldn’t ask now, but the thought lingered.

“Look, I’ll give you one more chance. Join us. We’ve already won. It’s like a choice between life and death. And the life you’ll live will be better than your past one. I can guarantee you won’t regret this.” For a moment, Twilight considered it. She pushed it aside quickly. She couldn’t join them, not in the least. They were evil, they were murderers. Rage built up inside her. They had killed so many people, including her mentor. The one who had been there to help her. Whether she had been right or wrong about friendship, she was still a guide, and her murder was wrong. Magic coarsed through her veins. She felt her horn glow, with magic stronger than she had known before. Her brother, still oblivious to this, badgered her further.

“I can’t ask a third time. Come, and join us. I don’t particularly like you, but you can be useful. What is your answer?” He readied his sword. He assumed she wouldn’t do it. He looked at Twilight expectantly as she looked up.

“Nah.” Violet magic burst out of her, throwing Coffee and Blue back violently. Her horn glowed brilliantly. She gritted her teeth, and threw her head back. Coffee looked down as the ground began to split apart and quickly took flight. He saw that the rest of them were not as quick. The entire group fell into a deep abyss, and large thud sounded as they were covered by boulders. He quickly looked to the left, glad to see Blue next to him. Twilight stood across from them, seemingly exhausted.

“Go, I’ve got this.”

“You can’t be serious. She’ll kill you! C’mon, we both gotta get outta here!” Coffee glared at Blue.

“Go.” It must have been the way he said it, as Blue nodded before taking off. He turned back to face Twilight and smirked.

“Feeling good?” Twilight wasn’t about to deal with this.

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m wondering if you are. Do you have any idea why we’re even here?” Coffee was confused.

“Of course I know. I’m here to kill you, and you’re here because you’re too stupid to know otherwise.” Twilight lost it.

“No, we’re here because you couldn’t deal with what became of you! You decided that you couldn’t be rejected by Celestia! You just HAD to fight! You couldn’t accept it! You’re upset with yourself, so you take it out on everyone else. You can’t handle that you weren’t good enough and that what you’ve done was wrong. If the world wouldn’t accept you, you’d have to do something about it. You can’t learn to deal with things maturely! This is your doing!” Coffee walked up to her. He glared at her, and then sent her flying with a sudden hit from his blade hilt.

“What the hell would you know?!” he started as Twilight skidded to the ground and began to stand up. “You’ve never failed a damn thing in your life! You’re used to being accepted! If you were rejected by a leader and mocked at by everyone you know, you would get it! But you haven’t! You’ve followed in your mentor’s steps the whole way, and look where it’s gotten you! I thought that what was happening wasn’t right. I did what I had to! I wasn’t scared to stand up, but you always were! You’re not worth shit! You haven’t got the guts! You’re absolutely worthless!” With that, he flung the blade at her, narrowly missing. Twilight dodged with reflexes she didn’t know she had. She hadn’t wanted to fight, but he wasn’t giving her an option. She turned, leaned on her hind legs, and forced her magic to flow. She tried to pick him up, but he broke free of the violet aura that surrounded him. Before she could counter, he flew for his blade and darted into his sky, lodging it in his mouth. When he didn’t return for a few seconds, she realized what he was doing. He was going to force her into using her wings. She gritted her teeth. She wasn’t quite used to them, only using them for quick, remedial flying. They weren’t combat material. But she wasn’t letting this go. She took off into the cloudy sky, hoping for the best, as Coffee smirked, watching her closely.

Watching her from inside a gray cloud throughout the sky, Coffee really wanted to laugh. She struggled about, darting in and out of clouds, becoming more confused each time she came out. He loved it up here. He could even see the castle and the Factory. This was one of his favorite spots, and it was nice to watch over your empire. He looked out at the Factory, which was surrounded by gray clouds as usual. Calmed and relaxed, he turned back, but was cut short by a bright light far behind him. What in the hell, he thought before seeing the rainbow that cut through the gray, and then the group following it. Mesmerized by what was happening, he watched as bodies flew out, falling to the ground. He snapped back to reality. He dived to the ground, catching a Factory guard in time. After letting the colt breathe, he flipped him to the ground.

“The hell is going on?” he asked hurriedly.

