Twilight's Rage

by Biker_Dash

Rating: teen
Tags: Shining Armor, Tragedy, Princess Celestia, Zecora, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 11358

What if Spike had not been captured by Tirek with the others? What if he had been home when it had been destroyed, and had been killed? What would that do to Princess Twilight? Who would be able to stop her?

What if Spike had been home when Tirek destroyed the Golden Oaks Library, and had been killed? What would Twilight do? More importantly, who would be able to stand in her way and stop her when she delivers retribution to those who have caused her to lose everything? After she defeats Tirek in combat, she turns her focus on all of Equestria, and those whom she lays blame upon for the death of one she held dear to her.

With the combined powers of all the princesses inside of her, and a deep anger within her soul, can she be stopped, or will all of Equestria answer to her wrath?

Written for the Twirant's Kingdom Competition in the Tyrant Sparkle group.

Proofreading and editing done by:
DustyPwny

Published 2014-06-04 17:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-09 13:19:28 UTC

Prologue (edited)

That was close, but before Tirek could use his dark magic to steal her own magic, as well as the magic she was attempting to keep safe, she teleported away. Instinct had taken her straight to her home, causing her to reappear on her balcony.

This is not good, she thought to herself. Tirek wanted the alicorn magic within her, and he would obliterate the entire town if that is what it takes for him to obtain it. Home was the last place that she should have gone. And even worse, she could hear Spike inside talking with Owlicious. Damn! The last she knew, he had been with the others. Now, he was at risk just by her being here. She needed to get away and put some distance between Ponyville and Tirek, and she needed to hurry.

First things first. She needed to know exactly where her opponent is. Looking through her telescope, she quickly spoted Tirek. He found her as well, and he fired a blast of energy directly at her! “SPIKE! GET OUT OF THERE— “

There was not enough time. The destructive bolt crossed the couple miles in a matter of a few seconds. When it hit the Golden Oaks Library, the explosive force was equivalent to one of Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainbooms. The detonation sent her flying through the air, landing a distance away. She was fortunate that she reflexively shielded herself, otherwise she might have been seriously injured.

Looking back, Twilight saw with sorrow that her home has been obliterated. All her books and her personal belongings were scattered among the rubble. Four years, she lived and worked there, and now all that was gone. She felt the anger build as she looked upon the scene. And then her eyes found Spike.

Scrambling to her hooves, she hurried over to him. There was nothing that she could do. The explosion tore his body apart, and left him impaled on a chunk of debris. Spike, the one whom she had raised from a newly hatched infant, whom she had watched grow into her number one assistant, best friend, and younger brother, was dead.

And off in the distance was the bastard that killed him.

With tears flowing freely, Twilight felt something she had never felt before; a murderous rage that demanded vengeance. Turning towards her foe, she slowly began walking in that direction. As she walked, vast amounts of energy began flowing around her, until, with a flash of light, she transformed. Her coat now glowed white like the sun, her tail and mane transformed into fire, and her eyes glowed brightly crimson. On top of that, her horn and wings had expanded, and her height was now roughly between that of Celestia and Luna.

Twilight Sparkle had rage shifted, and she was bringing all the power within to bear against what had become her mortal enemy.

Tirek watched the transformation happen, and he was pleased by what he saw. Yes, she would be an even more formidable target now, but the rewards for defeating her would be all the more greater. He started advancing towards her, charging up another energy blast between his horns.

”TIIRRREEEKKK!!!!!!” she bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice as she broke into a gallop, charging at him in a nearly blind rage. As she ran, her own hooves became enveloped in flames, setting fire to the grass which she passed over. When she was hit by Tirek’s shot, she barely noticed, and was barely slowed. Breaking into flight, she rapidly gained speed, closing the distance between the two in a matter of seconds. Tirek fired off a couple more bolts of his deadly energy, but she just shrugged them off, as if they were nothing more than a mild annoyance. Twilight collided with him at nearly supersonic speed, sending them both tumbling into the distance.

Neither one wasted any time getting to their hooves. They both were determined to end this match quickly and decisively.

“Give me what is mine!” he loudly demanded of her as he attempted to steal her power. With the power he had already claimed, including that of the God of Chaos, Discord himself, it should have been an easy thing, stealing Twilight’s power. But, instead, the infuriated Alicorn resisted his power and sent a blast of energy directly into his face, knocking him onto his back. He returned fire with a much more powerful blast that knocked her reeling, and then picked her up with his magic, only to throw her towards the mountains, where she collided with a cliff face with enough force to nearly crack the mountain into two.

Shaking that off, Twilight looked up to see Tirek flying at her like an oncoming missile. Dodging out of the way, she let her foe collide with the remains of the mountain, and then blasted him deeper into the remaining rubble with her magic. He retaliated with a powerful blast of his own, hitting her square in the face. Charging her again, he prepared to slam her into submission while she was stunned, but she quickly teleported directly above him, and instantly accelerated to supersonic speed, catching him in the back, sending him into the ground.

He shook this latest attack off, and the two of them began circling one another, like two gladiators, preparing for the kill. With twin bellows of rage and hatred, they again charged one another, firing off tremendous blasts of energy right at the moment of contact. The resulting explosion was unlike any which has been seen before. A blinding light flashed from the center, as if the sun itself had been brought down to Equestria. Everything within a half mile was incinerated within the resulting fireball and mushroom cloud.

When the smoke finally cleared, the two opponents stood still. Both were clearly injured by the detonation, but both refused to yield.

“So,” Tirek said, breaking the silence, “it seems that you and I are both at an impasse. How about I offer you this?” With a snap of his fingers, six magic bubbles appeared. Inside these were her friends and Discord. All of them appeared to have had their magic stolen from them, and all appeared to be completely helpless within their magic prisons that Tirek had brought forth. “How about you give me all of your magic, and I shall set your friends free? Do we have a deal?” he asked her.

Twilight did not even give her trapped friends a second glance. Glaring at the beast before her, she bellowed, "FUCK YOU!" and launched herself immediately at him, catching Tirek by surprise. It was an even bigger surprise when Twilight’s lengthened horn pierced his chest all the way to the base. She immediately fired off a powerful blast from the tip of her horn, causing Tirek’s chest to explode outward.

When his corpse hit the ground, it transformed back to the wizened old form it had been when he first returned to Equestria. With Tirek’s death, several things happened. All the magic which he had stolen returned to those whom it belonged to, the three princesses whom he had sent to Tartarus found themselves back in the throne room in the Canterlot, and Twilight’s friends were released from their bubble prisons, tumbling to the ground.

