Author's Note

Me: Sorry if there's any grammar mistakes. My new laptop doesn't have Office so I have to write here.
Nexus: Doesn't excuse it Roman.
Me: Shut it and go polish your legs. And let the chapter unfold.

Invasion of Canterlot

The sky was clear and the ride was smooth. I would have loved having a day like this in Rome to fly a chariot around the city and vineyards but I would prefer not having a sword in my groin as I flew. Cipherus crouches behind the guard of the chariot as his cohorts fly me towards Canterlot. I watch as the rim passes beneath us and the castle looms a few miles ahead.

"Where do we land?" one of the pegasi shout over the wind.

I'm reluctant to answer, but with a sword on my testicles... There's a secret door on the north side of the castle. They'll probably have unicorn guards so make them open the door after we land."

"How many will see us Jackson?" Cipherus asks me prodding the sword against my gems.

"Only those two guards hopefully. If not I'm sure these two can handle anything else that's there."

"Show us."

The chariot slowly rounds the castle until the small yard came into view. I could see the two guards there waiting on me. Cipherus' pegasi slowed down and started to bring us in. They obviously only knew how to take off and fly these things; they couldn't have made a smooth landing for a pile of dung. The two guards started to approach me. Both were white, one was a Pegasus, the other a unicorn.

"Are you ready General Anderson?" the unicorn asked me.

"The question is are you ready to let me in?" Cipherus said jumping up and putting his stagnant iron blade to my throat.

"Who are you?" the Pegasus asked.

"And since when were you a cheesy villain from a cartoon?" I follow up.

"Silence! You shall open the door and let me in or I'll gut him!"

Cipherus' pegasi unhooked themselves and pulled daggers from under their armor. They slowly got on either side of the two guards. They looked to me, then to the pegasi then back to me.

"Fine." the unicorn replied.

I curse the Gods as he turns around and opens the door to my cell and the door to the hall on the other side. Just as the doors opened, the pegasi jumped the soldiers and dug the daggers into their necks. I watch silent as the brutal attack takes place. They don't stop either. After the necks, the two went for every unarmored point they could find as Cipherus released me with his sword still pointed at the back of my head.

"Take us to Celestia." Cipherus demanded.

"It's a straight shot. Just up down the hall, up the stairs and follow the massive hallway until you get to a set of doors that reach all the way up to the sealing. Can't miss it."

"I still don't trust you Jackson. You will take me or you'll see the fastest way down this mountain." Cipherus said putting his blade against the back of my neck.

"You hit your head when you landed here Cipherus?" I ask.

"Silence! Do you think I will not make good on my promise?"

I don't reply as I start to make my way through the dank corridors. The dim torch lights feel perfect for the situation. Bleak, dark, hopeless; all wrapped up in one hall way. that wasn't even the most nerve wracking part of it. The bright hallway lined with windows defining the history of Equestria was troubling to say the least. knowing I was a part of destroying it all in one day. I had swore that I would fight, but I ran. I swore if I didn't win I would die in the process; I'm still breathing. And now I have my hand in the punch bowl. The massive wooden doors loomed before me, the sun and moon looked back at me like eyes, filled with disappointment.

"Open it." Cipherus said prodding his sword into the back of my neck. It wasn't until the sound of my helmet's metal screeching against Cipherus' blade that i remembered I still had it on.

With the pain of my bruised and sprained ankle still taking its toll on my movement and the gash in my left arm, I'm forced to push as hard as I can with my shoulder to try and open the moon door. Without magic to open it, it creaked in protest as I pushed it open about three feet. Celestia sat at her throne with no guards and only on unicorn stallion holding a massive stack of papers in a levitation spell as she signed them one by one. You'd think she'd have a stamp for that by now. Celestia looked up and saw me. The minute her gaze landed on Cipherus, the quill in her telekinetic grasp fell and she knit her brow.

"What is the meaning of this General?" she asked angrily.

"Ah. You must be Princess Celestia. I am Cipherus Cesar; your new ruler." Cipherus said walking around me but still keeping his sword pointed at me.

"And the new nut job in the castle." I say before receiving the flat of his blade to the back of my head.

"Thank you Jackson. But I think the Princess would like to unconditionally surrender to me before I take her city,"

"I will do no such thing. Get my guards."

"You mean these guards?" one of the pegasi that walked in with me said pulling a body behind him along with the other not far behind.

"You will pay for this you cur." Celestia said, her horn starting to glow and her eyes turn yellow.

"Princess stop!" I shout starting to stand back up. "He has an army on the way. Even if you kill him now, you'd have these two to deal with and they would over take you in seconds. You'd have nowhere go before they put their daggers in your neck."

"My half brother has a point. You're only option is to surrender you throne to me. And I aspect you to want to fight back but your death means nothing to me. I will have what I want but there shall be a body that needs to burned in the ditch. I am your coercer, this worlds hero, this worlds God!"

"Then thank you for forcing an adrenaline rush." I say grabbing my shield off of my back and drawling my sword.

As it left my scabbard, I swing it close to my body and knock his blade away from me before taking my stance.

"You swore on the Styx that you wouldn't attack anyone until you spoke with Celestia."

"I swore not to try and escape or kill until I got to Canterlot. And even if the latter were true, I do believe I just spoke with her."

"And you think you can kill me here Jackson?"

Cipherus was nothing if not manipulative. His fatal flaw. The entirety of his attention was on me along with his two cohorts. Sun Zu once said that the mind was the greatest weapon and weakness of a soldier. And in the case of Cipherus, it was the pride within that gave me the advantage. He didn't notice Celestia start to fly out of one of the of the castle.

"No, but my idea of distraction works just as well."

Cipherus turns around with his two pegasi and see Celestia is gone leaving the papers behind. "You little bastard!" Cipherus lunges at me and I parry his blow and find myself in the middle of a triangle of death. Like I had told Celestia, I know I won't live long enough to kill Cipherus. "You are lucky I am feeling merciful. Send the signal."

"Yes Cesar." the pegasi on my right said moving to the windows.

He pulls a small crossbow made to be held in his mouth. That arrow looked familiar, it looked a lot like one of my arrows from the Goddess of the Hunt. The head was made of imperial gold and popped with red sparks. As soon as it left the crossbow, it ignited and made a loud screeching sound.

"What do you mean mercy?" I ask dropping my sword and shield in surrender.

"I know that you and I share a gift brother. I wish to put it to use in the celebration following my victory here in Canterlot. Celestia has fled and i would assume the other princess' were quick to follow. You are to be the center piece of the celebration in the amphitheater at high noon tomorrow. Where you will reenact your defeat at Ponyville, only with a slight touch of your demise. Or would you rather me end your life now?"

I hear the faint shouting of civilians and troops in the city as the other Pegasus reenters the triangle. "Like I have a choice."