“F-factory….gone….capture…” he said between gasps before passing out. Of course! No wonder the battle was too easy; that wasn’t their main force! This is bad, he thought. He darted back to his cloud, glad to see Twilight still disoriented. Coffee breathed a sigh of relief and flew to the castle. That would be their priority, and he couldn’t let that fall. Landing on the balcony, he was greeted by a nervous Blue and a small battalion.

“Well, shit, shit, this is it,” the blue colt paced nervously back and forth.

“Chill out. We won before, don’t you think we could do it again?”

“No, no, we’re out of weapons AND ammo. If we won this, it’d be a miracle.” Coffee sighed.

“Alright, so now we make a stand. Defend this at all costs. The Factory is gone, not good, but it can be rebuilt. Twilight is preoccupied, so we can do this. Who the hell even led them here?”

“Rainbow.” Coffee sighed again.

“Well, bitches will get what bitches deserve.”

Twilight came to her senses. She wasn’t getting out of this like this. Just find the ground, she thought. Flying straight down, she closed her eyes as she felt the air rush past her before hitting the ground. Getting up as quick as possible, she looked off. She was amazed to see the Rainbow Factory raise the flag of her cutie mark, the flag that began the end. Who could’ve….she thought until she noted the rainbow.

“No way….” Twilight sat there, marveling at everything happening. It’s over now, she thought before remembering Coffee had gone. As long as he lived, this wouldn’t end.

Coffee walked into the secret caves under Canterlot, the ones that had imprisoned her sister awhile ago. Admiring what were the crystals, he slid back one with a loud grinding noise, revealing the weapons he had kept back for moments like these. Rifles, traditional weapons, and even a small bomb. Next to these, things he didn’t want to use. What he had used for the little ‘massacre’ as it was called was nothing compared to these. He didn’t even need to make these; just eat ‘em. Picking a few and swallowing them, recoiling at the taste, he looked quickly for a weapon. If he was going down, he was going down honorably. No guns, no bombs. He eyed a smooth, curved dagger carved out of bone and a set of small bone knives that attached to your wrist, able to extend and contract in an instant. Time for a battle, a final stand. This is where we hold them, and this is where there will be one victor. And it sure as hell won’t be them. With that final thought, he walked back up the stairs into the throne room, ready to greet whatever came at him.

Blue prepared himself for whatever was coming at them, slowly readying his scythe. He had split the small army they had left into groups, defending key points of the castle. He turned to face Coffee, who came shambling up the stairs. His eyes faintly glowing red, Blue already knew what was going on. Instead of his usual criticism of the pony’s overuse of the substances, he brushed it aside. If this was the end, then he can do as he pleases. Both pushed all other thoughts aside at the sudden sound of a horn, blown from miles away. Gritting their teeth, they readied their weapons. They knew what that meant. Glass cracked around them in the throne room like a dozen chandeliers smashing. Unit after unit poured in threw the glass window. If they weren’t killed immediately by Blue and Coffee, they ignored them and went on to capture the castle wherever possible. Behind it all, Rainbow flew in, a countenance of determination donned.

“Blue, go help defend. I want to deal with her personally.” He grinned, lost in his own happiness. He felt satisfied. This is where he might die, and he would go down swinging as he may. And it felt good. Blue didn’t even nod, instead taking off to do as ordered. Coffee locked eyes with Rainbow. Thankfully, she wanted the same personal fight Coffee wanted; as her allies backed off as the two approached. Swinging her giant sword, Coffee darted out of the way and leaped above her and swung with his dagger, finding a clash of metal as he dented her armor. Rainbow wasn’t dealing it like this. Kicking him to the floor, she dove in with her sword, narrowly missing as he rolled aside. Quickly readying her self, she found that he had vanished into the crowd of ponies before her. She darted around, looking for him. He leaped up behind her, swiping with his claws, and dashing in for more. Blocking his constant swings with deft sword parries, Rainbow grew tired of his relentless assault. Rage filled Coffee’s eyes, charging her into the side of wall under the broken glass. She never saw the dagger coming. The swing drew blood from her face, and Rainbow fell to the ground, crying out for help. Coffee readied his dagger a final time, right before being pushed into the other side of the room in a violet aura. Coffee sat up, dazed and confused. He shook his head, alert of his surroundings and with shock realized it was over. Twilight had arrived, and the castle was captured, being recognized a final time with a loud cheer from the invaders. Blue was nowhere to be seen. Twilight and a wounded Rainbow stood above him. The sound of hooves alerted all parties.

“Is it over?” asked Applejack. Twilight turned, surprised and glad at the same time. She took a minute to breathe, and then grinned.