As they fell, Twilight turned away. Her friends hurried to her, voicing their thanks for saving them from their fates.

Wheeling on them, she glared at them all with acid filled contempt. “How DARE you approach me? You five were supposed to keep Spike safe! Why was he not with you? Why did you not keep him WITH you?” she screamed at them. Her rage towards them grew. “If you had kept him with you, he would not have been at home when that BASTARD destroyed it, AND HE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!” she screamed in sorrow filled rage.

“Twilight, please, forgive me,” pleaded Discord, truthfully sorrowful for all that has transpired. If he had not listened to Tirek’s silver-tongued pitch, and not betrayed everypony, then none of this would have happened. Had he done what Celestia had sent him to do, then Tirek would never had gotten this powerful, and everything would have quickly returned to normal. Instead, the blood of an innocent young Dragon now rested upon his own soul. “If I had just done what I was supposed—”

He never got to finish. Twilight immediately attacked, physically impaling his throat with her horn, then ripping it to the side, tearing his throat out in a bloody mess. "JUST DIE!" she screamed, then immediately started pummeling his falling body with blasts from her horn. When she is through, Discord laid there in a twitching, crumpled mess, his lifeblood soaking the ground around him.

With her attack finished, her five friends quickly regained their hooves, staring at the scene before them in shocked silence. The silence was broken by an anguished scream from Fluttershy, who rushed over to her fallen friend, cradling him in her forelegs sobbing, as the light of life faded from his eyes, and he went limp in death.

The others just stared in shock as Twilight shifted back to her normal form, though she did remain at her new size. As she turned to walk back towards Ponyville, they heard her mumble, “I guess gods can be killed, after all.”

Author's Note

Just a little idea that was planted inside my cranium to germinate...
Let us see where this goes

Confrontation

Twilight Sparkle sat at an old table within the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters within the Everfree Forest. Before her was a pile of random books she had grabbed from the shelves the other day when she had arrived from the ruined battlefield. She had arrived here alone, and she desired it this way. She had her books, and if she should become hungry, she could easily find food within the forest if need be.

It was to her annoyance that a visitor showed up.

“Why are you here, Zecora?” she asked without looking up from her reading.

“Your powers of observation shine so bright, that you would discover me so quick, my dear Twilight. I wish I could bring better tidings to you this day, but I must deliver a message of those who will parley,” Zecora replied, stepping into the room.

“Again, why are you here? I do not wish to be disturbed.” Twilight already had a good guess on the reason for the Zebra’s visit. Zecora would know about all that happened yesterday, including just how much was lost. Given that, she would not come to the castle ruins unless she had been asked to do so, and the only ones who would be looking for her at the moment would be the other three princesses. Twilight guessed that Celestia had sent a messenger to Ponyville, to inquire on what had transpired, and to have Twilight come to Canterlot, so that she can return the powers to the others.

“Very well, my princess friend. To you, this letter I tend.” Poking her muzzle into her saddlebag, Zecora pulled out a scroll, which she placed before her host. Sensing that her welcome here was already very thin, Zecora bid Twilight goodbye in her rhyming speech, and headed back out the way she came.

Once Twilight is alone again, she took a look at the scroll. It wore Princess Celestia’s royal seal, strengthening the likelihood that she was correct in her assessment. Opening the scroll with her magic, she began to read.

Dear Twilight,

I offer you my deepest condolences on the loss of Spike. He was the loyalest of friends, and a dear member of your family, and we all shall miss him immensely. I wish I could offer more to help with the pain and sorrow. Remember that we are always here for you, whenever you need.

Due to the recent events in Ponyville, and throughout Equestria, your presence is required here in Canterlot. I wish that this could wait, given the losses which you have endured, and the sorrow you must be feeling, but the matter is one of the highest urgency.

Your mentor and friend,

Princess Celestia

Reading the message from Princess Celestia had done nothing but anger her more. She knows NOTHING about how I am feeling right now, Twilight thought to herself. There was a lot left unsaid in the message, though, and Twilight pondered this. Nothing was said about returning the other princess’ magic, nor had there been any mention of what she had done to Discord. Celestia had to know about his death, and she would not be pleased. She, as well as Cadance and Luna, would also be needing their magic returned, so that they may resume their full duties. Her scowl deepened as her thoughts continued on this vein.

Well, maybe it was time that she faced her mentor, as well as decide what she shall do with them. With those thoughts on her mind, she spread her wings, and took flight towards Canterlot.

~ ~ ~ ~

Things had changed significantly in Ponyville. When Twilight returned to town, she said not a word to anypony. She just walked past the gathered crowd, which had gathered around the charred remains of her home. The tightest cluster was around the body of Spike, but they quickly backed away when Twilight approached. Most were too stunned to say anything by the destruction. The loss of one of their own, and now the appearance of the Princess of Magic, who had become a full size Alicorn, stunned them further. A few had offered words of sympathy, but she acknowledged none of them. She just enveloped the Spike in her magic, and headed off into the Everfree with him.

Within a couple of hours, ponies from the Royal Guard arrived to find out just what happened. When they were told of the events, they quickly left for Canterlot, only to return the next morning bearing a letter for Princess Twilight. The Guard Lieutenant also had matters which he needed to discuss with Mayor Mare, as well as the Element Bearers. The news he delivered to them was unsettling.

Inside Sugarcube Corner, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sat in a corner booth talking about what they have been told by the guard pony, and what they had witnessed their friend do.

“I still cannot believe what Twilight did. I can understand killing Tirek, because the uncouth barbarian needed to be stopped. But what she did to Discord… it just feels unreal,” Rarity said to them. Even after everything that happened, she still looked every bit the perfectly groomed and proper mare. It would not be Rarity if she let tragedy and strife cause her to appear anything less than perfect. Still, those who knew her best could see that she was not unaffected. “And why would Twilight not return the other princess’ magic to them? That just does not seem like the mare we know.”

“Sugarcube, Ya have ta consider that Discord DID turn traitor on us. If he hadn’t gone done that, poor Spike would still be alive.” While Applejack was just as shocked by the brutality Twilight displayed, she found it difficult to feel much in the way of sympathy towards the deceased God of Chaos. “Ah know Ah’d be more than willin to commit murder, if anypony ever hurt Applebloom. Ah’m not say’n that it’s right, but Ah can understand.”

“Rarity took a sip of her tea, nodding her agreement. “Yes, I have to say that I do agree with you there, Applejack. If somepony were to hurt Sweetie Belle, there is no force in Equestria that would be able to stop me from sending the culprit to Tartarus where he belongs. Considering how close she was to Spike, Twilight’s anger is justified,” she told them, setting her tea back down. With a depressed sigh, she continued, “It pains me to say this, but even her anger towards us has merit. Had Spike been with us, instead of heading home, he would still be alive today.”

