Terror in Equestria 5: A Thousand Years Later

In Ponyville Colgate had been watching everything Twilight, Celestia and Shining Armor had been doing and hearing everything they have said.  She was not impressed with what she heard.  She figured though that she would deal with Twilight when the time was right.

Twilight held a meeting with her friends in the commander's room to inform them of what she has learned.

Colgate said, "Alright everypony, here is what is going on.  I have visual confirmation that Shining Armor did indeed betray us.  He landed on the deck of Twily's ship shortly after they left Maredrid and has sworn allegiance to her.  The fact that he was my second in command and defected to the side of the enemy, means that he is guilty of high treason.  Right now I am trying to figure out how I am going to execute him.  Do any of you have any suggestions?"

Applejack suggested  "How about we behead him.  That way you could always have his head hanging in here on the wall as a reminder of your triumph."

Colgate replied, "True, but it would be kind of creepy having his head hanging in here.  It would feel like he was always watching me.  I like the beheading idea, I just don't like having his head in here on the wall."

Applejack said, "Just a suggestion.  Ah suppose we could turn him into fertilizer."

Colgate replied, "That would be excellent and all that fertilizer would belong to Sweet Apple Acres since you suggested it."

Fluttershy asked, "What would you want to do to Twilight?"

Colgate replied, "With her it would be more difficult.  She would be captured as an enemy seeking to overthrow the government, which in my mind is a crime punishable by death.  But some nagging part of me is saying to just cast her in the void instead along with Celestia."

Rainbow said, "But Colgate, it wasn't that long ago that you were saying that you believe the only way the world will be safe is if the Sparkle family is extinct."

Colgate replied, "That is true.  Perhaps she will simply have to go as well."

Applejack asked, "How do y'all think that will make you look in the eyes of ponies across Equestria?  One thing that worries me is that it will turn everypony against you, maybe even our own military."

Colgate replied, "Good point Applejack.  We will cross that bridge once we cross it."

Out at sea Twilight, Celestia and LaurFa could see Saddle Arabia on the horizon.  This pleased everypony greatly.  They were all ready to arrive at Ridead so they could get a substantial meal in their bellies.  Twilight said, "Finally!  I am so hungry for something other than apples.  After a while you just can't handle any more of them."

Shining Armor replied, "Same here little sis.  I don't think I could handle another bite!"

Later that day they docked at Ridead and were greeted by Lemon Hearts.  "Twilight," said Lemon Hearts "I thought you and Celestia were imprisoned in the sun."

Twilight shouted, "THAT IS DARK GODDESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE TO YOU!  Also, if you would bother to look at the sunrises and sunsets, you would have seen that there were not silhouettes in them anymore."

Lemon Hearts replied, "I was wondering why they weren't as beautiful as they used to be here over the past few days."

This really angered Twilight.  She shouted, "You little wretch!  How dare you think things were so much prettier when I was being held prisoner there!  I ought to banish you to the void!"

Celestia said, "Twilight, if you want her to be on your side you can't go threatening to banish everypony to the void."

Shining Armor added, "Celestia is right you know.  I wouldn't swear allegiance to a pony that threatened to do that to me."

Twilight growled, "Oh I guess you're right.  So Lemon Hearts, how have things been here since I was banished?"

Lemon Hearts replied, "Oh they've been good.  The economy has been great and everypony seems happy."

Twilight shouted, "Those little rats!  How could they be happy without me being here to make sure they are contributing their part for the honor they have of living on MY planet?"

Lemon Hearts asked, "You've already conquered the whole planet?  With as powerful as Commander Colgate is in Equestria I'm surprised by that."

Twilight fired a bolt of energy at Lemon Hearts, hitting her and knocking her to the ground and said, "Listen Steward, I have only reclaimed the Equine Empire so far but you will be joining the rest of us in MY MISSION to retake everything."

"Steward?" asked Lemon Hearts, "You do know that I'm the queen here now, don't you?"

Twilight screamed, "Not anymore you're not.  I'm back and this territory belongs to the Dark Goddess Twilight Sparkle!"

Lemon Hearts started to cry and said, "But why?  Why must you go and take everything?"

Twilight shouted, "Because it is MY birthright!  I was destined to have it all the moment I was born."

Celestia glared at her and said, "Twilight, nopony has a birthright to own everything.  I know you were the ruler of the world until Colgate took Equestria and then everything else.  Don't get mad but it was your own carelessness with your spell book that led to this.  If you would have locked it up like I would have, you would still be sitting on the throne in Ponyville and you would have never been banished to the sun."

Twilight glared at her with those green eyes and fired energy at Celestia with them, hitting her and leaving burn marks on her.

"Ow!" shouted Celestia "That hurt!"

Twilight smiled and snickered, "Well duh!  I wouldn't have done it if it wouldn't have.  Even better, now your chest can watch where's it going, hehehe!"

LaurFa said, "Celestia, don't go angering Twilight.  She was destined to have it all.  Lemon Hearts, just remember you answer to Twily now."

Lemon Hearts sighed, "I know.  Dark Goddess Twilight Sparkle, what plans do you have for us next?"