“Yes, we’ve won.”

The Mane Six, in all their history, had never taken pity on someone quite as much as they did now. But their pity was a smug one. They stood over Coffee, helpless and surrounded. The remaining army had left, and it was just the seven of them. Rainbow looked at Twilight with a grateful look.

“Could I finish him?” Twilight turned to face her.

“Yes, but wait.” Her calm and alert demeanor had returned, one that a princess must have, she thought to herself. She walked over to Coffee, who looked up at her with a grin.

“Glad to see you’re happy.”

“I couldn’t be happier.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I get to die knowing I’ve done what I can, and that I died doing what I love.”

“You’re hopeless. Why die doing what you love if you can live now? Was this all worth it? Did you get what you wanted? Or are you still empty? Abandoned to die, at the mercy of your captors. Is this how you want to go? It will never be easy to forgive you. You’ve done wrong in so many ways, and it’d be easy to get rid of you. But I’ll ask you a last time: stop this. Come with us. Live. Like what you told me, it’s a simple choice between life and death.” Coffee just looked down.

“You’re right. I could take this. I could lead a new life, learn from my mistakes, and do well to those I’ve wronged. I could end this now, and I would live a happy life as anything I pleased. It’s a good decision, and I know I’m making the right decision.” Twilight nodded eagerly. Had she done it?

“I’ll take that as a yes?” she replied coolly.

“That’s a no,” he glowered. “I haven’t gotten everything I’ve wanted. I’ve gotten the revenge I did want. I’ve ruled along side my best friend over citizens who agreed with what I gave them. I’ve established my place in Equestrian history. I couldn’t ask for more. But there is only one thing that I want.” Twilight looked on desperately.

“Would you join me if I gave it to you?” Coffee looked up excitingly.

“No, no. I could never join YOU if I got this.” Twilight was on the verge of shouting.

“Well, why not?!”

“Because I want you dead. You’re incompetent, a follower, and everything I hate. I may be your brother, but I will never look at you as a sister. I can’t accept what you do, or what you believe. I can’t, no matter how hard I try I can’t. Forgive me for that, but your dead body is the only thing that can satisfy me.” Twilight reeled in shock.

“Do you really want me dead? You can’t accept me? Coffee, there are always people you can’t agree with in life. You don’t have to agree with everyone.”

“No, no. It’s not that I don’t agree with you. I hate you. You enrage me, in everything you do, in the carefree life you’ve led. I can’t stand you. I’ve lost everything once, and you’ve gained everything you could want. I can’t, Twilight, I just can’t.” Twilight sighed.

“So be it. I’ve given you a chance at second life. But I suppose it’s over now, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and I’m glad.” Twilight looked at him with a strong sense of sadness.

“I don’t why I feel bad doing this, but fine. Rainbow. You know what to do.” Rainbow nodded, approaching Coffee with her sword.

“Well, so long,” she spat, and sealed Coffee’s fate with a plunge through his stomach. His body slumped over, blood forming a small pool around him. Twilight looked at him. She couldn’t understand it, but she saw it in his face. A sense of fulfillment and of true clarity and happiness.

“How, brother. How?”

The following weeks were full of confusion. The lifting of the magic left many ponies confused as to what had happened, but they were shown the honest truth. As predicted, they agreed that it was better without Coffee. Twilight and her friends discussed what they’d do with the body. All other villains were transformed, turned into stone, or banished. There was no room for transformation, and encasing a fellow pony, no matter how much he or she was hated, seemed very demoralized. So it was decided that the body would be disposed of outside Equestria. It was a land not many knew about, or cared about for that matter. Disfigured land and shadows made up this strange land, where creatures unknown stirred about. There was never a need for border protection, as these unholy creatures refused to enter the shining nation of Equestria. Of course, his body was put on a small cot as to make it look more like a funeral than a murder. Twilight walked down the path to these shadowy lands. Requesting privacy, she laid the cot down on what appeared to be sand dunes in this part of the realm. She sat there, pondering everything that could go through her head.

“You didn't need to do this. I could’ve saved you,” she said remorsefully, looking down a final time at the body. “But you did this to yourself, and you’ve paid for it well.” She trotted off the scene, leaving behind her guilt and pain, and putting on a new heir of confidence. As she left, a flash of blue lit up the dunes, drawing her attention quickly. She thought best of it, hoping it was the calling of his soul, if he even had one. The body gone, she secretly hoped that he ended up in a better place. A hope that would go unanswered for a year.