“Has anypony seen Fluttershy, today?” asked Pinkie.

“I stopped in to check on her this morning,” replied Rainbow Dash. “She seems completely devastated over Discord’s death. I literally had to feed all the animals for her. If it was not for Scoots helping me, I don’t think I would have gotten them all.”

“I’m not surprised, considering that the two of them were intimately involved.” When this drew a surprised look from Rainbow Dash and Applejack, she continued, “Most ponies did not know, but she confided this secret to me a couple weeks ago. She did not wish for others to know, fearing how some would react.”

“Nailed it,” said Pinkie Pie.

They sat there with their thoughts for a moment. The recent events were still too fresh within their minds, and it bothered them to think that somepony they had trusted and loved could have changed so dramatically. They all hoped that things would turn out okay in the end, but they worried that things could end up taking turns for the worse.

Breaking the silence, Rainbow asked, “How are Sweetie Belle and Applebloom taking this? I know Scoots was feeling down this morning.”

Applejack was the first to reply. “Poor ‘Bloom didn’t wanta get out of her bed this mornin. Ah think that she’s takin losing Spike pretty hard.”

“Dear Sweetie Belle is simply devastated. Mother told me that my sister cried herself to sleep last night,” Rarity informed her friends. “I think the young filly may have had a secret crush on him, to be honest.

They silently thought about this for a moment, then Rainbow Dash spoke up, asking, “What can we do to help them understand what happened, and help them get through this?”

~ ~ ~ ~

Twilight landed outside Canterlot Castle and took a moment to stretch her wings. She also took that moment to run a quick magical scan of the castle. Inside, she could detect a higher than normal presence of Royal Guard ponies, and she sensed that the ones chosen for duty today had a large number of powerful Unicorns. Under normal circumstances, she would have not thought anything about this, but considering that the guards at the entrance looked rather tense, and were watching her closely, Twilight guessed that Princess Celestia had a plan, and there was a good possibly it included the use of force against her as an available option.

Twilight inwardly snickered at that thought. The princesses should know better than to think that she could be captured so easily. If they did try to capture her, the outcome would be very painful for all those involved, and it would conclude with her leaving as she chose. So, what could be her reasoning for the heavily increased security, Twilight mused to herself. She thought about it for a moment as she entered the castle. Is it that she is fearful that I might assassinate her? If that is the case, she should be able to realize that there is not a thing that she could do to stop me, if I so chose to do so.

Twilight continued thinking about what Princess Celestia would have planned as she walked through the castle towards the Throne Room. As she walked, she also continued scanning, noting the number of guards, and how powerful the ones emplaced were. Overall, the guard presence seemed to be double of what would normally be on duty at the time. Scanning further, she could even tell that the various guard barracks nearby were all full. It seemed a safe bet at this point to guess that they were ready to converge on the castle if need be. She also noticed that, as she got closer to the Throne Room, many of the guards behind her were now discretely following.

Upon reaching the Throne Room, the pair of guards stepped aside and opened the doors for her. As she walked in, she took note of all who was in the place, including the more than a dozen Unicorns and Pegasi hiding in wait. Discretely, she checked further, and discovered that every hidden pony carried magic nullment bands on them. Scheming as ever, Celestia, she thought to herself. Along with the three princesses, her brother stood by, as well as General Ironsides, Commanding General of the Equestrian Guard, and a mixed platoon of Royal Guard and Equestrian Guard Special Forces. On top of that, there was a full squad each of the Solar and Lunar Guard, and a half dozen of Cadance’s Personal Guard. No other nobles were in attendance here today, so Celestia was keeping certain things under wraps and secret from those who might take advantage of their weakness.

“Welcome, Twilight—”

“Let us cut to the chase, Celestia,” Twilight told her, cutting off her mentor sharply. “I have a pretty good idea why you called me here, so there is no need for false pleasantries. You want your power returned.” Walking around the room, Twilight plucked each hidden guard pony from their hiding spots, one by one, and removed the bands they possessed. When she gathered them all, she came back to the center of the room, and melted the bands into slag before her. “As we all can plainly see, I have reason to doubt returning your magic to you is a good idea.”

“Since you wish it to be this way, why is it that you have not returned our magic to us, Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia asked curtly.

Twilight gave her a contemptuous look before she replied. “Isn’t it obvious? You have clearly shown yourself unfit to lead Equestria, Whereas you are not fit to lead, you should not have the power which goes with such leadership.”

“What are you saying, Twilie?” Shining Armor asked, stepping down towards her from his spot next to his wife. Of all the things that his sister could have said, these words were the most unthinkable thing she could have stated. And yet, there she stood, talking about what could only be considered high treason. “I can’t believe I heard those words come from you? You’re Princess Celestia’s protégée, Twilight! You’re supposed to be a hero, and here you are before us talking like you’re planning a coup.”

Staring down at her brother, she told him, “I suggest that you do not meddle in affairs that are above your status, Shining Armor.” Twilight was not surprised that he would say this. Shining Armor may be her flesh and blood brother, but he was loyal to a fault to Celestia, and that made him a potential opponent, should anything happen. She did not wish to fight him, but if it came down to it, she would not hesitate to do so.

“And what of Princess Cadenza and myself?” asked Princess Luna, stepping forth. “Are we included in this belief of being unfit to lead?” Luna boldly walked right up to Twilight, feeling no fear, only regret at what she saw happening all over again. “I ask of you, Twilight, that you reconsider your actions. I speak from from experience when I say that the path you are on will only lead to your downfall.” Taking a seat, Luna pleaded with Twilight, “Please. Do not make the same mistakes I made. I do not wish to see what happened to me happen to you as well.”

Twilight gave a snort of contempt. Walking past the princess, she paced as she explained her reasons to them. “Let me start with why the three of you are unfit. Princess Celestia, let us start with you. What makes you incapable of leading this nation? Your numerous failures before and during my brother’s wedding for starters. How many times did you fail to see what was plainly before your eyes? Even after I attempted to bring to light that something was seriously wrong several times, you chose to keep yourself blind to the evidence before you. On top of that, you allowed that bug bitch Chrysalis to defeat you in a rather short battle. Your blindness and weakness nearly cost us dearly that day.

“How about your choice to free Discord? Did you honestly believe that he could be reformed?” she spat in angry contempt at saying his name. “I think his betrayal is plenty evidence enough of how poor a judgement call you made. And in trusting him to stop Tirek, you provided that bastard demon an ally against us!” Her pacing quickened as she grew angrier. “Shall I continue, Princess?” she spat out venomously.