Twilight replied, "Well if you are on my side, just call me Twily.  As far as my next plans, how about some supper?  We want something other than just apples.  Do you have any meat?  Shining Armor and I are starving for some."

Lemon Hearts said, "Well I do have some.  Not a whole lot since the ponies here don't really eat much.  Would a pork chop do along with some oats, hay and orange juice?"

Twilight replied, "Yes, that would be great!  Let's go get some food!"

They headed into the dining hall where they were served their meal.  Lemon Hearts and her generals were shocked by how fast Twilight and Shining Armor devoured their supper.

Lemon Hearts said, "Wow, you two must have really been hungry!"

Shining Armor replied, "Yeah, we were hungry, FOR MEAT!  I don't know about Twily, but I really would like seconds if you have any to spare."

Twilight said, "Same here Lemon Hearts.  If you have any, bring it to us.  Remember who is in charge now."

Lemon Hearts walked back to the kitchen and told the chefs to cook four more pork chops, two for Twilight and two more for Shining Armor.

Ten minutes later they brought out the extra pork chops to Twilight and Shining Armor.  They devoured those in under ten minutes but were finally satisfied.

Twilight said, "Thank you Lemon Hearts.  When you're a pony who is used to feasting on meat and you don't get any, you get kind of nasty.  I am in a much better mood now!  With us all having eaten our supper, let's go into your throne room so we can discuss things."

Lemon Hearts replied, "Sounds good to me!"

They headed to the throne room and much to Lemon Hearts's dismay, Twilight sat on the throne.  She said, "Lemon Hearts, I'm in a better mood now, don't ruin that.  This is my seat now."

Lemon Hearts looked scared and said, "I wasn't going to say anything."

Twilight said, "Alright everypony, as you all know I am slowly but surely retaking the world, one province at a time.  Lemon Hearts, who do you swear allegiance to?"

Lemon Hearts replied, "My sole allegiance is to the Dark Goddess Twilight Sparkle, owner and ruler of the whole world."

Twilight smiled and said, "Good, I am glad to hear it.  I have a bad feeling that Lyra will not be as loyal as Lemon Hearts and LaurFa though.  What do you think we should do about her?"

LaurFa asked, "Do you think she has taught her military anything that she learned from Colgate?"

Lemon Hearts said, "I am sure she has.  We haven't talked in quite some time.  She knew about how Twilight and Celestia would return and for the past 200 years she has been paranoid about me stabbing her along with Luna and Colgate in the back.  She is far more like Luna and Colgate than the rest of us, she is extremely paranoid."

Celestia asked, "Twilight, do you remember of any spells that could wipe out her forces so we could give her two options, either join our side or die?"

Twilight replied, "I don't think I ever even learned any spells to take out entire armies all at once.  If I did I certainly don't remember it."

Shining Armor asked Lemon Hearts, "Does Saddle Arabia have any kind of library regarding magic?"

Lemon Hearts looked sad and said, "We used to.  Around 200 years ago Lyra and a huge army came and stole every last bit of information.  Whether they took it to Prancington or Ponyville I'm not sure.  I just remember her coming in with a large number of dark Alicorns and changelings, terrorizing every pony here, killing half of my forces and hauling off every last bit of information from here."

Twilight slammed her hoof on the ground and said, "Crap.  I should have figured she would do something like that.  She is Colgate's lap dog and would do anything to keep her in the black tower.  For all we know she may have relocated all of her information to Ponyville just to keep it out of my hooves."

Shining Armor asked, "You don't think Colgate may have went as far as going to Prancington very quickly, getting Lyra and taking her back to Ponyville again do you?"

Twilight replied, "Well we haven't been frozen in time yet so I wouldn't count on it.  I could see her doing it though."

Celestia asked, "What are you talking about?  Freezing time?  How in Equestria could anypony do something like that?"

Lemon Hearts explained, "Colgate is a Time Lady.  She discovered at a very young age that she has the ability to manipulate time, which is why she has an hourglass cutie mark."

LaurFa asked, "Does she have the ability to reverse time?"

Lemon Hearts replied, "I don't know.  The thing is, if she was to reverse time, go back and change something she would be the only pony who would ever know that she did it.  For the rest of us, the outcome of things that she switched things to would be the only one we would know."

Twilight said, "In other words she could go back and make me fail my entrance exam?"

Celestia said, "She could, but the moment she did that she would lose her wings because under the new path, she would have never become an Alicorn.  I highly doubt she would ever travel back to before you transformed her.  I know she enjoys being an Alicorn and being a military commander way too much."

Twilight replied, "Tell me about it.  I should have known that when she was such a good commander underneath me that she enjoyed the power that came with her post.  I should have known that when she would get so excited for me to leave after a while that she already had plans to supplant me."

Lemon Hearts said, "I don't know about any of you, but I am getting tired.  I think I am going to hit the hay."

Everypony else agreed with her, that it was time to go to bed.  They were scheduled to have a full day of meetings the next day and then a couple days of rest and relaxation after that, so they would need plenty of rest.

In Ponyville Colgate was watching all of this and listening in on them.  She realized that bringing Lyra to Ponyville would be the best option, as LaurFa and Lemon Hearts had already fallen back under Twilight's control without a loyalty spell.  She decided she would do this after breakfast the next day.