Epilogue: Revenge and Obliteration

Lights flickered around the two ponies. Shelves of medical equipment lined the large, white room. The two ponies, one alive and the other that shouldn’t have been took residence here. Blue stared down at Coffee, still amazed how he’d pulled this off. Coffee wearily opened his eyes, feeling incredibly weak and dazed.

“I don’t recommend moving too much; you’ll put yourself back in that 10 months of coma you were in.” Coffee flickered his eyes fully open, looking around.

“Where the hell are we?” he asked between frequent sputters.
Taking Blue’s advice, he moved as little as possible on the large surgical bed he lay on.

“Well, we’re outside Equestria.” Deciding not to ask for more details, Coffee asked about other things.

“What happened?”

“Such a broad question. I’ll break it down like this. You almost died, were laid outside Equestria as a final funeral act. I recovered your body, brought you here, a small surgical settlement, and waited and took care of you for the 10 months of your coma. So yeah, a lot’s happened.”

“So, what exactly is gonna happen to me?”

“Well, it’s a good thing you awoke fast enough. Right off the bat, you’re going to die. Take that in for a second,” he paused.

“Alright, so then why did you wake me up?”
“Because I’m not done with you. Let me explain. You’ve taken way too much damage to your body as a whole. Of course, a gaping wound in the chest, which probably should’ve killed you. Damages to your spine and your right front leg. Your vocal box as well as your lungs have been hurt, and you should be dead. But that’s not the biggest problem. The “drugs” you’ve been taking have hurt you a lot. You’re paralyzed at the moment, something I can take care of soon enough. Your brain and heart are overworked from them, and if it weren’t for the regenerative effects of the drugs, the chest wound would’ve killed you for sure.” Coffee lightly chuckled.
“Never thought you could be hurt and helped by the same thing.” Blue had to chuckle at that.
“True. But the damage you’ve sustained is too much for even me to heal. Whether or not you know it, I’ve got my PhD in medicine as well as surgery. I’m more experienced than any other surgeon alive today. But even I cannot fix what you’ve done to yourself. I can, however, give you a second chance. I can rebuild you.” Coffee glanced up at Blue, a little bit confused.
“Rebuild me? What’s the point if I’m going to die?”
“No, no, no. You will die, but I can hold off the damage for a little while. I can remake you: half machine, half pony. It can last for a bit, long enough for you to do what you need to.”
“Do what I need to?”
“You never killed Twilight, right? You want to, right? Then here is your chance.” Coffee pondered it. Yes, that’s exactly what he wanted.
“Alright then. How exactly am I going to kill her with all of these injuries?” Blue looked excitedly at Coffee.
“I’m going to turn you into a bomb. Not uncomfortably large, but I’ll plant one somewhere in your body. At a certain time, it’ll go off. More than enough time to see the princess. You’ve asked enough questions. Let’s get to work, shall we?” Coffee nodded and remained still. Blue walked over to a shelf at one corner of the room and pulled out a bag of liquid and hooked it up to the IV suspended next to him.
“Anesthesia is a hell of a thing, huh?”
“You got it,” Coffee replied wearily before going under.

Coffee awoke to the strangest feeling he had felt in his lifetime. He felt new and awakened, ready to take on anything.
“You can get up whenever you’re ready.” Blue stood close to the shelves and packing away the IV and other things.
“Wh-what do I look like?” Coffee asked, immediately noticing the change in voice. His usually casual voice had become one that sounded like an evil robot. He kind of like it. Blue smiled.
“See for yourself,” he said, guiding him to a room with a small desk and a full-scale mirror. Looking up, Coffee saw whatever it was that Blue had turned him into. It really was what he had said, Coffee thought. Half pony, half machine. His body was normal in most parts, but in others machinery poked through, showing various wires and metal frames with small flaps of fur and flesh hanging from these exposures. One of his eyes was gone, replace instead with a small peek at the whirring mass of gears under it. It generated noise, but it wasn’t very noticeable.
“What in the hell?” Blue poked his head in.
“Yeah, it’s creepy, but trust me, it’s well worth it. This makes well for your reason.” Coffee turned back to face Blue.
“What does this have to do with my reason?”
“Well, let’s put it this way. You’re a sick, dying colt, whose dying wish is to meet the princess once. Twilight couldn’t ignore that. You know how she is.” Coffee smiled.
“This is why you’re the best person to rule with. Brilliant.” Blue nodded, accepting the acknowledgement. Handing Coffee a watch, he said, “You’re going to need this. Tells you how much time left until you go boom.” Coffee looked down at the watch. 32:00. Coffee jolted up, alarmed.
“32 hours,” Blue explained. “Gives you plenty of time to prepare yourself, meet her, and kill her.”
“Alright then.”