Everypony was shocked by her accusations. The roomfull of guards shifted nervously, prepared to jump into battle to protect their rulers if it should become necessary. Princess Luna just stood up to walk out of the room, tired of it all, and knowing that nothing she could say would turn Twilight from her chosen course.

“Figures, the weakest one would go hide now rather than face the truth,” Twilight mocked.

Luna whirled around as if stung by an angry wasp. While she had put up with many slanders and much hatred since her return, there was just so much that she could tolerate, and the usurper had just crossed that line. “That’s it! I have had it!” she yelled. Marching straight into the powerful Alicorn’s face, she asked, “And who in Tartarus do you think you are, anyways? Do you really believe this pile of shit you’re slinging?” As she said this to Twilight, her personal guards hurried to surround Twilight with their spears leveled at her, ready to slay her in an instant, should she raise one hoof to their liege.

“Luna! Please stop!” cried out her sister, not wishing for this to escalate further. Unfortunately, her words fell upon deaf ears.

“So says the one that hid, crying, when the Changelings attack,” Twilight taunted, her voice filled with contemptuous sarcasm.

You could have heard a feather drop, the sudden shocked silence was that complete. The silence was broken by what would be known as the hoofslap heard across Equestria, when Luna reared up, and slapped Twilight across her muzzle.

The response to being hit was immediate and ruthless. Twilight grabbed Luna with her magic, and flung her across the room, where she hit a pillar with a sickening crack. The Lunar Guard reacted instantly, but still too late to save Princess Luna from being thrown like a ragdoll. They attacked as one, with the intent of converting the rebellious princess into something more akin to a pincushion with their lances.

Twilight Sparkle had no intention of dying today. In a flash, she was instantly twenty feet above the guards, who had collided with one another once their opponent disappeared. Not wishing to waste time, a simple blast from a fire spell was launched from her horn straight into the clustered Lunar Guard squad. Ignoring their tortured screams, she now focused on Celestia. That focus was broken though by numerous blasts of magical energy and thrown lances, as the remaining guard forces attacked.

Shining Armor immediately jumped into action when the fight began. Pointing to the first four guard ponies that he saw, he gave them one task, instructing them to get Celestia and Cadance out of there immediately. Next, he sent three more guards to go around the perimeter, and check on Princess Luna, and if she was injured so bad that she could not be moved, they were to guard her with their lives. With the safety of the princesses taken care of, he turned to assist Ironsides in fighting this battle.

Already, the fight was going badly for the guard. The Pegasi who tried to attack were quickly cut down, either by magic attacks, or from direct hits from Twilight’s hooves and horn. The Unicorns and Earth Ponies on the floor fared little better, as their attacks failed to connect.

During the battle, Twilight could see that Celestia and Cadance were close to escaping from the carnage. ”CELESTIA!”, Twilight boomed in rage, and fired a telekinetic blast directly at her, slamming her into the ground. The guard ponies immediately wheeled around to defend their ruler, but were cut down by lances which Twilight had magically thrown at them.

By now, more Royal Guard had arrived outside the Throne Room doors. Over fifty ponies, fully armed and ready for battle had converged, and the Lieutenant in charge led them in. They charged inside yelling out a battlecry that would have instilled fear into the hearts of most foes. This just pissed off Twilight more.

“Fuck this!” she said to herself, and let loose with a magical blast directly at them. The blast that hit them incinerated the biggest majority of them instantly leaving nothing left but ash. Those on the very outskirts were not so fortunate, whereas they felt the heat from the blast, and the resulting shockwave, before they died. The energy released went through the Throne Room entrance, obliterating it, as well as destroying the long hallway outside the doors.

Shining Armor could see that this was a losing battle. Making a snap decision, he had General Ironsides throw him with his magic. By now, most of the guard ponies were dead or seriously wounded, and he was desperate to end this battle. His one hope was that his sister would be distracted enough to not notice him flying at her. The General’s aim was true, and Shining tackled Twilight in mid air, causing them to tumble to the Throne Room floor.

Rising to her hooves first, she grabbed him with her magic, saying to him, “I warned you, brother!” and slammed him to the floor with a meaty smack.

“YOU TRAITOROUS WHORSE!”

Twilight turned her head just in time to see the lance hurled at her from General Ironsides. Had she not moved her head, it would have caught her right below her ear. Instead, it sailed past her, just nicking a couple hairs from her mane. Grabbing him by his neck, she lifted him off his hooves, and dragged him to her.

Forever the fighter, he struggled to break free, but as powerful a Unicorn he was, he was no match for her power. “You murderous witch! I hope you burn in Tartarus for your—” He was silenced for good when his head was suddenly pushed three inches to the side as his neck was held firmly, severing his spine and instantly killing him.

The room was a hall of carnage. Dead and wounded guards lay all over the floor, and the destruction to the room was heavy. Near a side exit sat Celestia. When Twilight had launched her magic bolt at her, she hit the floor hard, dislocating her hip. Between Celestia and Twilight stood Cadance, wings flared and a scowl or determination upon her face. Even without magic, she refused to step aside, instead choosing to defend her aunt to the end, if need be.

Dragging Ironside’s cadaver by his head, Twilight walks over to where her former foalsitter stood. “Step aside, Cadance,” she commanded. When Cadance refused to do so, Twilight simply took one of Cadance’s forelegs in her magic, and snapped it below the elbow. When Cadance fell to the floor, crying out in pain, Twilight simply marched past, heading straight for her former mentor and ruler.

Princess Celestia tried to sit up as straight as possible. If Twilight was going to kill her this afternoon, then she would face her death with dignity, as a ruler of Equestria should. But she was unable to stop the tears from flowing from her eyes, nor the tremor in her voice when she asked, “Why, Twilight? Why have you done this?”

Tossing Ironside’s body aside, she levitated a lance from the floor, and placed the point at the base of the fallen ruler’s throat. “You DARE ask me that? If you had sent me after Tirek in the beginning, like I had suggested, then NONE of this shit would have happened! Instead, you had to come up with another one of your schemes, and in the end, Spike was the one who payed the ultimate price!” she replied angrily, tears streaming down her own face. “I should kill you, here and now, but instead, I think you should live with the consequences. No more shall you lead this country into one disaster after another. Your rule is at an end.”

“Twilight… your eyes… what is happening to you?” asks Celestia, trembling in both fear and sorrow.

“I’ll give you a week to set up the changeover. I suggest that you comply with my suggestion, this time, Celestia, because if I have to, I will end you,” she told her with a finality that allowed for no argument. “I will now head to the House of Nobles, and inform them of the change in management.”

With that, Twilight walked from the room, the irises of her eyes now glowing a bloody crimson.

Author's Note

I wish to thank DustyPwny for his role as proofreader for my story.

Now... time to continue with writing the next chapter.

Nobles and Plans

Outside the hallway, a full company of Royal Guard Stood at the ready, prepared to head into battle. They could hear, moments ago, the sounds of vicious fighting from the entrance to the castle and had rushed in to engage the threat to the princesses. Now, all they heard was silence and the crackling of small fires just around the corner from them.

Lieutenant Dusty Spearhead did not want this. He only joined the Royal Guard because his grandfather expected it from him, and to help pay for college. He never hoped to see action, but now it seemed that he would be seeing some very intense action within the next few moments. And from how it was sounding, it could easily be his last and only action.

Even with the terror he felt inside, he knew that he had his duty to Equestria and to the princesses. He would do as he was sworn to do.

Poking his head around the corner, the sight he saw only scared him further. The hallway leading to the Throne Room was a total wreck, and the Throne Room itself was in even worse shape. He could see many bodies littering the confines of the room beyond the demolished entrance. And then he saw Twilight walking down the hall towards him. Only this was not the same Princess Twilight Sparkle he had seen before on several occasions. This Twilight was nearly as tall as Princess Celestia, and she positively radiated that same power.

Sweet Luna, did Princess Twilight truly cause all of this? The first thing he noticed was the way she carried herself, especially how her expression matched one of a ruthless brute walking toward her next victim. He could only imagine what she would do if he were to order his personnel to engage against her. The thought of flies came to mind. But he has his duty to Princess Celestia.

He thought he’d caught a lick of movement when he pulled back behind the wall. Another peek downrange confirmed it. Near the opposite end of the Throne Room, he could see Princess Celestia was in fact alive, but she appeared to be injured. Damn, this changes things drastically. It was imperative, at all costs, that he got his troops to the Throne Room and secure the safety of Princess Celestia.

Just before he ducked back again, he made eye contact with Twilight. Mother of Celestia! Those eyes! He knew right then and there that if he were to engage with Princess Twilight, he and the whole company would be obliterated.

“What is the plan, L.T.?” asked First Sergeant Silverwing. “From the look on your face, I’m guessing that we’d be screwed if there is a battle?”

“Princess Celestia is alive. Getting her safe is the top priority. Problem is that it appears that Princess Twilight is the coming down the hall, and it looks like she just killed a hundred or more guards. How in Tartarus will we get past her? Any suggestions, Sarge?” Dusty asked. He uttered a quick, quiet prayer that the pony he trusted the most could come up with something, and fast.

“How about we just let her pass, Sir? Maybe if we all just stand aside, and not do a thing to threaten her, she will just walk on by, letting us secure the Throne Room, and get the Princess to safety,” Silverwing suggested. “We can send a Pegasus right now back to those behind us of our plan, and have him tell them what we have found.” To Silverwing, this seemed the only possible choice. If it worked, they lived, and they would be able to help Princess Celestia, and any other survivors they found. And if it did not work... Well, maybe Princess Twilight would be kind enough to make their deaths quick and painless.

This is why Dusty valued First Sergeant Silverwing so much. He knew he could rely on his wisdom and quick thinking to save the day. “You heard the Sergeant! We’re letting her pass unmolested. Get into position, everypony!” he commanded. “Private Flare, head back immediately and inform the Captain the situation.”

As Private Flare galloped down the hall, another private, and Earth Pony new to the guard, asked, “Do we salute, Sir?”

“Unless you foals want to piss of the Alicorn that just killed off at least a company’s worth of highly capable veteran guards, I’d suggest it,” Silverwing chided the private.

At that moment, Twilight turned the corner. As she did so, the Lieutenant barked out the command, and every soldier raised their right hoof in salute to her. Walking between the two ranks of Royal Guard along the walls, her gaze shifted left and right, taking note that every single one of them seemed very afraid of her. It was fortunate for them that they had leadership intelligent enough to not get in her way.

When she got to the end of the two rows of troops, she stopped, and without turning, she told them, “There are survivors in there. If you’re smart, you’ll focus on your wounded and not on me.” With those words, she continued on her way.

Dusty wasted no time. On his command, his troops formed back up and they double-timed into the Throne Room. If things looked bad to them in the main hallway, it looked even worse inside the room. A quick look around told Dusty that there would be a lot of funerals soon. The carnage was worse than anything he had ever seen in his life. Stallions and mares were strewn all over the Throne Room, most of them unmoving. There were survivors though.

“Corporal Hearts, take a fire team and check on Princess Luna. Sergeant Still Waters, grab a fire team and check Prince Shining Armor. Sergeants Stone Cutter and Forest, pick two teams, and come with the First Sergeant and I. The rest of you, check for survivors.” As the guards rush to do as instructed, Dusty and Silverwing, along with those detailed to them, headed over to where Celestia and Cadence lay.

When they got to Princess Celestia, they found her quietly sobbing while she laid on the floor. Having seen enough injuries on the Guard training grounds, as well as playing hoofball on school, Silverwing recognized the dislocated hip immediately. He quickly detailed Stone Cutter to tend to her while Forest went to Princess Cadance’s assistance. Silverwing noticed something else as well. Neither princess had their cutie mark. Something told him that he would find the same lack of a cutie mark on Princess Luna as well. So, it would seem that the scuttlebutt floating around the Guard barracks may be true, that Princess Twilight had somehow taken the magic from the other princesses, and had gone rogue. This was some seriously bad news, if it turned out to be true.

Dusty noticed the same thing, but kept quiet about it as he kneeled next to Celestia. “Your Highness, we need to get you to the Royal Infirmary to have your hip checked and fixed. It’s been dislocated, but I’m sending for medical teams now.”

Celestia looked up at him and said, “Go tend to the others, they need your help more than I do.” She laid her head back down. She just wished to be alone in her shame and sorrow. She felt that she had failed Equestria, and more importantly, she felt that she had failed Twilight. “They deserve the help more,” she added, almost at a whisper.

“I have others already helping them, Princess. Please, let us help you,” he asked of her. When she nodded her head giving her permission, the medic went to work stabilizing her leg and hip.

“Your Highness, I’m going to give you a painkiller for your dislocated hip,” Stone Cutter informs her before injecting her hip with an ampulet of morphine. “It should help some, until we can get you moved to the infirmary.”