Equestria was calm again. Ever since Coffee had been thrown out, things had returned to normal. A perfect image of a shining nation. Coffee stepped out of whatever the hell he was in. Desert, shadowlands, whatever. Stepping on the cobble path, he started to walk, Blue climbing out beside him. Seeing Canterlot in the distance, he aimed himself there and didn’t stop. 4 hours left.

Twilight was constantly working. She never knew being a princess was this hard. But she found joy in what she did. She had made it her personal resolution to be the same, caring pony she had always been. She didn’t want to become one of those ponies that shelled themselves up. One of her guards ran in, and she turned to face him in the throne room.
“There’s an uproar outside the castle. You’ve got to see this.” Twilight walked out of the room looking concerned. She came to the balcony she had stood at not too long ago and looked out. She saw the march, the people cheering something on. Another guard ran to her.
“Sick colt. Dying wish to see you. Can we get rid of them?”
“No, no, no. Bring him to me. I can’t turn them away!” Twilight replied, walking down to the gates of the castle. She came to the steps and stared at, it. She gasped a little bit as she saw the mechanized pony stand before her, black marks marring what appeared to be a brown mane. She couldn’t stand to see this.
“Come, come,” she quickly said.
“We should talk,” he replied in a voice that disturbed Twilight. Glancing at his watch, she noted a time of 0:30. That’s a bit odd, she thought, but brushed it aside. This colt needed consoling. Coffee smirked as she led him in.

“I’d just love to say that you’ve done an excellent job as princess,” the colt started. Twilight blushed a little bit.

“Thank you, but I have to ask, are you alright?” He laughed a little bit.

“I am doing wonderful. Your brother was wrong, wasn’t he?” Twilight froze for a second.

“Yes, I suppose. Why do you bring him up?”

“Because, he interested me. He always seemed unsatisfied with something,” Coffee replied, quickly glancing at his watch. 5 minutes left. Perfect.

“Well, yes. He did want to kill me,” Twilight stated, glancing at the two guards behind her. She was a little nervous on this topic, and she felt safe with them behind her.

“Hm? Kill you? Not sure why anyone would do that. His dying wish was never fulfilled,” he laughed.

“I’m glad for that. I always knew he loved me, no matter how much he denied it.” Coffee glowered at her.

“He never loved you.” Twilight stared angrily at the colt.

“Really? How would you know?” Coffee burst out laughing.

“Your own brother surely knows, wouldn’t you think?” Twilight completely froze.

“No…I…killed you…”

“Nah, you didn’t. I’m glad though, sis. I’ve gotten here far enough to finally talk. We’ve had a nice conversation.” Twilight quickly looked behind her. The guards weren’t doing anything.

“Helloooo? Do something?” They didn’t respond.

“Paralysis. Funny, isn’t it?” Twilight looked back at Coffee.

“What do you want? I’m not stepping down.”

“No, no. You know my dying wish. I’m going to die soon. The damage you inflicted on me, just a bit too much. But I’d like you to come with me.”

“What the hell do you have planned?” Coffee glanced at his watch. 1 minute. He got up from the table the two were seated at and kissed her. Twilight was surprised, but didn’t move.

“I’m glad you think I love you. And you’re right. But I put my duty before I put my family. And this was something I had to do. Don’t bother to understand. You won’t have time.” 10 seconds.

“I love you. But this was necessary.”

“No…”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. But we’re done here.”

A moment of silence. Then, a sound resembling a giant vacuum. A faint blink. And then the explosion. It threw the city of Canterlot off of its hinges. Dark energy flew from the impact zone, melting the city over. Slowly spreading and melting. Decaying. Extinguishing. The city vanished, as though it was never there. Ponyville, Las Pegasus, Manehattan and other cities around Equestria watched from their homes as Coffee’s saga came to a final conclusion. Blue watched from the safety of the Shadowlands.

“He went through with it. Damn,” he said, finally retreating into the darkness of his home, shedding a single tear.

The End