Seconds later, a couple guards informed the Lieutenant of the status of the other two princesses and Shining Armor. “Princess Cadenza has a broken foreleg, but other than that, she appears uninjured. Sergeant Forest is applying a splint to her injury as we speak. Still Waters says that Prince Shining Armor appears to have a couple of broken ribs, but also has a head injury that will most likely leave him with a nasty concussion.”

Hearing this, Celestia raises her head, asking, “What of my sister? Is she okay?”

Corporal Dancing Dead delivering the news, looked crestfallen as he spoke next. “Your Highness, it’s her back.”

With fresh tears and trembling lips, Princess Celestia demands that she be brought to Luna. “I do not care how, just get me to her. Please,” she pleads with them, desperate to be with her sister.

The First Sergeant calls a few Unicorns over, and tells them what they need to do. When they are ready, they call upon their magic to lift the princess, and Silverwing carefully helped keeping her leg steady and still by supporting it with his wing as the other three carry Celestia over to her sister. They get to her just as the first medical teams from the infirmary arrive with stretchers.

When they set Celestia down, Luna looks over to her sister. Reaching out with a forehoof, she sobs, “I can’t feel my hind legs, Tia.”

~ ~ ~

When Private Flare delivered his message to the Captain of the Royal Guard, the decision was quickly made that Princess Twilight would be allowed to pass unmolested. To gather enough forces that would be sufficient to even come close to stopping her, or even survive the attempt, would take more time than they would have. Squads were sent out to watch here, and to report in on her actions, but they were given specific instructions to take no further actions unless it was to save an innocent life. Star Caster, Captain of the Royal Guard, could only hope that Twilight left the city quickly, and without causing any further damage of loss of life.

As Twilight left the Castle grounds, she took note of the Guard squads watching her every move. They seemed to hold no intention of attacking her, but she was prepared, just in case.

Down the street, about ten minutes away by hoof at a normal walking pace, was her destination. The House of Nobles, where the numerous minor princes and princesses held Congress. They formed the half of the government which primarily made the laws in Equestria, and served to balance the power that the Alicorn princesses wielded over the nation.

Her reason for heading there was to make it known of the changes which she will be implementing. She did not look forward to this, chiefly because the majority of the dukes and duchesses were pompous flanks with about as much common sense collectively as a turnip. Still, they could potentially cause headaches with what she had planned, and it is possible that Celestia could rally them behind her as a means to try to stop the change of leadership.

There was a very real risk of that happening too. The minor nobles in Equestria generally preferred the status quo, and would be quick to bicker, fight, and generally spend their time creating a tangled web around anything which threatened that.

That was something she would have to change.

Walking up the steps to the House of Nobles, Twilight noted that the guards just outside the door looked nervous enough to jump out of their own skin. They most likely had no idea what to expect, considering that word had to have gotten to them about the battle within Canterlot Castle.

The word had gotten to them, as well as the instructions to not interfere with her in any way, and to show the proper honors due a princess of Equestria. When Twilight reached the top of the stairs, the two guards opened the doors for her and rendered as crisp salutes as their fear filled trembling allowed for.

“Sweet Luna, did you see her eyes?” said the Pegasus guard after Twilight had passed. “She looks like she is possessed!” The mare decided there and then that she would not be re-enlisting when her tour was completed. Maybe I should talk with my cousin in Ponyville about joining the weather team. Thunderlane says it’s a nice place, she thinks to herself.

It was much the same all the way to the Chambers of the Noble Senate, where Twilight could already hear the heated debate going on when she focused her magic to nullify the magic privacy screen and augment her hearing. She decided she wanted to hear what they were debating about.

She was also hungry. Without turning her attention away, she sent one of the guard ponies by the hall door to go get her a sandwich. He was quick to comply, nearly tripping over himself to appease her.

As she waited for her food, she listens in through the closed door. Apparently, they had been instructed to evacuate once things exploded in the Throne Room. The refused, of course, and instead, they were arguing over what the events meant. Also thrown around was speculation on the rumors that Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadence were without their power, and they of course argued about this too.

Nobles… about as useful as a parasprite, and about as likely to ruin anything that touched their hooves.

Listening further, she heard more news. Apparently, the secret that Celestia hoped would remain a secret was no longer so. Scuttlebutt and rumors is all the nobles had heard so far, but it was enough for them to piece things together. From what Twilight heard, a couple of the nobles had been inside the Throne Room when the other princesses had returned from Tartarus upon Tirek’s death. Always on the lookout for new ways to weaken the stance of the ruling princesses in order to strengthen their own positions, the lack of any cutie marks confirmed that they had not received their powers back when every other pony in Equestria had.

She continued to listen in while she ate her meal, which had just arrived. So, Duke Obsidian seems to be the one rallying the the dissenters away from the princesses, while Prince Blueblood and Duke Fancy Pants are rallying support for Celestia, she thought. She was not surprised. Obsidian was always hungry for power, and would not hesitate to place a dagger in anypony’s back, if it would further his cause. He also had quite a few followers, all hoping for their share if he were to eventually rule over the Kingdom. He might make a useful ally, though one whom would have to be watched closely. Twilight knew very well that Obsidian would not hesitate to place a sharp blade between her wings if he saw an opportunity.

The fact that Blueblood and Fancy Pants were strongly supportive of Celestia, Luna and Cadance was of no surprise. Blueblood was always a staunch supporter of the Princess Celestia, even when he was being a complete pain in the flank, or worse, a cowardly moronic fool. That and the fact that he currently held the position of House of Noble’s Leader, made him potentially the one to be most worried about. Celestia would rely on him the most to keep the House inline with her through this.

The fact that there was bitter blood between Blueblood and her only strengthened her resolve to deal with him.

Fancy Pants supporting Celestia was expected, whereas he had always supported her, even before he was christened as a duke for his works at improving the lives of ponies all over Equestria. Even though he had only been a duke for less than a year, he had a lot of influence, and if he could be swayed over to her side, he would be an invaluable asset. The problem being that he was not a pony known for changing sides, or for one that could be pressured. He was smart though, and maybe Twilight could work with that.

Pushing the doors open, she strode into the room with a purpose. The air about her seemed to shimmer with the power she let flow from her body, and her increased size only added to the effect. The debate going on ceased as all eyes fell on her. She had their full attention.

“I am certain that you noble ponies by now know of the failures of Princess Celestia, which she had inflicted upon our nation time and time again. Furthermore, I know that you are aware of her current state of powerlessness,” she informed them, looking around the gathered nobles, aids, and guards. “You do know my purpose here, today, so I will cut to the chase. As I have told Celestia earlier, the leadership of Equestria will formally and finally change hooves over to me as the presiding Princess. She is to work alongside the House of Nobles in arranging everything so that the transition can proceed smoothly.

“Work with me on this; do not oppose me, and everything can return to normal quickly and efficiently. Stand against me, and you will fall.”

This did not go unanswered. Standing from his seat, Prince Blueblood marched down onto the floor. This was his arena, and Twilight Sparkle had crossed the line on his home turf. In his mind, it was time to put her in her place. “You uncouth upstart! How dare you barge on in here as if you were Princess Celestia, herself! This place is above your stature, and you are not welcome in these hallowed halls. You will not receive any support from any noble in this House,” he told her, standing not a foreleg’s length away from her. With a snort of righteous contempt, he added, “I would not have expected this from you, Twilight Sparkle. Your traitorous acts have sullied your family name, and you have betrayed the trust of Equestria. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Twilight did not bother to even glance at him. To her, Blueblood was nothing more than a gnat buzzing around a dead body. Actually, she mused to herself, that is not a bad description of him, politically. “You’re starting to annoy me, Blueblood. I suggest that you sit back down, and consider your options, before you run out of opportunities to do so,” she replied, absentmindedly. Turning around, she moved to walk out of the room.

By now, Prince Blueblood’s two personal bodyguards had joined him, realizing that their boss might be in danger. Powerfully built Unicorns themselves, both taller and more muscled than Big Macintosh Apple, they looked like they could have taken on the whole Changeling army themselves, and walked away eating a bowl of bug soup. And they had smarts too, to back up their brawn and magic abilities. They had seen the look in her eyes, and they could feel the power she radiated. They sensed that Princess Twilight was a dangerous opponent, but they also were loyal to the stallion who paid them. If they even thought they saw any threat to Blueblood, they would respond immediately, and with lethal force. “Prince, shall we let her go?” one of them asked.

“Arrest her!” demanded the incensed prince, pointing his hoof at Twilight.

His bodyguards responded to the order immediately, both sending out bolts of energy towards her head in an effort to take her out swiftly. They did not take into account the heightened reflexes which came with her augmented power, and she had just as quickly brought up a shield spell, deflecting the potentially fatal bolts fired from their horns.

Twilight’s anger flared inside of her, and her eyes immediately glowed a bright red as she grabbed one of the guard’s horns with her magic, and violently ripped it from his skull. As he fell to the floor with a blood curdling scream of mindless agony, Twilight turned to the other, and used the removed horn as a dagger to his throat, killing him with barely a thought.

The few Royal Guard within the room responded as they were trained to do, and that was to attack any threat within their assigned area. A total of four guards leaped at her with their spears, which she brushed aside effortlessly. When they continued their attacks on her, she ruthlessly cut them down.

The guard ponies outside the door rushed in at this point, and they were immediately hit with a magic blast. The Pegasus guard was hit square in the chest by the blast, and the explosive force of the energy released from Twilight’s horn crumpled the armored mare like an apple under a stallion’s hoof. The other guard, an Earth Pony private was caught by the edge of the bolt, and knocked aside to land several feet away from his dead fellow guard pony. Unable to do anything, he curled up, trembling in terror.

Twilight now turned her focus back to Blueblood, who just stood there in utter shock. Never before had he witnessed such violence, and it scared him to the core. When the enraged Alicorn approached him again, his back legs gave out from under him from the horror he felt. Princess Twilight’s eyes had turned into glowing, red orbs, and her mane and tail seemed to be flowing with dark energy on their own accord. He was able to get out one terrified cry before her right hoof jabbed violently into his throat. Prince Blueblood’s adam’s apple crushed with a sickening pop, and he collapsed to the floor, unable to breath through the ruined trachea, drowning in the blood that started to pour into his lungs from the ruptured carotid artery that the blow caused.

With the biggest threat in the room to her rule removed from the picture, she wheeled around and walked back to the lone surviving guard. Rage boiled within her blood, and she wished for more blood. This guard had foolishly attempted to stop her, and he would pay for what he did. They would ALL pay for what they did. Ignoring his desperate pleas for mercy, begging to not be killed, she lifted his spear from the floor, and put it to his neck.

“PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE! STOP THIS MADNESS IMMEDIATELY!”

Turning her head to the sound, she found that it was none other than Fancy Pants that had raised his voice to her, making demands of her that he had no right to make. Forgetting about the lone remaining guard, she walked over to the newest Equestrian noble, carrying the spear in her magic with her. She did not have to walk far, whereas he was already on the floor, and marching to her like a soldier would. He finally came to a stop when she raised the spear to his throat, just under his chin.

“Kill me now, Princess, and all of your plans will come tumbling down upon you in ruin,” he bravely told her. Though he wasunable to hide his fear, he pushed it aside to do what he saw as his duty. Pressing the advantage his words gave him, he continued, “What happened to that wonderful, young mare I met a few years ago? Where did she go?” he asks her, trying to get past her anger and to the mare he once knew, even if only for a short time.

“That mare died when Tirek took Spike from me.”

There was an audible gasp of dismay from the other side of the room. Twilight turned to the sound, and found her mother there, a look of sorrowful shock on her face. walking over to her, Twilight informed her of the sad new. “It’s true. Spike is dead, Mother. He was killed due to Celestia’s failure to stop Tirek when she had the chance.” Twilight’s mane and tail returned to normal, as her rage dissipated. Her eyes remained changed; though they no longer glowed brightly, they remained crimson.

“Forgive me, Mother, for what I must do. I cannot allow any more of her failures to continue to threaten this land. I must go now, but I shall return soon.”

When Twilight left, Dutchess Twilight Velvet was left to deal with her grief alone. None of the other nobles would have anything to do with her, for it was her own daughter that had caused so much destruction and death in Canterlot on this day, and she knew that Twilight was lost to her as well.

~ ~ ~

It had been a tense twenty four hours for Princess Celestia. They had quickly gotten her sister to the infirmary, and from there, to Canterlot General where they had a surgeon who specialized in back injuries. Princess Luna’s back was treated to the very best the doctors and nurses could provide, but without the Alicorn magic, Luna’s back could not be healed fully, and unless her magic was returned to her, and soon, then she would never walk again.

Her own hip had been healed enough that she could walk, though it did still hurt to do so. Princess Cadance was regulated to a wheelchair for the time being. Her foreleg had been badly broken, and it would take time to heal enough that she could safely walk on it. Shining Armor was doing well enough, having had his ribs healed, and the concussion treated.

This was on top of having to deal with the aftermath of what Twilight had done. The death toll for the day was over a hundred, including Prince Blueblood, and General Ironside. Not only that, but now Canterlot was in near chaos, and she was barely able to hold onto her position as Princess with the loss of her power.

“So, it is true that she killed Prince Blueblood?” Princess Luna asked Celestia. Though she was in great pain, she had only accepted the minimum of painkillers, so that she could keep her head clear. “This is not good at all. He was one of our strongest supporters, and with him gone, I fear that Duke Obsidian will make a powerplay, and soon.” Obsidian was one of the first of the nobles to welcome Luna back when she had returned those four years ago. It had been quickly established, though, that he was doing this for the sole purpose of currying favor with the younger Princess, in hopes that he might drive a wedge between the two of them, and step in to claim the throne. Both Celestia and Luna quickly nipped that one in the bud, and had been watchful of him ever since.

Prince Blueblood had been much slower to trust Luna, though he accepted her, as it was Celestia’s wish, and that was enough for him. And with his acceptance, and eventual support, he had gotten most of the other nobles to accept her as well. That support may well have gone up in smoke with the death of the prince.

“Don’t worry about such things right now, Luna. You need to rest, to give yourself as much chance to heal,” Celestia gently told her sister.

“That will not do me one bit of good, Tia, if we are unable to convince Twilight to return our power. I know the score, dear sister, and we both know what will have to be done.”

Shining Armor had been sitting with his wife, listening in on the conversation, and he too, knew what would end up being the outcome. It would go one of two ways. His sister would win, and thus Equestria would fall within a year as a result of the inner turmoil and outside forces taking advantage of a greatly weakened nation. The other other possible outcome would be that the Princess would win, but there was only one possible way that they could do so. He could not bring himself to think of that outcome. “Twilight will not give back your magic,” he somberly informs the three Princesses. “I just wish I knew WHY Twilie did this. Why would she turn on you, and kill so many like she did? She is not the same sister I knew.”

“I do not know the answer to that, Prince Shining Armor,” Princess Celestia said to him.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE lie to my husband, Aunt Celestia!” Cadance yelled from her chair. Rising to her hooves, she hobbled over to her aunt getting muzzle to muzzle with her before she continued, “We discussed what could possibly happen if Twilight were to accept our powers, and yet, Luna and I agreed with you that we had to take that risk. Why not tell him what really happened to his sister, Celestia?” she demanded.

Celestia sighed, not looking forward to telling him this, but too many lies had been told, and now, it was all coming back to bite her in her now bare flank. “Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’? There is a real reason behind that phrase, Prince Shining Armor. When Discord betrayed us and allied himself with Tirek, I realized that Tirek would not stop until he had everypony’s power, including us Alicorns. At that point, we had a decision to make. The four of us could jointly attack him, and maybe overpower him, but there was a strong possibility that he might defeat one of us and take the fallen one’s power. If even one of us four were to fall, then it would be all over, because he would become strong enough that the remaining three would be insufficient to stop him, and all of Equestria would fall.

“The other choice would be that Twilight would be given our power, and from there, go into hiding. We were fairly certain that he did not know that there was a fourth Alicorn princess, and even if he did find out, she would be able to hide long enough to be able to pick and choose the time and place where she would defeat him. Unfortunately, there was a risk involved with that. When a Unicorn or Alicorn has an extreme level of power within them, it can cause the pony’s mind to become… unstable. It can even lead to an magic overload, which can be permanently damaging, or even fatal.”

Shining Armor was floored by this revelation. “You mean to tell me that you KNEW this shit could happen? You knew that Twilight might not be able to handle the increased power, but you did not say a damn thing?” He could feel his own rage building up inside at Princess Celestia, knowing that the Princess knew the danger but had kept silent to that. “Maybe the accusations my sister claimed are actually true. If it was not for the fact that Equestria would most likely collapse and fall within a year’s time if Twilight wins, then I myself would be demanding that you step down!” he yelled at her. Cadance tried to calm him, but he just shrugged her off.

Princess Celestia could not look the former Captain in the eye, she felt that much shame. “Had I chose to go after Tirek myself, or even send Luna or Twilight, instead of sending Discord, then none of this would have happened. In that, Twilight is right,” she said, feeling the leaden weight of her remorse upon her soul. She turned to walk out of the hospital room, but Shining armor stopped her.

“Don’t you DARE turn from me right now, Celestia!” he demanded as he grabbed her by her shoulder, pulling her around.

“I highly suggest that you remember just whom it is you are speaking to, Prince Shining Armor,” Celestia replied, her temper suddenly flaring.

“Do not try that with me, Celestia,” snorted out the Prince. “You no longer have the right to lord over me in that manner. I am no longer your Guard captain. I am now the Prince of the Crystal Empire, itself a separate nation unto it’s own, and therefor, you and I are equals,” he informs her as he would a junior Lieutenant who had messed up back when he was Captain of the Royal Guard. “The ONLY reason I have not walked out the door and left for the Crystal Empire is due to the fact that I still have feelings of loyalty to the citizens of Equestria. Whereas they are in jeopardy due to YOUR failures, I feel personally honor bound to stay and help correct this situation. So, I suggest that YOU remember just whom it is that you are speaking with, and mind your OWN manners, Princess.”

Cadance just sat there in tears, feeling powerless to do anything. On the one hoof, she felt she should be backing her husband in this, whereas he was right in what he was saying. But she also felt a strong loyalty to her aunt. On top of all this, she too knew just what will have to be done in order for them to have their magic returned to them, and she was not prepared to have to pay that price. Even after all of this, she loved Twilight Sparkle as if she were her own sister, and not just her sister-in-law.

“Tia, Shining, please stop fighting,” Luna asks them from her hospital bed. “We will all fall if we cannot work together in this. Please, no more fighting amongst ourselves.”

The room fell silent as they heard a knock on the door. When told to enter, a guard Sergeant entered, bearing a scroll for Princess Celestia. When she finished reading, she looked to the others and informed them of what she had just read. “It seems that we have more problems. Duke Obsidian has left Canterlot for Ponyville, along with numerous other nobles. Going with them was General Oak Leaf, whom I had appointed to replace General Ironside. He took the whole Equestrian Guard Division stationed here in Canterlot with him. They’re defecting to Princess Twilight’s side in this.”

The others grew silent upon hearing this. They knew that with the defection of a whole Division over to Twilight’s side in the oncoming conflict, the odds against them just grew that much greater.

“All is not lost, though. I had sent for somepony who would be able to help us. She should be able to get past Twilight’s formidable power advantage, and prevent Equestria from falling in defeat,” Celestia informed them. “Please, come on in, Zecora.”

Author's Note

Once again, I would like to thank DustyPwny for his wonderful assistance with this fic. Also, congrats Anyne on catching that missed error. :twilightblush: